Sony considering Gold, Silver & Platinum memberships for PS4's online services

Yoshida hints at tier-based subscription service for next-gen PSN.

Sony could introduce a tier-based subscription model for PlayStation 4's range of online services, SCE Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida has teased.

Speaking to The Guardian following PlayStation 4's reveal last week, Yoshida suggested that Sony could take a leaf out of Microsoft's book for its upcoming console and adopt a "gold, silver or platinum" membership similar to Xbox LIVE.

"As more and more services and contents become available digitally, we'll have more of an option to create attractive packages," said Yoshida. "So hypothetically we can look at different models – like a cable TV company.

"We could have gold, silver or platinum levels of membership, something like that. We can do subscription services when we have more content – especially now that we have the Gaikai technology available. With one subscription you have access to thousands of games – that's our dream."

Sony unveiled PlayStation 4's range of online services alongside the console last week, including the option to share and stream content with friends over PlayStation Network, and the ability to instantly try any PlayStation 4 game from the online store.

It isn't yet known whether each online service will require a certain type of membership to access, or whether they will available to everybody.

In a separate interview with VideoGamer.com, SCE UK MD Fergal Gara also suggested that Sony's subscription-based service PlayStation Plus could be making its way to PlayStation 4 in an "evolved form".

"PlayStation Plus has been a great success this year," he said. "It's growing strongly, it's had tremendous critical acclaim for the value it offers and it has grown very sharply both in the UK and across the world. That's an exciting model about how we're bringing games to gamers at a great value price point, packaging it up neatly within a subscription.

"Where do we take that? Well, we're not able to go into the detail for what that might look like for PS4 just yet, but it's certainly an exciting development that we've gained some experience in and understand better now. We know what people like and we've got our hands around the right amount of content at the right level at the right time, so all of that work I'm sure is going to stand us in good stead at least on PS3 and maybe more in some evolved form."

Source: The Guardian/VideoGamer.com interview at PlayStation 4 media event held in New York. Flights and accommodation provided by SCEE.