Netflix on the PS3 Soon, Wii next

Netflix will be streaming movies to Playstation 3 consoles soon.

Although the movie streaming service was initially a Xbox 360 exclusive, Netflix announced that PS3 users will be able to stream HD movies using the service.

Initially, PS3 owners will need to order a Blu-ray disc will will access Netflix content via the BD-Live service.

Sony console owners won't have to fiddle with a disc for long however.

Sony has also announced that there will be a firmware update integrating the Netflix service to the XrossMediaBar next year.

Wii owners will want to sit tight since it looks like Netflix is coming your way as well.

Last month Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said that the company was looking to expand the Netflix service to other outlets.

Eventually we want to be on all the game consoles, all the Blu-ray players, all the Internet TVs. So we are working in parallel with all of those efforts.

With today's PS3 announcement, it will only be a matter of time until we see Netflix on the Nintendo Wii as well.

Xbox LIVE Price Increase Coming Next Year?

Next month Microsoft is planning to release a major update to the Xbox LIVE service for Xbox 360 owners with the Xbox LIVE Gold membership.

The new update is set to add new social networking features such as Facebook and Twitter as well as other media applications such as the music streaming service Last.fm and a news channel called "News and more" via content from cable news outlet MSNBC as well as NBC.

The update will also allow Xbox 360 owners to rent full 1080p television shows and movies and share them with their Zune or Windows-based PC.

Much of this update was officially announced and touted at E3 in June, however what does the future hold for the service come 2010 and beyond?

Matt Peckham, video game blogger for "PC World," recently published a post where he spoke with industry analyst Michael Pachter who is predicting the annual Xbox LIVE Gold membership cost may increase from a $50 per year subscription to $100 within the next one to two years.

In the interview, Pachter describes the tension between $50/year Xbox 360 subscribers who play their favorite games online via Xbox Live whereas PC gamers can use that same service (called Windows Live) at no cost.

However, the number of Windows Live enabled PC titles is quickly diminishing.

You can't hook a guy into Xbox LIVE Gold if he's playing on a PC. That's the other problem. You really want to hook every gamer who has a 360, you want them to buy all their games on 360, play everything multiplayer, pay $50 a year, so that in a couple of years, it's $100 a year. That's going up, we all know that.

It would make sense to phase out PC gaming if Microsoft can cohorse gamers to purchase a $300 console, a yearly $50 membership, and $60 games. But why maintain or even increase the price of the Xbox LIVE Gold membership service when competitors Nintendo and Sony offer online services for free?

Xbox LIVE Gold members make a huge profit and Xbox 360 owners will happily pay for the service.

Peckhan makes an excellent point in his post:

Xbox LIVE is a money machine for Microsoft. In May 2009, the company claimed it had 20 million Xbox LIVE subscribers. Do the math. If that were 20 million active Gold accounts (they're not, but a majority are) you're looking at as much as $1 billion in annual revenue. Bump the subscription fee to $100 and you're talking upwards of $2 billion. With that on the line, there's a roughly zero percent chance Microsoft's going to eliminate the fee entirely...

There has been no conclusive evidence that gamers have switched from the Xbox 360 to a competing console because competitors offer a free online service, but Microsoft is toeing a thin line.

The annual $50 cost may be the tipping point for Xbox LIVE players although it is a shame that Microsoft is still enforcing "gamer dues" to its consumers every year. Raise the fee to $100 per year and 360 owners may reconsider their Gold membership.

New "Prince of Persia" Game a Movie Tie-in?

Reports surfaced yesterday that "Prince of Persia" creator Jordan Mechner filed a trademark request for the title "Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands."

This announcement has led some to speculate that a possible "The Forgotten Sands" game could coincide with upcoming feature film release of "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" in the summer of 2010.

Although the film is being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, early production photos of Jake Gyllenhaal's portrayal of series protagonist Prince Dastan look laughable.

With the awkward transition from homosexual cowboy to shirtless, time-traveling Persian hero aside, will we see a polygonal Gyllenhaal come next summer?

The simple answer is hopefully not.

Movie adaptations of video games have been dismal and the same could be said the either way around - although movie-games have had a better record than game-movies.

Nevertheless, a movie-game tie-in of an existing franchise has been a recipe for total disaster.

Take a look at "Street Fighter: The Movie" or even the movie-games in the "Spider-man" series which pale in comparison to standalone video games.

When video games are made into movies, fans of the series are eager for the next game in that series, not a game that follows the same visual style and story of its film partner.

Hopefully with the title "The Forgotten Sands" we are looking at a standalone video game and not a spin off movie-game.

"VGF Magazine" Coming Soon!

It' has been less than a week since VGF celebrated its 2nd anniversary of existence and there is already a monumental announcement.

Coming in the near future will be the launch of "VGF Magazine."


"VGF Magazine" will publish as an occasional printed supplement to Video Game Freedom placing the news, features, reviews, and opinions you love from VGF as well as exclusive content right in the palm of your hands!

Initially, copies of "VGF Magazine" will be available for order at MagCloud.com and pricing will be set to an incredibly low price.

If you are interested in contributing to "VGF Magazine" and see your stuff in print, either leave a comment below with your email address or send writing samples to videogamefreedom@gmail.com.

In the meantime, enjoy the new magazine flag and feel free to post any comments you have.

VGF 2nd Anniversary

It's been two years since I first created Video Game Freedom and that's cause to celebrate.

This year VGF received its first official look as well as added multimedia content via more podcasts, videos, and audio slide shows.

As VGF grows, be sure to look for more reviews, more features, and more content coming in year three!



Tell somebody you know about VGF today!