No RB on PS4?

[HairyMan]

True, but if it goes down, you're hosed eventually no matter what. PS2 was around for a good long while into the PS3, so I don't see that model changing with the PS4.

The PS2 didn't have a widespread network system set up for it. So yeah, it's easier to keep support up for the PS2 when Sony didn't have to maintain any servers on their end.

[Bront20]

The PS2 didn't have a widespread network system set up for it. So yeah, it's easier to keep support up for the PS2 when Sony didn't have to maintain any servers on their end.

True, but it's also harder to sell something as new if you don't support it. So as long as the PS3 is being sold as new and still in production, I expect the PS3 PSN will still be supported.

PSP support for the PSN still works, and it's likely a very similar set of servers for the new PS4 PSN, so I don't see support ending any time soon.

[Alternity]

PSP support for the PSN still works, and it's likely a very similar set of servers for the new PS4 PSN, so I don't see support ending any time soon.

This. I don't see why they would end support, countless people bought countless content, and those countless people will want access to this content.

[HairyMan]

Understandable, but in the business world what the consumer/customer wants is not the highest priority. Making a profit and keeping your shareholders happy is number one. If the financial analysts and the market research group has data showing that the amount of money they are making off of the last generation's sales is not significantly greater than the cost of continuing to support the hardware used to provide those services, then those services will be terminated.

If shutting it down means they lose x amount of money, but supporting the service for a long time through the next generation of hardware costs them >x amount of money, then it's a good business move to shut it down.

Right now, Sony has not indicated just how long they will support the PS3 version of the PSN, whether the PSN will be a complete all-encompasing product or different for each iteration of hardware, etc. etc. But what you can carve in stone is that they have a boatload of data they analyze each and every day and once that data shows them they aren't making a profit anymore, the service will stop.

[Alternity]

I didn't read the contract of the PSN at all (who did, seriously), but I would figure that somewhere in those countless lines, it is said that when you pay for a content, you also paid for the access of that content. People are spending thousands of dollars to actually get access to that content, if Sony puts an end to that, people are gonna lose alot. It might not be written though, this is just assumption, and logic, and if they didn't it is really stupid, they should've never opened an online store.

I, and probably alot of people, buy the games on PSN so I don't have to worry about scratches on my blu-rays. Binary data doesn't break, and if the HDD breaks, you can always redownload it, however, if they put an end to this, you can't, therefore you'd lose it forever, along with the money you spent for it.4

IMHO, traffic on the PS3's PSN will go down when the PS4 will be on the market, so I don't see how they would lose money to maintain the store open, and anyways, they would probably make money, since as I've seen, some PS4 games will be released on PS3, and probably via PSN.

When I think of it, I don't see PS3's PSN going anywhere soon, look at PSP's PSN, it's still up.

[lvmathemagician]

I wouldn't worry about the PSN support for the PS3 ending soon. It would be a bad precedent to shut it down early. It would be a bad signal to send to PS4 prospects. Remember it's not just gamers like you and me on it. There are also developers who's businesses depend on it.

[Ahielia]

I'm not too worried about buying new equipment for Rock Band, but rather the DLC.

As I understood the statement from Sony about PSN stuff not being transferred from the PS3 to the PS4, that was only games.
Harmonix and Sony would kind of shoot themselves in the feet if the DLC (which many have spent a lot of money on) is not transferable to the PS4.

Pretty much all I've used the PS3 for this last year is Rock Band and Final Fantasy, and before October: Dark Souls.

As it stands, both Final Fantasy (the third XIII) and Rock Band is pretty much all I'm interested in when it comes to the PS4.
If Rock Band won't have it's DLC carry over, I seriously doubt I'll get one, at least for the first few years.

But yeah, will the DLC carry over?
I mean, it should be easy enough to at least figure out who has bought which songs, they already keep the list (so you can download stuff again if you have to, for whatever reason).

[Varient]

Promote loyalty. Even if you have to spend money to enable it.

This exactly. I'd be willing to pay a little more for decent working backwards compatibility. Not only that, as processor prices fall for the older processors it will slowly become more and more cost effective to manufacture backwards compatible systems!

It has me a little concerned how this coming up gen is working against promoting brand loyalty with poor choices. Name tied to a console? Little or no backwards compatibility? RFID used to bar used games? Games that don't work without a network being up? There's so little to encourage someone to stick with a system now and knowing that if the network dies your games are now broken doesn't help. Mix this with all the choices floating around it leads to an eerie deja-vu of the 80's. I know people who have gone 100% retro because of it. It's that's scary.

[Alternity]

But yeah, will the DLC carry over?
I mean, it should be easy enough to at least figure out who has bought which songs, they already keep the list (so you can download stuff again if you have to, for whatever reason).

The PS4 won't be able to emulate the PS3, so even if the DLC would carry over, there would be no use for it.

[Bront20]

The PS4 won't be able to emulate the PS3, so even if the DLC would carry over, there would be no use for it.

Untill the streaming version of RB3 comes around...