PSN finally better than Xbox Live? - Devs think so

Playstation Network (PSN) and Xbox Live (XBL) have become the two dominant console services out there currently. Both services pretty much cater to the same audience, with the purpose of providing multiplayer capability. It is difficult to say if the Playstation Network is better than Xbox Live from a consumer perspective, but the developers seem to think so. 

There is no doubt about it, even though the PS2 had free multiplayer capabilities early on, the original Xbox really brought the whole package together. Xbox Live popularized the concept of Achievements and an online store. However, with the current iteration of consoles there is no arguing that the gap has been narrowed. 

Gamers can argue till they are blue in the face on which service is better - the PSN still lacks cross game chat and XBL still lacks dedicated servers. However, it seems developers are now voicing their opinions on which service is better for them. Recently, I wrote a story regarding the lack of the free Unreal Tournament III: Titan Pack due to the patch size limitation imposed by Microsoft. EPIC Games even had a dispute of sorts earlier on because of Microsoft’s unwillingness to give away free Gears of War maps to their loyal fans.

According to Casual Gaming, Creat’s executive producer Mikhail Glazyrin indicated that the PSN service was favorable in contrast with what else is out there. He stated, “The PSN platform has very few limitations, and it compares favorably to its rivals.” He also gushed over how supportive Sony is towards third party developers. Apparently Sony makes tools such as the Havok engine available for free to third party developers, helping studios make games for the PSN with a small budget.

The company is currently working on a title for Xbox Live and WiiWare as well. It is apparent that Sony has fewer limitations and restrictions when compared to Microsoft. It seems to have really allowed PSN to flourish in regards to original indie titles. Relaxing some of the limitations could be something Microsoft should be looking into to improve Xbox Live even more.