PS3 online details revealed

Sony is integrating Xfire’s online technology into its PS3 Network Platform, allowing console gamers to play online alongside PC owners.
Xfire, which was acquired by media giant Viacom in April for $102 million, currently exists as a free piece of PC software which provides a network for a range of community features including friends lists and instant messaging.

This will be the first time Xfire’s technology has been integrated into consoles. So far Xfire has been confirmed for use in Sony Online Entertainment’s Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom, as well as in Sony’s own middleware development.

Some are predicting that the software will form the backbone of PS3’s multiplayer service in the future as it offers a base from which Sony can begin to rival Microsoft’s Xbox Live platform.

“Many of our PC game players already use Xfire to find and play with their friends online,” staed Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley. “By integrating Xfire features into our games we are able to strengthen our online community, making it even easier for our players to remain connected, whether they’re on a PC or a PS3.”