Number of PSN accounts hits 25 million

By Ellie Gibson Published 24 June, 2009

Plus: 500 million bits of content downloaded.

The number of registered PlayStation Network accounts has hit the 25 million mark.

As Kotaku points out, some users have more than one account - so that doesn't mean there are 25 million individual users. Still.

More than 500 million pieces of content have been downloaded from PSN since launch. The US PS Store features 200 games, 1900 movies and 9000 TV episodes. The UK PS Store frankly isn't as good.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (39) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • DFawkes #1 3 years ago

    We have Final Fantasy VII in the UK Store, that's all that matters!

    It is a shocking state our store is in, especially given how they could treat it seperately to the other Euro stores if required. Even if they didn't, how long can it really take to clear a game for Euro releases? It can be irritating. Still, the online service is free and I've had as good a quality of service as I've had on Live, can't complain about that part at least :)
    Edited by 1 at 24/06/09 @ 08:48

  • woodnotes #2 3 years ago

    "The UK PS Store frankly isn't as good."

    It's just like the BBC around here.

  • JayScott #3 3 years ago

    I wonder how many of those alternate accounts are from people living in Beverly Hills. 90210 is the only US zipcode I know, so it's certainly what I used!

  • dominalien #4 3 years ago

    @JayScott

    I did the exact same thing :-)

  • Garulon #5 3 years ago

    "By the same logic we can take a stab at 360 owners who have had multiple consoles fail and revise down the official sales figures. "

    How come? buying a new 360 is a sale costing money. A PSN account creation is a free action. Are you suggesting these happen at the same rate?

  • Widge #6 3 years ago

    Yep, I have a US account in case I'm using my US PS3 in my 90210 'summer house' as well.

    UK store isn't as good, although we have the odd bit and bob like having Resistance Retribution for download, plus a small scattering of PSP games are cheaper here than over there. Then again they have some cheaper there than over here so it all balances out.

    If anyone wants to buy off US PSN, I got a card off here:
    [link url=http:/ /www.hdmoviesource.com/catalog/about.php
    ]http://ww w.hdmoviesource.com/catalog/abo...[/link]

    Paypal accepted, 2 mins later and PSN code is in your inbox. Set you location to "Cards" not "United Kingdom". I think it works out as £14.41 for $20.

  • Eighthours #7 3 years ago

    The US PS Store features 200 games, 1900 movies and 9000 TV episodes. The UK PS Store frankly isn't as good.

    A fair point, unfortunately.

  • laudy #8 3 years ago

    @ Widge

    Top performance with that link, I personally live at the Marriott San Francisco in my spare time and I've spied the original Medal of Honour for psone for $5.99, I also want to take a look at resi evil. Neither are available in the UK store, and, quite frankly, i'm not prepared to wait.

  • cyacomini #9 3 years ago

    They need to get PS2 titles up on PSN for download.

    One of the main reasons I bought a PS3 for my better half was for the God of War titles - it was only AFTER the PS3 arrived I realised that backwards compatibility wasn't included anymore - felt like a right tit!

  • Widge #10 3 years ago

    GOW1 & 2 are potentially slated to be bundled with GOW3.

  • miiiguel #11 3 years ago

    "...360 owners who have had multiple consoles fail and revise down the official sales figures."

    I don't understand that, I mean, I do have 2 360s, but I did pay for them both, so why are the sales figures less accurate because of that?
    Edited by 1 at 24/06/09 @ 09:59

  • danathjo #12 3 years ago

    Well 5 of those are mine over 2 machines

  • laudy #13 3 years ago

    @PatAU

    Agreed, I contributed to 360 sales figures in the first instance (before ps3), but it broke. There was no way I was going to buy a replacement. I suppose it stems from something my mum told me years ago: "Buy cheap, buy twice".

  • jonsaan #14 3 years ago

    The downloads bit is far more interesting. It seems PSN is doing rather well no? And whilst the UK store is a bit slow there is still quite a bit of content on there. It's hardly shit.
    Edited by 1 at 24/06/09 @ 10:26

  • laudy #15 3 years ago

    @ farticus

    to be honest, I have no idea. It's actually a very good idea to bundle GOW 1 & 2 with the new game. This ranking system is a fairly new feature isn't it? maybe someone's just moving down the list, clicking whichever box they fancy...

  • Widge #16 3 years ago

    perhaps because I didn't write GOD OF WAR in full and someone thought I was trying to start some sort of GEARS OF WAR fanstorm.

  • cyacomini #17 3 years ago

    well whatever the reason, thanks for the reply - didn't know this was 'maybe' going to happen.

    it's a good idea for those who are new to the series but still a little annoyed i'll need to wait almost another year and probably end up paying £79.99 for the added 'extras'.

    Get them up on PSN @ £9.99 each and you have two sales from me.

  • jjolley #18 3 years ago

    I'm curious as to if one of Eurogamer's web team could get back? Since a few days ago, the site is slow in Safari for mac, VoiceOver stalls constantly when reading articles. Also, the comments are now more irritating to navigate compared to the table arrangement you had last time. If these issues aren't resolved or can't be, i'll have to go to other sites witch is a shame really. If someone from EG could get back to me on jrjolley@me.com

  • Widge #19 3 years ago

    Probably best going to the "Site issues" part of the forum with that....

  • Roamer #20 3 years ago

    As Kotaku points out, some users have more than one account - so that doesn't mean there are 25 million individual users. Still.

    Surely, the same holds true for the 360 as I've got three, maybe four, xbox live-enabled accounts. Plus there's added incentive to add one on the Xbox as you get a month of live free.

    That means it's beaten the Xbox360 in sheer size, right?

  • crazyhorse174 #21 3 years ago

    Why would you need more than one Xbox Live account, if your 360 died and you bought another? You can just log into your new machine with your old account? Not sure where the argument is coming from...?

    Oh and one of those PSN accounts is my new one as well! Newly registered last week! And yes, the UK store is a bit crap...

  • makeamazing #22 3 years ago

    Hell yeah, much like the new Wii Indy game comes with Fate of Atlantis. I'd love for this to become a trend.

    Agreed that would be pretty cool... never played GOW 1 or 2, but that would be a big incentive for me to buy 3, if I could catch up on older titles.

  • laudy #23 3 years ago

    @ EuroSexMachine

    fuck off dickhead, eat shit and die. What a c*nt you are, you make me sick.

    I wouldn't p*ss on you if you were on fire, no, not even the concentrated "no-drink-of-water-for-ages" p*ss that's quite dark in colour, the colour that you'd need to see a doctor for.

    is that ok for you?

  • laudy #24 3 years ago



    I suppose that was the "good cop" to my "bad cop" ;-)

  • laudy #25 3 years ago

    @farticus

    ha! that sounds like the script to Max Payne 4!

  • Darren #26 3 years ago

    I have three PSN accounts as I do LIVE ones too: a UK, US and Japanese one! I'd imagine a lot of PS3 owners have more than one account.

    I have to say that despite the odd flaw here and there, PSN is great. It's very reliable, downloads are always fast for me, it doesn't cause the machine to lag like a certain other console (ahem), the Store is quick to access (again unlike the Marketplace on the 360) and it's totally devoid of annoying and intrusive adverts on the frontend. Better still it's completely free to use so I can dabble with the odd online game if I want to and download demos as soon as they're available. I can't grumble really. :)

  • laudy #27 3 years ago

    @Darren

    hang on a sec...adverts you say? well that just makes no sense...if anything adverts should be on PSN because you DON'T pay a subscription!! There are no adverts on the BBC because we pay a licence fee; adverts aplenty on ITV etc because we don't pay a licence fee...

    For clarity, i've never seen the 360 marketplace...
    Edited by 1 at 24/06/09 @ 14:58

  • Darren #28 3 years ago

    The Xbox 360 is a US machine so the minute you turn the machine on you're bombarded with lots of colourful adverts for new content, movies and games, etc. in the various sections of the dashboard.

    Personally I'd rather it was hidden away in the Marketplace section to the keep the frontend neat and tidy as it looks a bit messy, obscuring the lovely themes for example, but perhaps I'm alone in that view? Maybe everyone else likes knowing what's new on the Marketplace when they turn their 360's on?

  • miiiguel #29 3 years ago

    "movies and games, etc. in the various sections of the dashboard."
    Our Dashboards must be diferent (is not - figure of speech here), as anouncements (for content, not "Coca Cola" or "Chevrolet" advertisement, as you have implied ) for new content only appears on the "What's new" Blade. Then again, if we don't overeact a bit (read: bombarded with lots of colourful adverts ), life is dull.
    Edited by 1 at 24/06/09 @ 15:12

  • laudy #30 3 years ago

    understood now gentlemen, many thanks

  • Darren #31 3 years ago

    They're still adverts for the content though, Miiiguel, or don't you understand what an advert is? ;)

    I've seen adverts for new movies at the cinema and other stuff on the dashboard not directly related to the Xbox 360 too. Sorry if it offends you but I think the new dashboard looks messy and it even requires the purchase of new premium themes because they obscure most of the old ones. When you turn your Xbox 360 on you're immediately taken to a chain of these ads rather than the My Xbox section as you'd expect. Turn the PS3 on and it defaults sensibly to the Games tab. I mean that's what we turn our consoles on for, right... to play games?

    But it's not really surprising, Microsoft are American so they're not going to miss out on advertising opportunities. I've even seen repeated ads on the dashboard in different sections. I've nothing against adverts but if I want to see them then I'd rather have them restricted to the Marketplace like they are with the PS3's PS Store. It leaves the main interface uncluttered.

  • miiiguel #32 3 years ago

    Not offended here. But I still think you are trying, maybe rightfully so, to project an image ("the Americans";) which Live doesn't have. For once "anouncements" - let me call it that, my english is indeed limited, though I do look at those as info about new available stuff od the Marketplace, or at very least related - as for example an interview with the actors of the Transformers movie, as anouncements not advertisement. And also I can't believe you've seen these anouncements in another blade than the "spotlight" (or "what's new" or whatever it's called), I login to Live everyday and I haven't seen it anywhere else. Then again if you're used to offline systems for so long, it's natural to find it interactivity and integration with the outside world odd.

    Regarding Premium themes, you have some of those free. It isn't much of a debate, posting about the existence of "free themes on an American private network", but still, this one, is not my usual cheap sarcasm, I really think you might not be aware of its existance.
    Edited by 2 at 24/06/09 @ 15:51

  • Darren #33 3 years ago

    Announcements, adverts, call 'em what you the heck you like, they're still promotions for content available on the Marketplace (and not on the Marketplace, e.g. cinema movies) and it's the first think you sign into LIVE. They're not on the PS3, they're not on my PC (unless I open a browser), they're not on my Wii either because they're sensibly tucked away in a more appropriate section, the browser or store. whatever.

    And all those machines are online too so I'm not sure why you wrote this: "Then again if you're used to offline systems for so long, it's natural to find it interactivity and integration with the outside world odd". Are you trying to be sarcastic? It it means what I think it does then you might be interested to know that I've been using machines online for years and I was playing PC games online while you were busy crapping your nappies! Probably! :p

    More to the point though, why are you even posting in the comments for this article? As far as I'm aware you don't even own a PS3? Are you doing your usual bit to defend your beloved Xbox 360 again? ;)

  • Darren #34 3 years ago

    @svd_grasshopper - Well said.

    The Xbox 360 is the only console which requires to pay to play games online. I think Sony and Nintendo should both be commended for keeping it free which is how it's been on the PC for years (something Microsoft cheekily tried to change when LIVE launched on the PC... fortunately they failed!). PSN might not be perfect but it works and Sony are constantly improving it at no extra cost to the user. As such even with the weaker UK PS Store it's still the best value console online service IMO.

  • miiiguel #35 3 years ago

    The Xbox 360 is the only console which requires to pay to play games online.
    That's fair enough of an opinion. Now mixing that feeling with something which is not true is not. IMO.

    I was playing PC games online while you were busy crapping your nappies!
    Oh, I wish...

    Now, now... who's offended now? Chill Darren, we're just having a conversation. I hope. Or maybe the segregation reached a new level when we can't talk to each other ?

    Even if you read my comments carelessly, you might realise that I didn't comment on PSN. You did. And other PSN users do. All the time, either to say "oh the paid system"; "it's full of advertisement *everywhere!*"; "it's not that good"; ...
    Edited by 3 at 24/06/09 @ 16:39

  • Petulant_Radish #36 3 years ago

    Grasshopper, you’re being very sedate here compared to your CVG persona, be more angry, you’re better that way! Perhaps this new rating system works too well, fight the system brothers, wait, I mean fuckers!

  • monkeywithnoeyes #37 3 years ago

    @PatAU, You cant complain about people being "dense" and then neglect that fact that you dont need to pay for your replacement 360 if its still within the 3yr warrenty - which seeing as launch systems are only just now excluded the odds are that the majority of people who have had 3 red lights have had their consoles repaired for free... leaving only the dense to pay for replacements when they dont need to.

    Also, this subject is about accounts made - which sony allows you to make multiple accounts for free. Xbox live accounts dont die from console to console.. you can have as many 360's as you want and get your account on it along with all your achievements/friends list ect intact. Microsoft also charge for multiple accounts.. which eliminates the option to create endless different accounts for most people... something thats not the case with sony.. which ofcourse means that you can never get as close an estimate to just how many of those accounts equal actual different people (hence the disclaimer) - its not rocket science is it

  • MeBrains #38 3 years ago

    interesting observation darren... thx.

  • GamesConnoisseur #39 3 years ago

    "The UK PS Store frankly isn't as good"

    I would second that.... but to be fair you need to get a bit more journalist and get stats to back that up.. to compare with US PSN store with how Europe are lagging behind in contents and also in term of the content to population ratio perhaps?!

    XBL Marketplace: its very slow for me as well, but my two workmates who just purchased themselves X360 in recent months had said it was pretty quick for them and that leads to my conclusion that NXE (as slow in memory updating as well) and XBL are a drag for those with larger gaming footprint as those two mates are very new to X360.

    PSN and PS3 does have an advantage in file access over X360 on that front. Otherwise the actual downloading speed of files and games itself are much so quicker on XBL than PSN.