Skype on the PS3 - A solution to voice chat

PS3Addiction.com writes:

"Browsing the Playstation forums, it is evident that PS3 users want
cross game chat, maybe some sort of XMB party system as well. Perhaps some
are impatient waiting for Home to fully mature & offer features gamers
actually want, that were promised to them oh so long ago. The competition supposedly
owns the patent to XGC, (cross game chat) which makes it hard for Sony to offer a similar service. Finding
proof of this on the internet is a frustrating task, any official
information is elusive at best."

[Ninji]

Skype would be awesome to have on the PS3. You'll be able to talk to PC & PSP users for free as well. Hopefully they do include this in the future since the PS3 already has it.

[StanLee]

I'm not as familiar with Skype but can you do group/party chat using the service?

[4pocalyps3]

i was going to ask same thing StanLee said. i'm not exactly familiar with skype can someone give me a quick summary of what it is?

[STK026]

as far as I know, I think you can. Think of it as a conference call.

[KingKionic]

yes you can group chat.
http://www.skype.com/featur...

[Serg]

While I would welcome Skype on the PS3, it isn't doable from a technical perspective. Skype requires a buttload of ram due to security measures to seal off the code. I can see a special version just for the PS3, designed to support cross game voice chat, but that would be like creating a whole new app from scratch as it has to be as memory efficient as possible to not interfere with game performance. Still this would be a way to avoid patent violation.

[STK026]

does it really require that much ram? I mean, they have it running on the PSP (even the 1000) which is very low on memory. of course, I could be wrong.

[RussDeBuss]

or x-fire from the pc, does the same

[uie4rhig]

Skype doesn't use too much RAM, i don't know how much the PS3's XMB uses, but if it is done cleverly, they run it side by side with the XMB within games with the limited 32MB that is reserved for the XMB.. but then again, anything is possible with clever programming.

and about xfire, i doubt xfire will agree, coz they want to have their own platform and all.. but you neva know, they might..

[GWAVE]

In-game Skype chat on the PS3 would blow XBLive's chat out of the water, because then you're not limited to the platform. You could call computers, PSPs, and of course any "regular" phone number (but that last one has a service charge).

[Lifendz]

but if I can talk to friends while playin a game online then I'll be all over it.

[LoVeRSaMa]

I've been saying this for a while, its not like its impossible, its been done on the PSP...

Imagine calling friends from your PS3, on there phone, or even just joining in a big chat?

The main limitations I see, is that Sony have already made Some of these features, like the chats ect, and if they added skype, there would be voice, but again another chat.

Sonys features might start to clash soon, e.g chat, so they need to be careful.

1 example was the virtual PSP in home, then ingame XMB was made, so they had to scrach virtual PSP...

[Ju]

I just got a WiFi Skype phone. I am pretty sure this little thing has less ram then the PSP and works just fine. It certainly is no memory issue on the PS3, nor a security issue or anything else.

If at all, its a political thing. First, its a thread to phone companies. Sony can't charge for Skype, and Skype for free on the PS3 would open up 20M accounts right away for no charge. IMO this is a serious thread to land line providers - and I am not sure how Skype would make money out of it either (if nobody would sign up for a SkypeIn/Out number). Limiting it to just Skype-2-Skype might help, but requires a special Skype version (certainly possible - but is just half the features).

From the technical side, it needs to be synced into Sony's own VoIP system used inside the games. It could work, though.

[Serg]

"I've been saying this for a while, its not like its impossible, its been done on the PSP... "

As far as I know you can't play games while using Skype on the PSP. And that is the main idea behind the article. It would be awesome no question about it. Calling my friends on their PCs, PS3s, PSPs, PDAs, just awesome... But I seriously doubt this will happen.

Edit:
@Ju: Who said Skype to landline on the PS3 would have to be free? It's Skype charging the people, not Sony. And they have the right to charge their normal prices regardless of the platform their program is running on. And about the ram, again Skype would have to run with a game side by side while all other features remain in tact, like the ingame XMB. I'm not completly sure about this but Skype on the PSP acts like a normal program, you can't run games while using Skype.

[uie4rhig]

"Who said Skype to landline on the PS3 would have to be free? It's Skype charging the people, not Sony. And they have the right to charge their normal prices regardless of the platform their program is running on."

it's not a matter of what they charge, its a matter of too many people switching to Skype. If the whole world has a skype account, who would want to pay skype to call land line phones? you might as well call someone on their skype account, easier and free! that's why skype might be refusing to put this on the PS3.

"And about the ram, again Skype would have to run with a game side by side while all other features remain in tact, like the ingame XMB. I'm not completly sure about this but Skype on the PSP acts like a normal program, you can't run games while using Skype."

RAM aint an issue at all, i just remember (thanks to some others mentioning it) that skype runs on many mobile phones, many of which have got no more than 5mb RAM! so the RAM aint the problem!

[Mindboggle]

I agree but stop posting this crap, its been posted a million times before..

[uie4rhig]

the more articles come about this, the more Sony is going to consider this! so keep em coming i guess!

[mfwahwah]

Today's the first time I read this.

Happen to forget that you're not the only person on N4G?

[TwiztedR3DHead]

dont u have 2 pay 4 that its already a pain 2 buy that expensive azz system lol

[cfountain]

calls are free when its skype to skype. you pay when its skype to land line.

[Syronicus]

And as for SKYPE, it's cheap even if you are calling a land line or getting your own number. In the end, SKYPE on my PSP has been awesome and for it to be on the PS3 would be slick and free.

[mfwahwah]

You didn't hear? They dropped the price of PS3s since back in 2006.

[Troll-Killer]

No, that would be bandaid fix. But, I honestly doubt Sony will ever come up with anything better, or they would have done it already.

[Cenobia]

Is your name supposed to be a shining example of hypocrisy, or are you just an idiot?

If you are going to say something like that you should probably back it up with a convincing argument. How would Skype be a "band-aid fix" exactly? And what makes it so much worse than XBL cross game chat?

[Syronicus]

Anybody that would say SKYPE on the PS3 would be a band-aid solution obviously has not used it on the PSP or at all for that matter. SKYPE is great for Skype to Skype users and is easily one of the best ideas that could come about ont he PS3. If it is so then it will truly be a great solution to the need for cross game chat and party chat.

There is no argument against the idea, that is why Troll can't come up with anything better to say than the dribble he normally spews here at N4G.

Best thing for us all is to add this troll to our ignor lists and move on.

*click*

[D4RkNIKON]

I have been using the PSP version of skype to chat with my PS3 friends while playing games, the only problem is that it is 1 on 1 instead of a chat room with multiple people. But it is still really cool to do. We were playing a clan war in killzone and I was spectating while chatting through the PSP skype. I would love to see this on the PS3 with multiple people in chat rooms. Cross game chat, Cross platform chat, Phone calls.. That would blow XBL XGC out of the water.

[Sangria]

Skype on PS3 is certainly the best choice for voice chat, first because Skype is a quality service, but also because it wont infringe Microsoft's patent on cross-game-chat and it would add another PS3 / PSP interactivity.

The question is to know when this Skype implementation will happen.

[mcgrawgamer]

but skype would be the best choice. Hell; now that I think about it sony could try to implement ventrillo or some other alternative also rather than trying to create their own solution from the ground up.

[Chicago8506]

I've recently found out about Skype myself through my PSP. I can't begin ta explain how useful it's become ta me. It basically has turned my PSP into a damn Cell Phone. Of course u have to b around a WiFi connection for it ta appear that way, but plenty of public places r getting free WiFi for u cuz they want your business. They want u ta stick around surfing online with ya laptop or whatever, n at tha same time buy more sandwiches/donuts..lol. $2.95 a month ta call anywhere from US - Canada...sounds good. Skype on PS3 would b VERY WELCOMED as far as m conserned. Make it happen.

[The Meerkat]

Deleted - didn't read the article properly.

[khamvongsa09]

Ever since I saw that document about M$ patenting the cross-game chat, I alway's was thinking that Skype is the best for for Sony at the moment. It would be nice to call PC/PSP/Land-Lines while playing Killzone 2 or Little Big Planet.. All I'm saying is that it will make peoples lives way more easy and maybe even Sony's life too...

[spaceNerd]

The psp has it. what the heck is up with that Sony? Dumb asses.

[ELite_Ghost]

more like lazy asses.

[FamilyGuy]

The first psp can't do skype
I think the older ones had 16mbs ram and the newer ones 32mbs

We can already chat while not gaming so the ram issue here is if it could be used DURING game play while not degrading the playback of whatever game you're playing.

If devs are fully utilizing all the available ram they have to work with then how can any be left to run skype with?

[FantasyStar]

Going with the article. If Skype does make it to PS3. That means that we'll be able to enjoy very nice voice quality that blows XBL out of the water. Like seriously. Every I play on XBL with friends, we always use Skype to communicate cause the quality is so much better. However I agree with the article that Sony would rather use Home, since they put alot of time into it, than license tech outside their own.

[dragonyght]

we all been thinking about it that would solve a lot of problem
anyhow a letter from lil ppl would reach a big corp like sony in the other hand a partition would get their attention

[solidsheep]

id be happier with ventrilo then skype

[OC_MurphysLaw]

Look...I get that Skype is great, I use it all the time for podcasting. However, Skype uses up a lot of RAM and considering the PS3's memory structure trying to run something like Skype in the background while playing a game would probably be too taxing on the system.

My guess is that you wouldn't be able to do it while gaming unless its a game designed specifically to allow for it. I think you would see major performance hits to your games and possible to the point they wouldn't run properly.

Something in the way Sony has designed their OS is keeping cross game chat from happening. I don't know what it is, but there is some issue otherwise we would have seen this feature come out a long time ago. Sony knows it is wanted, they just can't deliver it for some reason.

[Ju]

I am not sure where you are coming from with this. But eventually its just a VoIP service. This already works now while you are in the game, I am sure Skype does not require much more RAM then the current service, its just their own protocol.

I think it would even be possible to link the PSN ID to an Skype account - would be nice to have additional status messages, like "in game", or "mobile". It doesn't make sense to manage your accounts and settings from within the game, but adding a contact list and calling someone would add no overhead, a out number goes through Skype's phone gate on their servers, not over your client - which still sees this as a VoIP service, even if you call a land line. The PSN user settings could add phone numbers and Skype IDs to contact people. And you would use your normal PSN chat feature to "call" (like the PSP-Skype does now. You can choose to use a Skype ID or a phone number. Add a field for PSN ID, and there you go - and then mirror this into PSN chat).

That said, running a full Skype client while you are in the game doesn't make sense either. Sony's VoIP protocol just needs the ability to integrate Skype on a transport level, and the Skype client to maintain you account would be part of the XMB.

Its a huge advantage. You could actually call people from within the game to invite them to a match even if they don't have their PS3 on. How cool is that.

BTW: Not having cross game chat is a political/legal thing. Not a technical problem.

[ELite_Ghost]

bring it already!

[MARNEY]

skype would need to develop a new version for the ps3's cell processor. A watered down version, smaller parties, (cut out duplicate features the psn offers, ie. txt & video chat) & skype could use less RAM than the 32 MB needed to run it on a pc. Skype for ps3! FTW.

[dizlaoboi916]

jezuz krizt!!! i dont care if its skype, pc, a telephone or 2 cans attached with a string i dont care how its done, i want cross game chat, jezuz krizt

[memots]

I have a friend who went to China and was calling us everyday from skype on his psp at various wireless internet spot. It was awesome and best of all free. You can't beat that.

I think they really need to buy the license and get that done it would make the ps3 the ultimate multimedia machine.

[MARNEY]

Amen. lol.

[Ripyealip]

thier is probly a good reason why skype isnt on PS3.

[xg-ei8ht]

ad2p please sony

[keysy420]

come on sony why arent you guys doing what you should