Sony: 60M Accounts For PlayStation Network

At CES in Las Vegas this week, Sony CEO Howard Stringer said PlayStation Network has 60 million registered accounts, according to an Engadget report. Stringer did not specify how many of the accounts are active. Users can create multiple accounts on the free service via PlayStation 3, PSP or the web. The role of PSN has evolved since Sony first introduced the service in 2006. Stringer said in 2009, "Next we will be expanding the PlayStation Network to hardware other than the PS3, because the number of PS3 units sold puts a limit on the scale of the network possible." Today, PSN is an online gaming service, as well as the means for Sony to deliver streaming and downloadable video, downloadable game content, the monetized virtual world PlayStation Home and digitally-distributed games. At CES in January a year ago, Sony said the service had 38 million accounts. In June last year, the company said PSN had 50 million accounts. Also at CES this week, Sony's gaming rival Microsoft said Xbox Live has 30 million members across free and paid Gold accounts.