Rumors are circulating that Sony plans to monetize its PlayStation Network by offering premium services for a nominal annual fee. Citing a “highly-placed source,” VG247 claims that Sony plans to offer subscribers a free PSN title each month, from a selection of “two to four.”

Not exactly far-fetched if true. After all, Sony has expressed intent to offer paid subscription-based plans in the past. The site’s source was keen to distance Sony’s supposed initiative from that of Xbox Live, however, reassuring that these so-called premium services will not gimp the PSN experience for those who stick with a free account.

Other incentives may include a Spotify-esque service that allows PS3 owners to listen to streaming music in the background, while playing a game or browsing the web for instance. Chances are, if there’s any truth to a premium-tiered PSN offering, we’ll hear about it come E3 on June 15, the date of Sony’s media briefing.

Premium PSN plans for E3 reveal, to cost “less than £50 per year” [VG247]

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