By now most PlayStation 3 owners have undoubtedly heard about Qore, Sony’s latest release that offers gamers a new form of information. Some of you might be curious though; just what is this “Qore” that everyone keeps mentioning? Qore isn’t a game, though you may think that by the sheer size of the download, but it’s something much more and offers PS3 owners an exclusive inside look at some of their favorite upcoming titles that are a part of the PlayStation brand.

Qore is available via the PlayStation Store in two different varieties. You can opt to down load a single volume for a mere $2.99 or you can do with the annual service of $24.99. Sure there’s another service out there on a rival platform doing the same thing, only it’s free, but Sony is offering up something that a little different. With each volume of Qore, you will not only find information about upcoming PlayStation related titles, but you will get a few more extras that are exclusive to those who have downloaded it, and you’ll also learn that being an annual subscriber does have its privileges.

Presented in full high definition, Qore will show games inside interviews, exclusive gameplay footage that hasn’t yet been released, image galleries, even trailers for upcoming theatrical releases and I’m sure that BluRay titles will be included as well. Also included are exclusive themes that you will only find here, for now at least, as well as exclusive demos that I’m sure will undoubtedly make their way to the PlayStation Store, but Qore subscribers get the opportunity to check them out first. The menus are quite easy to navigate but there is ad content included. Some of this can be skipped however, though that’s usually with lengthy game trailers, but other content such as ads for Burger King as found with the first release, have to be watched. The plus side is that they are short, and it’s really not much different than what you’re seeing on other online services that you’d find across the web. Sony however hasn’t made it a habit of assaulting you with constant ads, and Qore also isn’t a service that is click an option, see an ad, click to the next option, ad, another option ad . . . . there is at least one website that I can think of out there that has been doing this for years.

 The only negative thing that I really see so far with Qore is that the first volume is a bit slim on content, but this is just the beginning of the service, so I’m sure that will change as things move along. For $25 though for an annual subscription, it’s really not that bad. And again, yes, you do get some of the same things free with those other guys, but you’re also paying for it anyway with your subscription to their online service so you can play multiplayer games and download demos, something that can already be done for free on the PS3, not to mention that themes are also free. So, at half of what a yearly subscription is to that other service I won’t mention (you all know who it is) you get some new content and you’re not forced to buy it either. Presently, Qore is only available in North America, but who knows what the future may hold, and if it makes it into other territories, Japan for instance, you can be assured we’ll be covering it. For now however, we’ll keep you updated with each and every volume of Qore so you know what you’ll be getting, and hopefully help those who are undecided make a decision as to if they want to take a trip to the Qore with the rest of us.

 -mike-