PlayStation Network: 20 Million Strong..

..and growing. Sony’s PlayStation Network has hit 20 million registered user mark, the company announced today. The PlayStation Network went live on November 11, 2006 giving users free access to online multiplayer, downloadable content, multimedia content and some social networking features. Meanwhile, in a kitchen across town an Xbox Live player felt a tear roll down his face, caressing a space in his wallet where some money used to be.

A lot has changed in the two years since launch; PSN is available in 55 countries and over 600 PS3 titles support some kind of multiplayer functionality via the service. On the digital distribution front, the PlayStation Store currently has 14,500 pieces of digital content including full games, demos, trailers and add-ons, along with 5900 movies and television shows available for purchase. Sony also recently launched PlayStation Home, its graphical 3D world space where players can interact with other PSN users, customize their own personal space and show off their game trophies with others.

While the PlayStation Network may have a long way to go before it catches Xbox Live, Sony is doing everything that it can to make the service more attractive to all kinds of users. From exclusive downloadable content like Flower and Noby Noby Boy, to online only titles like Metal Gear Online and War Hawk, the network continues to grow, learn and reposition where it needs to. One area where Sony is undeniably beating both Nintendo and Microsoft is the PSN model - online play for free. You can’t get that on Xbox Live and you won’t find it on Wii any time soon.