Not just for grilling.

There's cause for celebration today amongst owners of a the big black behemoth or its portable sidekick, as Sony gleefully announce reaching a milestone of 25 million registered users on the PlayStation Network, who have collectively downloaded over 500 million pieces of content for both the PlayStation 3 and PSP.

Earlier figures, released in February, celebrated reaching 20 million registered users; a benchmark reached in just over two years since the PlayStation Network's inception. A sudden growth of 25% in about one-sixth of that time must be both shocking and delightful for Sony, whose free network is often left in the shadow of Microsoft's paid Xbox LIVE Gold service.

Speculation as to what has triggered the sudden splurge of PSN sign ups is rife, with plenty of recent PlayStation developments serving as excellent fodder for the analytically minded. Earlier this year it was announced that the PSP had sold over 50 million units, and Sony swiftly followed this with the news that 2009 would see a re-invigoration of the platform, driven by a stack of new software releases. Part of Sony's push for the PSP was a move away from UMD-only distribution to a greater focus on the PlayStation Network Store, with full, triple-A titles releasing digitally. E3's confirmation of the long-rumoured, UMD-less PSPgo certainly proved Sonys dedication to this mission.

The long awaited release of classic titles via the PSN (Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid) as well as new, exclusively developed titles like the upcoming Fat Princess certainly look tempting, amongst the 200 games currently available for purchase. No doubt our international brethren are enjoying access to the thousands of films and TV shows available to them; Australians must remain content, for now, with the newly launched VidZone music service, or join the nearly three million PlayStation 3 owners are contributing to genetic research through the Life with PlayStation service, although, again, Australians miss out on the media portion of the service.

For much of this generation Sony have been viewed as the more expensive, less fully-featured underdog, and comparisons between the two rival services - Sony's all-inclusive, free PlayStation Network and Microsoft's two-tiered, feature-split Xbox LIVE - are rendered nearly meaningless by the differences between them, but at least it seems we're not watching a one-horse race...