Sony Ramping Up PlayStation Network Video Service

Straight from GameDaily BIZ.

Sony chief executive Sir Howard Stringer is getting his company ready to turn the PlayStation Network into a full-fledged video and music downloads service. The PlayStation Network is expected to extend beyond PlayStation platforms, he said. There's still no time frame for the launch, however.

Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer recently spoke to the Financial Times about his company's plans to finally offer downloadable video and music on the PlayStation Network.

Microsoft has seen a good deal of success with its Xbox Live Video Marketplace, but the company has yet to announce any plans to offer downloadable music a la iTunes. Considering that Microsoft is attempting to take Apple head-on with its Zune digital media player, a logical next step might be to offer music on Xbox Live as well, or perhaps video that's transferable to the Zune.

Whenever Sony eventually does launch its video and music download service, one advantage the company will have (as previously pointed out by SCEA chief exec Jack Tretton) is that it can rely on its own movie studio to provide a wealth of content – content that would likely not appear on Xbox Live, of course.

According to Howard Stringer, the goal is to take the download service beyond the PS3 by turning the console into a multimedia device capable of networking with other Sony hardware.

"We are building a software infrastructure to distribute video and music, more particularly video, through the PlayStation Network," said Stringer. "That is a Japanese and American combined effort to build a platform around a common software architecture to distribute video via the PlayStation network into the [PSP handhelds] and beyond."

He continued, "We are trying to get our devices to talk to each other efficiently. PlayStation Network should migrate from gadget to gadget. But initially it starts with PlayStation devices and then to TV and beyond. That's the goal."

As Microsoft recently hinted at yet again, the company wants to take control of the living room – gaming is merely one component. It's quite clear that Microsoft and Sony have similar goals when it comes to dominating the total entertainment picture.

But this battle won't get interesting until Sony starts challenging Microsoft with its own video downloads. When will that happen? Stinger wouldn't say. "We won't know how effective [the effort] is until early next year," he noted.

In the meantime, Sony continues to face an uphill battle with the PS3, but Stringer downplayed the "perceived slow start" for the console, when asked by the Financial Times. Stringer claimed the PS3 "had suffered at its Japanese launch from a shortage of games capable of taking full advantage of its processing power," according to the report. Sony expects to have 200 games for PS3 by Christmas, however.

[Via GameDaily BIZ]