PSound
05-22-09, 06:47 PM
Sony PlayStation Store’s addition of movie and TV downloads is broadening its consumer base beyond videogamers.
Game downloads represent well over half of the activity at PlayStation Store, which acts as a digital content marketplace for PlayStation 3 users. Adding video content, however, has helped drive revenue for the entire service, which is up 300% over last year, according to the company. Worldwide subscribers for PlayStation Network, which includes the marketplace and virtual world PlayStation Home, total 23 million. That is more than double the 10 million who had signed onto PSN at the same point in 2008.
PlayStation declined to break out actual numbers of downloads or visitor frequency on PlayStation Store.
“It’s still very game heavy, as a lot of people bought this console as a game device, but the [straight] video side is going strong,” said Eric Lempel, director of PlayStation Network operations. “We’re getting people in the households who hadn’t yet interacted with their PS3 in the past. This is the girlfriend, wife and mother.”
He offered as proof the fact that 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment’s April 28 release Bride Wars was a recent top-ranked film download for the service.
At first glance, PlayStation Store appears to list an underwhelming number of movie choices, at 1,800 titles. Depending on the film, these can be either rented between $2.99 and $5.99 or bought between $9.99 and $14.99. There also are 6,400 TV episodes, offered at $1.99 standard-def and $2.99 high-def.
In contrast, Netflix’s streaming service—which can be accessed through computers, PlayStation arch rival Xbox 360 and other devices—offers more than 12,000 free movie/TV titles to paying Netflix subscribers.
However, PlayStation Store is consciously cherry picking titles that it believes best suits its customers, going heavy on action and animated material.
PlayStation also believes it is distinguishing itself from the competition by being the only console-based download service to offer permanent digital film content. Xbox Live, which features hundreds of digital film titles apart from Netflix, solely lists its movies for rent. Xbox Live does sell download-to-own TV shows.
In other enhancements, PlayStation Network recently rolled out firmware to expand people’s TV/film storage capabilities. Now people can place PlayStation Store video on external drives and transfer it back to PS3 systems for playback.
Coinciding with its greater film/TV presence, PlayStation is ramping up its studio promotions throughout the PlayStation Network. For example, footage from Sony Pictures’ Angels & Demons and Fox’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine streamed at PlayStation Home prior to the movies’ respective theatrical launches.
http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6660102.html
Game downloads represent well over half of the activity at PlayStation Store, which acts as a digital content marketplace for PlayStation 3 users. Adding video content, however, has helped drive revenue for the entire service, which is up 300% over last year, according to the company. Worldwide subscribers for PlayStation Network, which includes the marketplace and virtual world PlayStation Home, total 23 million. That is more than double the 10 million who had signed onto PSN at the same point in 2008.
PlayStation declined to break out actual numbers of downloads or visitor frequency on PlayStation Store.
“It’s still very game heavy, as a lot of people bought this console as a game device, but the [straight] video side is going strong,” said Eric Lempel, director of PlayStation Network operations. “We’re getting people in the households who hadn’t yet interacted with their PS3 in the past. This is the girlfriend, wife and mother.”
He offered as proof the fact that 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment’s April 28 release Bride Wars was a recent top-ranked film download for the service.
At first glance, PlayStation Store appears to list an underwhelming number of movie choices, at 1,800 titles. Depending on the film, these can be either rented between $2.99 and $5.99 or bought between $9.99 and $14.99. There also are 6,400 TV episodes, offered at $1.99 standard-def and $2.99 high-def.
In contrast, Netflix’s streaming service—which can be accessed through computers, PlayStation arch rival Xbox 360 and other devices—offers more than 12,000 free movie/TV titles to paying Netflix subscribers.
However, PlayStation Store is consciously cherry picking titles that it believes best suits its customers, going heavy on action and animated material.
PlayStation also believes it is distinguishing itself from the competition by being the only console-based download service to offer permanent digital film content. Xbox Live, which features hundreds of digital film titles apart from Netflix, solely lists its movies for rent. Xbox Live does sell download-to-own TV shows.
In other enhancements, PlayStation Network recently rolled out firmware to expand people’s TV/film storage capabilities. Now people can place PlayStation Store video on external drives and transfer it back to PS3 systems for playback.
Coinciding with its greater film/TV presence, PlayStation is ramping up its studio promotions throughout the PlayStation Network. For example, footage from Sony Pictures’ Angels & Demons and Fox’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine streamed at PlayStation Home prior to the movies’ respective theatrical launches.
http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6660102.html