Published:
08-Jan-10
Sony has announced the expansion of the PlayStation Network (PSN). Currently only available via the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable, the PSN will be accessible via internet-connectable devices in its consumer electronics range – including TV sets and Blu-ray Disc players – as well as any Windows PC, from February 2009. The iteration of the PSN available via these newly enabled platforms will initially be focused on video content. PSN users will be able to access this content across all compatible devices with a single account.
This follows recent geographic expansion for the PSN video store; available in the US since July 2008, it was officially launched in France, Germany, Spain and the UK in late 2009 and is scheduled to roll out in additional European territories in 2010.
To coincide with the latest announcement, Sony has established a new division, Sony Network Entertainment, to consolidate content and service acquisition efforts across platforms; online services for Sony's connectable devices and video games platforms have previously been operationally distinct.
Our take...
This long-anticipated move extends the reach of Sony's online service beyond its video games platforms, offering the company an opportunity to increase its addressable market and build a cross-platform ecosystem. Microsoft and Apple are among those to have tried this, with Zune and iTunes respectively, but so far no one has achieved this across as broad a range of devices as Sony is proposing. Although device-based services have traditionally gained greater traction with consumers, maximising the success of the expanded PSN will depend on how the company handles this integration.
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