PS3 film service to launch this summer?

By Robert Purchese Published 22 April, 2008

Sony in studio negotiations, apparently.

Sony may be launching a PS3 downloadable film service as soon as this summer, and has apparently begun talking to major studios already.

Word comes from the LA Times, which wouldn't reveal its sources but claimed former Apple man Tim Schaaff was pushing the project.

Sony declined to comment on the speculation, but Sony US marketing bigwig Peter Dille offered his comments on the PlayStation blog last week.

"Many of you have been hearing rumblings about a video service that will allow you to download full-length TV shows and movies via PlayStation Network for North America," he wrote.

"While I don't have any new announcements here for the PlayStation Nation, it's already been confirmed that we'll be offering a video service for PS3 in a way that separates the service from others you've seen or used.

"Ultimately the goal of the PlayStation Network service will be to break through the overwhelming clutter of digital media to give you the TV, movies and gaming content you want. More on this very soon..."

The service would be a direct competitor to the digital distribution dream of Microsoft and its Xbox Live Video Store, which it continues to boast about in the wake of the HD-DVD format collapsing.

Microsoft Entertainment suit Ross Honey says getting a downloadable service like this up and running is much harder than it looks, too.

"It isn't easy to do this. There is a lot of work to be done in just making this work and getting that movie up in high quality," he said.

"We've had over a year's experience on how to do this, so we can focus on innovating as opposed to working out the kinks."

Microsoft has already inked deals with Paramount and Warner Bros. to bring titles from those studios to Xbox 360 users via the Internet on a rental basis.

Unsurprisingly, analysts suggest this online distribution market is a crucial area for Sony, and a battle it must fight back in.

"They've got to get a win in the digital, and I'd say on the electronic delivery side of the business," said Kurt Scherf from Parks Associates. "That's where the future is. They've got to establish a toehold in that space."

GamesIndustry.biz is a good film, even if it is based on fact.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (41) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Darren #1 4 years ago

    Are we taking bets on whether this too will get delayed like HOME? ;)

  • miiiguel #2 4 years ago

    er..., so digital distribution sucks or not?

  • Andy247 #3 4 years ago

    The Playstation Nation?

    Erm... how very Red Stripe!

  • the_dudefather #4 4 years ago

    @Darren
    how many home delay comments is that from you today?

  • penhalion #5 4 years ago

    So hang on a second now. Are Sony who if I remember correctly only a few month ago poo pooed Microsofts claims that digital was the way to go. Now saying that Microsoft weren't talking out of their arses? Why are Sony always playing catch-up?

  • Mullet94 #6 4 years ago

    Playstation wins this round again as PS3 will have all of Sony Pictures movies straight of the bat as well as signing up other film studios.

    And it is Microsoft bigging up digital downloads constantly, don't think Sony ever said digital distribution was crap.

  • Madafunkola #7 4 years ago

    Anything you can do, I can do better...
    No you can't!

  • alimokrane #8 4 years ago

    Playing catch up now eh ?

  • miiiguel #9 4 years ago

    Mullet94, er..., the service doesn't exist yet, but Sony "wins again" ? And if they own the movies what's the negotiation for?

    Anyway I just expressed my confusion because I thought Blu-Ray was the way to go, and rumble is crap... is it? is it not? I mean, I am confused...
    Edited by 1 at 22/04/08 @ 11:57

  • Wash #10 4 years ago

    Sony are t3h confused, must be hard negotiating with themselves for there own portfolio.

  • Prodigy_BE #11 4 years ago

    TV-shows and other 'pulp' stuff like cartoons and such, that's doable to download and delete after use.
    But movies? Come on, they're in 720p, you can only see them once, there's no extra's and you cannot led them to a friend (and get others in return). So all them movie buff's who shelled out for an HD set and a blu-ray playing PS3 won't be exited about this.

    I think Sony knows this, and they're only supporting it to keep MS from attaining a comfortable lead. You know because within 10 years from now, if the whole world runs on optical cable, this might actually be a big deal.

  • Wash #12 4 years ago

    @Prodigy_BE

    Uk broadband connections suck compared to well pretty much everywhere, arent virgin trialing a 50mb service?

    "movie buff's who shelled out for an HD set and a blu-ray playing PS3 won't be exited about this."

    :S why would a movie buff buy a ps3 to play blu-ray.
    Edited by 1 at 22/04/08 @ 12:06

  • Peew971 #13 4 years ago

    So, do they want us to go digital or Blu-ray?

  • Mullet94 #14 4 years ago

    I'm sure for Sony the download service and Blu Ray will go together quite nicely. Don't think it was ever Sony who said that a download service was a non goer or that Blu Ray was the only way to go. Unlike MS of course who started touting digital downloads as the way to go about the same time HD DVD was starting to lose the next gen disc war.

  • monkie_king #15 4 years ago

    but didn't we have 15 threads full of people saying that digital distribution didn't cut it because there was no uncompressed HD 7.1 surround multilanguage audio track lol?

  • Miths #16 4 years ago

    I'm gonna save myself some time and just copy what I wrote in a thread on the PS forums half an hour ago :).

    A nice enough option for people not caring about video quality I guess (or just with small or crappy TVs), but why on Earth would I want a more or less heavily compressed movie that is probably at best between DVD and HD quality, when the PS3 includes that very nice Blu-ray drive?
    Yeah, Blu-ray movies are still overpriced, but considering the quality, I've definately bought my last regular DVD movie.

    It's just too early for digital movie delivery - no matter how often (very often since the death of HD DVD) some XBox 360 PR guy pops up his head and says that disc based media will be history so roughly around the same time next year :).

  • Fab4 #17 4 years ago

    Gamers...the only people who frown upon choice.

  • monkie_king #18 4 years ago

    them and pro-lifers anyway.

  • drumbaby #19 4 years ago

    Hi def movie discs and hi def movie downloads...nice for Sony to offer the choice -- without recourse to flogging a defunct peripheral.

  • LazyDan #20 4 years ago

    Breadth of choice > cost > reliability > video quality. When these guys can even come close to rivalling sites like tv-links in terms of choice (and price!) I might be interested. Having only a couple of overpriced, HD videos available (when most likely the ones available would be dross like Meet the Spartans) cannot surely interest anyone.

    I'm basing this mini-rant off of the Euro XBL Marketplace by the way. If Sony are on about getting the entire Blu-Ray library online, that'd be a nice start.

  • miiiguel #21 4 years ago

    I'm all pro-choice, but I invite you to take a look at the thread comments section when XBL actually started to deliver this service. You'd be surprised how ppl change their minds aconrding to "esoteric" issues.

  • BobsUncle #22 4 years ago

    Better sort out that fucking pile of dogshit PSN first.

  • NickN4ck #23 4 years ago

    Films I will download on this service

    88 Minutes ( time it takes to install PS3 games)

    Attack of the Crab Monsters

    Infinite delay

    Fly away home

    Edited by 2 at 22/04/08 @ 12:51

  • Raziel #24 4 years ago

    I'm sure this'll only apply to the "cool" countries, like the US, UK and Germany.

    Here in Holland we don't even have MS's damn video service yet... Waiting for Sony to actually release something would take abou 8 years to reach Holland.t

  • rhubarbandcustard #25 4 years ago

    I have only used the XBLA video service once. In March they offered the HD version of Transformers for 150 points. About a quid. I tried it and it looked amazing on a 37 inch LCD. On a par with any HDDVD and bluray I have watched.

    So after that viewing I don't have any concerns about video quality. But, the reason why I still have only watched one movie this way is the cost. Either they offer a reasonable monthly subscription fee or I am not interested in either a Sony, Apple or MS downloadable video service.

    They are awful value for money.

    On a side note, what is value for money however is Pixeljunk Monsters. Downloaded it a fortnight ago, only £3.49, and is my current game of the year.

    If I can buy a game like that for £3, let me watch a movie for less. I hate greed.

  • RustyBullet #26 4 years ago

    @NickN4ck

    lol, well i think you are funny anyway. True, but funny.
    Edited by 1 at 22/04/08 @ 12:55

  • Prodigy_BE #27 4 years ago

    @NickN4ck

    You forgot:
    The Cell
    Being Phil Harrison
    Disk Space Superiority
    Backwards Comp: The Movie
    Ready to Rumble
    Ex-Clusivity

  • space_ace #28 4 years ago

    "ps3: the film" would be interesting to watch

  • the_dudefather #29 4 years ago

    why not watch this ;)
    http://bl og.anonymousbroccoli.com/2007-0...

  • BarcaAzul #30 4 years ago

    Still a long way off a decent service and I really like the Blu ray films. I like to own the boxed products to watch whenever I want.

    I think the more interesting prospect is TV series on this kind of service, until they start going HD of course.

  • Moz #31 4 years ago

    By the time terrestial TV switches to Digital fully in 2012 (in the UK) it'll be more or redundent anyway!!! Already BBC, ITC and C4 offer on demand services over the web that offer close to TV quality picture so given another 5 years for brandband to improve and maybe the dream of unifided wonder boxes that deliver games, tv and films isn't as far off as we think.


    EDIT:/ of course for games and films solid media is likely to used for some time yet, i'm more refering to the single box under the telly that has been talked about. well 2 or 3 you'll no dout need an xbox a playstation and a *insert nintendos next console here* in order to have total choice, but set-top boxes and stand alone DVD players could be a thing of the past.
    Edited by 1 at 22/04/08 @ 14:12

  • BigE0n #32 4 years ago

    Yeah the picture quality might be great with the download / rental service MS offers for LIVE but there are 2 issues that put me off

    1) Price..... (As always)
    Even at only £3.20 for a HD rental its too much for just one watch / 2 weeks on the HD / 48hrs to finish watching if you stop, Most of the films can be bought on DVD for £4-£10 depending on how long people wait after the inital release, and its not like this service offer contant that isnt availble to rent or buy anywhere else.


    2) Sound Format, most of the SD versions have 5.1 dobly digital, but the HD equivilant is stuck with 2 Ch Stereo

    Now for me the surround sound really adds to the movie experience (watch the start of saving private ryan with a 5.1 setup and its amazing!), so unless they drop the prices (or add 5.1 surround to the HD downloads, but that may make the File sizes even bigger!), Im not going to take up the downloading of movies on any console but stick with the compromise of upscalled DVDs and 5.1 surrond sound.

    @Moz I think the BBC and ITV are signed up for the free sat service which offers HD version of Freeview and that launches in the Spring?.....

    So most people will be getting HD content from this sorce rather than the Broadband route anyway as most laymen understand freeview so will almost certainly opt for this as an upgrade path

    http://www.freesat. co.uk/home.php
    Edited by 2 at 22/04/08 @ 14:17

  • Moz #33 4 years ago

    @penhalion So hang on a second now. Are Sony who if I remember correctly only a few month ago poo pooed Microsofts claims that digital was the way to go. Now saying that Microsoft weren't talking out of their arses? Why are Sony always playing catch-up?

    Now that's twisting words a little Sony "poo pooed" MS claims that physical media was dead. They're always been behind digital distribution for the right products, small games, TV shows, film rental even. How ever they still see the need for people to be able to own a copy of a game or film on a disc, where as MS want everyone to rent every thing and pay every time they want to watch it.

  • Darren #34 4 years ago

    Well said Moz.

  • Widge #35 4 years ago

    Didn't Sony also have a stab at digital media with the (awful) Sony Connect software for their DAPs too? So I'm sure its something thats been on their radar.

  • Weezer #36 4 years ago

    Hold on... how come all the Sony fanboys aren't now moaning about lack of HD space like they did with Xbox 360? My PS3 only has 40GB - not gonna fit many movies on there once some games have puked their install code all over it...

  • Moz #37 4 years ago

    @Weezers, cos we don't ahve enough details yet, i'm assuming the TV side of things will be streamed and like XBL i dout you'll get to keep hold of the films after you've watched them.

    Plus with any luck come September the PS3 will go down in price and up in disk space (at least 80Gb but if they have any sence it'll be 120Gb) not like the actually price difference compaired to the 40Gb is really that big!

    As for those of us who already have PS3's we can upgrade to a 250Gb drive for £52 anyway still alot cheaper then the £130 MS are charging for 120GB to upgrade a 360!

  • Tweakmonkey #38 4 years ago

    This is good news. Perhaps they'll allow PSP to download some stuff too.

  • betahoven #39 4 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:36:16 17-12-2011

  • mkreku #40 4 years ago

    I don't get PS3 owners complaining about space on their HD. It's a standard 2'5" SATA-drive for crying out loud! Cheap as chips and piece of cake to switch! Just get a 320 GB hd and stop complaining. At least you have a (cheap) choice!

  • monkeymagic #41 4 years ago

    Since Sony own Columbia pictures, surely the negotiations can't take too long? Sounds like a very boring conference call between departments to me.

  • Ryze #42 4 years ago

    2012, then.