PlayStation Network Serving As Basis For Sony's Wider Networking Plans

Game console makers Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo have known that their connected hardware gives them a unique opportunity to deliver many types of digital content aside from video games. Sony, which already uses PlayStation Network to sell movies, games, and other content via PlayStation 3, plans on making its next strike in the battle for the living room by spring next year, according to a Forbes report. Sony Computer Entertainment head Kaz Hirai told the financial publication that a new online service will use PlayStation Network as its foundation, but will be more open than the current service. Sony wants people to be able to use the service to share and edit photos, video, and other content through the TV. Hirai said the service should begin to roll out by next spring. "It's now a matter of what all the services need to look like for each device, and coming up with a rollout plan. It's like city planning here, and we can start small. We don't need to build New York City overnight." "TV is where we have to win," said Sony's Robert Wiesenthal, head of strategy for Sony's entertainment businesses. "We can no longer afford to only offer great TVs. Otherwise, we set the stage for someone to become the Google of the TV." In May, Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer expressed interest in opening up PlayStation Network further, and bringing its functionality to other devices outside of the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3. He told Japan's Nikkei at the time, "Next we will be expanding the PlayStation Network to hardware other than the PS3, because the number of PS3 units sold puts a limit on the scale of the network possible."