Launching this November in France, Germany, Spain and the UK, with other markets to follow in 2010, the service will allow movie fans to download the latest releases straight to their PS3 and PSP for viewing at home or on the go.
The video delivery service will offer high quality entertainment, available to buy or to rent, from major movie studios including 20th Century Fox, Disney-ABC-ESPN Television1, Lionsgate2, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM), Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Starz Media2, Universal2, and Warner Bros., in addition to local market studios including Universum Film (Germany) and Constantin Film (Germany). Additional local studios in other territories will be announced closer to launch.
Hundreds of titles will be available at launch including Angels and Demons; Bruno; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe; Crank 2; The Dark Knight; Dead Space: Downfall; Gran Torino; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; National Treasure; Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl; Public Enemies; Star Trek; Terminator Salvation; Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen; Valkyrie; and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
The video delivery service will be fully integrated within the PlayStation Network, using the same log-in, wallet system and user-interface. Visitors can search for movies by name, or can browse categories such as “new releases”, “genres” and ”most popular downloads”. PS3’s progressive downloading allows viewers to start watching a film shortly after the download begins. They can also access certain games or other content on their PS3 while the download is taking place.
Consumers who choose to rent have up to 14 days to watch their movie, and, once playback is started, they have a minimum of 24 hours to watch the content. Further specifics for viewing times will be announced closer to launch of the service. Purchased movies are stored on the PS3 hard disk drive and can be accessed at home via PS3 or transferred to PSP for content on the go.
“PlayStation is becoming the home of entertainment from games to music channels, from creative platforms to virtual pets,” said Andrew House, President and CEO, SCEE. “The addition of the PlayStation Network video delivery service for PS3 and PSP provides a simple way for PlayStation owners to access movie content and enjoy the latest blockbuster whenever and wherever they choose.”Access to PlayStation Network content and services, including videos and comics will be made even easier from September with the availability at retail of PlayStation Network Voucher Cards in €20 and €50 denominations, allowing consumers to purchase from the PlayStation Store without the need for a credit card.
Andrew House, SCEE President and CEO, summarised the impact of the new services: “PlayStation Network opens up a genuinely unique entertainment experience. This is no longer just for hardcore gamers, but for everyone. We believe that everyone enjoys entertainment differently and should have the choice as to what entertainment they consume and exactly how they consume it. PlayStation is the gateway to that entertainment.”