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Report: Sony considered download-only console, thought better of it

Jordan Mallory — Wed, 30 May 2012 18:30:00 EST

Sony's plans for its PlayStation 3 successor were once to build a download-only console devoid of an optical drive, according to "people familiar with the matter," as reported by the Wall Street Journal. That is no longer the case, however, as Sony's internal machinations decided that internet connections the world over are too inconsistent to sufficiently support a console incompatible with traditional physical media. Relying entirely on some future version of the PlayStation Network for distribution could potentially cripple the console in countries with less developed networking infrastructure.

It's also possible that Sony has learned a valuable lesson from its first foray into download-only gaming, the monumentally unsuccessful PSP Go. The Go's inability to play previously purchased UMD games, coupled with the fact that new releases hit the device weeks after they hit retail and that the system itself was more expensive than the comparatively more functional PSP-3000 spelled doom for the handheld.

The next PlayStation, in whatever form it ends up taking, is supposedly set to launch in 2013 with components built by AMD, according to the Wall Street Journal's sources. We've reached out to Sony for comment.

Report: Sony considered download-only console, thought better of it originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 30 May 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PS3 getting MUBI movie streaming service in Europe

David Hinkle — Tue, 18 May 2010 11:00:00 EST

If you've been interested in Netflix on the PS3 but live in Europe, you'll soon have access to a similar service: MUBI. It's a movie streaming service that focuses on art house, independent and critically acclaimed fare with integrated social networking features -- "we emphasize quality over quantity," wrote CEO and founder Efe Cakarel on the PlayStation Blog.

Cakarel promises more than just films, revealing MUBI as a future destination for "exclusive online premieres, collaborations with international film festivals, and retrospectives of some of the best cinema the world has ever seen." The service will initially be available in the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Iberia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux, Nordic countries, Australia and New Zealand and with two different payment options: per-title, weekly rentals or an annual subscription fee.

For a brief video highlighting some of the service's films, head past the break.

Continue reading PS3 getting MUBI movie streaming service in Europe

PS3 getting MUBI movie streaming service in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 May 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netflix fully available on Wii as of today

David Hinkle — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:00:00 EST

Been lusting after all of the content on offer from Netflix, but only have a Wii to grab those digital delectations off the superhighway of information? Well, those magical little discs are now shipping to everyone, allowing the millions of Wii users in the U.S. who have the appropriate Netflix subscription and broadband internet to enjoy full instant-streaming functionality on their little white boxes. Rejoice!

So, what will you watch first? We suggest you go for something classy, like Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project. And, hey, if laughter isn't really your thing, we still got you covered with Joystiq Box Office. We live to serve, folks!

Netflix fully available on Wii as of today originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lionsgate joins Xbox 360 Video Marketplace

James Ransom-Wiley — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 14:53:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Business

Lionsgate will soon join fellow movie distributors on the Xbox Live Video Marketplace, bringing targeted content to Xbox 360 gamers. "The Xbox gamer is the same moviegoer who wants to watch Saw III or Crank," remarked executive VP Jon Ferro. Ah yes, torture and meth labs ... you've got us all figured out, don't you, Mr. Ferro?

Other Lionsgate titles destined for XBLVM: An American Haunting, Blair Witch Project, The Descent, Employee of the Month, Hard Candy, Ninth Gate, The Punisher, Requiem for a Dream, See No Evil, and Stir of Echoes.

See also: Xbox 360 video download service succeeding, others failing

Lionsgate joins Xbox 360 Video Marketplace originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Jan 2007 14:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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