Speaking at a recent event in Tokyo, Sony CEO, Sir Howard Stringer, has hinted at more exciting features planned for the PS3. Claiming that recent shake-ups had been successful in bringing “back some of the wow factor”, he laid out his vision for the future, stating “The next cycle is actual innovation.” This seems most likely to manifest itself in the PlayStation Network , which is believed to be expanding significantly.

Frankly, a bit of expansion is needed. Microsoft has been running rings around Sony in terms of online console services, most prevalently with the Xbox Live Video Marketplace. Now that this has just broken out of its US only mould and spread to other parts of North America and us here in Europe, the pressure is on Sony to play catch up. We already know this is in the works – a rival video download service is already on its way to Japan – but it now looks like Sony has something a bit bolder in mind. Stringer confirmed that the Network would be expanded to include other kinds of content and opened up to non-Sony media.

Sounds like a great idea to us; with every single PS3 offering at least some form of hard disk and a piss easy means with which to upgrade them, all we need is the content to fill ‘em up. With Microsoft seeming to be avoiding TV shows for its download plans at the moment and Sony presumably being unwilling to inhibit its fledgling HD disc format with full blown high definition movie downloads, that leaves a compelling potential niche for getting decent series out in digital form (well, other than just on the torrents).

April is the time frame for these mysterious new updates, which SPOnG points out is pretty close to the Spring time frame that PlayStation Home is gunning for. Could the two be connected? I’ve already shared my crazy Home release date conspiracy of the day, so you can decide which seems more likely.

Source

Gamasutra

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