Sony Considering Music Downloads for PSP to Compete with iPhone?

[MacRumors]

CNet reports that Sony is talking with major recording companies about providing downloadable music for the PlayStation Portable gaming device.

The sources said the talks are only preliminary and no deals have been struck. But apparently, Sony is considering offering music on the PlayStation Network, the company's nascent multiplayer gaming and digital download service. Such a move could place the PSP in direct competition with other multiuse music players, most notably the iPhone.

While primarily a gaming device, the PSP has always offered multimedia capabilities such as movie and music playback. The device, however, has been hampered by rather closed standards such as the Universal Media Discs (UMDs) required for movies.

"If we had gone with open technology from the start, I think we probably would have beaten Apple," Stringer told Nikkei Electronics Asia recently. "Sony hasn't taken open technology very seriously in the past. Its Connect music download service was a failure. It was based on OpenMG, a proprietary digital rights management (DRM) technology. At the time, we thought we would make more money that way than with open technology, because we could manage the customers and their downloads.

If true, the move would increasingly align the PSP directly against Apple's iPod Touch and iPhone platforms. Apple's iPod touch and iPhone have become a surprise success in the mobile gaming market leading many industry observers to believe that both Nintendo and Sony are very concerned about the Apple's early success. Anecdotal reports peg the iPod Touch and iPhone demographics right up against the PSP's. This direct competition could explain this attempt by Sony to further expand the appeal of the PSP beyond gaming.

Article Link: Sony Considering Music Downloads for PSP to Compete with iPhone?

[Darth.Titan]

Could be interesting but I'm afraid it's too little, too late for Sony.

[Sky Blue]

People still buy PSPs?

[LukeW16]

Originally Posted by Sky Blue

People still buy PSPs?

Obviously?

[Goona]

Sony is a "has been". They are irrelevant.

[overanalyzer]

Originally Posted by Goona

Sony is a "has been". They are irrelevant.

Yeah, that's why no one is clamoring for Apple to add support for Sony's new-fangled Blu-Ray technology.

[Goona]

Originally Posted by overanalyzer

Yeah, that's why no one is clamoring for Apple to add support for Sony's new-fangled Blu-Ray technology.

Oh you mean Blu-Ray is taking over the market?

[NoSmokingBandit]

Regarding the last paragraph:
I seriously doubt Nintendo is worried about the iPhone/Pod cutting into their game sales. Gaming with no buttons is a chore, nintendo got it right with the touchscreen/button combo. I cant see the iPhone/Pod putting a dent in psp sales either, if someone wants to game they are getting the system with God of War, Ratchet and Clank, and LocoRoco, not the phone that has Video Poker and a crippled Crash Racing.

[severe]

Its Connect music download service was a failure. It was based on OpenMG, a proprietary digital rights management (DRM) technology.

Sony's OMG was DOA.

[overanalyzer]

Originally Posted by Goona

Oh you mean Blu-Ray is taking over the market?

I mean Sony isn't irrelevant. The PSP has been successful as a gaming device, as have the PS3 and PS2, and Blu-Ray won the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray war and you can find hordes of people who want Apple to integrate Blu-Ray players and support into Macs.

[talkingfuture]

Can't see this being a worry for Apple. I've always been amazed at how the PSP never caught on against the DS. It has no chance against the iPhone/iPod

[zelmo]

Sony, if you're serious about adding music downloading, the PSP Go! or whatever it's called had best have some internal memory. Even then, this seems like a tack-on that, while nice and all, is hardly going to shake up the market.

[ortuno2k]

Monkey sees, monkey does.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE and own many Sony products, and I'm glad they won the Blu-Ray war, but come on - trying to follow Apple's steps a bit too late is just lame.

[jaw04005]

Sony is way behind the curve on this one. They should have had a PSN music store at the launch of the PSP or at least by launch of the PS3.

Does Sony's different divisions even talk to each other?

You would think someone at the top would say "Hey, you know we have a music label and movie studio. We should sell their content on our gaming devices." four or five years ago.

[FSMBP]

Yeah, I'm all for competition but no offense, no one can touch Apple's iTunes store (along with the App store).

Apple spent years getting people to buy iPods and complement it with the iTunes store; this made the App store easier for people to catch on to as opposed to rivals.

Regardless of cost differentiation (which I doubt Sony will try but its their only option), I still feel that PSP owners will find it easier to purchase from the iTunes store along with all their other media.

[tato123]

While there are a lot of games in the appstore, I can't find anything that is more than mediocre. There are no killer titles imho for someone who wants something more than a time-killer. And my comment is independant of the ds(i) or psp, I cannot judge them since I do not own either.

[The General]

Anyone notice some backwards stuff here?

"OpenMG" = DRM = Not open at all.
"UMD" = Universal Media Disk = Only on PSP? How is it Universal?

[thomanjones]

I have a DS with about a dozen games, a PSP with just about every game (relative got a 'package deal' in China), and an iPhone. The DS and the PSP sit on the shelf.

It's probably just me though, and my addiction to Tower Defense games, which the iPhone seems to do better than the other two.

Sony has missed the boat, imo. At this point, they need revolutionary change, this is just basic evolutionary.

[bnerd]

So wait ... they want me to buy a PSP .. and buy their expensive memory sticks to hold all my music? ...... no thanks.

[TuffLuffJimmy]

Originally Posted by overanalyzer

Yeah, that's why no one is clamoring for Apple to add support for Sony's new-fangled Blu-Ray technology.

Yeah, except bluray isn't sony's.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu_ray

[bluePeter]

Sony should not do a "me too". Instead, they should realize that for Apple, iTunes is just a means of selling hardware. So, to one-up Apple, Sony should make PSx be compatible with iTunes, allowing the devices to download and play the media. That would negate any advantage Apple's devices may have, as based in the media store.

[aygie]

Man you guys can be negative. The PS3 and PSP are fantastic devices. I use my PSP everyday to watch movies/TV Shows, and if you think the iPhones games have anything on the PSP's you are mistaken.

Good on Sony, yeah very late in the game but competition is good and i would definitely be up for this as well as the PSN video store coming to the UK later this year.

[pdjudd]

Originally Posted by bluePeter

Sony should not do a "me too". Instead, they should realize that for Apple, iTunes is just a means of selling hardware. So, to one-up Apple, Sony should make PSx be compatible with iTunes, allowing the devices to download and play the media. That would negate any advantage Apple's devices may have, as based in the media store.

How is Sony going to do that when Apple will not allow any 3rd party players to connect into iTunes (It would require Sony to reverse engineer some code)? It would break the minute Apple updates iTunes. If this were possible, we would have another mp3 player offer iTunes compatibility (none do) Of course that assumes that Sony has any interest in mac compatibility in the first place. Its going to be another cat and dog race that neither party wants to engage in.

Not to mention that it would be only useful for music. Sony would still have to get around video content protected by DRM which is another desirable part of the iPod.

[mixel]

Why would anyone think Sony selling music is like copying Apple?

Sony selling music is hardly some big new thing. the PSN really does need music sales. They have the video sales covered - it makes little sense not to sell music too. I see a future where Sony/E phones also use the PSN. It's not just about the PSP.. A successor to the PSP will already be well on it's way, too.

I welcome this, I buy my music on itunes but would happily buy some while say at my PSP or PS3, the PS3 is my living room media box and plays my itunes library remotely.. They already play each others files (non-DRM AAC) - presumably the PSP does too, I've not tried..

Good luck to Sony.

[overanalyzer]

Originally Posted by TuffLuffJimmy

Yeah, except bluray isn't sony's.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu_ray

From that article:
Blu-ray Disc (also known as Blu-ray or BD) is an optical disc storage medium designed by Sony to supersede the standard DVD format.

I understand there's a separate association developing the standard (which includes Apple), but my point was that Sony is still capable of coming up with good ideas.