Whether it was planned or not, an overseas Sony executive told reporters its PlayStation 3 console will become a digital video recorder in 2008. Is this the feature that will help Sony win the console war?
Digital Journal — If the PlayStation 3 wants to win the gaming console war, it needs an ace up its sleeve. A Sony exec casually leaked that ace when he told a reporter that the PS3 will hopefully become a programmable TV recorder in 2008
In an interview with The Press, Sony Computer Entertainment New Zealand’s head of marketing, Warwick Light, said the company will likely upgrade the console into a next-gen TiVo:
We’re also hoping next year…to release a digital tuner for the PS3, turning it into a programmable TV recorder.
Light explained how the PS3 can work as a home-entertainment system because owners can “update its processing capabilities through firmware updates that add functionality to the machine,” instead of needing to replace the entire unit.
Adding a digital tuner to the PS3 is nothing short of spectacular. If the console becomes more than just a gaming system or Blu-ray player, gadget junkies will take notice and likely slobber at the chance at owning this multi-function machine.
But here’s the tricky part for Sony: Now that the DVR news has been “accidentally” leaked, Sony needs to follow through with a promise to deliver the technology by the appointed date. Sony has already enjoyed a jump in PS3 sales this summer, but to keep that momentum rolling the company has to follow through with this eye-opening add-on.
By turning the PS3 into a TV recorder, Sony will not only add a powerful tweak to its impressive system; it will be giving gamers another reason to purchase a console that could be jack of all trades and master of many.
