As news trickles across the web that Apple may have fallen a bit short of their movie rental targets, word of a new player in the online movie store game is surfacing once again. Rumors of Sony’s entry into online movie downloads has been floating around for over a year now, but apparently Sony is now very close to launching its offering geared towards the PlayStation 3 console. Sony reportedly showcased a preview of its upcoming movie download shop at the Destination PlayStation conference last week in Scottsdale, Arizona. The movie download service will integrate with Sony’s current online PlayStation Store, which is due for an overhaul in the Spring. Details as to the launch date, DRM implementation and pricing structure for movies are still unknown, but word on the street is that the US will get first crack at the service. Initially, all offerings will be Sony Pictures titles but Sony is no doubt in talks with additional studios to expand its catalog as quickly as possible after launch. Those who observed the preview are claiming that Sony has a gem on their hands. It’s a good thing too; they’ve been at it long enough.
[Via electric pig]
