Rich Fiscus
23 Jun 2008 20:31
In 2009 Sony will be experimenting with web-based video. A new title called 'Angel of Death' will first be available as a series of 8 minute segments which will later be released together on DVD.
It's hard to understand exactly what Sony is hoping to accomplish aside from convincing potential viewers to follow a trail of breadcrumbs from one website to another. It doesn't seem to have any actual commercial use.
Apparently they're planning an entire series of titles which will start on the internet and then make the leap to either DVD or TV. In order for this to work they'd have to come up with titles that will both translate to episodic delivery and be interesting enough to keep viewers looking for the next episode several weeks in a row.
Sony is the only company that owns a major movie studio and a major record labels as well as being a leading manufacturer of consumer electronics and computer hardware, and even game consoles billed as home entertainment centers. You might expect a company with a presence in nearly every phase of the production, distribution, and consumer markets to have a comprehensive system for making money from their own content.
Instead Sony has failed at nearly every online venture. They haven't been able to develop a successful online music service or a content channel for PS3 owners, and now their experiments with online video look like nothing more than a promotional gimmick for driving traffic to the various corporate websites.