Sony’s launch of its online video store for the PlayStation Network feels like playing catch-up as it is. But for those PS3 owners in the UK or anywhere in Europe, the wait will continue.
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe head honcho, David Reeves, has confirmed that the PS3 video store won’t be available to European gamers until sometime next year, reports The Register. While Reeves wasn’t specific, he told attendees at a conference in Santa Monica earlier this week that video downloads through Sony’s online gaming service “will not come to the PAL markets this year”.
The problem is an all too familiar one: the company has to work through country-specific licensing deals with each major studio before any launch dates can be announced.
As we’ve noted in the past, there are many challenges that any company faces to deliver a European-wide online movie service. Not least are the disparate licensing agreements that exist across different countries in Europe, along with the staggered release ‘windows’ imposed by Hollywood which govern when and how new titles can be distributed in the various different formats.
