If we want to kill cable in the traditional sense, we’re going to need more original, exclusive programming a la Netflix’s House of Cards and Hulu’s The Wrong Mans. Even Amazon has hopped on the original content bandwagon with its political comedy Alpha House. Not one to be left in the dust, it appears Sony will be taking a similar tactic in the near future with something called PlayStation Productions.
According to Sony’s OnlineSPT website (which redirects from PSNAdvertising.com), PlayStation Productions will be a collaboration with Sony Pictures to bring high quality original series to the PlayStation Network.
From the #1 studio worldwide, Sony Pictures, comes a series of original shows ranging from comedy to reality to sports. PlayStation Productions is dedicated to bringing high quality, professionally produced content to the PlayStation Network. Sponsorship and product integration opportunities are available upon request.
In theory this sounds phenomenal, and even if you don’t share my personal distaste for the current TV model and cable companies in general, it’s hard to argue that more great content floating around in the ether could ever be a bad thing. But can Sony pull it off? That remains to be seen.
The potential for incestuous promotion of PlayStation Productions across Sony’s various properties (yes, I coined that mildly off-putting term) is very high, and it’s not hard to imagine billboards for Gran Turismo 6 appearing in the background of Sony’s own original programming, or vice versa. Either way, I’m certainly looking forward to what Sony is able to muster with its new content effort – free pilots for PlayStation Plus subscribers, perhaps? Given the company’s history of taking care of the PS Plus userbase, it doesn’t seem too far-fetched.
