The tablet wars are going to get super interesting. Slick hardware is not enough to compete with Apple’s wildly successful iPad tablets. Competitors realize that they need to offer slick software and services too. Recently Sony announced that it will be entering the Android tablet space later this year. Will PlayStation Network be the key to Sony’s tablet success? That’s what PC Magazine’s Tim Bajarin believes. He recently wrote:
I understand that Sony’s tablet offerings will eventually be tied to the Sony PlayStation Network, in which there are about 77 million subscribers worldwide. If I read the tea leaves right, that should mean that Sony could use this network to deliver video, music, and games, as well as potentially host its own vetted app store and even create Sony dedicated apps. Its goal is to be number two in the tablet market (behind Apple) and number one in Android-based devices.
Leveraging the backbone of the PlayStation Network would give Sony quite an edge over its competitors, right out of the box. My only concern is that it has to rely on Google for its OS. Not controlling the OS could be an issue for delivering an enhanced user experience that’s optimized for Sony customers. But having a network backbone to deliver optimized content for various Sony devices is quite a plus.
Bajarin is one of the sharpest tech analysts in the world. His opinions are almost always on the mark. I think he’s on the right track here. The infrastructure of PlayStation Network has already expanded to include Qriocity. I can see Sony going even larger to create a multimedia “walled garden” of its own, with curated movies, music, apps, and gaming.
What do you think? Will PlayStation Network be the key to Sony’s tablet success? Or will it be the key to One-Eyed Willie?
I think it will be detrimental to the platform. Sony is a content creator and I think it could minimize the offerings by comparison.
I really Amazon will have something amazing that will be more appealing to a broad customer base. Amazon doesn't discriminate in content, they want to sell it all.
3rd time's the charm?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-20060227-260.ht…
If they have a better mind than MS when it comes to leverage then I think they will. I called for MS to make XBL integrated in the Zune a long time ago if they wanted to compete seriously with the iPod. I thought that when the first Zune came out, and think how long it took them to put the idea anywhere, choosing to go with a phone instead (I believe that sales figures would show that it has been too little too late). What Sony should do if they seriously wanted to have this integration is make sure that it is there asap. Make it better over time if need be, but it needs to be available right from the start.