Amazon Prime Begins Streaming on PS3
Amazon Prime streaming service will now be available through the PlayStation 3 gaming console.
Sony announced that it will be beefing up its video content on Wednesday, adding the service to its line-up that includes other popular streamers such as NetFlix and Hulu Plus.
Jack Buser, Sony's Senior Director for PlayStation Digital Platforms, posted in a blog that there are more than 120,000 movies and TV shows on Amazon Prime that will now become available through the PlayStation 3.
For users looking to rent videos from Amazon, they will now have to link their Amazon account to PlayStation and verify it through their computer, the same way it is done with Netflix and Hulu Plus.
This new partnership between the world's largest internet retailer and one of the largest companies in the video game industry comes at a time when its main rival, Microsoft, is also rapidly expanding its video streaming content by acquiring HBO Go, MLB.TV and Xfinity.
Microsoft also recently stated that Xbox 360 owners use their consoles more for entertainment purposes than gaming, making the acquiring of streaming services a top priority for the company.
Both Sony and Microsoft are expected to reveal new consoles within the next two years, and with the trend of technology moving towards an all-in-one entertainment device, the companies are probably researching more efficient ways to incorporate these services into their next-generation systems.
The two companies are also rumored to be eliminating physical games by creating streaming services for them along with online markets for downloading.
Sony's next-generation console is rumored to be called the "Orbis" dropping the famous PlayStation moniker that debuted on the company's first console in 1995.
Xbox's next generation console is expected to be named the Xbox 720, following in the footsteps of the current Xbox 360 console.
