In what is intriguing news considering the horizontal reach of consumer electronics giant Sony, CEO Sir Howard Stringer (above, right, with fashionable eyeware) stated intent in an interview with Japanese technology daily Nikkei to bring the digital distribution platform PlayStation Network to other devices besides its current sole client, the PlayStation 3: "We will be expanding the PlayStation Network to hardware other than the PS3, because the number of PS3 units sold puts a limit on the scale of the network possible."

In other words, PSN on more devices = more moneys. The move could also be a significant value-add to consumers of a potentially wide range of devices even beyond the PlayStation Portable whose upcoming revision is rumoured to forego a UMD media slot altogether, making direct digital downloads to the device even more essential. But beyond being a source of a wider range of downloadable content offerings including games, movies and other media content to the PSP, the PSN would be a welcome digital storefront counterpart to many Sony devices including Blu-ray players and Bravia TVs, the Walkman line, cell phones via the Sony Ericsson brand and possibly even digital imaging apps or content for digital cameras and camcorders.

The news dovetails well with another trend in which Sony has been rolling out their XMB (or CrossMediaBar) user interface (pictured below) to multiple devices including the PS3, PSP, selected TVs from the WEGA and Bravia lines as well as the XEL-1 OLED TV, newer Vaio laptops, some Cyber-shot series cameras as well as a mobile version of the XMB to the Sony Ericsson K850, W760 and W910 media menus. This kind of design conservation is economical for the company and usually beneficial to consumers as well, who frequently don't have to learn a new interface when they pick up a new Sony device. The familiarity afforded by widespread XMB and PSN across a range of devices could certainly tip more than a few buying decisions in Sony's favor.

We think the spread of the PSN is a highly intelligent development that would position the PlayStation Network as a sort of digital content superstore akin to the iTunes storefront and, perhaps more critically, the small fleet of mobile application storefronts that have shown wild success in getting consumers to pay relatively small sums for mobile applications and content. We hope the new plans for the PSN might indeed involve a broadening of offerings from primarily games and media content into other kinds of applications for other devices as well — TV widgets, for example, which are quickly becoming all the rage, would be a great addition to the store if applied to the Bravia line. We could imagine BD-Live, long touted as one of the more compelling developments in Blu-ray technology but to date short on delivery, being leveraged to make creative applications for standalone Blu-ray players as well. 

On the content side of the equation, rolling out the PSN to Blu-ray players and TVs could put Sony on a more direct competitive footpath with video streaming services from Netflix and Amazon. Although the store is currently focused on a la carte digital downloads akin to the iTunes store, development of a streaming app plus integration with existing Sony video devices might be a compelling alternative if priced appropriately, buffet-style, or potentially with selected free programming as a value-add bundled to sweeten the deal on a Bravia TV or standalone Blu-ray player.

There are certainly a number of synergistic possibilities in this announcement and although Stringer acknowledges the difficulties of rolling it out given the "vertical structure for each product line" the company will have to contend with in making it happen, we're definitely looking forward to seeing how this shakes out.

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