SCEE has officially confirmed that major video distributor LOVEFiLM, the video rental and streaming service for the UK, will be making its way onto the PS3 in the form of the new LOVEFiLM PS3 app.
Regarding the new partnership with Sony, LOVEFiLM Chief Executive, Simon Calver stated the following:
“This is game-changing for LOVEFiLM and transformational for the UK home entertainment market as a whole, PS3 already has a very large installed customer base of all ages, all of whom will soon be able to benefit from our unique combination of instantly available content, streamed through their PS3, as well as DVD, Blu-ray & Games rental by post. To become PS3’s partner for our service is a tremendous endorsement of the value, choice and convenience offered by LOVEFiLM.”
Ray Maguire, Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment UK then added:
“We know there is a huge interest within our audience for film, and so the addition of LOVEFiLM to our current range of services is a very natural fit and one which significantly enhances the value proposition of PlayStation 3, LOVEFiLM has a proven track record of success and innovation in the film distribution field and is a very welcome addition to the PlayStation family that I’m confident PlayStation gamers will embrace enthusiastically.”
The subscription plans for the service were also revealed:
If you are a LOVEFiLM customer on a £5.99 or above package:
- Sit tight for now. As soon as the service is live simply go to your PS3 and activate your account.
If you are a LOVEFiLM customer on a £5.99 with games package:
- You also need to upgrade. You can upgrade now and start streaming films right now on your PC, and you’ll be all set to stream to your PS3 as soon as the LOVEFiLM service goes live.
If you are a LOVEFiLM customer on a £3.99 package:
- You can upgrade right now and start streaming films onto your PC straight away, and you’ll be all set to stream to your PS3 as soon as the LOVEFiLM service goes live.
If you are not a LOVEFiLM customer:
- Sign up now on a £5.99 or above package to start streaming great films instantly on your PC, and you’ll be all set to stream to your PS3 as soon as the LOVEFiLM service goes live.
And finally, we have the début trailer for LOVEFiLM on the PS3.
It really is awesome to see companies like Netflix and LOVEFiLM embracing the opportunities available on the PS3. Looks like that free online-play model and rising install base is proving to be quite valuable in attracting interest from new companies with new, emerging ways to enjoy entertainment, whether it be in game, music or video form.
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