30-05-2012 22:19
Cita:WSJ[/url]"]Sony Corp. considered but ultimately rejected a download-only plan for its next videogame console, people familiar with the matter said, opting to include an optical disk drive rather than break with decades-old industry practice.Sony consideró hacer una Playstation solo de descarga, pero al final decidió incluir un lector de discos. Decidió en contra de hacer una consola sin lector porque las conexiones a internet son incoxistentes a lo largo del mundo, los juegos son grandes y los clientes con conexiones lentas se verían perjudicados. Microsoft también ha optado por incluir un disco.
The Japanese electronics maker's flirtation with dropping the optical drive underscores the rising importance of online networks in the videogame industry, which allow console users to download games, television shows and music without the need for disks or cartridges.
Sony is planning a 2013 release for the successor to its PlayStation 3 console, people familiar with the matter said.
Consoles without optical drives would likely add to pressures on brick-and-mortar and online retailers that sell game disks.
But Sony decided against a download-only model largely because Internet connections are too inconsistent around the world, one of the people familiar with Sony's thinking said. Because game files are large, customers in countries where Internet connections are relatively slow would be hobbled by a requirement to download games, the person said.
Sony is looking to the next generation of its gaming consoles. Above, a 2009 poster of the Sony Playstation logo.
A Sony spokesman declined to comment.
Microsoft Corp. MSFT -0.74% is planning to include an optical disk drive in the successor to its Xbox 360 console, according to a person familiar with the matter. The software company also had concerns about access to Internet bandwidth, the person said.
Sony planea lanzar la PS4 en 2013.