Summertime movie downloads for PS3 fans

Sony has confirmed that it’ll launch its movie downloads service for the PlayStation 3 in the US this summer. However, European film fans will have to wait a little longer.

In the firm’s Corporate Strategy Update (CSU) FY2008-2010 document, Sony said it plans to “roll out video services across key Sony products by FY2010, starting with the summer 2008 launch on the PlayStation Network”. Unfortunately, the document only refers to the US and says nothing about a similar European launch.

However, according to a report by the Associated Press, Kazuo Hirai, chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment, has since said that a European announcement will be made next month. This could mean Sony will announce the date at the E3 gaming conference, which kicks off in the US in July.

Sony’s latest CSU also revealed that it expects to achieve profitability in its game segment during the fiscal year ending 31 March 2009. This, Sony claims, will be possible through hardware cost reductions and a greater line-up of PS3 software titles.

Earlier this week, it was reported how the firm’s PS3 pricing strategy has caused it to lose around $3bn (£1.5bn/€1.9bn) over the past two fiscal years.