Sony's PlayStation Network Latest To Mimic HBO
Just as HBO has made a name for itself with original content, so too does Sony aspire to make its online PlayStation Network more than just a videogame hub.
Sony will launch its first reality TV series next week, "The Tester," on PSN, with the help of partner 51 Minds Entertainment, a production company that's produced reality shows like "The Surreal Life." The Tester has 11 contestants undergoing various challenges to compete for a position as a game tester at Sony Computer Entertainment America and a $5,000 signing bonus.
PSN's senior director Susan Panico says she wants to see Sony's online gaming network become something like HBO. "I would love for us to get to the point where we're creating great shows in pop culture and society," says Panico. "That's where we'd ultimately want to get with our original programming and 'The Tester' is the next step in that direction."
The episodes of the new series will be free for PSN users to download. Although the network will offer show-related virtual goods for purchase, Panico says monetization will come later; extending the brand is the main objective of the show's pilot season. Sony's online network has already dipped its feet in the water with original programming like "Qore," a monthly lifestyle gaming program, and "Pulse," a video showcase of new content on the network.
"We wanted something else that broadened PlayStation Network and to put in the ground 'legitimate TV content,'" says Panico.
The three major console-makers, Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony, have been making moves to encompass other forms of entertainment and social media. Players are already able to purchase and rent videos through Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 through their respective online networks, as well as connect to social networking services like Facebook and Twitter. Microsoft and Sony also recently added Netflix's streaming video service to their consoles, with Nintendo to follow suit with the Wii this Spring.
Like Sony, Microsoft has a similar ongoing experiment on its Xbox Live online network called "1 vs. 100," a remake of the TV program, that's a cross between a live game show and videogame, complete with ad spots. The first season saw a strong enough interest in the program that Microsoft and Nielsen teamed up last November to track viewer metrics of the program's second season and across the Xbox Live network.
Some think the videogame industry could begin to seriously encroach on other entertainment sectors' turf.
"Video games, right behind bad programming and bad decisions, are TV networks' biggest threat these days," said Brian Crecente, editor-in-chief of the videogame blog Kotaku, in an article on StarTribune.com last month.
It's too early to tell, but if The Tester does prove successful, Sony is likely to continue experimenting with new programming. Panico says PSN has "plans for future content" and is looking into a "couple of different ideas."
Here's the trailer for The Tester, which includes what you might expect from a typical reality show -- alliances, tears and some ungodly new concoction called 'beerios.'
The Tester™ Trailer
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