PlayStation suite

edit: not posted by me! Kisses and hugs regardless.

 

Apple loosened their in-app purchase policy:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/09/apple-gives-in-to-publishers-changes-policy-on-in-app-subscript/

Previously, they rejected Sony's eBook app because it has in-app purchase. It also demanded 30% cut from in-app transactions and stipulated that external purchases must be equal or more expensive than in-app purchases. These pricing restrictions are gone now. Hopefully my Qriocity subscription will work on iOS someday !

 

I don't see any significant change? You are still not allowed to have your own in app purchase or even link to your own site where a user can
purchase said content? This only talks about accessing content that was purchased by a user outside the app.

 

Gamasutra has a more thorough description:
http://gamasutra.com/view/news/3513...scription_Guidelines_Removes_Restrictions.php

You can sell content from your own website without any pricing restriction now, and play it on iOS devices.

 

Yeah, the big change is for subscription services like Netflix and Hulu that would have been fucked by the new rule. Under the rule change that business model would have become untenable on iOS without raising prices for all subscribers to account for a potential 30% Apple cut on just one class of clients. Apple backed off somewhat, but I think the situation is still dicey for things like eBooks where you want to sell individual items in app for convenience, but where Apple's cut for processing the transaction could still be crippling.

 

11.14 mentions purchase and subscription though.

 

Right, but you won't be required to offer them in app or for the same price anymore, which was the problem for netflix and hulu. Originally Apple was going to change it so that if you wanted your subscription service app (like hulu+ or netflix streaming) on iOS you would have been required to sell subscriptions in app at the same price as outside, with Apple processing the payment and taking a 30% cut. Those companies would have either taken a bath every time a customer subscribed or renewed through their iPad or iPhone, or would need to raise prices for all their customers to compensate for the Apple tax. Now they can just keep things the way they are and not offer in app subscriptions at all.

 

Yes, you'll need to set up a separate site or mechanism to sell the digital items. e.g., The eBook reader will not be able to sell books within the app, but it can open already sold books in a personal digital locker.

 

Right, Amazon can sell eBooks on their web page that you can read in their iPad app, but they can't sell the books in app, or even have a "Buy Online!" link in the app that takes you to the webpage in the browser to purchase it. This puts Amazon and other purveyors of eBooks or Music or Movie at a disadvantage compared to Apple's own services. Apple's still being a dick about this stuff, but they've walked it back far enough that Netflix and Hulu won't abandon the platform now.

 

Good enough for now. Makes my Hulu Plus and Qriocity subscription worthwhile if they can play on all my devices.

Would be great if I can play my PSN games and purchased movies on iOS too.

 

Music Unlimited Expanding to Android Today, New Opportunity for PS3 Owners:
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011...android-today-new-opportunity-for-ps3-owners/

Eh... don't have an Android device yet.

 

Not PS Suite per se... but Official Playstation App 1.1 for iOS and Android in SCEE regions:
http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2011/06/24/playstation-official-app-version-1-1-coming-soon/

According to the comments, iPad version is coming soon.

 

http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/06/sonys-s1-and-s2-tablets-pose-for-the-cameras-again-show-off-mo/

Sony may face Microsoft again in their tablet race. MS signed up a few Android h/w manufacturers, which may include their own entertainment stack (XBL ?) on Android. ^_^

Spotify is coming to US:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/06/spotify-is-coming-to-the-us-invites-are-open-now/

FaceBook is also signing up partners left, right, center. What to do ? What to do ? ^_^

 

Yeah, Spotify is ready to go in the US. I've been testing it on my iPhone for a week now after I ran into it at my father's place, who has one of those streambox things with unlimited Spotify, and man, Spotify is pretty sweet. And incidentally at US launch, now another company that went from nothing to being estimated at $1 billion in only four years.

 

Yap... now that Kaz Hirai is relieved from handing SCE, he will have to show some good result in Playstation Suite. It's a strategic piece. Hopefully Sony realize it now, if not earlier.

 

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105...out-sony-tablets/?tag=contentMain;contentBody

I was told the games running on Xperia Play are not Playstation Suite games. Perhaps we will learn more after S1 and S2 launch.

 

Forgot about this one:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/23/sonys-s1-android-tablet-is-the-tablet-s-due-to-arrive-in-early/

Sony's S1 Android Tablet is the Tablet S, due to arrive in early September:

Sony posted a job for a new video service developer lead. Perhaps, Video Unlimited is the name of that project.

Playstation Suite (PSS) sounds more and more like a suite of applications (rather than specific APIs) to me. Google may want full control of the Android "entertainment" API. Will be interesting to see how Sony positions PSS.

 

Well it would reveal Hirai as a charlatan.

 

Ha ha. If true, it would be even more interesting to watch. I'm curious how deep he understands technology and software anyhow.

 

Sony Android tablet details and specs continue to leak, 'S2' is the Sony Tablet P:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/26/sony-android-tablet-details-and-specs-continue-to-leak-s2-is/