Sony to distribute games, movies, music over Net

Sony Computer Entertainment seems to be getting into the direct sales market with a new Web site and subsidiary for selling game consoles and software via the Net.

PlayStation.com Japan, to be launched 1 February, will have backing of 480m yen (£2.8m), and will at first be a standard e-commerce site, taking orders over the Net and delivering products physically. But observers expect that the site will be used to directly distribute music, movies and game software to the upcoming Internet-connected console PlayStation2 via high-speed cable-television lines, from next year.

The online unit will begin sales in Japan mid-February ahead of the March 4 release of the 128-bit next-generation console.

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