Sony (NYSE: SNE) is still in the game, and it wants competitors Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Nintendo (OTC BB: NTDOY) to know about it. The latest move by the company might not be extraordinary or anything like that, but it nevertheless shows a console maker that believes its product is worth something to living rooms across America (and the world, for that matter).

According to the following article from The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), Sony is injecting some new bells and whistles into the PlayStation 3 unit. Via a system update called Blu-ray Disc Profile 2.0, Sony users will be able to do neat things like transfer images and song playlists to the company's handheld PSP system, invoke a resume-play feature for Blu-ray films even once the disc has been taken out of the system, and download streamed content. Yep, these are neat things, all right -- but will they make people suddenly say to themselves, "Oh man, I have to get a PlayStation 3 over a Nintendo Wii or a Microsoft Xbox 360 for sure now!!!"

Well, it's hard to say that someone would say that exactly, but Sony is doing the correct thing here by adding functionality. And there are some who will indeed care about this stuff, and enjoy it. So it's important to have two minds about this as shareholders -- it isn't mindblowing news, but it shows that Sony is out there promoting. Anything helps. Plus, I like how Sony is yet again highlighting the Blu-ray capability -- that is a big distinction between its unit and the Xbox 360/Wii platforms. Blu-ray, as we all know by now, is the winner of the new format war, and Sony should gloat about that fact at every conceivable juncture.

So, again, I'm not saying this particular update will by itself turn the tide or anything -- price cuts would be more effective -- but I think it will help the brand equity of the PlayStation 3. As for me, I'm not running out to buy Sony -- I'm still happy playing the video-game revolution via my Activision (Nasdaq: ATVI) shares.

Disclosure: I own shares of Activision; positions can change at any time.