Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) has to deal with improving sales for the Sony (NYSE: SNE) PS3. Sony has been able to get a greater number of attractive games for its console. It has also added better features to play live over the internet with friends connected by broadband.
Now the Xbox 360 will add a feature that Sony cannot match, at least for now.
According to the FT, Microsoft "has struck deals with five horror movie directors for a series of short films in a move aimed at boosting the original entertainment content available on its Xbox console." If the first part of the experiment works, Microsoft will probably go forward with more short content which cannot be seen by owners of rival consoles.
The idea may border on stupidity. The game platforms have become composites of services that run from HDTV players to VoIP systems which allows people to talk with one another while they are playing online. The new Nintendo Wii Fit has moved the gaming experience into the exercise business.
At some point the consumer will reach a place where the confusion over the array of services on the three major game platforms will be so great that he may stop using his new console and dust off his old PS2.
Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.
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