Playstation 3 & Blu Ray Vending Machines Proposed.. Why!

[Robin]

I just found out about this... Sony wants to make vending machines for Blu Ray and Playstation 3 titles so you can get your gaming fix at 3am! I personally don't see the point,

How many people are really going to buy games out of shopping hours?

Who's going to carry like 40 Quid in cash just to get robbed by people waiting round the corner... unless its right next to an ATM.

They are so going to get vandalised if they are on the street.

The games are probably going to be more expensive than shops purely for the convience.

I just don't see it being viable! although it would kinda ram Sony's Blu Ray down your throat!

Heres some info on it..

Seemingly not content with selling its goods at walk-in retail outlets and through online stores, Japanese consumer electronics giant Sony Corp. has this week revealed its plan to join with Universal Pictures in creating a range of “entertainment vending machines.”

Unveiled at Stuff Magazine’s recent Stuff Live event, the “PoP” vending machines will apparently be crammed full of entertainment goodies ranging from conventional DVDs and high-definition Blu-ray movie discs through to PlayStation 3 software titles -- all of which will be available to passing consumers 24 hours a day.

Remaining ‘on trend’ in the technology stakes, the new vending machines will even provide music and movie downloads for those customers armed with compatible multimedia players, SD memory cards and portable devices with USB connections.

Furthermore, arriving as not just an unmanned retail extension, the automatic vending outlets will also include a touch-screen display that will enable prospective buyers to peruse movie trailers ahead of making a definitive cash or credit card decision.

According to the partnering media heavyweights, some 150 movie titles will be available for purchase at launch, with some of those being Hell Boy II and musical ‘summer blockbuster’ Mamma Mia!

Expectant consumers thrilled at the prospect of automated entertainment delivery should keep an attentive eye out for PoP machines popping up in movie theatres, fitness centres, colleges and universities, and travel stations, reports The Inquirer.

The PoP vendors are expected to be initially trialled in the UK in order for Sony and Universal to assess their market viability.

While likely to be welcomed by British technophiles, neither Sony nor Universal has issued comment on the subject of DRM (digital rights management), file formatting, or pricing.

Robin.

 

[GTP_DONK]

Imagine this scenario......

Just about to leave the pub toilets.......Condom Vending Machine ''check'', Breath Mints Vending Machine ''check'', PS3 Games and Blu-Ray Vending Machine ''check''.....what a cool line up

 

[Robin]

Yeah theres nothing I want to do more at 3am when im stone drunk than to buy my favourite Playstation 3 release and then proceed with the game in hand to the dancefloor to impress the ladies!

Robin

 

[McLaren]

FYI Robin., we already have a similar set up in the states that works really well. They're typically rental machines where you pay $1-2 and get a movie for a couple nights, and I have yet to see one ever outside a store. 24/7 ones are also usually in gas stations or Wal-Marts.

Thus, I wouldn't be surprised if this is what Sony is planning to do through this little plan. It actually wouldn't be a terrible idea in the US. Hell, we've even started letting 7-11's sell big Xbox 360 titles, (as well as the movie rental machines), why not give 'em this as well?

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

I just found out about this... Sony wants to make vending machines for Blu Ray and Playstation 3 titles so you can get your gaming fix at 3am! I personally don't see the point,

How many people are really going to buy games out of shopping hours?

Who's going to carry like 40 Quid in cash just to get robbed by people waiting round the corner... unless its right next to an ATM.

Personally, I perfer paying with credit cards myself.

It's funny you mentioned ATMs, because the same argument was said back when ATM's were being proposed, and that who in their right mind would withdrawal a couple hundred dollars from a box on the street.

Actually DVD vending machines have been around for several years now and have proven to be very lucrative. When you don't have a sales clerk and a high rent space, then yeah, the operating costs go down.

They are so going to get vandalised if they are on the street.

Like ATMs? Sure there are always exceptions, but as I said, DVD vending machines have been quite successful, and are often placed inside convenient stores, grocery stores, malls, and even the movie theaters. I suspect the same will be true for Blu-ray vending machines.

The interesting twist to this story though is that it is Universal of all companies that has partnered with Sony on this. Let us not forget, Universal was the only company to exclusively support HD DVD from the get go, and was the last one to finally give it up...

 

[Casio]

Strangely enough, I once brought a PS2 game at about 2:45am in the morning at a 24 Hour K-Mart.

 

[Joey D]

We have all sorts of these things around here, I can buy an iPod out of a vending machine, I can rent films out of vending machine, heck at school we have office supply vending machines. I think it would be cool to buy stuff like this out of a vending machine and probably would actually do so for the novelty of it.

Also think about it, you could put these in a lot more areas like supermarkets, department stores, etc. I think it would be a nice profit booster for Sony and the Blu-Ray film companies.

 

[Giancarlo]

My friends' dorm room had a DVD-renting vending machine. I would love to see a blu-ray version.

 

[ND4SPD]

I would rock that. There have been many times where my friends and I had a sudden urge to buy a game at 3am.

 

[V1P3R]

FYI Robin., we already have a similar set up in the states that works really well.

We do?

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

We do?

As already mentioned in this thread, yes.

 

[V1P3R]

Never seen one here...

 

[nick09]

I never seen one too.

 

[Solid Fro]

You guys never seen one of these before? Do you even go outside?

They are very popular, even at 2 AM during liquor runs to the grocery store.

 

[V1P3R]

Nope. Yes, I do go outside.

Edit: A dollar per night...? No thanks.

 

[Robin]

After reading the responces I guess Sony is totally right in making this move. I had no idea this was common place in the states and that it was so successful, it sure doesnt exsist here in the UK... thats probably why they want to start trialing it here.

As for the ATM thing, they are built in to the wall so are much more resistant to vandalism. If these are just going to be external machines (like drinks ones) placed on the street and chained to something they are going to be nicked instantly because unlike cans of coke the contents are worth far much more!

Ofcourse all of this wont be an issue if they are placed inside 24 hour shops like gas stations or 7/11's. I just still dont see why someone wouldnt just wait till the morning to buy it from a normal shop.

Robin.