Sony Puts Net PlayStation Games In 7-Eleven

Sony Corp. reportedly announced today it has signed a deal with Japan's largest network of convenience stores to distribute PlayStation games sold on the Internet.

According to a Reuters report today, Japanese fun fans will be
able to order a game online and collect it at their local
7-Eleven, a network of 8,000 convenience stores across Japan.

The move is seen as an aggressive assault on the fiercely
competitive video-game business, the report said.

In addition, Sony's wholly-owned unit, Sony Computer Entertainment
Inc. (SCE), reportedly unveiled partnerships with 11 blue-chip
companies, led by 7-Eleven and including Culture Convenience Club
Co., operators of 970 "Tsutaya" video and music CD shops, as well as
DigiCube Co. Ltd., a leading wholesaler of video game software via
convenience store chains, Reuters said.

The new alliance is tied to SCE's newly-established e-commerce
arm PlayStation.com (Japan) Inc., launched on Tuesday to sell
PlayStation games and hardware via the Web ahead of the launch
of the next-generation PlayStation2 in March. The partners also
have future plans to hawk music CDs and DVD video discs via the
convenience store network, according to the report.

Analysts said the convenience store outlets for e-purchases are
seen as a stop gap measure until consumers are able to download
games directly from the Net.

The new alliance also includes several top Japanese game software
makers like Namco Ltd., Square Co. Ltd., Enix Corp., and Capcom Co.
Ltd., who would hold a combined 20 percent stake in PlayStation.com
by the end of March, Reuters said.

On Tuesday Sony astonished Japan's closely knit dealer network by
announcing it will sell consumer electronics products online in
Japan. The new e-sales effort kicked off by offering VAIO personal
computers, making Sony the country's first manufacturer to sell a
range of consumer electronics products online, the report said.