RSSReport: Sony Shuttering Connect
By Ed Oswald | Published June 18, 2007, 11:25 AM
Sony has decided to give up on the music and video download business, choosing to focus on its struggling PlayStation group instead. The closing of Connect would also mean the loss of at least 20 jobs, paidcontent.org reported over the weekend.
Only the eBooks division of the service will remain, with any employees left over from the transition being reassigned to work on the PlayStation. The change also reflects the climate of the digital music industry, where Apple has a near stranglehold on the market.
Sony Connect chief Steve Banfield will leave the company, putting Tim Schaaff and Fumi Kanagwa to run the remaining portion of the division. It is not clear whether the company will continue to use the Connect name.
The music service suffered from several setbacks and inadequacies that prevented it from ever becoming a serious competitor in the industry. Most problematic was its insistence on the Sony proprietary format, only supported by the company's own players.
Additionally, Sony never gave much attention to the unit, probably due to internal disagreements over its direction, say analysts.
Wow, haha... It's getting pretty comical... seems like whenever there's any tidbit of news with Sony it gets the anti-sony fan bus just red faced and quite rylled up.
lol, seems like the same few names keep bubbling up to the surface to let out a stink at every open chance.
yeah, you'd swear that president of sony personally ravaged their homes, left a brown skid streak across your favorite rug, urinated in your fish tank, and set your prized collection of hustler magazines ablaze.
poor poor angry people... not a happy bunch unless there's a bubbly stink left wafting in the air that can be fanned around at everyone else.
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|It seems to me this is the beginning of the end of Sony. They're really loosing a lot of money on the PlayStation 3.
*Anticipating Dave or one of his alter ego's to chime in any second*
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|Nah. There is no way to spin this to be positive, so they wont show.
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|just remember people were saying that about apple back in the day. A few years from now sony may be on top again. who knows. it's not like they are enron...
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|Apple went down for a long while, and sprung up with the ipods. I agree, Sony will most likely recuperate, but give it 5 years. However i dont see what new innovative thing could save them as of yet.
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|I agree SGD. This company couldn't find it's d*** with two hands an a map. They should stick to what they make best. Camcorders.
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|An other failed SOny venture.
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|Nothing new here lol.
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