1941 Redux

Japanese porn is coming . . . to Sony's PSP-friendly Universal Media Disc. Sony says it has no control what producers make for the device. Some think Sony doesn't object because its failure to embrace porn led to the demise of Betamax twenty years ago. Link. Excerpt:

Some consumers are questioning Sony's decision to accept material from adult-content publishers, while others surmise that the company has learned from the war between Betamax and VHS that adult-oriented movies can significantly affect the expansion of a new media format. One of the reasons for the failure of the Betamax format was the explosion of VHS adult movies, since this genre was not given production clearance in Sony's Betamax format.

Do manufacturers drive consumers or do consumers drive manufacturers? The latter, almost always the latter. Advertising helps the former, but in the end, it's the consumer, as even Hollywood is finally understanding.

Technorati Tag [Technology]