Sony is working on the second-generation of its PlayTV PlayStation 3 DVR product, even though an official announcement regarding the DVR storage device hasn't been released.
The original PlayTV launched in 2008 with a price tag around $150, which gave PS3 gamers the option of recording and watching TV content whenever they liked. The add-on was made available to European consumers, but was never released in North America.
"We're still working on PlayTV, PlayTV 2," senior producer Mark Green told Spong during an interview, though no specifics were offered.
A few months back, Sony said a PlayTV update was in development, including Facebook and other social media integration, but didn't say it would be an entirely new device. During the same announcement in April, Sony also said the update will give gamers more direct access to game information through PlayStation Network, but no other details were made available.
Now that Sony is developing a second PlayTV, I expect it to be released in North America, as the demand for DVRs has dramatically increased. Furthermore, Sony is currently engaged in an intense battle with Microsoft to convince gamers and viewers to spend more time watching content in the living room -- using game consoles as a centerpiece for gaming, streaming content, and recording and watching content.
Sony is expected to make an official announcement during Gamescom 2010 this August -- which is when the original PlayTV was announced -- instead of during E3 later this month in Los Angeles.
