Rebranding the service will make things “clearer and easier.”
Sony has announced via a mass mailing to all PlayStation Network users that the aforementioned service will be renamed to the “Sony Entertainment Network,” forever replacing the somewhat iconic (or at least, widely used) PSN acronym with the more pronounceable, yet less familiar, SEN. The change comes on February 7th, with the hope that people will now more easily associate the service with the company’s full line of Sony products, while giving them the ability to use a single username and password for anything Sony related.
“The rebranding of PlayStation Network accounts to Sony Entertainment Network accounts is a change in name only,” Sony said of the impending change. “Your username or password will not change, nor are we asking you to change them.”
Actually, the only thing that Sony is asking people to do is look over a new Terms of Service and User Agreement. If you’re a current PSN SEN subscriber, a copy of it should have already hit your inbox. Like usual, if you don’t like it, you can no longer use PSN SEN.
“On Sony Computer Entertainment’s PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita systems, this rebranding will occur in connection with software updates for these devices. (Note, this change will not be applied to the PSP system at this time.)
“This transition is based on Sony’s goal to enhance its unique digital entertainment offering,” Sony continued. “As a series of these activities Sony started last September, PlayStation Network will be aligned with Sony Entertainment Network. This helps us get closer to our goal of establishing a global comprehensive network platform of services across games, movies, music and more, all accessible from one convenient account.”
“The Sony Entertainment Network account also enables use of Sony’s compelling non-game services such as Music Unlimited, Video Unlimited and PlayMemories Online (currently called Personal Space) across a variety of network-connected devices.”
It’s easy to look at this seemingly arbitrary change and think, why? Sony’s losing a massive amount of money right now, so perhaps this is part of the new CEO’s scheme to unify the company and return to profitability. Or maybe it just means that with everyone in the same database, next time Sony gets hacked it won’t only be the gamers who get their personal information stolen.
Source: Eurogamer
