Since the beginning of the current generation, game consoles have been creating more entertainment opportunities than were previously available. With Xbox’s new dashboard, gamers have been pushed to the side as TV and traditional media have taken control of Microsoft’s gaming console. For those who don’t know about these services; Crackle is Sony’s response and CinemaNow is Best Buy’s response to Amazon’s film and TV shows on demand service.
Though Larry Hyrb announced that these two new services are available, the real question for most users is, “Are these services going to be offered for free, or will people have to spend their Microsoft Points?” Including advertisements before the films and during every chapter break, Sony’s Crackle will be completely free for all users. As for CinemaNow, they use the words, “It’s free to activate” but the website requires you to input a credit card.
To break it all down, Crackle is free while CinemaNow will require users to pay for some features. As I’ve previously used the Crackle interface, I’ll be happy to support the service that I’ve enjoyed in the past. Also one of their featured movies is Groundhog Day, so I’ll be watching that all day today.
