Apparently upset by the dominance of Microsoft's media downloading program iTunes Skype and Sony have decided to introduce their own programs as counters to the well known program. Sony's offering is to begin to allow movie downloads onto their PSP handheld unit. Initially the Microsoft service will allow users to download the movies onto their PCs and then transfer them via a memory stick to their PSP. In the future, however, Microsoft promises that the downloads will be available directly onto the PSP. Skype, on the other hand, is developing a broadband TV network that has been dubbed, at least temporarily, the [i]The Venice Project[/i]. The service will offer streaming video with controls similar to those found on your household DVD player, a number of channels that have been preset for ease of use, and a number of ways to exchange playlists with friends. This project will be funded using the money, totaling 2.6 billion dollars, that Skype received from the Ebay sale. [i]The Venice Project[/i] is expected to be fully released by New Year's Day under a different name with Sony's new download service to be implemented sometime in the beginning of the new year.

Stay tuned to MyGamer.com for more updates on these and other developments in the gaming world.

Nick McCavitt@forumwizard.net