Sony No longer PG-13?

Is Sony assisting the adult entertainment industry? In terms of technical support, the answer is yes.

Japanese companies creating films with adult content have encountered problems while trying to mass produce their products for Blu-ray disc. However, there is no need to worry, as Sony has come to its rescue. According to the director of administration for a Japanese DVD replication firm, "Companies cannot press Blu-ray discs because they cannot touch adult-related contracts. So we asked some makers in Taiwan to do the work, and then we import the discs back to Japan. The Taiwanese company was able to obtain a pressing machine from Sony and will start mass production in August." (Source: vnunet.com)

Before jumping to the conclusion that Sony has taken a turn for the sleazy, know that there is a motive behind its madness. Sony's primary goal is to keep Blu-ray alive in a war with the HD DVD format, and its going to great lengths to do so. Sony was hit hard by rumors that U.S. producers of adult movies prefer HD DVD because it is cheaper to use. As a result, Sony feels that the only way for Blu-ray to regain popularity in this sector is to support X-rated industries overseas.

While Blu-ray seems to be successful in terms of the Japanese adult film market, Japan may have been an easy target. The country has never favoured the HD DVD market due to financial issues. For example, HD-DVD films sell for $51.37 each in Japan, while Blu-ray movies cost $41.60. This price difference occurs because, in Japan, every HD DVD comes with a DVD as well, so users who want to buy the new format but do not own an HD DVD player can watch the DVD until they buy one. (Source: computerworld.com)

You may wonder how all of this can be possible when Sony claims that its policy against manufacturing DVDs or videocassettes with X-rated content remains unchanged.

The catch? That policy does not apply to countries outside of the United States.