Earlier this week, JB Hi-Fi hinted at a new direction for the company: a more digital focused future that would (eventually) encompass video games. Is JB Hi-Fi planning to open up its own online store ala Steam? It’s clear that ideas are being explored, but there’s nothing concrete as of yet. Today, however, JB H-Fi has launched an Ultraviolet driven storefront in Australia, allowing users to stream video content they’ve paid for to any device they own.
The service is called JB Hi-Fi NOW Video. a service that allows consumers to redeem codes found inside Blu-rays or DVDs bought in-store, and stream that content to their tablet, mobile, laptop or desktop. It means that if you buy a product in-store you are also able to watch that product in a fairly seamless manner on mobile devices, if there’s a stable enough internet connection. You can see the service in action here.
But what does that mean for JB Hi-Fi’s future in digital gaming? Very little really, but in the context of the news that JB Hi-Fi is exploring online solutions it shows a level of commitment and follow through. Earlier this week we were informed that JB was set to launch a service like this and now it has. With relation to games, JB Hi-Fi informed us that it was still considering a number of different models, but this move into streaming video proves, to a certain extent, that JB is serious about digital.
Originally published on Kotaku Australia