Eurogamer.net (amongst many others) have some news on Sony’s new marketing ploy – selling 1GB and 2GB Memory Stick Pro Duo’s with a film formatted to a PSP friendly format.

It would appear that instead of the film being pre-loaded onto the Memory Stick Pro Duo, the Memory card comes with a DVD containing the four films that are available, and you have to unlock the one you want using the code that came with the pack and then transfer it over to your PSP using the USB connection.

The four films being distributed with the Memory Stick Pro Duo’s are itch, SWAT, The Grudge and XXX: State of the Union. I’m unsure how Sony have got around you unlocking all four films off the DVD, unless you also require an internet connection that renders the code obsolete once used. If this isn’t required then it should be simple enough to find a way to unlock all the films.

At the moment this looks like a US deal only, with no confirmed plans for the entertainment packs to be available in the UK and Europe.

It seems a little strange for Sony to venture into this distribution method for films, although we must remember that the core product being sold here is the Memory Stick Pro Duo, not the film thats bundled with it. As a way to convince the public to buy the Sony branded Memory cards over those available from SanDisk may work, assuming consumers are interested in viewing at least one of the films available, and are willing to perhaps pay a little more to get it.

Now if only Sony would start distibuting films for use on Memory Stick Pro Duo’s via the internet (at a reasonable price), rather than sticking with the failing and over expensive UMD format.