Lovefilm targeting "many platforms"

Streaming film service Lovefilm has told Eurogamer its console ambitions don't begin and end on PlayStation 3.

"Once we did that first platform extension [PS3], it's now not a surprise to people when we are going on new platforms," chief marketing officer Simon Morris explained.

"Without saying too much, we intend to be on as many platforms in the consumer's living room as possible."

Has Lovefilm talked to Microsoft and Nintendo about getting the film streaming service on Xbox 360 and Wii, then?

"I'm not going to talk about specifics other than to say we've got exciting plans and we've always intended to be on as many platforms as possible," reiterated Morris.

"When we say on as many platforms as possible," he added, pressed specifically about PSP2, "[we mean] as many platforms as will support it, including portable."

PS3 Lovefilm, which arrived in November, has been criticised for offering a poor selection of films. Morris promised this will improve, but wouldn't share a specific target of by how much and by when.

"We don't really think in a finite number. We always strive to get the best possible service out there," he countered.

"It's still relatively early days in the digital world. We have Britain's largest range of films by a long, long way. There are 70,000 films on disc available. The digital service is, relatively, younger. The range of digital films is therefore smaller.

"If you look, we're adding to those pretty much on a daily basis," he went on. "We're playing catch-up; we're adding new films, we're making new deals with new studios. When I look at my PS3 at home, the range is increasing the whole time.

"You've got to start somewhere."

Morris was keen to point out the myriad digital rights that need to be cleared for films before they can be offered to you - i.e. it's not as easy as it looks. "I often think people assume digital just means easy," he said. "When actually we are innovating here - the whole industry is innovating."

In the US, Lovefilm-alike Netflix offers a much more comprehensive film-streaming service on PC as well as on PS3, Wii and Xbox 360.

"We've known Netflix for a long time and we've seen what they do over there and we admire them," offered Morris. "They're great innovators."

Morris was speaking following the announcement that Amazon is to buy the remaining 58 per cent of Lovefilm it doesn't already own. The acquisition deal is expected to close sometime this quarter.

Sounds expensive. Was it? "That's not being exposed. Sorry to frustrate you but they're not going to put that figure out there," answered Morris.

The benefits of being owned by a huge, worldwide online shop Morris said wouldn't take a "specialist" to figure out. For one, Amazon owns giant movie database IMDB, and has a physical delivery presence on a global scale.

Does that mean Lovefilm may roll-out to more European territories?

"I'm not going to answer that," stonewalled Morris. "We've got exciting plans for Lovefilm."

As far as game rentals go, Lovefilm seems content to keep posting physical copies rather than to digitise. "People still clearly want physical goods," Morris told us, and the game rental business is "good and growing".

"It's much more complex to deliver games digitally," he went on, claiming that that was a future discussion for "the game companies" and not for Lovefilm.