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Sony's first original TV series for PlayStation will be 'Powers'

Sony's first original TV series for PlayStation will be 'Powers'

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Sony announced that it would bring original television programming to the PlayStation 4 last year, but it's kept quiet on what those shows would be. Now Deadline and The Wall Street Journal are reporting that the first one-hour drama for the PlayStation will be Powers, an adaptation of the graphic novel by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Avon Oeming. A genre mash-up that combines elements of noir, fantasy, and police procedurals, it follows the adventures of two detectives investigating the crimes of people with superhero-like abilities, known as "powers."

The show will be produced by Sony Pictures TV, a separate Sony entity behind shows like Breaking Bad, Masters of Sex, and Hannibal. Powers has been in development at the company for some time, and previously made it to the pilot stage with FX. There's no time frame yet on when the PlayStation series will begin shooting, but Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton told the Journal that the show's budget will be in line with programming from the likes of Showtime or HBO.

A PlayStation Network exclusive in the US

It's just the latest television move from Sony, which has pivoted sharply from its gaming-focused PS4 strategy in recent months. In January the company announced that it would be bringing a cloud-based live TV service to the console, but according to the Journal's report Powers will be available simply through the PlayStation Network itself, allowing users to stream the show to their console in a similar fashion to Hulu or Netflix. In the United States it will be exclusive to the PlayStation Network; internationally, Sony Pictures TV will be selling the rights to broadcasters.

Sony hasn't announced details on pricing or availability, but with the company planning to bring even more original shows to the PlayStation one thing is for certain: what people watch on their next-gen consoles is about to become just as important as what they play on them.