UK PoP Machines To Spit Out Games

Have a late-night hankering for some PS3 games, movies or music? For the right price, this unusual vending device will quench your thirst for electronic entertainment.

European vending machines are about to get a hell of a lot more exciting in the near future, thanks to a new partnership between Sony Entertainment and Universal. The two entertainment behemoths are teaming up to unleash PoP "instant entertainment 24/7" dispensers in the UK, according to Stuff Magazine, which unveiled the product at the recent Stuff Live Expo.

Instead of tasty snacks, the unusual vending machine will dish out shrink wrapped PS3 titles, DVDs, CDs, and Blu-ray Discs. Customers will also be able to use a variety of flash storage media to purchase and digitally download music and movies or download them directly to their audio/video playing devices.

The PoP machines are operated via a handy touch screen interface and will allow people to meet their entertainment needs at all hours of the day. A total of 150 movies are expected to be available at launch. While there's no mention of releasing the PoP machines in the U.S., don't rule out the possibility. Americans are just as hungry for entertainment.

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Given the number of time the drinks machine down the street has been smashed for the measly £20 or so it holds (or sometimes just for a free Fanta), how do they intend to make these things secure?

A machine with £10k's worth of blu ray discs in it's going to make a tempting target.

fix-the-spade:
Given the number of time the drinks machine down the street has been smashed for the measly £20 or so it holds (or sometimes just for a free Fanta), how do they intend to make these things secure?

A machine with £10k's worth of blu ray discs in it's going to make a tempting target.

This. I'd be very surprised if these machines weren't the target of breakins as soon as they got put onto the streets.

Amnestic:
This. I'd be very surprised if these machines weren't the target of breakins as soon as they got put onto the streets.

It may be that the whole machines get nicked.
I intend to be there with my angle grinder and a van on the first night. Reckon I can get two or three in the van before the police figure out what's happening...

lol, How many times have you used one of those machines and it doesn't work...a 24/7 version with nobody around to assist you...the above posters already know that'll happen.

Well it'll be a huge device, especially if it has the tangible product and not digitally. However it'll probably be built into a building due to space and hence harder to nick. I don't think that this is the way to go, and instead push for better digital delivery systems through the internet. I wouldn't want to walk the mile or so into town at 2am and then back again.

fix-the-spade:

Amnestic:
This. I'd be very surprised if these machines weren't the target of breakins as soon as they got put onto the streets.

It may be that the whole machines get nicked.
I intend to be there with my angle grinder and a van on the first night. Reckon I can get two or three in the van before the police figure out what's happening...

But think of this. Put it outside a police station. Would you try nicking it there? How about a walmart? Military base? Nuclear Silo? Porn Shop?(You know that some fat guy is going to run in there in the night wanting Asian Sluts XVIII..Yadidayaabadumtissch)

Bulletinmybrain:
But think of this. Put it outside a police station. Would you try nicking it there? How about a walmart? Military base? Nuclear Silo? Porn Shop?(You know that some fat guy is going to run in there in the night wanting Asian Sluts XVIII..Yadidayaabadumtissch)

We don't have Walmart, we have Asda. Same brand of Evil, different name tag.
Honestly if it was outside my local police station then yes, I'd steal it in a heartbeat. The police round here are far too busy chasing drink driving Ukrainians* to bother with vending machine theft.
As for Asian Sluts XVIII, saw it, was far more demur than I expected, major disappointment.

*No seriously, they are.

I wonder how long they'll last before every single one of 'em is smashed up and broken into? I hope they're planning on permanently assigning a police officer to stand in front of each of them.

they'll all be smashed open and stolen from...more money wasted

Reminds me of those ipod/apple vending machines. I always wanted to see someone just go "AN iPOD! JUST WHAT I NEEDED!" and get one. Just to reassure myself that they weren't useless.

We have something called "Redbox" here, which is a movie renting vending machine. You pay with your credit card, and it vends a movie for $1 a night. And since it is inside a grocery store, I have yet to hear about it getting robbed.

I have never needed a movie at 2am in the morning, nor do I ever think I ever will.

I still fail to understand why anyone would need these. Do people really have the need to "vend" DVD's and such? Are shops not good enough?