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At first blush this seems perfect to add some value to the PS3.

Sony is promising PlayStation 3 hybrid game/movie Blu-ray Discs this year, as it seeks to broaden the console’s consumer appeal.

As the PS3 is no longer one of the cheapest Blu-ray players on the market—high-definition set-tops are now $250 and under—Sony wants to emphasize the $399 console’s ability to play games as well as movies.

Further, Sony Computer Entertainment executives figure the available 50GB capacity of Blu-ray discs could give PS3 a creative edge over other videogame formats. (For comparison, the maximum capacity for Xbox 360 discs is considered to be 9GB, and disc room is even less for Nintendo’s Wii.)

A PS3 videogame, typically taking up 30GB to 40GB of Blu-ray Disc space, features richer graphics and skill complexity over Xbox 360 and Wii games, according to Sony. But that strength is proving not advantageous enough for PS3, which has been trailing the Xbox 360 and Wii in sales. The most recent third-quarter sales of the PS3 declined from its performance during the same frame the prior year.