Google Play store for Brazil gets Movies and Books sections

PanARMENIAN.Net - Google has added Movies and Books sections to its Google Play store for Brazil, The Next Web reports citing local blog Tecnoblog.

The rollout occurred overnight, and coincides with the launch of Amazon.com.br, which quietly started to sell e-books.

In other words, three major changes for the Brazilian online publishing sector took place in a matter of days. As a matter o fact, it also quickly follows Kobo’s partnership with Brazilian bookseller Livraria Cultura, which made its Kobo Touch device and integrated library available in Brazil.

Following Google Play’s update, Brazilian users can now rent movies to stream online and buy digital goods. More importantly, they can use local currency to pay for their purchases, TNW says.

Movie rental pricing is variable, ranging from R$3.90 (around $2) for ‘Ice Age 3′ to R$6.90 (approx. $3) for ‘Ice Age 4.’ The catalogue is reportedly still fairly limited, especially when it comes to local content, as several well-known Brazilian blockbusters are missing.

Google Play’s Books section seems richer, and includes translations of international bestsellers, as well as titles by Brazilian authors. It remains to be seen whether its pricing will be competitive compared to Amazon and other players. It’s also worth noting that Brazilian consumers still won’t be able to buy music from Google Play, despite the fact that they can now do so from the iTunes Store, TNW says.