PS Phone: Sony admits "new product"


Recommended Posts

Sony has admitted to having a "new product" in development that's linked to Sony Ericsson and Sony Computer Entertainment and the cellphone gaming market.

Could this be the PlayStation Phone that was pictured, denied and then un-denied-but-ignoredlast week?

"We are trying to figure out what we can do as Sony in this [cellphone] market," stated "Sony execs" during a recent financial call transcribed by Engadget. "There is Sony Ericsson and there is [sony Computer Entertainment].

"[sCE] moved from Aoyama, the design and headquarters had to come to Sony City. They are closer to the planning and engineering group of Sony, and I think we can better incorporate all of these capabilities. When the timing is right we can probably announce the new product that we have."

Engadget noted that the transcription came from a translator's interpretation of what "Sony execs" said. The exec in question is likely to be chief financial officer Masaru Kato. Seeking Alpha, a professional transcription service, provided an alternative record of the call.

"Mobile gaming is a very important business area for us," said Sony's chief financial officer Masaru Kato. "We started out with the PSP that was our first mobile gaming console, but since then the market as you know has expanded into bigger arenas; gaming on mobile phones, gaming on tablets and on certain mobiles devices.

"The PSP being a proprietary platform was more concentrated I'd say on the core gaming segment than the light game, but now we are addressing that market as well. I can not be specific as to how we will introduce new product to address these markets, but one thing I can say is that we have those markets addressed and we will come out with products and services to capture the broader gaming market."

Despite the statement discrepancies, both accounts suggest that a new mobile gaming device focused on "light games" may be in development at Sony.

What's more, there may also be a tablet under construction behind Howard Stringer's closed doors.

Engadget's transcription added: "As for the tablet ... obviously as a mobile strategy, this occupies a very important position. On one hand there is PC, and on the other hand there is joint venture with Ericsson on smartphone and for the games devices. And tablets fall somewhere in between.

"It is true Apple has led the market, but when we are to enter the market we would like to put a Sony character onto a new product - and that is the effort we are making right now. Therefore I think you can hope for a very good product to come out."

Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-11-01-ps-phone-saga-sony-admits-new-product

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So not only was the Ngage Fail attempt 1. Unless Sony Allows Android on it(which is unlikely because they dont like giving you the otherOS option on the PS3, so giving you the openness of Android will be hard to come by with sony.), Sony is going for Fail Attempt # 2.

Keep it up sony, your really impressing us now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well all the rumors point to this device being release with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) or 3.0 (Honeycomb).

@DrunknMunky you say it's going to get lost in the crowd but thats one of the great things about it using Android. Android already has a well established market with a large amount of games available. This give it a huge start.

Presumably it will also have a Playstation Store app where you can Sony games, my main concern is that they keep prices competitive with those games on the Android market. Sure I'd be willing to pay $15~35 for a HIT portable title, but most time waster games I don't really want to pay more then $2~4 dollars on.

Theres already a Playstation emulator on the android marketplace (that reads and plays the same PS1 files PSP uses), Sony could easily pay the developer some money and have this application included with the PSP Phone. Then they could have all the PS1 games they have released for PS3/PSP available on the PSP Phone from the start!

I always have my phone on me but I rarely bring my PSP with me so my phone ends up being my mobile gaming device.

Mostly what I play on my phone is Angry Birds, RobotDefence, SNES emulator, PS1 emulator. Both Angry Birds and RobotDefence works great with a touch screen but for SNES emulator and PS1 emulator real buttons would be amazing. If it turns out good i'd buy it in a heart beat because of its buttons + being a phone.

I think the PSP Phone has potential to be very good but Sony has to do it right, it could end up being a Dreamcast as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So important to them... Yet the last to make a phone for gaming?

They might be holding off to make sure they get it right. That's what Apple does well and if they want to compete, they need to work on quality and sort the rough edges really really well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sony diehards will really like this idea. Why wouldn't people want a phone that plays PSP games if they like playing PSP games. Seems like a win win.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@DrunknMunky you say it's going to get lost in the crowd but thats one of the great things about it using Android. Android already has a well established market with a large amount of games available. This give it a huge start.

There's great things about Android? :laugh: Also, how many apps is there in total on Marketplace now? I think I heard 100k, and how many of those are games?

Theres already a Playstation emulator on the android marketplace (that reads and plays the same PS1 files PSP uses), Sony could easily pay the developer some money and have this application included with the PSP Phone. Then they could have all the PS1 games they have released for PS3/PSP available on the PSP Phone from the start!

Living in a dream world there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's great things about Android? :laugh: Also, how many apps is there in total on Marketplace now? I think I heard 100k, and how many of those are games?

There's nothing wrong with Android. It's just that, as it stands, it sucks as a gaming platform. The phone aspect of it is good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.