Sony Ericsson introducing Xperia PLAY, the world’s first PlayStation certified smartphone
Press release
Al Bawaba
Sony Ericsson has announced the game changing Xperia PLAY, the latest phone in its Xperia range of Android based smartphones.
Xperia PLAY delivers the smartphone functionality that the most serious power users could need, teamed with the immersive gaming experience that any gamer in the Middle East would want.
In portrait mode, the Android smartphone offers all the benefits that Middle East users have come to expect from Sony Ericsson’s existing range of Xperia smartphones with best-in-class entertainment experiences, a great 5 megapixel camera, a brilliant 4” multi-touch screen and great social networking features.
However, slide out the gaming control and users enter a new world of immersive mobile gaming. The slide out game pad reveals a digital D pad, two analogue touch pads, two shoulder buttons and the four PlayStation icons: circle, cross, square and triangle. Qualcomm’s optimized Snapdragon processor with a 1Ghz CPU and embedded Adreno GPU graphics processor deliver silky smooth 60fps play-back 3D mobile gaming and Web browsing with minimal power consumption so Xperia PLAY users can enjoy long hours of battery life and game time.
Rikko Sakaguchi, Executive Vice President and Chief Creation Officer at Sony Ericsson commented: “Today is a very proud moment for Sony Ericsson as we bring something truly revolutionary to the market. Living up to our vision of Communication Entertainment, Xperia PLAY will forever change the way people think about smartphones and mobile gaming.
Xperia PLAY will run on Gingerbread (version 2.3), the latest version of Google’s AndroidTM platform. The Xperia PLAY will also be the first PlayStation Certified device. This means it will have access to PlayStation game content provided through the PlayStation Suite initiative, currently under development by Sony Computer Entertainment and due to launch later this calendar year.
Ruediger Odenbach, General Manager, Sony Ericsson Middle East, said: “Such a revolutionary product is something that will do very well in the Middle East market – video games are big here, and the growth of mobile technology and the Internet in the region is helping the gaming scene flourish even further. By introducing the Xperia PLAY to the region, we’re enabling people to enjoy their favourite games on their mobile handset, bringing a new level to their gaming experience.”
Kazuo Hirai, President of Networked Products and Services Group at Sony Corporation said: "I am delighted to see Xperia PLAY as the first PlayStation Certified smartphone to hit the market. Xperia PLAY provides a unique consumer offering and is yet another example of great products and services coming to market that leverage Sony's strong assets."
Sony Ericsson has partnered with key publishers in the gaming industry to deliver a rich, vibrant ecosystem at launch and post launch with many leading new titles available. Leading franchises coming to Xperia PLAY includes EA’s Need For Speed, Sims 3 and a world-first multiplayer version of FIFA 10 for mobile. GLU Mobile/Activision will be bringing Guitar Hero while Gameloft’s titles include Assassin’s Creed and Splinter Cell. Sony Ericsson is also partnering with Unity Technologies, using its award-winning development platform, to ensure a continuous flow of high quality 3D game titles.
Mr Sakaguchi continued: “The launch of Xperia PLAY could not have been possible without the close collaboration of both Google and Sony Computer Entertainment. The commitment of so many industry leading game publishers further demonstrates that Xperia PLAY will deliver on the long-held expectations from consumers the world over.”
Xperia PLAY and PlayStation Certified gaming are great examples of the kind of innovation that’s possible in the open Android ecosystem,” said Andy Rubin, Vice President of Engineering at Google.
A pre-loaded application will enable users to easily discover and download titles that have been optimised for game play on Xperia PLAY, access recently played games and see information about the games they have downloaded.
Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY will be available globally in selected markets from Q2 2011
For further information, images and videos visit www.sonyericsson.com/mwcnews.
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Background Information
Sony
In 1946, Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K.K. (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation, the predecessor of Sony)
started as a small company with capital of just 190,000 yen and approximately 20 employees.
Founder Masaru Ibuka said the purpose of setting up the company was to "establish an ideal factory
that stresses a spirit of freedom and open mindedness that will, through technology, contribute to Japanese culture."
Symbolizing Sony's spirit of challenge to "do what has never been done before,"
the company has continued to release countless "Japan's first" and "world's first" products.
Ericsson
Ericsson is one of the leading providers of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to service providers, with about 40% of the world’s mobile traffic carried through our networks. We enable the full value of connectivity by creating game-changing technology and services that are easy to use, adopt and scale, making our customers successful in a fully connected world. For more than 140 years, our ideas, technology and people have changed the world: real turning points that have transformed lives, industries and society as a whole.
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