In the past E3 has belonged to the major video game companies, but as gaming is ramping up on phones and tablets, expect to see a lot more Android at the gaming conference in coming years. Case in point, Sony Ericsson has announced over twenty new games that will be coming to the Android, including ten that will be exclusive to their Xperia Play. Sony Ericsson says the games will be made available over the coming months, but many of them will be available to demo at their booth at E3.
The Xperia Play (check out our review here) is obviously not your conventional phone. With a set of Playstation-style controls, the Xperia Play was a phone made for gaming, and with the entire Android Market at its disposal, its not short for content. Sony Ericsson, however, is working to make sure the Xperia Play is THE phone for gamers, with a slew of exclusive content.
Among the games Sony Ericsson will be making exclusive to the Play are the popular game Minecraft and a Tom Clancy game, Rainbow 6 Shadow Vanguard. We’ll have to see if any of these exclusive games ever make it to other devices, as many of them have been created with physical controls in mind, rather then the touch screen. Sony Ericsson gamers are the ones who will be buying this phone, and they seem to be committed to it. Be sure to stay tuned for coverage from E3 next week.
Atlanta, GA – June 2, 2011 – Today Sony Ericsson announces more than 20 new games, including 10 exclusive titles, optimized for Xperia™ PLAY. The new games, many of which will be showcased at the world’s leading games expo, E3, June 7-9, add to the more than 60 titles already available for Xperia™ PLAY.
The new titles offer broad appeal to different users and usage occasions from popular, innovative, massively multi-player online titles (MMO) to immersive titles and addictive graphically rich new casual content.
Amongst the titles announced today is Minecraft™, the much anticipated game from the Swedish indie developer Mojang, currently setting the industry alight. Minecraft™ is one of the fastest growing game franchises in history, with over eight million registered users announced to date and over 50,000 new players joining every day.
“As Xperia™ PLAY becomes available to Verizon Wireless customers in the U.S., the portfolio of great games continues to grow and we are delighted to announce 20 new games optimized for Xperia™ PLAY,” said Steve Walker, Head of Marketing at Sony Ericsson. “By building on the open Android ecosystem, we’re providing a brilliant opportunity for developers and game publishers to bring their best titles to new audiences and fantastic new experiences for Xperia™ PLAY owners. Keep watching this space.”
In addition to the new titles announced today, Sony Ericsson can confirm that new games from Sony Computer Entertainment’s stable of classic PlayStation 1 titles will be coming to Xperia™ PLAY shortly. More details will be shared imminently.
Sony Ericsson’s support for the Android ecosystem also includes its partnerships with key industry players, such as Unity and Havok, with whom it is working to build an ever growing ecosystem. Sony Ericsson is launching a programme to support and find new upcoming innovative developers called “Stand out from the crowd”, which enables game developers to become part of the Xperia™ PLAY story and get their games the profile they need.
Sony Ericsson will be present at E3 in Los Angeles, June 7-9, to offer first hands-on demos of Xperia™ PLAY and many of the new games in the Sony Ericsson booth 713.
New Android Games Exclusive on Xperia™ PLAY:
Minecraft™ by Mojang
Battlefield Bad Company 2 by Electronic Arts
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6 Shadow Vanguard by Gameloft
Desert Winds by Southend Interactive
Ruined by Bigpoint
Icebreaker™ by NaturalMotion
Sleepy Jack by SilverTree Media
Cracking Sands by Polarbit
Armageddon Squadron 2 by Polarbit
An unnamed fighting game from Khaeon Gamestudio
New Games coming soon on Xperia™ PLAY:Pocket Legends by Spacetime Studios
Star Legends: The Black Star Chronicles by Spacetime Studios
Eternal Legacy by Gameloft
Guns ’n’Glory 2 by HandyGames
Dungeon Hunter 2 by Gameloft
Pocket RPG by Crescent Moon Games
D.A.R.K. developed by Gamelab
Samurai II: Vengeance by MADFINGER Games
Vendetta Online by Guild Software
Order & Chaos – Gameloft
Happy Vikings by Handy Games
A Ball Game by Trendy Entertainment
Lumines by Connect2Media
The new games announced today will be released in the coming months. More details regarding timing and exclusivity will be announced during E3 week and closer to launch.
