I gotta say, I’m a bit mystified about this one. Sony-Ericsson launched the Xperia Play in 11 markets around the world with six additional markets coming two weeks later. Only problem is … the United States isn’t one of them. According to the official announcement, the US launch of the Xperia Play, with Verizon, will come “sometime later this Spring.” Meanwhile, markets such as the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Hong Kong and Taiwan will get to enjoy them some PSP style mobile gaming.
The Xperia Play is Sony-Ericsson’s flagship “Playstation Certified” phone. It’s being launched with more than 60 games from not only Sony, but twenty other game developers including Gameloft and Electronic Arts. The games include Assassins Creed: Altair’s Chronicles HD, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, Galaxy on Fire 2, Guns n Glory, Backstab, and Sony’s own Asphalt 6, the latest installment in their top selling raciging game. It will be available free on the Experia Play. There are also a collection of classic Playstation One games that are preloaded and include Destruction Derby, Jumping Jack Flash, MidEvil, to name a few.
Designed around a Qualcomm Snapdragon II 8655 1GHz CPU, the Xperia Play also has an Adreno 205 processor and a 4″ capacitive multi-touch, 854 x 480 pixel FWVGA display. It has a slide up game control pad with joystick and Playstation buttons. There’s a front-facing VGA cam for video chat and rear-facing 5-megapixel camera which offers a disappointing WVGA resolution 30fps video rather than the standard HD offerings of other phones. But fact it, people are going to buy this for it’s game playing capability and not to shoot National Geographic cover pages. But not quite yet for those of us in the US, that is.
Check out Slash Gear’s review of the Xperia Play by Chris Davies here.
Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY launching to market with over 60 games
01 April 2011
The world’s first PlayStation® Certified smartphone now launching to first markets
More than 60 games available within the first week, including top franchises Assassins Creed, Need for Speed and The Sims
Original PlayStation® titles available for download exclusively on Xperia™ PLAY
Partnerships with over 20 publishers as well as middleware companies Unity and Havok to ensure a steady flow of new innovative gamesLondon, April 1, 2011 – Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY, the world’s first PlayStation® certified smartphone, is now on sale in shops in the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Hong Kong and Taiwan with further availability in an additional 6 markets over the next 2 weeks. The Xperia™ PLAY launches with more than 60 games from the industry’s biggest content providers including Sony Computer Entertainment, Gameloft, Electronic Arts and Glu Mobile. The range of games available to download at launch is a combination of original PlayStation® titles, well known 3D titles that take the full advantage of the graphical capabilities and controls of Xperia™ PLAY as well as popular casual games all optimized for the unique game pad.
Sony Ericsson has formed partnerships with over 20 developers from big publishers to independents, from middleware providers Havok and Unity to engaging Android developers, to ensure a steady flow of new titles for Xperia™ PLAY. Some of the highlights include:
Assassins Creed Altair’s Chronicles HD – One of the most popular gaming franchises, with action, puzzles and stealth gameplay set in the Middle East of the Crusades
Need for Speed – Grab the wheel of the fastest, hottest, and most powerful cars in the world. One of the most successful video game franchises of all times.
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell – The latest instalment in this key franchise. Special Forces operative and renegade Sam Fisher returns to fight a corrupt secret agency.
Dungeon Defenders Second Wave – Stunning graphics, intense gameplay and exclusive on Xperia PLAY.
Gun Bros – Choose your weapon and join the ‘Freakishly Rugged’ action heroes Percy and Francis Gun as they take on a terrifying menagerie of alien beings.
Galaxy on Fire 2 – Escape into space with hours of deep gameplay and mind blowing graphics in this space exploration game.
Guns ‘n’ Glory – You lead a gang of bandits in this popular and award-winning casual tower defence game with a hilarious western theme.
Worms – Send your worm platoons into battle in this award-winning turn-based strategy game.
Zenonia 2 – The lost memories – Classic and popular RPG. Numerous quests following an epic storyline.
Backstab – An epic 3rd person pirate adventure that incorporates intense sword fights and other dynamic combat modes. Launching on April 14th exclusively on Xperia™ PLAY.
N.O.V.A.2 – Awesome graphics and intense multiplayer gameplay. This First-Person Shooter makes its Android debut exclusively on Xperia™ PLAY.In addition Sony Ericsson is happy to confirm that Asphalt 6 – the latest instalment of one of the leading and top-selling racing games will be available for free exclusively on Xperia™ PLAY.
The games are downloadable via the “Xperia™ PLAY launcher”, an application that is activated by sliding open the gamepad. The “Xperia™ PLAY launcher” recommends games and enables consumers to search for top titles optimised for Xperia™ PLAY on Android market.
There is also a range of PlayStation® original games available at launch (in select markets initially). These are comprised of a pre-install of the PS One classic Crash Bandicoot®* and a further 5 PlayStation® original games available to download via the PlayStation® Pocket application in Xperia™ PLAY.Cool Boarders 2 – Time to pick up that snowboard again and rip through the snow with 16 intense racetracks.
Destruction Derby – Original car carnage. Buckle yourself into a new car and destroy it but send your opponents to the junkyard first.
Jumping Jack Flash – A first person platformer like no other. Leap around 6 colourful worlds in the cockpit of a robotic rabbit, hunting for the evil galactic property developer Baron Aloha.
MediEvil™ – Resurrected 100 years later you have returned to defeat the sorcerer Zarok. Perhaps the world’s least worthy hero, you set out to save the land once again–for the first time.
Syphon Filter™ – Become Gabe Logan: Guerrilla war expert. A man on a personal crusade to bring down an international terrorist ring and eliminate a deadly virus.More games from Sony Computer Entertainment will be added to Xperia™ PLAY on a regular basis.
Dominic Neil-Dwyer, Head of Market Development at Sony Ericsson commented: “It’s great to get Xperia PLAY into consumers’ hands at last. This is just the start and the future is exciting based on all the interest and support we have from the game industry. A steady stream of fresh innovative content will be coming to Xperia PLAY over the coming months.”Xperia™ PLAY will be available in the following markets starting from today and in the next two weeks: United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Spain, France, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Russia, India and Portugal.
As announced at Mobile World Congress Xperia™ PLAY will be in stores in the US market with Verizon Wireless this spring.
Appendix: Games available within the first week of launch:
Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior from Digital Legends (pre-installed)
FIFA 2010 from EA Mobile (pre-installed**)
Sims 3 from EA Mobile (pre-installed**)
Star Battalion from Gameloft (pre-installed**)
Tetris from EA mobile (pre-installed**)
Asphalt 6 from Gameloft (free to download)
Dungeon Defenders: Second Wave from Trendy Entertainment
Galaxy on Fire 2 from Fishlabs
Assassins Creed from Gameloft
Need for Speed SHIFT from EA Mobile
Worms from EA Mobile
Nova 2 from Gameloft
Modern Combat Black Pegasus from Gameloft
Guns n Glory from Handygames
Reckless Racing from Polarbit
Real Football 2011from Gameloft
Gun Bros from Glu Mobile
Racer Luma from Arcade/Unity
Cordy from SilverTree Media
Aporkalypse from Handygames
Brothers in Arms Global Front from Gameloft
Guerrilla Bob from Angry Mob Games/Unity
Let’s Golf 2 from Gameloft
Zenonia 2 from Gamevil
Cyberlords from Handygames
Guitar Hero™ Warriors of Rock Mobile from Glu Mobile
Age of Zombies from Halfbrick Studios
Spectral Souls from HyperDevBox Japan
Splinter Cell Conviction from Gameloft
Air Attack from Art in Games/Unity
Armageddon Squadron from Polarbit
Uno from Gameloft
InfeCCt from Handygames
Spiderman total Mayhem from Gameloft
Millionaire City from Digital Chocolate
Avatar from Gameloft
Raging Thunder 2from Polarbit
Homerun Battle 3D from Com2us Games
Aftermath XHD from Jakyl
I Must Run from GameLion
Baseball Superstars 2011from Gamevil
Ground Effect Pro from Jakyl
ZeNonia from Gamevil
Super KO Boxing 2 from Glu Mobile
Farm Story from Team Lava
Wave Blazer from Polarbit
Soccer Superstars from Gamevil
Battle Bears from Skyvu
Tower Blocks New York from Digital Chocolate
Super Dynamite Fishing from Handygames
Iron Sight from Polarbit
Toonwarz from Polarbit
Restaurant Story from Team Lava
Escape from AMA
Raving Babies from AMA
Bakery Story from Team Lava
Denki Blocks! Deluxe from Jakyl
Rollercoaster Rush from Digital ChocolatePlayStation original games:
Crash Bandicoot® from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Cool Boarders 2 from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Destruction Derby from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Jumping Jack Flash from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
MediEvil™ from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Syphon Filter™ from Sony Computer Entertainment* In France Syphon Filter™ will be pre-installed on Xperia PLAY.
** Pre-install may vary by territory
[via BGR]
Europe seems to get everything first these days. 3ds was available 2 days before in europe. I already bought the optimus 2x about a month ago and now this!
well “problem” with US market is that manufacturers CAN NOT launch anything successfully if not supporter by “red” or “blue” network (alternatively “pink” one)! And those guys are tough to negotiate deals that are profitable under 5 years! SE doesn’t have that much time to wait for ROI out of new Xperia lineup… + for Verizon they need hardware modifications!
Well according to me it just remind you that you’re no longer the center of the world. This decision reflects the feeling that we have all around the world excepting in your country: the US is a declining economy…
Well according to me it just remind you that you’re no longer the center of the world. This decision reflects the feeling that we have all around the world excepting in your country: the US is a declining economy…
Absolutely, the US is the laughing stock of the world. You only have to read sites like Engadget, Joystiq and other gaming sites to see they are all just paid-for Microsoft corporate mouthpieces.
Frankly I couldn’t give a shit about the in-bred media whoring nation.
Wow you guys must be from France or something. Yea, sure, everyone may say we’re this or that, but who do they crawl to when they need help? The U.S. I can’t WAIT for the day when we give the finger to the countries who constantly demean us and see how long you last. I give it a year before you come crawling back with your tail between your legs.