Tag Archives: Android development

‘PlayStation Phone’ coming in April

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Train2Game PlayStation Phone blog image

Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play – previously known to Train2Game students as the PlayStation Phone – will be launched in the UK this April.

Mobile phone providers Orange, T-Mobile, O2 and Vodafone all say they’ll be selling the Sony branded phone which is powered by Android. Inside sources quoted by technology blog Pocket Lint point to an April release for the device. PR Manager for Orange UK Conor Maples confirmed the news via Twitter.

“Yes we are due to take the Xperia Play in April” he said.

The Xperia Play features PlayStation branded buttons and is reported to run the PlayStation Suite platform, allowing users to download PSone and Android games.

The PlayStation Suite was revealed last week alongside the NGP, the device formerly known as the PSP2.  The Xperia Play and NGP are separate devices but will both run on Android.

Sony has confirmed the Xperia Play will get an official unveiling, along with full technical details, on Sunday February 13th at 18:00 during the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona.

However, you can check out the ‘PlayStation Phone’ in action in these videos on the Thoughts of Train2Game blog.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the Sony Xperia Play? Are you interested in the device? Will you get one come April? Or are you perfectly happy with your current smartphone, be it an Apple or Android system?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum. Alternatively, you can leave your comments on the Train2Game Twitter account.

Train2Game, in association with DR Studios and the University of Bedfordshire, will be holding a Game Jam at the end of March. For more information, see the official Train2Game Game Jam website or the Train2Game Game Jam Facebook page. Alternatively, keep an eye on the Train2Game Game Jam Twitter account.

Sony: casual gaming “a growing market that we simply cannot neglect”

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Sony PSP2 Train2Game blog image

Train2Game students will probably know it as the worst kept secret in gaming, but today the PS2P was finally officially revealed. You’ll be able to read all about it on the Thoughts of Train2Game blog shortly.

Not only are Sony confident the PSP2 (codename: NPG) will attract hardcore gamers, but they’re also planning to corner the casual market through Android enabled smartphones. This will happen through the newly revealed ‘PlayStation Suite’ which will allow Sony games to be played on Android devices.

Writing on the PlayStation Blog,  President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Andrew House said the opportunity was too hard to ignore:

“Casual gaming on multi-purpose mobile devices is a growing market that we simply cannot neglect. With that in mind, PS Suite is a new initiative to offer PlayStation quality games on Android based portable devices, be it mobile phones, smartphones or tablet PCs. By offering a fantastic selection of legacy PlayStation games (PS one classics), alongside content made specifically for PS Suite, we believe that we will be offering the PlayStation experience to a wider base of users.”

“Via a program, called PlayStation Certified license program, we will work with hardware manufacturers to provide devices that optimize the gaming experience. We want to give consumers the freedom to choose between various devices when they wish to enjoy a certain piece of PlayStation content.”

“We also realise that PlayStation content should be provided through a secure and unique means, that is both reliable and user friendly. Therefore we also plan to open PlayStation Store to download content on the Android based portable devices. This is a significant move for us and one that we firmly believe will make PlayStation content more accessible than ever before.”

Sony’s move towards the casual market may not come as a surprise to regular Train2Game blog readers, with a recent report stating that social media and casual games are booming.

While earlier this month Capcom suggested that smartphones are drawing people away from handheld consoles. Could developing games for Android phones therefore be a good move for Sony?

Last month Android revealed that their latest operating system – Gingerbread – is optimised for Game Development.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the Sony move towards the casual market? If you’re an Android phone user, would you use it to play Sony games?  And do you think gaming giants like Sony moving towards casual games is a positive thing when it comes to finding work in the games industry?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Remember, you can follow Train2Game on Twitter here.