Sony Working on Andriod gaming phone?

[dz06lt]

Exclusive: Sony Ericsson to introduce Android 3.0 gaming platform and PSP Go-like smartphone -- Engadget

Exclusive: Sony Ericsson to introduce Android 3.0 gaming platform and PSP Go-like smartphone

By Joshua Topolsky posted Aug 11th 2010 7:50PM
Breaking News
Exclusive

There's no question that gaming on the Android platform has heretofore been relatively underwhelming, but that looks like it's all about to change. It seems that Sony Ericsson -- a company that has yet to even introduce an Android 2.0 device -- is at work on a project to redefine gaming on Google's mobile platform. We now know (via a trusted source) that the company is actively and heavily developing a brand new gaming platform, ecosystem, and device (possibly alongside Google) which are already in the late stages of planning. And we've got the goods on it.

Here's what we can tell you about the hardware: if you're a gaming fan, this is exactly the kind of phone you've been waiting for. The device is described as cross between the Samsung Captivate and the PSP Go -- in other words, it's a landscape slider with game controls in place of the typical QWERTY keyboard. The D-pad is here, but instead of the small joystick, the device will have what was described as a "long touch pad" for analog controls, along with standard PSP buttons and shoulder buttons. The phone has a large display, described as being between 3.7 and 4.1 inches with WVGA or better resolution, a 5 megapixel camera that we're told might not be final, and it'll likely have a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU on board. The phone is mostly black with some silver highlights, and the gamepad area is white / silver in color. Apparently it's currently branded as a Xperia device, but it looks like it will carry PlayStation branding as well. Those who've seen the phone say it looks "pretty damn sexy." The mockup above probably doesn't do the actual hardware justice, but it should give you an idea of what you'll be dealing with.

On the software side, it looks like the device will be running Gingerbread (Android 3.0) with a phone-specific skin, and there will be a new area of the Android Market specifically for the games. That content will be initially accessible only by the halo device, but from the sounds of things, these titles might be made available to other Android phones if their specs and button layouts meet requirements. Games will be graphically in the range of PSX or PSP games, meaning true 3D gaming is headed to Android. Titles currently being shown off seem to be focused around some older PSX as well as new PSP offerings, with God of War, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and LittleBigPlanet possibly on tap, and future plans for titles which incorporate augmented reality features.

In terms of release, it's possible that the phone and ecosystem could be introduced as early as October of this year, but we have yet to confirm.

Right now we're working on getting even more detail about the phone and partnership, but we can tell you now that this is not a random rumor -- we have reason to believe that what we've heard and seen is real and coming to market. It makes perfect sense in a way -- Google gets a much-needed push into the gaming and entertainment space for Android, while Sony (via its partnership with Ericsson) finally delivers the PlayStation phone users have been wanting. We see it as a major win for both companies and the consumer... and we always need another distraction. Stay tuned to this space for updates as we get them, and in the meantime, start socking away the pennies.

Additional reporting by Chris Ziegler

[rbbdrooger]

Sony's flagship device still runs 1.6 (which is a a big let-down imo), and they're talking about 3.0 already?

I'd like to see them try though. It looks like an interesting concept.

[PirateThom]

See, if this was able to run PSP games and not just act as a "PSP-Go-esque" digital platform and have access to both PS Store and Android marketplaces, and actually had the control pad, it might actually make gaming on phones viable.

[dz06lt]

Looking more and more real

PlayStation Phone images surface? - News at GameSpot

PlayStation Phone images surface?By Tor Thorsen, GameSpotPosted Oct 27, 2010 9:32 am PTTech blog Engadget shows off images of touchpad-equipped, PSP Go-like device purported to be Android-powered and game-focused; cries of "fake!" follow.


Source: See below.

What we heard: In August, Engadget first reported that Sony Ericsson was working on a new gaming-focused mobile phone resembling a PSP Go. This week, the tech blog published photos of the device (pictured), which indeed showed a PSP Go-esque form factor.


Could this be the PlayStation Phone prototype?
Image credit: Engadget.
According to Engadget, the phone, code-named "Zeus," will likely run the Android 3.0 operating system--aka Gingerbread--and will run games specifically designed for it. Hardware-wise, it boasts a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 CPU, 512MB of RAM, 1GB of ROM, and a 3.7- to 4.1-inch screen. The prototype also sports the four iconic PlayStation buttons, start/select buttons, a D pad, shoulder buttons, and a touchpad with what appear to be two sensors.

The prototype was touted as being 100 percent authentic by Engadget, which credited "multiple, trusted sources" as leaking the images and information. However, that didn't stop the cries of "fake" from arising shortly after the pictures were made public. The loudest cries came from a confusing report on Now Gamer that simultaneously claimed that "Sony Europe debunked the images as false" while saying the company line was "We do not comment on rumor and speculation."


The official story: Sony had not returned requests for comment as of press time.

Bogus or not bogus?: Looking not bogus. Besides the usually reliable Engadget's claims of multiple sources, rumors of a PlayStation Phone have been around for years--and the form factor looks consistent with past Sony designs. The most convincing sign that the device is fake is that the menu displays "A" and "B" options for buttons not found on the device itself. Engadget explains that this is because the software is likely an early build using different names for buttons, a contention evidenced by the fact that the menu says the "Z-system" software build is only "0.91.0."

[E6600]

I'm willing to bet it wont play PSP games, and thus what is the point?

[dz06lt]

i bet it will

[rounds1]

I could see it playing PSP games, but not PSP2.

[rbbdrooger]

I just hope they don't skin Android with more of their godawful timescape crap.

[E6600]

Originally Posted by dz06lt

i bet it will

It wont and here is why:

1. ARM (this smartphone) is not binary compatible with MIPS (PSP), all PSP games will need to be ported
2. Not fast enough to emulate the PSP

[dz06lt]

Then it wouldn't be a "playstation" phone would it. There is no reason why they can't make it happen