Larging it
The importance of the Xperia Play to Sony Ericsson was illustrated last night with a lunch event as large and opulent as we've seen for a while for a mobile phone.
SE hired out ‘the old sorting office' on New Oxford Street in central London and kitted it out with a sort of cyber-punk, Blade Runner theme, including derelict vehicles and other randomness. Most of the UK's journalists seemed to be in attendance, and there were drinks aplenty for everyone, but only one portion of noodles per person - to our dismay.
The apparent highlight of the event was some rhythmic shouting from one Tinchy Stryder, although we were more impressed by the sight of Dom Joly making the effort to turn up despite being on crutches. He was last seen trying to make a phone call on a tablet - not really.
While the event was to launch a mobile phone, it felt much more like a games launch, which was presumably the point. SE has not been one of the more conspicuous innovators in the Android smartphone game to date, and it has taken a PR hit over its relative slowness to roll-out new versions of the platform to its phones. The Play comes with Android 2.3.
But it is owned by the company that makes the PlayStation and PSP, and has quite rightly identified that as a key way it can differentiate itself. The Xperia Play is being called "The world's first PlayStation Certified smartphone", and launches with 60 games already available, including six free games:
- 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 fromEA Mobile
- Worms from EA Mobile
- Nova 2 from Gameloft
- Modern Combat Black Pegasus from Gameloft
- Guns n Glory from Handygames
- Reckless Racingfrom 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 Chocolate
- 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
