2011 is just around the corner and now is a great time to start looking ahead at all the great tech that is coming our way. One special mention is none other than Sony Ericsson’s gaming smart phone that is due to arrive in March of next year. While there device could still be subject to a few delays and unpredictable issues, this is certainly something to look forward to –at the very least, knowing that it will be released by the month of March gives us all time to adjust our budgets.
But is the so-called Playstation phone really worth investing on? Before we go about throwing titles, the nickname of Playstation phone did not originate from Sony Ericsson, but from eager fans. The fact of the matter is this device might not be Playstation branded at all. While Sony may have allowed SE to actually use the button icons for the device (the square, circle, triangle and cross buttons), the fact is that no form of Playstation branding appears on the handset. This is evidently seen in the initial images of the Zeus Z1. While this may change once the device is manufactured (it would be so easy to squeeze in the logo or brand name), the current status quo for the handset is that it will not be a Playstation phone.
Still, this device will certainly have gaming at its core. The direction pad, shoulder triggers and the buttons all confirm this: precision gaming controls. This will certainly be enticing for developers to create games that require very precise controls to be enjoyable (action platformers, fighting games, flight simulations).
As for the shoulder triggers –these have never been seen in images, but the SDK for the Android 2.3 reveals event code for L1, L2, R1, R2 buttons (which is Sony’s famous names for the shoulder triggers).
Posts Tagged ‘Sony’
SE’s Zeus Z1 Gaming Phone Gets a Release Date
Thursday, December 9th, 2010Future Forecast: Mobile Gaming
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010
If the latest update about the rumored Sony Ericsson gaming handset has some smart phone fans disappointed, it simply goes to show that the casual gaming market is not yet prepared to take on the hardcore gaming industry seriously.
Sure, there are now plenty of downloadable games and content that are huge; take the previously released Splinter Cell Conviction and the Rage HD mobile app games, installing both would eat up almost a full gigabyte of storage. But compared to the lower spec Sony Playstation Portable’s high end games, that space is nothing –Tekken 6, Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker and DJ Max Portable all reach up to a hefty 1.5 GB, individually.
If the day comes when mobile gaming starts getting hardcore titles, it would require one of two important factors: a combination of very fast internet connection and plenty of internal storage, or a smart phone that actually supports commercial media storage like the UMD.
As for game quality, many casual gamers are already awed and impressed with sloppy conversions of Resident Evil 4, Medal of Honor, Splinter Cell or the equally shallow gameplay of titles like the upcoming Infinity Blade. Despite being easily accessible on the iPad and the iPhone, these game apps are simple point and click activities. Even hardcore titles like Megaman end up becoming broken due to the inaccurate controls.
Games made for pure touch screen controls will never match up to those that require a physical game pad, and with the Sony Ericsson Android gaming smart phone coming, it might just pave the way for industry. In any case, while the quality of game apps may not improve by much at all, it has been estimated that in about 5 years time, mobile gaming’s revenue will be rising all the way up to 7 billion Pounds.
PSP Phone: Opposing Views from Smart Phone Fans
Wednesday, November 24th, 2010The announcement of the PSP Phone is almost surprisingly making the smart phone industry pretty excited. This is odd, because despite the fact that the handset is being rumored as an Android device and will have a touch screen display, the fact remains that this is a gaming handheld with phone capabilities –not a gaming-centric mobile phone.
Unlike the Apple iPhone or the HTC Desire, the PSP Phone is a modified PSP device. This means that above all else, it is a gaming handheld first and a smart phone second. In fact, the only thing that the gaming industry can look forward to with this device is the fact that it will consolidate two gadgets into a single device –which is quite convenient to carry around, but at the same time, raises concerns about text messages, emails and voice calls cutting into gaming time.
That can be most inopportune at times; after all, one can ignore the discreet hum of a mobile phone when playing through a climactic battle, the same cannot be said about a sudden text message breaking you timing of a critical special combo in a boss fight.
Another major difference in opinion is the fact that smart phone users want more casual games –which is practically not the direction that Sony wants to go for. While instant playability is a good feature, the PSP Phone (or Sony Playstation Phone, depending on who you believe) is more than silly app games. The system will need to have hardcore RPG titles, high impact action games and of course, the tight combat feel of serious fighting games.
The bottom line here, no casual gamer with a smart phone will switch to a PSP (they are better off investing in a tablet). After all, the price of a PSP phone will not be cheap making it something that specifically targets gamers. So the next time someone states that the PSP needs titles that are like Angry Birds, they can stick to their vanilla smart phones instead.
More Playstation Portable Phone Rumors Shake Up Game Industry
Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010The Playstation Portable Phone, this is not a smart phone: this is a gaming device with voice call, SMS and 3G functionality. Or at least, that is what has been detailed out in the latest rumors about the device.
There will certainly be two differing schools of thought with the device, as it will be seemingly handled by Sony Ericsson and Sony Computer Games Entertainment. Naturally, phone fans would want SE to have a larger influence on the device while gamers would prefer SCE to take charge of the new gadget. So far, no official statement has been given regarding who will actually be creating the final designs for the device.
At the very least, it has been directly hinted by Masaru Kato, current CFO of Sony Japan and Peter Dille from Sony Computer Entertainment America. It will certainly be a while before we actually get the see the new device or have an idea of whether the PSP2 and the PSP Phone are actually a single gadget or two different devices.
For the most part, it is believed that there will be a single portable gaming handset to be released by Sony next year and it will have the Playstation brand as well as smart phone capabilities. It has also been said that the Android operating system will be used with a new custom user interface called the Z-system.
So far, current “leaked” screenshots of the hardware are hinting at the use of a new touch pad as opposed to the traditional analog stick that is used by the PSP –this goes in the direct opposite direction that gamers have wanted to see: dual analog sticks on the PSP. While general gadget users may not see the difference, there is a significant level of performance that one can only get from an analog stick that cannot be matched by a touch pad.
Gamer’s View: Insights on the PlayStation Phone Rumor
Thursday, October 28th, 2010Once again, the Playstation phone rumor has been revived. A recent image from Engadget along with allegations that the device in the picture is the real deal has once again sparked all the big rumors about the possibility of Sony allowing Sony Ericsson’s engineers to help crank out a new product with the Playstation brand.
However, as promising as the possibility may be, there are some red flags in the whole concept that still need to be addressed.
First off, the lack of PSN; the announcement that there will be a Playstation Marketplace may seem interesting to non-gaming readers, but for those familiar with Sony Computer Entertainment (the part that actually handles the Playstation branding), it is a well known fact that an online store already exists: the Playstation Network. And an argument that the “Marketplace” will be unique since it will host Android compatible apps, that notion is also void.
The fact is that PSN already hosts downloadable games and content for both PS3 and the PSP. Adding in a new category for an Android phone would not be much of an issue –but opening a completely new store just for Sony Ericsson is a moot point.
The second major issue is the lack of the XMB (or cross media browser). Sure, the Android is an amazing OS, and SE even has that Timescape UI for the XPERIA series. But the XMB is the core user interface for Sony’s entertainment systems, from the PSP, to the PS3, and even in the Sony Bravia. It is however, possible to re-skin the XMB on top of the Android OS.
In all honesty, gamers would certainly appreciate the presence of a great gaming phone. But to make it the mainstream device would be a gamble. It is likely that if the PS Phone will be made, it will only be a secondary device to the upcoming PSP 2 (much like the Playstation Portable Go).
Samsung and Sony Team Up to Bring New Screen Technology
Wednesday, July 28th, 2010
When two of the largest names in the tech industry collaborate on a single project, we all know we can expect great things. The latest big tie up comes with an unexpected cooperative move from Japanese electronics leader Sony and Korean industry giant, Samsung.
The new technology they are working on is an alternative to AMOLED touch screens. As many smart phone fans are already aware of, AMOLED screens are among the most impressive displays available for smart phone users. It is so good that the only technologies to ever surpass it are the Apple Retina display and of course, the super AMOLED touch screen which was developed by Samsung.
Among the handsets to use the AMOLED touch screen technology, there are some phones that truly standout such as the HTC Desire and the Google Nexus One. Both devices run the Android operating system and are two of the biggest profile handsets around. According to Sony and Samsung, the first S-LCD displays will be used in the Desire and the Nexus One smart phones.
The decision to use the S-LCD devices on existing devices (as opposed to slapping it into a new phone) is a tactical choice. First, HTC needs more AMOLED screens for the two handsets. With AMOLED technology being harder to produce, S-LCD is the perfect alternative. Not only does it match the AMOLED screens in terms of quality, but it is also able to deliver better viewing angles, contrast and more importantly, less battery consumption.
With Samsung previously pushing forward the limits of AMOLED technology, (they came up with the “super” variant and are reported to be working on a flexible and durable version of the technology) it would not be surprising they (along with Sony) also choose to improve the S-LCD screen technology in the same way.
Google TV Confirmed: What is Next for Intel, Google and Sony?
Tuesday, May 18th, 2010
It looks like the smart phone is not the only device that has been heavily improved this year; even televisions are getting the next generation treatment. The past few weeks has been full of new releases in terms of 3D technology –there have also been smart phones that use 3D screen technology (of course, these handsets do not use 3D glasses, instead, parallax technology is employed to achieve the 3D effect).
Anyway, it appears that Sony, Intel and Google have been working together to create an all new TV –one with access to the internet. The upcoming Google TV has been confirmed to be coming out later this week in San Francisco in the US. This may not seem like a big deal for the mobile phone industry, but this collaboration between those three means that it is also likely that they can also bring the technology to a mobile device.
With the recent release of the NVIDA Tegra and the report that Google’s upcoming Android tablet might be using NVIDIA technology, it is quite possible that even the new Intel Atom would not be able to enter the mobile phone industry –which is already dominated by ARM, and partly, by Texas Instruments; also, the Tegra incorporates ARM technology and it has been confirmed to be used on the two Kin smart phones.
Sony on the other hand has been unable to take control of the mobile industry’s media market –despite the company’s vast resources and potential in terms of services and features they can offer.
By working together with Google, the two companies have a chance in helping to contribute to the development of the Android (a major mobile platform that is competing with the iPhone OS) and the Chrome (an open source operating system for computers –not just the Google browser).
Hopefully, this tie up between the three big industry giants does more than just produce a whole new line of televisions that can access the internet.
Sony’s New Teaser Baffles the Mobile Phone Community
Friday, April 30th, 2010
When we say mobile gadget or mobile device, we usually refer to a mobile phone. While gaming handhelds and GPS navigation tools would also fit the description, the initial idea is that the term is mostly exclusive to use with phones.
This is why many people are quite confused with the new Sony teaser advert, and we are among the confused as well. The teaser reads that a VAIO New Ultra Mobile (is) coming soon, and all we can do is guess what this actually means.
On the surface, it could just be a really small VAIO (as if the previous P series and its successors were not small enough). But on a wider point of view, would a device that is so small have the hardware to be able to run Windows 7 properly?
Of course, there is no doubt that the new OS will be Microsoft made. It is already seen in the ad that the Paperclip mascot from MS Office is going to be part of the new OS. The only question is will it be Windows Phone 7 or Windows 7?
Back to the first question, the fact of the matter is that Windows 7 requires plenty of hardware. Even small netbooks have the tendency to slow up a little when running the OS. So squeezing in such highly demanding software into a very small gadget would be pushing some limits. As opposed to WP7, the only hardware requirements are those previously set by Microsoft for the device. A super small VAIO can definitely use a Qualcomm processor to run the new WP7 mobile platform.
With no official date on when the release of the initial announcement is coming, we can only wonder what Sony is truly up to.