14 DAY TRIAL // Today, Japanese-Swedish mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson has put on sale in a number of 11 markets around the world the first smartphone to be PlayStation certified, namely the Xperia PLAY.
The handset was put on shelves in the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Hong Kong and Taiwan today, and should reach 6 more markets during the following 2 weeks, including Spain, France, Finland, Singapore, India and Portugal.
The leading mobile phone maker also announced that the handset launches with a number of more than 60 games from some of the largest content providers in the world, including Sony Computer Entertainment, Gameloft, Electronic Arts and Glu Mobile.
Users would be able to download a series of original PlayStation games, along with 3D titles, and a series of popular casual games, all of which were optimized for the newly released mobile phone.
Sony Ericsson also announced that it signed partnerships with a number of over 20 developers around the world for the delivery of new games for the Xperia PLAY handset.
Among them, there are several titles that make their debut exclusively on the new handset, including the Backstab and N.O.V.A.2 games from Gameloft. The latter is a First-Person Shooter with impressive graphics and intense multi-player game-play.
Sony Ericsson also announced that Asphalt 6, the latest version of the popular racing game, comes to the handset for free.
The list games available for the Xperia PLAY includes: - 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 installment 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 defense 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.
Users would be able to download games from the “Xperia PLAY launcher,” an application that activates as soon as the phone's gamepad has been slid open. The app was designed to recommend games and to enable users search titles optimized for Xperia PLAY on Android Market.
PlayStation original games are also available for the handset in select markets, including a pre-install of the PS One classic Crash Bandicoot, along with a number of other 5 games that can be downloaded via the PlayStation Pocket application on the phone.