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Will the next PSP be a phone?

Archive: 17 posts

Hey everyone,

It only does: Telephone. While I was perusing IGN (http://gear.ign.com/articles/111/1111824p1.html) today for my regular fix on upcoming games, I stumbled upon this article reporting that Sony will merge its PSP system with the Android OS in an upcoming Sony Ericsson smartphone. It also hints at a new LittleBigPlanet tailored for the platform, although it seems speculative:


Rumors of a forthcoming PSP Phone have been brewing for years, despite rigorous denials from Sony, but now a new report suggests that the company is currently working on an Android-powered gaming smartphone under its mobile communications arm, Sony Ericsson.

Citing sources close to the project, Engadget is reporting that Sony Ericsson is currently in the late stages of development of a new smartphone that will establish an expanded gaming platform on Google's open-source Android operating system. The device has been described as a amalgamation of the Samsung Captivate and the PSPgo, and will feature a slide out panel which will house game controls such as a D-pad, action buttons, should buttons, and a touch pad for analog control. It is also rumored to feature fairly large display -- about 3.7 to 4.1 inches ? and a 5 megapixel camera powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor. Aesthetically, it will allegedly have a primarily black design with silver highlights and the slider panel will be either white or silver.

As far as graphics are concerned, the new device is reported to be capable of delivering PSX or PSP quality graphics. Engadget's sources also say that the device will be PlayStation-branded and it is currently being demoed with existing titles from the PSX and PSP, but new mobile titles in the God of War, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and Little Big Planet franchises may be developed for the platform.

The Sony Ericsson gaming smartphone could arrive as early as October, though specific release information could not be obtained.

Here's the mockup image (probably looks nothing like it, but still nice to look at) by engadget (http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/11/exclusive-sony-ericsson-to-introduce-android-3-0-gaming-platfor/) and the primary article:


http://i625.photobucket.com/albums/tt338/jcua28/psp-mockupengadget.jpg


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 **** 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.


Too bad I have an iPhone,
jeffcu28		2010-08-12 08:15:00

Author:
jeffcu28
Posts: 648

Hmm looks interesting thanks Jeffcu, hopefully its more much powerful than the normal one so it can handle lbp psp2. but it probably will be the same price as the ps3 and i would probably buy a ps3 and lbp2.2010-08-12 08:21:00

Author:
SketchNZ
Posts: 1668

Oooooooooh! I'm a huge fan of Android! I've had a couple of android phones already and I would definitely buy this!2010-08-12 08:38:00

Author:
Captain Rule
Posts: 360

Well I was thinking about getting an iPhone, might as well drop that and get one of these thingies.. Although I think it will be quite a while before we'll even get to see what this looks like.

Oh well 		2010-08-12 08:54:00

Author:
Limesta-
Posts: 559

Moved to general gaming. The only thing that would concern me about this is the practicality of battery life in a smartphone-***-psp.... Knowing you have to stop playing your PSP early enough to ensure you don't end up with no battery on your phone... that's gotta be annoying.

But Sony Ericsson + Playstation + Android is a whole lot of win in one package.... I think I'll be keeping my eye on this one 		2010-08-12 10:53:00

Author:
rtm223
Posts: 6497

Here we go again.2010-08-12 11:56:00

Author:
Rabid-Coot
Posts: 6728

that rectangular bald spot on the controls could be for dual analog nubs 2010-08-12 20:58:00

Author:
theswweet
Posts: 2468

that rectangular bald spot on the controls could be for dual analog nubs

It is a mock up, they've taken the control part of a PSP go and shopped a phone on top.		2010-08-12 21:14:00

Author:
Rabid-Coot
Posts: 6728

I hope that it is just a rumor, becouse psp was ment for gaming not phones. I think they should make psp 2 with 2 analog sticks and better graphiks. If they make that psp and it has new LittleBigPlanet or God of War i must buy it, becouse i am huge fan of God of War and LittleBigPlanet.2010-08-12 23:36:00

Author:
himoks
Posts: 734

Looks like an amazing win( coming from the guy who hates western-made electronics..)
Would be better if they made the psp side part of a new, more advanced generation of psp, beyond pspGO.
Two analog sticks would be amazingly better than a slider..
As for the phone side, it would be cool to see sony take smartphones to a level no cellphone company has.		2010-08-13 04:29:00

Author:
Bremnen
Posts: 1800

http://www.kollewin.com/EX/09-15-18/N-GAGE_QD_Front_1.jpg
?		2010-08-14 00:43:00

Author:
Arkei
Posts: 1432

http://www.kollewin.com/EX/09-15-18/N-GAGE_QD_Front_1.jpg
?

Ewwwwww D:		2010-08-14 00:44:00

Author:
Bremnen
Posts: 1800

http://www.kollewin.com/EX/09-15-18/N-GAGE_QD_Front_1.jpg

Photoshop anyone? 		2010-08-14 00:59:00

Author:
Frinklebumper
Posts: 941

It looks just like a psp go
merged with a blackberry storm!
I don't think it's a good idea!!		2010-08-14 01:02:00

Author:
shadow3596
Posts: 2442

It looks just like a psp go
merged with a blackberry storm!
I don't think it's a good idea!!

That is because it is a mock up aka we have no picture of this rumoured product so here's some rubbish we made in photoshop.		2010-08-14 08:25:00

Author:
Rabid-Coot
Posts: 6728

Oh i didn't know what mockup meant
sorry!		2010-08-14 08:33:00

Author:
shadow3596
Posts: 2442

I hate mobile phones, and the idea of gaming on them, but i might be tempted to get something like this.

I'd much prefer "PSP with phone functionality" rather than "Phone with PSP functionality".		2010-08-14 18:07:00

Author:
Dexiro
Posts: 2100


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