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Sony Ericsson Xperia Play - Revolution or Flop?

If they put it on AT&T, I'd buy it at launch. The only thing missing from my iPhone 4 is physical buttons to play games, and this provides that. I use my iPhone for talk, text, music player, navigation, and gaming, and all of that is available on Android.

While I think it's a great idea, I don't see it selling particularly well. The gaming community is so much smaller than what type of audience the iPhone has, and many of the gamers won't feel the need to have a gaming platform like this tied in with their mobile.
 
This product manager makes it sound great, especially where he talks about gingerbread. Maybe they have figured out how important it is to keep the OS up to date. I have a PS3 at home and a JB iphone with snes roms on it for mobile so, I don't need it. The screen and hardware look nice though. I like how they want you to "beat the crap" out of the phone and keep going.
 
Since it's coming on Verizon, I wonder how much different the gaming experience is compared to a Droid 2 + Game Gripper + any Emulator?
 
I think they would have been better off if it was a 3G-less competitor to the iPod touch. If it was then it would be on the top of my list for things to buy.
 
There is a reason why SE doesn't sell as many Android phones as HTC and Samsung. If you see the hands-on video demo of Xperia Pro and Arc, the UI is embarrassingly laggy. This is simply unacceptable as SE's flagship device. This phone is very attractive, but no way I'd buy it with its current slow UI responsiveness.
 
While I think it's a great idea, I don't see it selling particularly well. The gaming community is so much smaller than what type of audience the iPhone has, and many of the gamers won't feel the need to have a gaming platform like this tied in with their mobile
Click to expand...

You did mean phone gaming right?
 
It will be a bigger game changer than 3DS and NGP. N-Gage comparisons are laughable. Did the N-Gage have a 1Ghz CPU, Adreno GPU, 2.3 Android, WiFi, a 4 inch WVGA "Bravia Engine" touchscreen, slide-out controls, was PlayStation certified, or have the content that Sony will provide for XPERIA Play? Was the N-Gage compatible to PSN downloads? No? Then the comparisons end there. Back in 2004, people were into flip phones and content playing Snake II. Fast forward to now, and gaming on cell phones has gotten bigger and become the most profitable apps thanks to the App Store. Back in 2004, the market and tech wasn't mature enough for a gaming phone especially one that was huge and shaped like a giant taco.

HTC bought OnLive recently. So expect XPERIA Play and PlayStation Suite to spawn more gaming phones. Go on YouTube. Thanks to the Super Bowl ad, one video has over 1.3 million views after only 10 days. It seems to me there is plenty of 3DS vs NGP talk, but the one that could be a surprise hit is the XPERIA Play. This device could actually be the most affordable new portable gaming device if priced at $149-$199 w/ contract. 3DS is going for $249 and NGP should be at least $299. I could see this phone become the best-selling Android phone of all-time if released on multiple carriers beyond Verizon.

By 2013 when most gaming phones catches up to NGP's power, I can see 3DS and NGP collecting dust and become the last dedicated gaming handhelds for our time. I will still get an NGP because of its higher specs and more comfortable form factor while XPERIA Play is more for casual gaming and PSOne games. I already have a PSP, so I don't care for those old games. In a few years, I can see gaming phones becoming more popular. XPERIA Play is just a beginning of something greater down the road.
 
Sony's cell phone division is horrible. I wouldn't be surprised if it's sold off. I have little faith in them so I say flop.
 
The "mythical PlayStation phone" that we've yearned and heard rumors about for so long is finally here! I rarely like to get a Version 1.0 of any technology without them ironing out all the problems and refining all the features. I wasn't one of the first to jump on the original iPhone until they improved some areas over time and they eventually did after three years. I can see the first model of XPERIA Play being more for casual fun and retro gamers who love playing emulators and Android does support them. By time we get the XPERIA Play 3 in 2013 with the raw power of NGP/PSP2, I can see it really kicking ass! 3DS and NGP will stay at home alot more by then and will be the last of their kind.

CELL PHONE GAMING REVOLUTION BEGINS...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQqyUlQRB5g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeLKznOP4uM&feature=player_embedded

"and this is just the start..."
 
If it's advertised well, then I can see it being a fairly popular device.

I'll be looking for an upgrade on Verizon about the time this hits. Will I get it? Eh, I'm not sure. I'm not that big of a geek/gamer.

Though I have to say this is a pretty nice looking device.
 
every single android phone is a flop on arrival.... I'm not saying that android sucks... I'm not saying that at all.

But every 5 minutes another android phone is released. Sony, LG, Motorola, HTC, Samsung, Dell, did I leave anyone out? The new galaxy S is out!!! wait now the optimus is out!! wait now the thunderbolt!!! oh wait now it's xperia!!! oh now it's a streak!!! oh now it's the galaxy s 2!! oh now its..... you get the idea. I would hate to be all those companies. They are in a spec war and price war and each release like 3 major android phones a year. Then Apple strolls along upgrading just once a year, adding whatever features they like, charge whatever they want, and sell like hotcakes.

It must drive everyone else crazy!

edit: so just to summarize, yeah android in total sells a lot in total. but there is so much choice out there people basically pick blindly and they all balance each other out.
 
This thing will be a horrible flop. People don't want Playstation-style games on their portable devices. They want quick games like what we see on the iPhone.
 
When you think back to the PSPgo (the bastard child among PSP owners), I think that was more of an experiment and guinea pig on making this phone. Just experimenting with the form factor and the online distribution. When Kaz Hirai shows up at the Xperia PLAY announcement in MWC to speak, you can tell SONY put alot of input and backing into this and not just only the Sony Ericsson division. By 2013 when the Xperia PLAY 3 is parallel to the NGP in power, you can almost see them co-exist even better than PSP and PSPgo.. Your digital gaming content can be put in your smartphone and handheld. Remember, one PSN account can link up to 5 different devices. So all your digital downloads can be played on either device.

"this is just the start..."

What Sony is doing is planting the seeds for this new ecosystem. Xperia PLAY can just be a "modest" hit early on like the HTC G1 and then Sony just builds on that success. Right now, the phone is the most unique phone out there with a slide-out gaming pad in a sea full of touchscreen slabs. Every year, the content and devices will get updated and improved. Xperia PLAY will not be the only "PlayStation Certified" phone ever made. Just the first. Right now, the games and phone seems rough around the edges. It is no different than the HTC G1 before the Android revolution. No matter how popular Nokia is, they simply didn't know gaming the way Sony does. Back in 2004, people wanted flip phones and wanted ones that can also play mp3. RAZR and music phones was going to be all the rage by 2005. Tell me, are their looks, specs, and content between N-Gage vs Xperia PLAY even comparable? You might as well compare the WinMo phones w/ touchscreen + stylus or LG Prada to the original iPhone. iPhone was NOT the first phone with touchscreen, but Apple just did it the best. XPERIA Play is NOT the first gaming phone ever, but Sony can do it better than Nokia ever did. Even the most diehard Nokia fanboys back in the day would have told you the N-Gage was going to flop and people didn't have as much interest in gaming on their phone like most people do now.


sidetalking.jpg

ngage1.jpg
 
Savor said:
When you think back to the PSPgo (the bastard child among PSP owners), I think that was more of an experiment and guinea pig on making this phone. Just experimenting with the form factor and the online distribution. When Kaz Hirai shows up at the Xperia PLAY announcement in MWC to speak, you can tell SONY put alot of input and backing into this and not just only the Sony Ericsson division. By 2013 when the Xperia PLAY 3 is parallel to the NGP in power, you can almost see them co-exist even better than PSP and PSPgo.. Your digital gaming content can be put in your smartphone and handheld. Remember, one PSN account can link up to 5 different devices. So all your digital downloads can be played on either device.

"this is just the start..."

What Sony is doing is planting the seeds for this new ecosystem. Xperia PLAY can just be a "modest" hit early on like the HTC G1 and then Sony just builds on that success. Right now, the phone is the most unique phone out there with a slide-out gaming pad in a sea full of touchscreen slabs. Every year, the content and devices will get updated and improved. Xperia PLAY will not be the only "PlayStation Certified" phone ever made. Just the first. Right now, the games and phone seems rough around the edges. It is no different than the HTC G1 before the Android revolution. No matter how popular Nokia is, they simply didn't know gaming the way Sony does. Back in 2004, people wanted flip phones and wanted ones that can also play mp3. RAZR and music phones was going to be all the rage by 2005. Tell me, are their looks, specs, and content between N-Gage vs Xperia PLAY even comparable? You might as well compare the WinMo phones w/ touchscreen + stylus or LG Prada to the original iPhone. iPhone was NOT the first phone with touchscreen, but Apple just did it the best. XPERIA Play is NOT the first gaming phone ever, but Sony can do it better than Nokia ever did. Even the most diehard Nokia fanboys back in the day would have told you the N-Gage was going to flop and people didn't have as much interest in gaming on their phone like most people do now.


sidetalking.jpg

ngage1.jpg
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I'm trying to figure out if you're just a huge Sony fan or if you had a huge amount of kool-aid this morning.
 
It will probably do well compared to other android devices, but it won't change much in the land of iOS.
 
I'm not feeling it for this phone. The slide out controllers really look lame.

Running android may help prop up some sales but who's going to buy it. Its a gaming device, that makes phones calls. Who will be buying that?
 
maflynn said:
I'm not feeling it for this phone. The slide out controllers really look lame.

Running android may help prop up some sales but who's going to buy it. Its a gaming device, that makes phones calls. Who will be buying that?
Click to expand...

Agreed. I think Savor is really overestimating how many people are dedicated gamers who will pick a phone solely on it's gaming prowess.
 
maflynn said:
I'm not feeling it for this phone. The slide out controllers really look lame.

Running android may help prop up some sales but who's going to buy it. Its a gaming device, that makes phones calls. Who will be buying that?
Click to expand...

Could be the same or similar folks that think that the iPhone and iPod touch is a good gaming platform, and enjoy being able to make phone/VoIP calls. Wasn't everyone touting how the iPhone was taking over handheld gaming?

Playing devils advocate...
 
diamond.g said:
Could be the same or similar folks that think that the iPhone and iPod touch is a good gaming platform, and enjoy being able to make phone/VoIP calls. Wasn't everyone touting how the iPhone was taking over handheld gaming?

Playing devils advocate...
Click to expand...

I think the difference is that the iPhone has been designed as a phone first and gaming device second where it seems this will be portrayed as the opposite.
 
You can't expect the original PSP or NGP form factor to be turned into a phone and expect it to sell. No way around it because they are bricks. PSPgo back in 2009 really was an experiment when it came to the slide-out form factor and digital downloads for the XPERIA PLAY. PSPgo = guinea pig/beta stage. XPERIA PLAY = final product. I believe the NGP needs to be far more powerful to differentiate itself from this phone. I personally will still get an NGP because of its raw power and I prefer the form factor than the more cramped PSPgo where the d-pad and buttons are too close like the GBA SP. If I didn't have an iPhone 4 and PSP already, I would be all over this phone! Maybe next year in version 2 when my contract is up.

I think what people are not seeing that goes beyond the individual devices is the ecosystem Sony is creating right now with PS Suite. It works for Apple because they control everything. When Kaz shows up, it is a big deal for Sony Co. including the SCE division. I can imagine the PlayStation Store become the iTunes for gamers in a few years. Right now, XPERIA PLAY is not on par with NGP and we already got spoiled with latter's specs. But in time when XPERIA PLAY 3 does catch up to it, the NGP becomes sorta like the iPad and the XPERIA PLAY becomes the iPhone. One acts like a mini-tablet in a bigger form factor and we get physical media. The other is with you all the time and becomes the complimentary gaming device toward your NGP and even PS3. When you are playing a game on your NGP and want to finish it, you can continue playing the same game on your XPERIA PLAY or whatever "PlayStation Certified" phone. That's why I've been saying digital downloads is really the future. More parallel to devices, cleaner, and efficient. By CES/MWC next year, do not be shocked to see more "PS Certified" phones from other manufacturers. This really is the beginning of a new gaming revolution in the cell phone industry just like the G1 was for Android.

Sony may not beat Nintendo or Apple in either race, but it has two horses. If one fails, the other can still succeed. Planting the seeds for the new ecosystem behind it looks to be significant for them in the longer term. Sony competes EVERYWHERE, so gaming will not be their only source for income. They lose to Apple in portable music and still competes with their Walkman line. It will take years for Nintendo to catch up to this gaming ecosystem and Apple simply doesn't have the diverse form factors in their iDevices to appeal to gamers. Cell phones are basically taking away internet usage from desktops and laptops now. It will do the same for portable gaming.

PS Suite + PS Certified phones + NGP/PSP2 + PSN + digital downloads = new portable gaming ecosystem
 
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