PlayStation Phone: Sony speaks out

Sony has discussed how it may bring a PlayStation Phone to market - and even hinted that an iPad-style tablet might not be far behind.

Stopping short at confirming the existence of a PS Phone, Sony executive VP / CFO Masaru Kato said that a gaming phone would be planned and prototyped under Sony's Network Services umbrella - involving work from both SCE and Sony Ericsson.

Speaking in an earnings call, Kato also hinted that Sony could be creating a rival to the iPad.

When asked about Engadget's pictures of what it claims is the PlayStation phone, Kato said:

"As for the new PSP product, as mentioned, I know that you are not asking me to tell you when we will be coming out with a new product, but there is a gaming market based on [the] cellphones, and there are many changes that are being seen [with] Nintendo, as well as ourselves, in the field of the product for the gamers. And there are smartphones and others or even cellphones gaming markets are very popular here in japan. So the market itself is very... expanding," said Kato through an interpreter.

"It's not that we are not looking into those markets as well. We will look into those markets in trying to develop strategy for the future. Of course, we can't talk about specific products, but smartphones and tablets... it is difficult to tell you how we can put the games on them, but they are not going to be planned in different parts of our company. When we organized ourselves last April, we introduced network services, and within that umbrella, network services, all of these products are handled. Therefore, the planning and the prototypes for various content [are] all carried out within this... one umbrellas. So we are trying to figure out what we can do as Sony in this market. I think this is as far as I can tell you regarding these products at market."

He added: "There [are] so many different elements. There is Sony Ericsson and there is SCE. They moved from Aoyama, the design and headquarters had to come to Sony City. Of course this contributes to savings on rent on an office... but they are [also] closer to the planning and engineering group of Sony, and I think we can better incorporate all of these capabilities better... so when the timing is right we can probably announce [to] you about the new product that we have."

PlayStation Phone: What we want to see

First of all the stuff we think we know:

The PlayStation Phone (or Zeus if you're in denial) looks a lot like the PSPGo, except for the fact that the analogue stick has been replaced with a strip of touch-pad and, obviously, it has the necessary phoney bits at either end.

Spec-wise it's going to be packing a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655, 512MB of RAM, 1GB of ROM, and a screen between 3.7 and 4.1 inches.

We also 'know' it's going to be running on Android, which means it should be a lot more customisable and flexible than an Apple product, for example.

Of course, all this comes from various sources, insiders and crystal balls - even the pictures we've seen have been labelled as prototypes. So, really, we don't know anything for certain, but at least we'll have some idea of how likely this wish-list is.

Here are just some of the things that would make us pick up a PlayStation Phone on day one. Don't forget to throw your 'must haves' into the hat into the hat as well.

POCKET PLAYSTATION
So far there's been minimal talk about what kind of games we can actually expect on the PlayStation Phone - In fact, there's been minimal talk, full stop. We have heard, however, that we won't be seeing downloadable PSP games as such, but games made specially for the phone itself.

We say that's a load of old pickle juice. If this is going to be a PlayStation Phone it needs to knock the buttons off its rivals in terms of gaming. We don't expect it to become as hardcore as a handheld console - we're still hoping for a PSP2 to cover that - what would open our wallets, however, is PlayStation classics in our pocket.

That's proper games, not gimmicky addictions, that not only have quality gameplay at the core (even if they don't have the modern day polish) but a nice jolt of nostalgia to boot.

Whatever strategy Sony takes games wise with the phone, we just hope it won't suffer in the software department like the PSP has. Great, inventive developers need to be enthused and snatched up for the PS Phone if it's going to even have a chance of success with us gamers.

STICKY SITUATION
Is anyone else a little bit worried about that touch pad? We're petrified. Touch pads don't have anywhere near the tactile feedback and subtle control capabilities as a couple of analogue sticks.

We do realise, however, that two Sixaxis style sticks wouldn't work on a slide phone - although we think we could come up with a pretty decent pop-up mechanism for two analogue sticks, given a bit of cash and a design team.

Unless Sony's got some super feely tech going on though, we need something better than a touch-pad, which can be annoying enough when moving a mouse on a laptop, never mind trying to control a half decent action adventure game.

At the very least we think the PlayStation Phone needs to have some way of incorporating two PSP style analogue sticks. We know they aren't the best in the world, but they're a necessary trade-off for compact control. One isn't enough on the PSP but give us two and we'd take it over that touch-sensitive strip any day.

TOUCH ME
Ok, this sounds like a bit of a contradiction considering our last two requests but the PlayStation Phone does need some touch screen capabilities. From a function perspective alone this one's a dead cert.

It doesn't have any numbers on it, that's the problem. The keyboard then, for SMS messaging and dialling numbers (it's a phone as well remember) has to be an adaptable on-screen interface as with the iPhone. Unless Sony is going to make us scroll through the alphabet using the D-pad... Wait, Sony wouldn't make us do that would it?

And we know we said the PlayStation Phone should go beyond app gaming but that doesn't mean it can't cater for the little blighters at all. We're fans of games like Cut The Rope and Angry Birds and they work best with a bit of finger control.

Besides, they're so successful both in terms of printing money and critical acclaim that it would be mad for Sony not to try and get in on the market. We might be hardcore gamers, but we have a 'come one come all' mentality as long as the core remain well fed.

The touch screen can't be a makeshift thing though, Apple pretty much managed to take it to the next level and Sony need to match it. Remember, the PlayStation Phone has to allow people to browse the net, type and navigate its features with ease as well as providing great game content.

THE SOCIAL NETWORK
For the love of everything that's holy Sony, when can we get Trophies on the PSP? Wait, on second thoughts, scrap that, it's too late now. Just put Trophies straight on the PlayStation Phone. It's the perfect device for it.

We're assuming that the device will have both wireless and 3G connectivity so being fully integrated with friends in both a social and gaming level is crucial as well. Just like on the PS3 we want to be able to see friends' profiles, what they're playing and compare stats and Trophies. Basically the PS Phone needs a proper online gaming platform.

We want full integration with the PSP and PS3 as well, since we've already got remote access between handheld and main console. Most of all though we want to be able to play games with friends over wi-fi and, since this is a phone, the cross-game chat we've been after for so long would be nice.

If the iPhone 4 can do almost perfect video calling over wifi, we don't see why the PlayStation Phone couldn't do the same with multiplayer games. Face Time is free as well Sony. Just pointing that out.

MEDIA OVERLOAD
PS3 doesn't do too badly when it comes to non-gaming media. It's got a great iPlayer app and VidZone for starters. Our mates over in the US have got NetFlix for films and we should be getting MUBI any minute now and LoveFilm by the end of the year, which will turn the PS3 into a home download and rental cinema.

It's simple; whack all that on the PlayStation Phone as well and you've got yourself a little bundle bursting with media. While you're at it, Sony, start striking up as many deals as you can to make the PlayStation Phone the most connected device when it comes to on demand media. We'd love a bit of 4oD and Spotify for example.

SKIN DEEP
The pictures we've seen so far have been dubbed prototypes so we're not worried yet but, at the moment, the PlayStation Phone isn't much of a looker. It's basically a bog standard phone slid over the top of a very basic looking PSPGo controller and in an age where phones are supposed to look like executive space ships, Sony are going to have to do better.

We're not expecting the stainless-steel, glass covered black magic that is the iPhone 4 - Apple seem to have a monopoly on shiny style at the moment if nothing else - but Sony aren't exactly design dummies.

Like we say, the pictures so far are prototypes so there's reason to be hopeful that a makeover is in the works. First impressions are everything though, especially since phones have become something of a status symbol recently. Sony are going to have to think superficial for a second and wow us first time.

PlayStation Phone 'just another N-Gage'

18 Comments Sony looks to be making the same mistakes as Nokia's ill-fated N-Gage, if supposed pictures of its PlayStation Phone leaked this morning are real.

PlayStation Phone 'is most definitely real'

So says Engadget, who asserts that the images and spec information it reports have come from "multiple trusted sources".

"The PlayStation Phone in the photos we ran last night, and the device reported on back in August is most definitely real," says the site, reminding us of an incredibly similar mock up it released in August.

"We're not saying that because we want to believe or because we're gingerly trying to nab pageviews: we're saying it because we know it to be true. This is a device which has been confirmed through multiple, trusted sources," it adds.

"And we're not just talking good tipsters -- some of our information comes from people much more closely connected to the project."

The site says it's also recently learned that the phone is codenamed 'Zeus', and was actually last seen running Android 2.X, not the 3.0 it says will be on the final device.

The A and B buttons on the screen - which some point to as 'evidence' of it being fake - are simply due to it running prototype software.

It goes on to say that any 'fake' claim from a supposed Sony employee is down to the employee not being in on the secret, lying, or had their response taken out of context.

Looks pretty real to us. Not sure what to make of that touch pad though. You?