PlayStation Mobile has Finally Arrived
posted Saturday Sep 22, 2012 by Scott Ertz
PlayStation Mobile, Sony's answer to Xbox Live on Windows 8 and Windows Phone, seems to have arrived, and with some limited details. Last mentioned at E3 2012, seemingly in passing and not out of interest, there was little information presented in their 2.5 minute presentation. All we left knowing was that HTC was going to support the platform. What we didn't know was exactly what would be available and when it would launch.
This week, Sony finally decided to answer those questions for us. First, we now know that the platform will launch on October 3rd. It will be available on PlayStation-Certified devices, like the announced HTC partnership, and PlayStation Vita. So, what exactly is PlayStation Mobile? Sony describes it like this:
PlayStation Mobile is a brand new platform for tablets and smartphones that offers PlayStation-like experiences on a number of different mobile devices.
So, it is a unified PlayStation experience across multiple mobile platforms. That sounds vaguely familiar: Xbox Live on Windows Phone and Xbox Live on Windows 8, or Apple's Game Center anyone?
So, it is an established concept, sure. How does Sony, who has been losing ground in the gaming realm, going to differentiate itself? Hit the break to find out.
The biggest difference here is that it will be supported on an official PlayStation device, the Vita. This means that a game could be played on both branded and non-branded devices concurrently. The only problem being not all Android devices will be able to support the platform - only those chosen by Sony (read: only those paid to Sony). Not that that is too different from Xbox, being as only Windows Phone and Windows 8 devices have the capabilities.
The thing that could separate the platform is the content available. Sony says,
When PlayStation Mobile launches on October 3rd, we will have around 30 titles available from a range of developers, including games from indie devs as well as our own Sony Computer Entertainment World Wide Studios.
PlayStation Mobile game prices will range from around $2 to $20 and be available in a variety of popular genres, including Adventure, Action, Puzzle, Sports, and Simulation. PlayStation Mobile will also offer an easy-to-navigate storefront to check out and download PlayStation Mobile games, making it easy for you to find what you're looking for quickly. More details to come on where you can start to download PlayStation Mobile games beginning on October 3rd.
30 titles isn't bad for launch. Xbox Live for Windows 8 doesn't currently have that many titles and it launches in just over a month, though there is no telling how many titles will be available at launch. PlayStation Mobile is missing one key feature that Windows 8 has - full PSN integration. There are a lot of PSN features that will not be available - for example PS Home. The thing that Sony needs to focus on next is a SmartGlass-style product.
So, if your phone is PlayStation certified, will you be loading up PlayStation Mobile? Let us know in the comments.
