Sony Ericsson Xperia Play launched in Europe/Asia, US release in spring

It may be the April 1st, but this is no joke.  The long-awaited, much-talked-about, first ever Android gaming phone is finally out on the street, armed with a whole slew of games designed just for it.  Sony Ericsson has now announced the availability of the Xperia Play with four preinstalled games and more than 60 tailor-made titles scheduled to be available within the first week of launch with more original PSOne games to follow through its Xperia Play Launcher portal.

We have been through the Play’s ins and outs many times before, but here they are one more time

• 4.0-inch capacitive touchscreen with 16M colors
• 1GHz single-core Scorpion processor with Adreno 205 GPU
• 3G HSDPA/HSUPA network support, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, and DLNA connectivity
• 400MB internal memory with microSD expansion up to 32GB
• PSPesque slide-out gaming controls
• Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system with support for PSOne games
• 5MP lens with geotagging and autofocus

The device will be available starting today in most of Europe including the UK, Germany and France and parts of Asia with India, Taiwan and Hong Kong on the list.  Coming to its US release, Sony Ericsson is sticking to its promise made at MWC 2011 and will be releasing the Xperia Play on Verizon Wireless this spring.

Read on for the full press release

London, April 1, 2011 – Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY, the world’s first PlayStation® certified smartphone, is now on sale in shops in the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Hong Kong and Taiwan  with further availability in an additional 6 markets over the next 2 weeks. The Xperia™ PLAY launches with more than 60 games from the industry’s biggest content providers including Sony Computer Entertainment, Gameloft, Electronic Arts and Glu Mobile. The range of games available to download at launch is a combination of original PlayStation® titles, well known 3D titles that take the full advantage of the graphical capabilities and controls of Xperia™ PLAY as well as popular casual games all optimized for the unique game pad.

Sony Ericsson has formed partnerships with over 20 developers from big publishers to independents, from middleware providers Havok and Unity to engaging Android developers, to ensure a steady flow of new titles for Xperia™ PLAY. Some of the highlights include:

• 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 instalment 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 defence 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.
• Backstab – An epic 3rd person pirate adventure that incorporates intense sword fights and other dynamic combat modes. Launching on April 14th exclusively on Xperia™ PLAY.
• N.O.V.A.2 – Awesome graphics and intense multiplayer gameplay. This First-Person Shooter makes its Android debut exclusively on Xperia™ PLAY.

In addition Sony Ericsson is happy to confirm that Asphalt 6 – the latest instalment of one of the leading and top-selling racing games will be available for free exclusively on Xperia™ PLAY.

The games are downloadable via the “Xperia™ PLAY launcher”, an application that is activated by sliding open the gamepad.  The “Xperia™ PLAY launcher” recommends games and enables consumers to search for top titles optimised for Xperia™ PLAY on Android market.
There is also a range of PlayStation® original games available at launch (in select markets initially). These are comprised of a pre-install of the PS One classic Crash Bandicoot®* and a further 5 PlayStation® original games available to download via the PlayStation® Pocket application in Xperia™ PLAY.

• Cool Boarders 2 – Time to pick up that snowboard again and rip through the snow with 16 intense racetracks.
• Destruction Derby – Original car carnage.  Buckle yourself into a new car and destroy it but send your opponents to the junkyard first.
• Jumping Jack Flash – A first person platformer like no other. Leap around 6 colourful worlds in the cockpit of a robotic rabbit, hunting for the evil galactic property developer Baron Aloha.
• MediEvil™ – Resurrected 100 years later you have returned to defeat the sorcerer Zarok.  Perhaps the world’s least worthy hero, you set out to save the land once again–for the first time.
• Syphon Filter™ – Become Gabe Logan: Guerrilla war expert. A man on a personal crusade to bring down an international terrorist ring and eliminate a deadly virus.

More games from Sony Computer Entertainment will be added to Xperia™ PLAY on a regular basis.
Dominic Neil-Dwyer, Head of Market Development at Sony Ericsson commented: “It’s great to get Xperia PLAY into consumers’ hands at last.  This is just the start and the future is exciting based on all the interest and support we have from the game industry.  A steady stream of fresh innovative content will be coming to Xperia PLAY over the coming months.”

Xperia™ PLAY will be available in the following markets starting from today and in the next two weeks: United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Spain, France, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Russia, India and Portugal.

As announced at Mobile World Congress Xperia™ PLAY will be in stores in the US market with Verizon Wireless this spring.

Appendix: Games available within the first week of launch:
Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior from Digital Legends (pre-installed)
FIFA 2010 from EA Mobile (pre-installed**)
Sims 3 from EA Mobile (pre-installed**)
Star Battalion from Gameloft (pre-installed**)
Tetris from EA mobile (pre-installed**)
Asphalt 6 from Gameloft (free to download)
Dungeon Defenders: Second Wave from Trendy Entertainment
Galaxy on Fire 2 from Fishlabs
Assassins Creed from Gameloft
Need for Speed SHIFT from  EA Mobile
Worms from EA Mobile
Nova 2 from Gameloft
Modern Combat Black Pegasus from Gameloft
Guns n Glory from Handygames
Reckless Racing from Polarbit
Real Football 2011from Gameloft
Gun Bros from Glu Mobile
Racer Luma from Arcade/Unity
Cordy from SilverTree Media
Aporkalypse from Handygames
Brothers in Arms Global Front from Gameloft
Guerrilla Bob from Angry Mob Games/Unity
Let’s Golf 2 from Gameloft
Zenonia 2 from Gamevil
Cyberlords from Handygames
Guitar Hero™ Warriors of Rock Mobile from Glu Mobile
Age of Zombies from Halfbrick Studios
Spectral Souls from HyperDevBox Japan
Splinter Cell Conviction from Gameloft
Air Attack from Art in Games/Unity
Armageddon Squadron from Polarbit
Uno from Gameloft
InfeCCt from Handygames
Spiderman total Mayhem from Gameloft
Millionaire City from Digital Chocolate
Avatar from Gameloft
Raging Thunder 2from Polarbit
Homerun Battle 3D from Com2us Games
Aftermath XHD from Jakyl
I Must Run from GameLion
Baseball Superstars 2011from Gamevil
Ground Effect Pro from Jakyl
ZeNonia from Gamevil
Super KO Boxing  2 from Glu Mobile
Farm Story from Team Lava
Wave Blazer from Polarbit
Soccer Superstars from Gamevil
Battle Bears from Skyvu
Tower Blocks New York from Digital Chocolate
Super Dynamite Fishing from Handygames
Iron Sight from Polarbit
Toonwarz from Polarbit
Restaurant Story from Team Lava
Escape from AMA
Raving Babies from AMA
Bakery Story from Team Lava
Denki Blocks! Deluxe from Jakyl
Rollercoaster Rush from Digital Chocolate

PlayStation original games:
Crash Bandicoot® from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Cool Boarders 2 from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Destruction Derby from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Jumping Jack Flash from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
MediEvil™ from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Syphon Filter™ from Sony Computer Entertainment

* In France Syphon Filter™ will be pre-installed on Xperia PLAY.
** Pre-install may vary by territory