Sony Ericsson Xperia Play goes on sale from 22nd April 2011

Introducing Xperia PLAY – the world’s first PlayStation certified smartphone

• Xperia^TM PLAY combines a PlayStation-quality gaming experience with the very latest Android smartphone technology.
• Super fast graphics and dedicated game controls deliver the ultimate smartphone gaming experience.
• Sony Computer Entertainment and leading game publishers provide top titles from launch.

April 21, 2011, Singapore – Sony Ericsson today announced the launch of the game changing Xperia^TM PLAY in stores from April 22, 2011. The Xperia^TM PLAY is the latest phone in its Xperia^TM range of Android based smartphones.

Xperia^TM PLAY delivers the smartphone functionality that the most serious power users could need, teamed with the immersive gaming experience that any gamer would want.

In portrait mode, the Android smartphone offers all the benefits that users have come to expect from Sony Ericsson’s existing range of Xperia^TM smartphones with best-in-class entertainment experiences, a great 5 megapixel camera, a brilliant 4” multi-touch screen and great social networking features.

However, slide out the gaming control and users enter a new world of immersive mobile gaming. The slide out game pad reveals a digital D pad, two analogue touch pads, two shoulder buttons and the four PlayStation icons: circle, cross, square and triangle. Qualcomm’s optimised Snapdragon processor with a 1Ghz CPU and embedded Adreno GPU graphics processor deliver silky smooth 60fps play-back 3D mobile gaming and Web browsing with minimal power consumption so Xperia^TM PLAY users can enjoy long hours of battery life and game time.  

Eugene Goh, Deputy General Manager and Head of Sony Ericsson Singapore commented: “Today is a very proud moment for Sony Ericsson as we bring something truly revolutionary to the market. Living up to our vision of Communication Entertainment, Xperia PLAY will forever change the way people think about smartphones and mobile gaming.”

Xperia^TM PLAY will run on Gingerbread (version 2.3), the latest version of Google’s Android^TM platform. The Xperia^TM PLAY is also the first PlayStation Certified device. This means it will have access to PlayStation® game content provided through the PlayStation^® Suite initiative, currently under development by Sony Computer Entertainment and due to launch later this calendar year.

Kazuo Hirai, President of Networked Products and Services Group at Sony Corporation said: “I am delighted to see Xperia PLAY as the first PlayStation Certified smartphone to hit the market. Xperia PLAY provides a unique consumer offering and is yet another example of great products and services coming to market that leverage Sony’s strong assets.”

Sony Ericsson has partnered with key publishers in the gaming industry to deliver a rich, vibrant ecosystem at launch and post launch with many leading new titles available via the Android^TM Market. Leading franchises coming to Xperia™ PLAY include s EA’s Sims 3 and a world-first multiplayer version of FIFA 10 for mobile. GLU Mobile/Activision will be bringing Guitar Hero while Gameloft’s titles include Assassin’s Creed and Splinter Cell. Sony Ericsson is also partnering with Unity Technologies, using its award-winning development platform, to ensure a continuous flow of high quality 3D game titles.

The Xperia^TM PLAY will come preloaded with six games:

• Bruce Lee: Dragon Warrior by Digital Legends
• Star Battalion by Gameloft
• FIFA 10 by EA Games
• Madden NFL 11 by EA Games
• SIMS 3 by EA Games
• Crash Bandicoot by SCEA

The following three games are available exclusively on Xperia^TM PLAY devices:

• Nova 2 by Gameloft
• BackStab by Gameloft
• Dungeon Defenders: Second Wave by Trendy Entertainment

Mr Goh continued: “The launch of Xperia PLAY could not have been possible without the close collaboration of both Google and Sony Computer Entertainment. The commitment of so many industry leading game publishers further demonstrates that Xperia PLAY will deliver on the long-held expectations from consumers the world over.”

“Xperia PLAY and PlayStation Certified gaming are great examples of the kind of innovation that’s possible in the open Android ecosystem,” said Andy Rubin, Vice President of Engineering at Google.

A preloaded application, the Xperia^TM PLAY launcher, enables users to easily discover and download titles that have been optimised for game play on Xperia^TM PLAY, access recently played games and see information about the games they have downloaded.

Other preloaded applications include: 

• TrackID™: Sony Ericsson’s proprietary music recognition system that records a small sample of a song playing in the background, and displays artist, song and album info in a matter of seconds.
• ShowNearby™ for Sony Ericsson: The leading location-based service application in Singapore allows users to conduct customised searches for places of interest near you, ranging from ATMs to movie theatres.

The app comes with additional exclusive features for Sony Ericsson users, such as the bus timing widget which allows users to see all bus arrival timings at a selected bus stop at any given time. You can also find out the weather condition at any specific location, plus use a Timescape^TM plug-in that shows you nearby promotions.

• WhatsApp: WhatsApp Messenger uses 3G or WiFi connectivity when available to freely message family and friends, exchanging messages, pictures, audio notes and video messages.
• Foursquare: Foursquare is a location-based app that helps you find new ways to explore Singapore, see where your friends are, learn about these places they frequent and unlock rewards as you go along.

Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY is available exclusively with SingTel from April 22, 2011. The  Xperia™ PLAY will also be available at Sony Ericsson concept stores at a Recommended Retail Price of S$888 in the colours Black and White.

What do our content partners say?

Electronic Arts, Travis Boatman, VP of Worldwide Studios for EA Mobile: 

“EA collaborated closely with Sony Ericsson to bring exciting versions our best-selling consumer favourites such as The Sims™ 3 and EA SPORTS™ FIFA 10 to the Xperia PLAY. The device’s dedicated gaming keypad gives FIFA players what matters most in a footy game — ultimate ball control, quick player selection on the pitch, effortless passes and more. The Xperia PLAYS’s unique gamepad also delivers robust control in The Sims 3 bringing a whole new life simulation experience to fans of the franchise. We look forward to watching consumers interact with our great games in new ways through the Xperia PLAY.”

Gameloft, Michel Guillemot, President: 

“We are pleased to partner with Sony Ericsson to offer a catalogue of 10 of our best-selling games at launch of the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY,” said Michel Guillemot, President of Gameloft. “My vision since the creation of Gameloft was to turn video games into a true mass market form of entertainment. This vision is realized with the launch of Xperia PLAY, which combines a perfect smartphone for daily use as well as a real game controller to provide the best gaming experience ever seen on a mobile phone. Gameloft will support the launch with more than 20 titles over the next 6 months that will take full advantage of the power of this device.”

Glu Mobile, Niccolo de Masi, CEO:

“Glu’s strategic relationship with Sony Ericsson aligns us with a leading innovator in mobile and gaming. We look forward to accelerating our momentum in social mobile gaming with compelling offerings on Sony Ericsson’s newest mobile devices.”

Content partners at launch include:

Sony Computer Entertainment

Angry Mob Games/ Unity

Advanced Mobile

Art in Games / Unity

Com2us Games

Digital Chocolate

Digital Legends

Distinctive

Electronic Arts

Fishlabs

Gamehouse

GameLion

Gameloft

Gamevil

Glu Mobile

Halfbrick Studios

Handy Games

HyperDevBox Japan

Jakyl

osao

Polarbit

SCE

SilverTree Media

Skyvu

Storm8

Trendy Entertainment

For further information, please visit: www.sonyericsson.com/press

Xperia™ PLAY at a glance:

Legal

1) Facts and features may vary depending on local variant. 2) Operational times are affected by network

preferences, type of SIM card, connected accessories and various activities e.g. playing games. Kit contents and colour options may differ from market to market. The full range of accessories may not be available in every market.

© Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, 2011

The Liquid Identity logo and Xperia are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB. Sony is a trademark or registered trademark of Sony Corporation. Ericsson is the trademark or registered trademark of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson. Additional information regarding trademarks may be located on our website at: www.sonyericsson.com/cws/common/legal/disclaimer.