Remember the Xperia PLAY? The slider with the gaming controls underneath that was supposed to usher in a new hybrid of mobile phones and mobile gaming, but didn’t do too well. That device was the beginning of Playstation Certification, which means that Playstation gives (usually Sony) devices the OK to have Playstation games run on them. In their press conference today at Gamescom, Sony announced that Playstation Mobile is making a push for “bite-sized” games coming to phones and tablets sometime soon.

There were other interesting announcements during this conference, including the fact that if you make a purchase through Playstation Mobile, that game will be available on your PS Vita, your phone and your tablet with only that one purchase. Sony also announced that ASUS and Wikipad are now Playstation Certified partners, meaning you might be able to get some nice games on your Transformers.

Do these new announcements make you wish that your device was Playstation Certified?

Via: The Verge

Cheers Nick S!

Playstation Mobile Means New Games, Only if Your Device is Playstation Certified is a post from: Droid Life

Owners of the Sony Xperia PLAY across the globe, you will not be receiving the update to Ice Cream Sandwich. Sony confirmed in a blog post today that it would be difficult to update the device and keep a consistent and stable gaming experience. Part of their final decision was determined after they received feedback from the developer community who tested an ICS beta ROM. Sorry to spread bad news as we head into a holiday weekend.

We have updated our official Ice Cream Sandwich Update List.

Via:  Sony Mobile

Sony: Xperia PLAY Not Receiving Ice Cream Sandwich is a post from: Droid Life

We are almost positive that this update to build 4.0.2.E.0.57 for the Sony Xperia Play on Verizon is new, but truthfully, we had forgotten that this device even existed anymore. From what we can tell though, this hasn’t been released yet, so it should be on the way any day to owners of the device. After updating, you will see a bump to Android 2.3.4 with new VZ Navigator, screenshot capabilities, camera improvements (720p recording), and more.

The update is 66MB in size. More info.

Verizon’s Sony Xperia Play Update Incoming as Build 4.0.2.E.0.57, Pops Phone Up to Android 2.3.4 is a post from: Droid Life

The Sony Xperia PLAY sort of came and went without much attention from Android enthusiasts here in the States. It was supposed to be the mobile gaming machine of the century, but with lower end specs and no 4G, it struggled to take off. Well, what would happen if it was re-released with 4G? According to training that one of our readers is about to take this afternoon, there could very well be a new version on the way. No word yet on if the processor or RAM has been upgraded, but this would at least give on-the-go gamers a chance to play online titles more freely.

Once we know, we’ll be sure to pass it on.

Cheers ___!

Sony Xperia PLAY with 4G on the Way? is a post from: Droid Life

A handful of Xperia PLAY owners received an update to Android 2.3.3 over the weekend, only we weren’t exactly sure what was included.  Thanks for Verizon’s support pages, we now know all of the dirty details. Some of the games were updated, security enhancements tossed in, and a bunch of pre-loaded apps were included such as Swype.  The update is 55MB and will bring your device up to build 3.0.1.E.0.88.

More info.

Details of the Xperia PLAY Android 2.3.3 Update Released is a post from: Droid Life

With no support documents to be found, we have visual proof that Verizon’s Sony Xperia PLAY is receiving an update to Android 2.3.3.  It for the most part sounds like bug fixes, but won’t know for sure until we see documentation.  For now though, if you own one, jump into Settings>About phone and try and pull it.  Should be there!

Build should be 3.0.1.E.0.88.

Cheers Eric and Legion!

Sony Xperia PLAY on Verizon Receiving Update to Android 2.3.3 is a post from: Droid Life

The long wait may be over for Verizon Xperia PLAY owners.  The device may have finally been unlocked and rooted thanks to XDA member ashergray.  He’s claiming to have a method that will be unveiled tomorrow and has provided screenshots of his successes for the time being.  The top one is apparently the unlocking process, but you’ll also see screenshots showing proof of root below – something that had not yet been accomplished either.  

These are exciting times for a device that had been neglected on the bootloader unlocking front by both Sony Ericsson and Verizon.  The GSM variants all have unlockable bootloaders, but for whatever reason (we can probably guess why), the CDMA version was left locked.  So much for that.  +1 to the dev community again.

Oh, and I said “possibly” in the title simply for the fact that the instructions are not out and we have no other confirmations of this method working.

You will want to follow this XDA thread for instructions.

Cheers PouxOnU!

Bootloader Possibly Unlocked on the Verizon Xperia PLAY, Root is Go is a post from: Droid Life

Gaming is only getting better for the Green Robot. Sony Ericsson announced that they are bringing an excellent trove of game titles that are optimized for the Xperia PLAY. Huge titles like Minecraft, Pocket Legends, Star Legends, D.A.R.K., and even Battlefield Bad Company 2. Some titles are exclusive to the Xperia, including most of the aforementioned. Don’t worry though, there are plenty of great games with no exclusiveness to the PLAY.  After the jump check out the huge list of titles.  

The list is as follows:

New Android Games Exclusive on Xperia™ PLAY:

• Minecraft™ by Mojang
• Battlefield Bad Company 2 by Electronic Arts
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6 Shadow Vanguard by Gameloft
• Desert Winds by Southend Interactive
• Ruined by Bigpoint
• Icebreaker™ by NaturalMotion
• Sleepy Jack by SilverTree Media
• Cracking Sands by Polarbit
• Armageddon Squadron 2 by Polarbit
• An unnamed fighting game from Khaeon Gamestudio

New Games coming soon on Xperia™ PLAY:

• Pocket Legends by Spacetime Studios
• Star Legends: The Black Star Chronicles by Spacetime Studios
• Eternal Legacy by Gameloft
• Guns ’n’Glory 2 by HandyGames
• Dungeon Hunter 2 by Gameloft
• Pocket RPG by Crescent Moon Games
• D.A.R.K. developed by Gamelab
• Samurai II: Vengeance by MADFINGER Games
• Vendetta Online by Guild Software
• Order & Chaos – Gameloft
• Happy Vikings by Handy Games
• A Ball Game by Trendy Entertainment
• Lumines by Connect2Media

Sony Ericsson is definitely leading the charge in bringing great titles to Android. For that, we salute them. We’ll keep you posted when you can pick these games up!

Via: Sony Ericsson

Cheers__!

Sony Ericsson Announces 20 Games For The Xperia PLAY is a post from: Droid Life

The Sony Xperia PLAY aka the Playstation Phone is now available from Verizon for $199 on contract.  It includes a gamepad, 4″ screen, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, and probably most importantly, runs stock Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).  This phone has been leaked time and time again and there are little surprises left, but we still want to give it the full DL experience.  We’re starting with a quick hands-on…  

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Sony Xperia PLAY Quick Hands-on is a post from: Droid Life

If you were looking to invest in a new Android phone, then today wouldn’t be a bad day to head over to your nearest Verizon store.  The LG Revolution ($249), Sony Xperia PLAY ($199) and Motorola DROIDX2 ($199) are all available.  One of them run’s on their brand new 4G LTE network, another is a gaming machine, and the last is Big Red’s first dual-core phone.  We’ll be doing a bunch of coverage on both the Xperia PLAY and DROIDX2 starting today, so if you want to wait and see our thoughts on them, just hang out here.  The LG Revolution on the other hand has us torn – it’s basically the DROID Charge (our review), but without Google Search or that amazing Super AMOLED Plus screen.  Oh, they did toss in Netflix though.

Buy.

Anyone picking one up today?

LG Revolution, Xperia PLAY and DROIDX2 All Available from Verizon Today is a post from: Droid Life

Dave Kover – a continuous giver to the Android community. Creator and maintainer of some of Android’s most popular themes, has now put up on the Market individual applications for all of the aforementioned devices’ wallpapers; putting them in easy to use, slick user interfaces. All users must do is download the application, hit Wallpapers from a home screen, then select from the different folders. All the images have been taken from the individual system dumps and packaged nicely for us. Simply hit the links below and be taken to the Market for download. All free.

DROID Charge | HTC Thunderbolt | DROIDX2 | Xperia Play

See all of Dave’s great apps and theme add-ons by clicking here.

Charge, HTC Thunderbolt, DROIDX2, and Xperia Play Wallpapers All Bundled Into Individual Apps is a post from: Droid Life

The Sony Xperia PLAY from Verizon went on pre-sale last night at midnight, but wasn’t supposed to ship to customers until around 5/25 with the actual launch date as 5/26.  Well, it looks like those of you that jumped on it early might be in for a treat as one of our readers just sent over this screenshot of a confirmation from Big Red that his phone has been shipped and should arrive by May 23 (Monday).  That’s right, his stock Android 2.3 gaming machine will be at his doorstep days before it ever hits a store shelve.  So tempting.

Cheers Braden!

Verizon Xperia PLAY Orders Already Shipping is a post from: Droid Life

Both the newly announed DROIDX2 and Xperia PLAY are up on Verizon’s website – one of them to buy right now and the other to pre-order.  The DX2 will likely ship out to your house this afternoon or tomorrow, but as we told you yesterday, can be purchased in non-corporate VZW stores today if you don’t feel like waiting.  The Xperia PLAY on the other hand is just a pre-order and will ship some time around 5/25.  Each phone is listed at $199 on 2-year contract or $449 at full retail.  Again, we’re loving this new approach to full retail pricing from Big Red – please keep it up.

Buy:  DROIDX2 | Xperia PLAY

DROIDX2 Available Now Online at Verizon, Xperia PLAY Up for Pre-order is a post from: Droid Life

Next Thursday is shaping up to be a huge Android launch day for Verizon, with the DROIDX2, Xperia PLAY and possibly even the LG Revolution all becoming available.  One is dual-core, another is stock Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and the other is 4G LTE, but are any of them your next phone?  Can a qHD screen, gaming pad, or front-facing camera help you decide?  And not to hi-jack this poll before you’ve even hit the voting part, but can you imagine a phone that combined all of these things?

Wednesday Poll: Picking up one of Verizon’s new phones – DROIDX2, Revolution or Xperia PLAY? is a post from: Droid Life

No surprises here, right?  DL readers already knew that the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY would be dropping on May 26, but it’s now officially official from Verizon.  The device will be $199 on 2-year contract, sports a 4″ screen, slideout gamepad, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 5MP rear camera, VGA front camera, runs stock Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), and will come loaded with 7 major gaming titles.

Pre-orders for the device will start on May 19 (Thursday) and will be available in stores on the 26.

So, who’s getting one?  

Verizon Wireless And Sony Ericsson Take Mobile Gaming To The Next Level With The Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY

The World’s First PlayStation® Certified Smartphone Combines PlayStation®-Quality Gaming Experience with the Latest Android Smartphone Technology

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Take conference calls, send emails and win football’s biggest game, all on one device. The Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY, exclusive for a limited time for Verizon Wireless, redefines mobile gaming by combining all the features customers expect from a fully-featured smartphone with the ultimate gaming experience.

Powered by Android 2.3, Gingerbread, the Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY will come pre-loaded with seven game titles including, Madden NFL 11 (EA Sports), Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior (Digital Legends), Asphalt 6: Adrenaline (Gameloft), The Sims 3 (EA), Star Battalion (Gameloft), Crash Bandicoot (Sony Playstation) and Tetris. Customers can expand their video game library with more than 50 game titles available at launch for download via V CAST Apps. Customers easily become gamers with the slide out game pad revealing a directional keypad, dual analog touch joystick, two shoulder buttons and the four iconic PlayStation® symbol keys: circle, X, square and triangle.

Additional Features:

• 1 GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon® II processor with Adreno 205 GPU
• Adobe Flash Player
• 4-inch multi-touch display
• 5-megapixel rear-facing camera
• VGA front-facing camera for still shots and video chatting
• Support for Google Mobile Services including Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Talk, Google Search, Google Maps and access to more than 200,000 apps available to download from Android Market™
• Mobile hotspot capability- share 3G connection with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices

Pricing and Availability

• The Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY will be available for pre-order online at www.verizonwireless.com beginning May 19, and in stores on May 26 for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.
• Sony Ericsson Xperia™ Play customers will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan and a smartphone data package. Nationwide Talk plans begin at $39.99 for monthly access and an unlimited smartphone data plan is $29.99 for monthly access.

Game Developers

• The gaming experience can only get better as additional games are being created. Developers have the flexibility to focus on content and not worry about binary file sizes when submitting apps to V CAST Apps. Developers can visithttp://developer.verizon.com/play for additional information about game development for the Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY.

For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. To learn more about the Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY, visit www.sonyericsson.com.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s fastest, most advanced 4G network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 104 million total wireless connections, including more than 88 million retail customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 85,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visitwww.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library atwww.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About Sony Ericsson
Sony Ericsson celebrates its 10th year as a joint venture between Sony Corporation and Ericsson in October, 2011. Over the years the company has brought together the best communication technologies with superior entertainment user experiences to create its Xperia™ line of the ‘most entertaining smartphones’ in the mobile handset industry. With its global corporate functions in London, Sony Ericsson has sales and marketing operations in all major regions of the world, as well as manufacturing in China, and product development sites in China, Japan, Sweden and Silicon Valley, California. For more information, please visit:www.sonyericsson.com/press.

Official: Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY Headed to Verizon May 26 for $199 is a post from: Droid Life