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Sony Ericsson: Xperia Play is a phone first, unlike N-Gage

It's good for developers

Sony Ericsson: Xperia Play is a phone first, unlike N-Gage
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In a interview with Gamasutra, Sony Ericsson's Dom Neil-Dwyer has dismissed comparisons between the Xperia Play and Nokia's ill-fated N-Gage.

When asked why Nokia's device failed in a market (phones with gaming controls) that Sony Ericsson's research shows is needed, Neil-Dwyer commented that the N-Gage was a games machine first and a mobile phone second, explaining that his company has taken the opposite route.

"As you can see from the design ... when you hold it in portrait it's a smartphone," he said. "When you've got the game keys hidden and you're just holding it like that, people wouldn't know what it is, but obviously when you pop it open it's a great gaming device."

According to Neil-Dwyer, the Xperia Play also has several advantages for developers, with early data from Verizon revealing that owners of the gaming phone purchase more premium Android apps than owners of other Android users.

On the difference between Xperia Play and iPhone, Neil-Dwyer said, "I mean an iPhone audience is...you know, it's been around for a while now, the iPhone, and even though you're bringing out different iterations, it's pretty much the same thing.

"There are people that adopted the iPhone early but, you know, they're probably now looking for something a bit different," he said.

However, when explaining how his company would keep the Xperia Play fresh, he became rather self-contradictory, "The content keeps it fresh. Obviously we're constantly adapting, thinking about the UI and stuff, so yeah."

Anthony Usher
Anthony Usher
Anthony is a Liverpool, UK-based writer who fell in love with gaming while playing Super Mario World on his SNES back in the early '90s. When he isn't busy grooming his beard, you can find him replaying Resident Evil or Final Fantasy VII for the umpteenth time. Aside from gaming, Anthony likes hiking, MMA, and pretending he’s a Viking.