Sony Ericsson, a leading mobile phone manufacturer, has launched the game changing Xperia Play, the latest phone in its Xperia range of Android based smartphones.

In portrait mode, the Android smartphone offers a 5-megapixel camera, a brilliant 4-inch multi-touch screen and social networking features.

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 optimized Snapdragon processor with a 1Ghz CPU and embedded Adreno GPU graphics processor deliver 60fps play-back 3D mobile gaming and Web browsing with minimal power consumption, a statement said.

“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,” said Rikko Sakaguchi, executive vice president and chief creation officer at Sony Ericsson.

Xperia Play will run on Gingerbread (version 2.3), the latest version of Google’s Android platform. The Xperia Play will also be 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, the statement said.

Ruediger Odenbach, general manager, Sony Ericsson Middle East, said: “Such a revolutionary product is something that will do very well in the Middle East market – video games are big here, and the growth of mobile technology and the Internet in the region is helping the gaming scene flourish even further.”

“By introducing the Xperia Play to the region, we’re enabling people to enjoy their favourite games on their mobile handset, bringing a new level to their gaming experience,” he added.

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."

Leading franchises coming to Xperia Play includes EA’s Need For Speed, 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.

Sakaguchi 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 pre-loaded application will enable users to easily discover and download titles that have been optimised for game play on Xperia Play, access recently played games and see information about the games they have downloaded, according to the statement.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play will be available globally in selected markets from the second quarter of 2011. – TradeArabia News Service