Friday, August 31, 2007

Secrets of the PlayStation Phone: Part Four



"Its all a game for some..."

Months before the leaked patents hit the web, rumors had been circulating claiming that Sony was going to redesign its moderately successful PlayStation Portable.


On the Top: The Newly Redesigned PSP "Slim" (aka PSP 2000)
On the Bottom: The Original Model

The hand held gaming device struggled in the market from the day of its launch. Although sales had been good for a time, the system has always performed well below the expectations of the Industry Analysts and of Sony themselves.

Allegedly the redesign would either be Sony's way of re-launching the product or it could also be the company's way of squeezing the last bit of profit out of a dying brand.

So when rumors of a PSP Redesign hit the web, at a time when the sales of the current model were floundering, it was up to Sony's John Koller to save the day. After all, the new model would not see the light of day for months. If word spread quickly enough it might dissuade consumers from buying the current model, which was already struggling, and news of the redesign would only makes things worse.

Luckily Mr Koller stepped in quickly to extinguish the public relations brush fire. Or did he?

MythBusters: PSP Edition
Posted by John Koller // Sr. Marketing Manager, PSP

"The rumor mill is flowing about new PSP hardware and a PSP phone, and I just wanted to take the time to clear the air...."

"We haven’t announced anything about a new PSP, much less one that would have any phone capabilities. As SCEA’s resident PSP guru, I’m thrilled to hear that there’s so much interest in the platform, but sorry folks, these reports floating around fall into the rumors/speculation category."

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2007/06/12/mythbusters-psp-edition/

"We haven't announced anything." That's all he really had to say. Most Sony loyalists took this bit of verbal manipulation to be an outright denial of the PSP redesign rumors. Ironically, just two weeks later, a redesigned PSP was revealed to a lukewarm public reception.

Next Up...

A Fork in the Road

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Secrets of the PlayStation Phone: Part Three

Sony-Ericsson's Video Game Cell Phone takes one step closer to reality. But will it be crowned with the "PlayStation" family name?

This article from Pocket Gamer.Co.Uk provides a glimpse into Sony's plans.

"New Sony Ericsson patent may be the real PSP phone"

"A recently-unearthed patent however seems to indicate that Sony Ericsson has at the very least been thinking about releasing a more gaming centric phone."

"It's unlikely that this device is directly compatible with PSP software, as even though it has clearly been designed with a focus on making mobile games easier to control, it certainly doesn't have the sort of set-up that would accommodate PSP games."

"Having said that, the rotating screen does bear a remarkable resemblance to the PSP's..."

"...and if the device ever does see the light of day it is conceivable that it will be branded with the PSP logo."


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Its seems obvious that a video game cell phone produced by Sony might bear the PlayStation name. However its this next bit of information that is truly explosive.

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"We're going out on a limb here, but we're thinking that a PSP branded mobile would likely command a development platform of its own. With Sony announcing just yesterday that it's setting up a first-party development initiative for mobile games, we smell a coincidence. Then again, perhaps that's just because we want it so badly. More on this story as soon as we have it."

Coincidence indeed.

Next Time...

Denials, Denials, Denials; Or A bad player always shows his hand.

Secrets of the PlayStation Phone: Part Two

PlayStation Phone: Coming Soon?

Our story begins with a leaked patent. This image first appeared on the tech web site known as Unwiredview.com.

http://www.unwiredview.com/2007/06/01/psp-phone-from-sony-ericsson/

Soon after these pics hit the web, a torrent of media coverage followed. This article from PSPfanboy.com explores the features described in this patent.

"Sony Ericsson files PSP-esque gaming phone patent"

"Sony Ericsson has recently filed a patent for a gaming phone that looks more than a little inspired by the PSP. The ability to play games is a central focus of the device, as indicated by the need to suspend games for phone calls (pictured, above).

Sony has hinted time and time again at the possibility of a PlayStation phone ... it looks like this is taking the idea one step closer to reality."

http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/06/01/sony-ericsson-files-psp-esque-gaming-phone-patent/

Next Time...

Further confirmation...

Secrets of the PlayStation Phone


Is Sony-Ericsson developing a video game/cell phone hybrid? It seems that way as this newly discovered patent image suggests. The image describes a cell phone with a strong emphasis on portable gaming and multi-media applications. The intent of the device is to make cellular based gaming easier to control.

Now a greater question has arisen. Will the new phone bear the famous "PlayStation" brand name? And will it ultimately compete with, and possibly replace, the current PlayStation Portable?

A curious sequence of events coupled with the release of this newly filed patent has raised suspicion on the part of many. Lets explore this sequence of events and the media coverage that followed.

Our next feature:

In the begining...

"Sony Ericsson files PSP-esque gaming phone patent."