Sony sets sights on mobile games
Sony has made a major move in the mobile games space. The acclaimed Japanese company has been struggling to promote its Playstation Vita, which was launched last year and has since underperformed in the global market. The Vita was billed as a new generation for mobile gaming, but failed to attract any significant attention from consumers. Sony believes it may have found the solution to this problem and has begun tapping into the mobile games space.
Vita may find some traction in mobile gaming
Mobile games have been a resounding success among consumers. Millions of people around the world have mobile devices and most of these people play mobile games at some time during their day. The popularity of mobile games could be a saving grace for the Vita, but encouraging mobile developers to make games for the handheld console has been somewhat tricky in the past.
Sony waives licensing fee for indie developers
Sony has announced that it will be waiving the $99 licensing fee for the Vita for mobile developers. This will allow developers to make games for the Vita without having to invest any money into the console or its software development kit. Sony believes that this will open up the Vita to a wide range of independent developers, many of whom often receive strong support from consumers. These developers, who often work with limited budgets, may be able to find the success they seek by creating ambitious games for the Vita platform.
Mobile games may not secure success for Vita
Though mobile games are popular, there is no way to guarantee that these games will bring success to the Vita. The handheld console has, thus far, failed to compete against Nintendo’s mobile consoles. While the Vita does offering some attractive hardware, its limited number of games and relatively high price tag have not been well received by gamers.
Sony shows more interest in mobile games
Mobile games have become a major phenomenon and a hugely lucrative sector for the game industry. The proliferation of mobile devices has secured mobile games as a major part of the lives of consumers. Many people enjoy these applications because of the entertainment they provide, and many independent developers have found significant success in focusing almost exclusively on the mobile space. Sony, which boasts of a very strong presence in the game industry, has seen the promise that can be found in mobile games and is looking to take advantage of it.
New app store launched by Sony and WildTangent
Sony has teamed with WildTangent, an online game network based in the U.S., to launch a new online store for mobile games and applications. The new store will offer mobile games for Sony’s Xperia smart phones. WildTangent games will also come pre-installed on all new Sony laptops. The new application store can be roughly compared to Google Play or Apple’s App Store, but will not have the extensive portfolio of these two platforms.
New app store could have ties to Playstation 4
The new store is expected to open within the coming weeks to and will help expand the availability of mobile games on Sony mobile devices. There are rumors within the game industry that Sony’s new venture could have ties with the companies forthcoming Playstation 4 console. Sony is scheduled to make a major announced on February 20, which is expected to be an official reveal of the highly anticipated console.
Playstation 4 expected to have strong mobile elements
Rumors suggest that the Playstation 4 will have strong mobile elements. This is due to the aggressive interest Sony has been showing in mobile gaming lately. The company believes that mobile games are on their way to dominating the game industry and has been positioning itself to ensure that it is not left behind as gamers become more mobile. Whether the company’s new venture is tied to the Playstation 4 is not certain, but it is also not unlikely.
