Category: Mobile Gaming

Sony recently announced that it is shutting down its PlayStation Mobile Service.

Sony initially launched PlayStation mobile (PSM) back in 2012 in response to the mobile gaming growth on mobile platforms like Android and iOS, a service that enabled PlayStation content to be played on both the PS Vita portable gaming device and PlayStation Certified Android mobile devices, such as the Xperia Play smartphone, but the electronics giant revealed last week that its cancelling its PSM service.

Sony is focusing on its businesses that are performing and cutting those that are underperforming.

While Sony did attempt to jump on board the mobile gaming trend, one of the problems it encountered is it was not successful at attracting a sufficient number of developers. Furthermore, another issue was that many mobile gamers chose devices that were not compatible with the PSM platform, and those that did support it were never particularity popular among consumers.

However, while the company may be struggling with its PSM business, its PlayStation business has been highly successful in recent quarters. PlayStation 4 sales remain strong around the globe. Therefore, while Sony has said that it’s PlayStation business, as well as its devices operations, Sony Music, and Sony Pictures will play a vital role in its operations in the future, it also said it would be cutting those businesses that were not performing as well, which is likely why it’s game over for PSM.

PlayStation mobile gaming content distribution will cease in July.

Sony announced that after July 15, PlayStation Mobile will no longer distribute content on its supported platforms. The company also said that as of September 10, all in-app purchases and the re-downloading of purchased content will also stop, as well as the PlayStation Mobile for the Android app itself.

What this means is that those who have spent money via the PlayStation mobile gaming service will not lose access to content, as long as games are activated and the device is authenticated with their account before the closure. That being said, users of the service who do not download games onto their local device before the cancellation of the service will not be able to access this content after the closure.

AT&T is hoping that by working with are businesses, universities and tech organizations, it will be possible.

AT&T has now partnered up with Tech Valley universities, organizations, and businesses in its launch of the “AT&T Tech Valley Civic App Challenge”, in which it is seeking to pair up with innovative thinkers and creators that can come up with mobile apps that will be able to address and overcome local issues – particularly those on a social and civic level.

The challenge will continue for two months and it will end with the awarding of a total of $18,000 in cash prizes.

The goal is to encourage designers, thinkers, developers, artists, and businesspeople to come up with ways to “Solve Local” through the creation and development of innovative mobile apps. Those applications need to help with societal and civic issues that are being faced by people in the greater Tech Valley community. Among the partners in this challenge are: the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; the University at Albany; Center for Economic Growth affiliate, TechConnex; Tech Valley Mobile Developers Network; New York BizLab; Hudson Valley Tech Meetup; Saratoga TechOUT; Hack Upstate, Beahive; and Accelerate 518.

The hope is that the mobile apps that will result will inform citizens and engage them with their governments.

In this way, it could help to illustrate exactly how mobile applications and technologies can make a difference, and will accelerate the development of a new wave of tech jobs and investments as companies seek to get on the bandwagon once the effectiveness of this technology has been shown.

According to the AT&T New York president, Marissa Shorenstein, “AT&T’s commitment to technology innovation in New York grows out of our company’s multi-billion dollar nationwide investment in the mobile communications network of the future.” She also added that by providing both students and career technologists with encouragement within the region for the exploration of smartphone software development, they are also “spotlighting the enormous demand for developers and engineers needed to create the software that will drive our mobile economy.”

The mobile apps challenge was launched in front of over 200 entrepreneurs and technologists from the region and will continue until May 1.