Sony sets its sights on mobile gaming
Japanese firm unveils new controller device, software
Sony Corp. is stepping up efforts to gain a foothold in mobile gaming.
On Wednesday, Sony announced 11 new mobile titles and unveiled Project Field, a thin, lightweight device the size of a kitchen cutting board that connects to real-world objects so they can be used for controlling games on smartphones and tablets.
“We believe this is a brand new platform that will allow for a playing style that has not existed up until now,” Kazuyuki Sakamoto, who is developing Project Field at Sony, said at a press conference in Tokyo announcing the new hardware. “To sum up the concept in a few words, we want to add a digital spice to the experience of touching an analog thing.”
The device can read signals from electronic chips embedded in objects such as cards or even figurines to detect a user’s actions, and then relay commands to smartphones and tablets through a wireless Blue- tooth connection.
Nintendo Co. introduced a similar concept in 2014, called Amiibo, which allows players to use plastic figures to interact with games for its Wii U console.
Sony will partner with developers including LEVEL-5 Inc. and Bandai Namco Holdings Inc. to release titles that support the new hardware. The only game announced on Wednesday was Yokai Watch, a ghost-fighting title popular on Nintendo’s handheld systems.
Sakamoto did not disclose when Project Field will be released, saying it will happen once games for the device are ready. He declined to talk about the price, but said he wants to make the new hardware affordable for parents or grandparents.
Some analysts were skeptical about the product’s chances.
“Mobile users don’t want to spend money and then carry around an extra accessory with them just to play games,” said Serkan Toto, founder of Tokyo-based consultant Kantan Games Inc. “So I think Sony’s concept is cool, but it’s not mainstream compatible.”
Separately, Sony announced that its recently-created studio Forward-Works will work with developers including Gree Inc. to reboot classic PlayStation games as new content for smartphones.
The first title, based on the Hot Shots Golf series, will be released in Japan this spring.
Despite its limited experience with mobile games, Sony already has a hit on its hands with Fate/Grand Order, agame that has stayed near the top of Japan’s mobile game rankings since its release last year.