PlayStation Phone hinted
Rumours mount
Rumour has it that the long-rumoured PlayStation Phone could be a reality soon, with online chatter today hinting that Sony Ericsson might look to introduce a gaming-branded handset in order to take on Nokia's N-Gage brand; itself undergoing something of a renaissance at present.
The Economic Times quotes Sony Computer Entertainment's co-chief operating officer Jim Ryan as stating: "The PlayStation is a proven success and so is Sony Ericsson. Convergence with the two arms working together is definitely plausible."
The publication's report goes on to hint that a phone is more likely to be "superimposed" on the console, "unlike camera phones where the camera was put into the phone."
This has been taken in some quarters as hinting that a phone attachment of some kind could be bolted onto the PSP handheld, though quite how likely this is remains to be seen. That said, we also hear reports from within Sony Japan, quoted by Xuecast.com, who state that phone has been unofficially confirmed by high-ranking sources.
Sony have even submitted a patent application related to such a device to the US Patents and Trademarks office. Analysts Gartner are rather taken with the idea, too: "While the Cybershot and Walkman are better selling brands from the Sony fold, Playstation almost enjoys cult status and two strong brands, Sony Ericsson and Playstation would make a strong success story for Sony."
