TOKYO — Sony will start selling a new handheld game device by the end of the year and offer its PlayStation games on a range of portable devices, including some smartphones, the Japanese electronics and entertainment company said Thursday, in a bid to keep up with big shifts in the habits of game players.
Sony is fighting to claw its way back in a market being transformed by longtime rivals, like Nintendo, and those beyond the traditional game-playing world, like Apple, whose iPhone has fast become the go-to device for casual, downloadable games.
Sony’s new device, tentatively named “NGP” for Next Generation Portable, comes with a touch pad on both the front and rear — a first for a game device — as well as a 5-inch, or 13-centimeter, organic LED screen, two sets of button controls, motion sensors, cameras on the front and back and 3G network access.
By the end of the year, Sony will also make some PlayStation games available on certified portable devices, including smartphones running Google’s Android operating system, the company’s gaming chief, Kazuo Hirai, announced in Tokyo.
Full Story: Sony Introduces New Portable Game Device – NYTimes.com