PINOYCHANNELS-Sony Ericsson Launches 'PlayStation Phone' In Major Markets

Sony Ericsson Launches 'PlayStation Phone' In Major Markets

STOCKHOLM (Dow Jones)--Mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson said late Friday its Xperia Play handset, a smart phone with features from Sony Corp.'s (SNE) PlayStation gaming console, will reach stores in a number of markets over the next two weeks.

Xperia Play has started selling in regions including the U.K., Germany and Scandinavia and will reach other markets including Spain, France and India in the coming weeks, it said, adding that it will be also be available in the U.S. later this spring through Verizon Wireless.

Sony Ericsson, a joint venture between Sweden's Telefon AB L.M. Ericsson (ERIC) and Japan's Sony, announced the launch of Xperia Play in February in a push to stake a claim on the consumer-electronics market, jolted by Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) iPad tablet.

Xperia Play will be the first handset to meet the standards of Sony's new PlayStation Certified distinction, a set of specifications laid out by Sony to allow handsets based on Google Inc.'s (GOOG) open Android platform to play older PlayStation games on mobile phones and tablet computers, as the devices become more important to the company's overall strategy.

Sony Ericsson has formed partnerships with around 20 gaming developers, the handset maker said Friday, adding that the titles available for Xperia Play include original PlayStation games, a number of 3D titles, and various casual games optimized for the handset.

Over 60 games are available with Xperia Play so far, including Assassins Creed, Need for Speed and The Sims, it added.

-By Gustav Sandstrom, Dow Jones Newswires; +46-8-5451-3099; gustav.sandstrom@dowjones.com