Sony Ericsson quiet on Xperia Play price at GDC
No price announced with just weeks to go before launch
Despite hosting a splashy US premier for the company's game-centric Xperia Play handset, Sony Ericsson missed the opportunity to announce a price during GDC.
In the UK, Play.com has unofficially tagged the price at well over £500. No US price has been announced by Sony Ericsson or carrier Verizon.
Reiterating many of the announcements made earlier in February at Mobile World Congress, Sony Ericsson chose to avoid discussion of price.
Instead, the focus was on partnerships with Gameloft, Major League Gaming, and game engine company Unity Technologies. Such a show of solidarity behind Xperia Play is good, though the question of price looms large.
Price will be key to the device's initial success, as Sony Ericsson must convince game-savvy mobile phone buyers - many of whom already play games on an iPhone or iPod touch - to bite. The 50 title-strong launch line up is decent, although many of the games are reconfigured iOS releases - not the most compelling of reasons to make the leap.
Still, there's reason to look forward to the launch: downloadable PSone titles on the horizon and word of Xperia Play exclusive titles in the next 8-10 months.
