Sony’s seamless game system to mobile device published application has me thinking about the allure of the iPhone and the state of hype in the cell phone industry.
Throughout 2007, Sony has had a slew of platform crossing technologies leaked out mostly through patent applications, which end up making for great vaporware, and all possible fanboy excitement has been greatly dampened by Apple delivering the goods. More Sony application details after the jump…
Sony’s published US application 20070021216 originally filed in July, 2005 covers quite broadly the concept of transferring a game in progress from your gaming system to a mobile device. Specifically:
1. A method of playing an electronic game online, the method comprising:
establishing the game using a game console;
saving a current game state;
transferring the saved game state from the game console to a mobile device; and
resuming the game online from the saved game state using the mobile device.
What’s interesting about Sony’s position, more than Apple, Microsoft, Google or Nintendo, is that Sony is truly the one player that could justifiably create a tremendous multi-platform experience. With let downs with the PS3 and BluRay abound, Sony could use, nay, needs to rally around an experiential platform that allows users to take gaming, video and the internet in directions that even Apple isn’t ready for, and in fact may never be interested in. Ignoring Apple and the iPhone should free Sony to be great at other areas home and mobile entertainment.
What should be learned from Apple is beyond the great UI for the iPhone. Apple offers seamless connections to iLife and iTunes on the Mac. Apple’s interoperability appeal hasn’t been fully exploited yet and with iPhoto and iMovie platforms as well as a bit of low-end web publishing in the background, the iPhone has a very long runway ahead of it beyond being just an iPod + cell phone.
With all the hype and excitement around a possible PSP cell phone and seamless PS to cell phone gaming, jump in, Sony, feed the rumors and get people waiting in line for the next great product launch. In fact, it could be the opposite of the iPhone. Hmmm, what would be the opposite of the Jesus phone? Well, anything is better than purgatory.