Sony Ericsson Xperia Play nabs exclusive BackStab game, amusing ads

By Stuart Dredge on 23 March 2011, 7:54am

With the Xperia Play PlayStation Phone going on sale in the UK this month, it's time to start thinking about what games you'll play on it. Six will be preloaded, and another 50 will be available in its PlayStation Suite store. Now mobile publisher Gameloft has revealed plans for an exclusive Xperia Play game called BackStab.

It's an action-adventure set in the Caribbean in the 18th century, promising an "epic story of revenge" with "an open 3D environment for free roaming". That means piratical duels and a mixture of missions and general wandering about. We're hoping for parrots, too.

BackStab is an exclusive for the Xperia Play, but only for a month, after which point it will probably make its debut on iPhone and other Android smart phones.

Before its release in the second quarter of this year, there will be 10 Gameloft games out for the handset's launch, with two -- Asphalt 6: Adrenaline and Star Battalion -- preloaded on the device itself.

"BackStab sets a high benchmark graphically and technically for gaming on a smart phone and it is a fantastic addition to the fast growing portfolio of quality releases for Xperia Play," says an understandably chuffed Steve Walker, head of marketing at Sony Ericsson.

Separately, Sony Ericsson has been talking about the games available to buy for the Xperia Play, with UK marketing exec David Hilton telling games industry mag MCV that "smaller, lower-tier games" will cost £1-£2, but more complex titles could be as much as a tenner.

"The main thing is to offer something different. iPhone is a hugely popular product and Angry Birds on iPhone is a delight," he says. "But now the hardware allows you to play far more complex games. You don't want to be playing these with your fingers all over the screen. You want full visibility and the ability to control the games with the sort of interfaces you have on your games console."

One thing we're impressed with is Sony Ericsson's decision to get the marvellous comedian and Flight of the Conchords scene-stealer Kristen Schaal in for a bunch of TV ads for the Xperia Play. One of the best is below, but others can be watched here, here, here and here.