Sony Computer Entertainment announces formation of smart device-focused ForwardWorks

Sony Computer Entertainment, which will change its name to Sony Interactive Entertainment on April 1, today announced the formation of ForwardWorks, a new company aimed to deploy new services towards the iOS and Android smart device market. The company will begin operation on April 1.

ForwardWorks is based in Tokyo, Japan, and will leverage the intellectual property of various PlayStation titles and its characters, as well as Sony’s knowledge and know-how of gaming development expertise, to provide gaming apps optimized for smart devices in Japan and Asia. Its aim is to “deliver users with opportunity to casually enjoy full-fledged game titles in the new filed of the smart device market.”

[KingKelloggTheWH]

Maybe they should focus on their mobile console...Remember the Vita guys?

[fdkenzo]

I hope that they anounce a new Vita, with more powerfull hardware...there are phones in this days that have much better graphics than Vita... Probably if the hardware will be more powerful will have much more suport from dev....i hope for a new Vita...

[jaycptza]

not happening, it's not feasible

[amiga-man]

I'm afraid mobiles have undermined the reasons for a dedicated handheld gaming device, gaming on the go is everywhere for those that want it and is why I can't see a follow up to the Vita.

Vita didnt fail, it is just less relevant in todays world.

[joeorc]

@fdkenzo + 2h ago
"I hope that they anounce a new Vita, with more powerfull hardware...there are phones in this days that have much better graphics than Vita... Probably if the hardware will be more powerful will have much more suport from dev....i hope for a new Vita"

If anything, it would not be a traditional Portable playstation , it most likely will be a smartphone instead of a dedicated game console handheld. Though with a smartphone on the other hand designing a PlayStation smartphone developed as
(PlayStation phone) before xperia play was not a true PlayStation phone it was a PlayStation mobile certified device.

Making a true playstation phone I would say is also maybe on the cards due to Sony's mobile xperia brand is being geared as profit over market share, which is being drawn down on how many smartphone models that they are releasing.

Consolidated smartphone model to making a PlayStation phone to tie in with a living room console playstation Eco system.

Playstation Vita being supported via digital downloads for new games is the continued support cycle from Sony, which would be really no different than what Sony is doing with PSVita. Only this time no built in physical controls..just dual shock 4 support. That way what games controlled by console controller the very same games on your mobile playstation smartphone..they already have a smartphone dual shock clip.

Its just majority consumers want a smartphone that's thin and big screen and for physical controls that use a real console game pad would be the best solution..same game pad means universal control scheme as that of the console in the living room will be the same control system for the smartphone as well.

[nix]

i've read that only around 1 percent of people who actually buy stuffs in games like Candy Crush.

http://www.engadget.com/201...

imagine the money devs can make if they get 2% market. i just hope sony isn't making one of those freemium games with DLCs.

[DeadlyFire]

Only way is to merge it with mobile to guarantee profit in US market. If rumours are true Nintendo is doing this with thier next portable. A new Psp could work with the right direction. Vita did well in Japan. Going all mobile is not what i would expect from Sony.

Vita 2 news wont be certain until at least E3 2017.

[Commando_Bro]

A PlayStation Phone OS.
Design for high end graphics gaming with the advantages of a fully fledged phone.
Maybe it runs Android as well.

[UltraNova]

I cant see a new PSP/Vita coming nor a sudden increase in Vita support. These days the market(aka money) leans heavily on mobile so it is only natural they want to focus on iOS and Android and exploit their IP property and PS brand name.

Do I like it? No. Do I need to buy those games? Certainly not!

I don't mind them catering to the mobile market, as long as they don't take resources away from Playstation to support this direction.

[nunley33]

It's sad when the best to expect from this venture is maybe a few of the new mobile games from the new studio somehow make it to Vita.

[_-EDMIX-_]

"I don't mind them catering to the mobile market, as long as they don't take resources away from Playstation to support this direction" Well isn't that why they are forming this team and not just making their other studios work on this?

I don't see Vita support either as if it didn't perform, its best not to keep wasting money on it. 3rd party is supporting Vita pretty well right now considering. With World Of Final Fantasy, Project Setsuna etc.

[rainslacker]

Spot on with that comment.

Normally I'd say that Sony shouldn't ignore a good market like mobile, but in this case, it is rather disappointing that they would do something like that with the last year especially being rather disappointing on the support side. If it weren't for 3rd party niche support, I'd be even more disappointed in the Vita.

[nveenio]

Yeah, I remember the Vita. It's right next to me, and someone uses it every day. I also get a free game for it every month.

[PhoenixUp]

I noticed that they didn't mention anything about Forwardworks focusing on Vita.

[Ausbo]

exactly. Everyone is talking about Vita here, but they specifically mention smartphones.

The other thing it says is to users in Asia and Japan. Doesn't mention other territories.

[OMGitzThatGuy]

April fools?

[xfiles2099]

That is what I'm thinking

[jaycptza]

you know how that works right?

[tmisellati]

what does that mean for us , the gamers ????

[TheLyonKing]

if you are interested in mobile games then you as a gamer get more choices of games if you are like me and have no interest in mobile then nothing will have changed.

[DragoonsScaleLegends]

If you are interested in microtransactions...

There fixed it for you.

[HarryMasonHerpderp]

Closes evolution studios and forms a mobile company. Lame move Sony.

[TheLyonKing]

not really a lame move, more a necessary move. I hope evolution thrive without sony and others get to play their games but the industry is tough and right now mobile is making tons of money especially in asia so less lame and more very business savvy.

[DragonKnight]

Necessary in what way? If, and it's a big if, the resources going to Evolution are now going to ForwardWorks, then it was not necessary, it was planned.

[TheLyonKing]

@DragonKnight Necessary for them to expand their mobile foot print and in turn make more profit which in turn means they can fund more games.

And Necessary and Planned are not oxymoron to each other, you can have a necessary closure that has been planned.

[HarryMasonHerpderp]

I'm just a bit down about evolution studios, they were a great team and UK development teams seem to be a dying breed. Now we have this piece of news ...just depressing.

[_-EDMIX-_]

"they were a great team"

Did they make money?

This really boils down to that. Were they profitable for Sony to continue keeping them afloat? Maybe when they are independent and have to deal with funding, they can take the time they want in creating what they want, but clearly Sony didn't feel they could afford to spend money on delays only to ultimately sell half of what Motorstorm sold on one of their fastest selling consoles.

It sucks, but this is business. Leave emotions at the door. Leaving that team on board only took away money and funding from teams that were on time and moving units and staying on budget.

Why should the company as a whole allow that when other teams are meeting their dates and performing as expected?

Sure DC did great after updates ,no doubt...did that translate into more sales?

So why hurt everyone under Sony Computer Entertainment for 1 team's blunder? I think they knew what was up when they decided to work for a publisher.

Again, it sucks, but it happens, its business.

[_-EDMIX-_]

Not really. The exist to make money. If the studio didn't make them money ,they are correct to close it. If they can seek a good return on mobile they are right to seek it and invest.

Sorry but nothing is "lame" about that as their goal is to make money, not lose it.

[SynestheticRoar]

This is fake right.

[joeorc]

If anything, this just may mean a PlayStation smartphone may well be on its way..with support also for Android OS & iOS. Which may also mean xperia brand being replaced by a Playstation smartphone.

[nix]

it was already there. it was called Xperia PLAY. i had one. then they dropped support. no new OS. nothing. but it was a sleek one one to show off when showing it to others. just slide the controllers out. boom.

[joeorc]

@nix + 1h ago
"it was already there. it was called Xperia PLAY. i had one. then they dropped support. no new OS. nothing. but it was a sleek one one to show off when showing it to others. just slide the controllers out. boom."

I have one also, but as I pointed out, it was not a "PlayStation phone" it was a "playstation mobile" certified smartphone, HTC and other companies had such phones, it was the xperia play just was the 1st one.

What I am talking about is not the same thing, what I am reference to is a smartphone e made by PlayStation R&D and made as they would a playstation console.

So far the close' to that was the PSVita 3G version that could activate under the AT&T tablet plan..it did not contain a built in dialer like a smartphone but it did contain Skype which if you were on 3G you could send and make calls across 3G..

The Mylo IE: my life on line device was like the PSPGo, just no games to speak of but designed before the PSPGo, which was where the PSPGo was designed like.

What this would be is pretty much a Forked version of Android like a Amazon fire phone line Amazon did for their fire devices. But made official with Playstation software & services to boot. With playstation Vue being cable over the internet. No doubt Sony' is looking to leverage that function say on TMobile for instance its watch video on line without eating data.

[WeAreLegion]

Honestly, it needed to happen. Nintendo's making bank on mobile games, already. The mobile market is very profitable for good developers. Also, Gameloft.

If this means more funding for the big games, I'm happy.

[Wallstreet37]

sony has been dabbling in the mobile market for the longest already. They already had mobile versions of lbp sackboy, Gravity Rush, Uncharted etc..... so its just a continuation of their endeavors

[WeAreLegion]

I know, but a dedicated team for this will go a long way.

[DragoonsScaleLegends]

It's also very profitable for microtransaction trash.

[DragonDDark]

People fall for it = $$$

[rainslacker]

If they make lots of money off the venture, I'd see them pouring more resources into it than shifting that money over to big game development. Konami felt this way. Granted, it does help stabilize and diversify their lineup across multiple markets, which does help the brand thrive so there would be some overlap.

I think the hardcore's disdain for mobile gaming will try to make the two one in the same though, which means endless fanboy comments about how Sony is moving away from traditional console games...which would be rather silly at this junction.

I guess until they stop making money on console games it's not anything to worry about. At most I'd be more concerned with those game productions which don't see high returns, or no returns, as investors are obviously going to want high returns if given the choice, and these low selling games which give variety to the PS line don't have as much tangible investment appeal as it's more for pushing the brand than the game itself.

These past few weeks have had so many announcements which make me rather dispondant on the whole outlook for gaming going forward. Way too much change, even if rumored or implied with no real context, way too fast. I can't even bring myself to make a judgement based on assumption anymore because there is just too much, and I'd rather just wait and see what is actually verified.

[GamerGT]

Sony really should make a new Sony PS Vita basically a PS4 to go. With full function controls line the DualShock 4. Any game you purchase though the PS network is downloadable and playable on the handheld device. Like the Dualshock 4 with an LCD screen. Fully rechargeable battery. Complete kit, $299-$399.

[Wallstreet37]

Id be in heaven if they sold this lol I bought the Vita day one and never regretted it. The hardware was just so good and it had enough software to keep me happy.

[rainslacker]

That'd be pretty awesome. The Vita was right up there with PS3(although not quite), and it was pretty awesome. If they did something like that, they could feasibly make it a full digital PS4, and allow one to hook it up to a TV as well to replace the console itself. Maybe even allow some sort of transfer of games from retail purchases, with occasional verification by inserting your disc into the transferring mechanism

I'd imagine it'd be pretty expensive though.

Not sure I see it happening though, as remote play seems to be more Sony's answer to PS4 gaming on the go. Sadly it is limited in usage.

[GamerGT]

@rainslacker right I like the idea of remote play on my phone that I sync the Dualshock 4 to. Vita in its current form is crippling with the lack of L2 and R2 buttons.
But this handheld should mimick most of what the PS4 can do only on a smaller mobile scale. Pick up a game on the go where you left off at home. Synced together with your PSN account.

[Artemidorus]

April fool's?

[kenwonobi]

Very smart move. That's the future moneymaker. Mobile gaming will be the perfect way to grow the company.

[joeorc]

@Commando_Bro + 1h ago Bubble vote added
"A PlayStation Phone OS.
Design for high end graphics gaming with the advantages of a fully fledged phone.
Maybe it runs Android as well"

Exactly! A fork of Android OS built from the ground up for playstation smartphone brand.

The key points is Sony has trimmed down the xperia brand, and is going for streamline less models.

With taking the name just like playstation Vue
Playstation Now
Playstation network

Instead of calling it
Xperia play
Playstation Vita
Just call it
[Playstation Phone]

Unified Eco system create it unlocked from the get go GSM & CDMA subsidized Data plan across At&t, T-Mobile, Verizon, sprint etc.

Make it 4GLTE everywhere.
WiFi all the way up to AC
Run snap dragon 830 chipsets.
Build in PlayStation services
Remote play on phone to PS4 or PS4 to smartphone accessible.
Run Android APK's
Use onboard storage, with mini SD
Dual shock 4 standard controller wired through USB OTG support, or Bluetooth wireless support. All games made for phone must use Dual shock 4 control imputes.

Comes with 6.5 inch screen, 13 hour battery time. And clip for a dual shock 4 or bundle with dual shock 4 for.

$500.00

[GamerGT]

It's like we shared the same brain at some point.

[joeorc]

@GamerGT + 9m ago
"It's like we shared the same brain at some point."

Lol, I know..I just think with the recent moves that Sony is taking it makes more sense to go this route.

Reasons are simple.. Many consumer reports show many only want to carry only one handheld on their person at one time. And they really do not want thumb sticks sticking out of their pocket with their smartphone they want access to the device quick.

That means case or holsters. Or purse or shirt pocket. It just makes sense today that many see the fact you can play games like grand theft auto San Andreas on a phone. That's the main point at one time that game was only for.

PC & console's

Now its on a communication device..a freaking Phone. Lol

Add in a game pad and really would you need physical controls built in?
I do not think so , since if you made the smartphone work directly with your living room game console using a physical game pad the very same one for your living room console for your phone also means the one key feature missing.

Game console control experience would be fixed with tljust that main point the half step control pad used for the PSP while good along with the PSVita just does not give the full experience.

But by using the living room game pad support to a phone as a requirement means no such problems.

That's I think the real key point in fixing such a problem. Do such would make sure from mobile to living room console games is pretty much the same experience.

[Aloy-Boyfriend]

Jesus man. I hope this happens pretty soon. Might just wait for E3 to see if Sony ever releases another Xperia play phone before upgrading.

[joeorc]

@XiKurapikaKurta + 6m ago
"Jesus man. I hope this happens pretty soon. Might just wait for E3 to see if Sony ever releases another Xperia play phone before upgrading."

Well there I think is a very good chance to happen, due to the fact Sony is not going to concentrate on Market share..but to gain profit & if Sony puts out a smartphone unique enough to make a niche it could set itself in a market that would allow Sony to Acquire both.

If you really look at smartphone game development, the one thing really missing is there is no real physical game pad standard. For developers that really have a standard..they could, but they do not..

That's where Sony in fact could step in by making such a standard with a phone they make.

I think by bringing console development to smartphone's as if they were working on a living room console , but for smart phones..setting such a standard could very well make it viable.

Nintendo and Microsoft are looking to do the same Nintendo with their Eco system, Microsoft with Windows 10.

I think this has a very good chance to make it.

[gangsta_red]

"...will leverage the intellectual property of various PlayStation titles and its characters, as well as Sony’s knowledge and know-how of gaming development expertise, to provide gaming apps optimized for smart devices in Japan and Asia."

So basically Sony is doing what Nintendo is doing with DeNA.

"Its aim is to “deliver users with opportunity to casually enjoy full-fledged game titles in the new filed of the smart device market.”"

To capture the casual smartphone audience. Get ready for Candy Crush starring Kratos, God of Crush!

Can't really blame Sony for trying to get a piece of that Asian mobile market. It's just a shame they couldn't also have this same newly formed studio also make games for the Vita.

[Rookie_Monster]

So this new mobile division came just days after the closure of Evolution? If Sony is closing Evolution due to allocating funds to this mobile division, then that is just not cool to core gamers like myself and a bad decision IMO.

[Aloy-Boyfriend]

Yeah because sony is gonna pour all their money into this studio alone...RIP AAAs and Naughty Dog

[DigitalRaptor]

Dat baseless and selective concern trolling is back and stronger than ever.

Also loving the lack of concern for Microsoft closing Lionhead Studios and several other first-party studios and ventures, in favour of keeping dat "Microsoft Casual Games" division and "Xbox Fitness": https://twitter.com/VG_Dave...

No surprise there, but a bit strange is seeing both you and doppelgängster posting negatively and spreading FUD on Sony articles at exactly the same time usually directly after or before each other. Actually no that's pretty common.