As scheduled, PlayStation Mobile - Sony's app platform for PS Vita and certified Android devices - has officially gone live, sporting a 20-strong library of games on day one.
The curated service is Sony's attempt to merge handheld and mobile, allowing developers to serve up games that run across both form factors via the dedicated PlayStation Mobile store.
Mobile mover
The platform is currently available in nine countries Japan, the US, Canada, UK, France, Fermany, Italy, Spain and Australia with "more to follow" in the coming months.
Sony also plans to distribute a PlayStation Mobile SDK in November in a bid to court the indie scene, coming in at an annual cost of $99.99.
"PlayStation Mobile brings the trusted PlayStation brand to mobile, and we're launching with over 20 titles, mainly from independent developers," said Shahid Ahmad, senior business development for PlayStation Mobile at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, at AppsWorld in London.
"It's a new platform that will bring PlayStation games to mobile, and mobile games to PlayStation."
Closing windows?
Currently a total of 12 devices are PlayStation Mobile compatible PS Vita, Xperia acro, Xperia acro HD, Xperia ion, Xperia S, Xperia arc, Xperia Play, Sony Tablet S, Sony Tablet P, HTC One S, HTC One X, and the HTC One V but the service has been criticised for forcing developers to build their games in C#.
Such a decision had a heavy impact on developer take up of Microsoft's Windows Phone 7, resulting in the firm opening up its successor Windows Phone 8 to native code applications written in C++.
"We've gone for C# for security reasons," added Admad.
"It's easy to port titles over and Mono is very easy-to-use."
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With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.
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