Sony today confirmed that it is working on creating more than five smartphone games for iOS and Android, all expected to launch before March 2018 (via CNBC). The games will be created through Sony's ForwardWorks subsidiary, which it formed earlier in March of this year as a way to craft "full-fledged game titles" for smartphones.

At the time of that announcement, the company hadn't detailed the launch plan, or specified how many games it wanted to create, so today marks the first time it talks about its smartphone gaming plans since then. Known in March and reiterated today, the Sony iOS and Android games will first hit Japan and other Asian countries, with the expectation being that each game will then slowly rollout wider after the initial release.

iPhone-6s-sony-characters
Despite consistently strong sales figures for its PlayStation 4 system, the company's aim at Japan is an attempt to battle low console sales in a country where users are more likely to spend their time picking up mobile and smartphone games rather than sit in front of a home console system.

"Japan is a market where Sony and other console makers are struggling to sell units. Sony had to react. People are consuming smartphone games like there is no tomorrow," Serkan Toto, CEO of Japanese gaming consultant and advisory group Kantan Games, told CNBC by phone.

Sony has still yet to confirm which games and franchises might receive the smartphone treatment, but any of its first party franchises published under Sony Interactive Entertainment -- Uncharted, Sly Cooper, Ratchet & Clank, God of War -- could be fair game. Although the company said that the experiences would be "full-fledged" games, it's likely Sony will take Nintendo's approach and optimize each for smartphones, like the latter company is doing in partnership with Apple for the endless runner Super Mario Run.

Analyst Serkan Toto mentioned that since Sony's intellectual properties aren't as recognizable as Nintendo's, the company's chance for failure might be higher.

"Sony doesn't have the same power as the Nintendo IP. There is nothing that comes even close to Mario," Toto said.

"If the first couple of games from that company just don't work, I think the smartphone game business will see the same fate as the portable game business. Nobody talks about the Vita anymore," the analyst added, referring to Sony's PS Vita handheld console.

In the same vein of Sony's announcement, back in May of 2015 Nintendo revealed that the company was working on 5 smartphone games, in partnership with DeNA, with an end-goal to launch all of them by March 2017. The first was the quickly abandoned Miitomo, followed this December by Super Mario Run.

Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem were originally planned to launch this fall, but Nintendo pushed their debut back to 2017 so as not to overcrowd the end of the year and keep the spotlight on Mario. That still leaves one unannounced Nintendo mobile title to launch before the end of Nintendo's fiscal year -- March 31, 2017 -- if the company is to keep to its original promise of five smartphone games by March 2017.

Top Rated Comments

ghost187 Avatar
114 months ago
I love these news, keep em coming!

Cant wait to play Zelda and Metal Gear Solid on my iOS devices (legally). ;)
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MartinAppleGuy Avatar
114 months ago
I've been waiting 5 years for ARM chips to get where they are today (on par with i5 dual cores for **** sake!), and we are still waiting on the A10X to come along and be even faster. This is a game Apple has already won, and I'm so happy to see proper games and software come to this platform!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Saipher Avatar
114 months ago
It's really great that these companies are finally opening up their titles to iOS and Android, but I really do hope the same will be true for tvOS as well. As Apple's A series processors become stonger, console quality gaming will become a reality on the big screen pretty soon, and now that games are no longer required to support the Siri remote, more complex, console like games are a possibility. Eventually, with great gaming and all the different streaming and entertainment apps, Apple TV will become the utimate livingroom entertainment machine. I can't wait for AppleTV 5 to come out! :)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iKrivetko Avatar
114 months ago
Crash Bandicoot on iOS would be awesome.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LordBeelzebub Avatar
114 months ago
5 titles by March 2018, year and a half away? Whew! Slow down Sony, too much too fast, I'm getting dizzy already, I can't keep up. Pfffft.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
114 months ago
If Gran Turismo comes to iOS... :eek:
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
top stories 2025 07 12

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, iOS 26 Beta 3, and More

Saturday July 12, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
The iOS 26 public beta release is quickly approaching, while developers have recently gotten their hands on a third round of betas that has seen Apple continue to tweak features, design, and functionality. We're also continuing to hear rumors about the iPhone 17 lineup that is now just about right around the corner, while Apple's latest big-budget film appears to be taking off, so read on...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 17 May See 'Significant' Dynamic Island Changes

Monday July 14, 2025 12:11 am PDT by
The iPhone's Dynamic Island experience is set to undergo "significant evolution" over the next few years, according to a new rumor. Earlier this month, a report suggested that the iPhone 17 lineup will feature a redesigned Dynamic Island user interface, but little else was explained about the software changes. Now, the leaker known as "Majin Bu" appears to have corroborated this, commenting ...