There’s no doubt that the Xperia Play, formerly known as the PlayStation phone, didn’t turn out exactly as phone enthusiasts or gamers were hoping. Despite similar features and a slide-out controller scheme, the Play just didn’t live up to expectations.

But the Xperia Play was just the beginning, and perhaps the next time things will be much different, in fact they definitely will. That’s because Ericcson has sold their Sony Ericsson shares to Sony, giving them creator control over Ericcson phone development.

The deal totaled some $1.41 Billion, and is only for controlling stake of the company not complete ownership of it. The goal is for Sony to integrate Ericcson into their long line of network-connected electronics companies, and perhaps to give the PlayStation Phone another go. The Xperia Play might not have been the experiment Sony or gamers were looking for, but it also might have been too much phone and not enough PlayStation.

While this doesn’t outright mean that a true PlayStation phone is in Sony’s future, it does make the possibility much more likely. Our experience with the first Xperia Play experiment showed a smart phone that was too much phone and not enough of a gaming platform.

We know that it is possible — look at the tremendous success Apple has had with the iPhone — but perhaps it just isn’t in Sony’s cards. With the PlayStation Vita releasing for the US next year, and a potential PS4 reveal in late 2012, one has to figure that Sony is getting their fill in the technology development department.

Nonetheless, there should absolutely be good things coming out of this Ericsson purchase, just maybe not the PlayStation phone gamers have been dreaming of.

Would you be interested in a PlayStation phone if it was developed under Sony’s sole watchful eye? Do you think that there is a market for a combination PlayStation handheld and smart phone?

Source: MSN