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Sony Ericsson Offers Up The Wii Of Phones

Today at the CommunicAsia show in Singapore, Sony Ericsson unleashed an onslaught of five new phones. Stuffed in the mix of entry-level phones and high-end camera phones is a gaming phone that uses Wii-like motion sensors to let users interact with games. Now you can punch out fellow commuters on the bus or train as you bowl or fish with the Sony Ericsson F305.

This is perhaps the best use of an accelerometer that has been built into a phone to date. Sure, some phones let you auto-rotate the screen, or pan and zoom around Web browsers, but this is an entirely new level of interaction with your phone. Exactly like the Nintendo Wii, the F305 responds to flicks and swinging motions, allowing you to cast a fishing line, or go for a strike. Very cool. Sony Ericsson and its software partners are currently working on a set of 2-D and 3-D games that will work with the F305 and interact with its accelerometer hardware. It has dedicated gaming buttons and can be used with Motion Gaming games, or with standard, horizontally played games.

One good thing about the Wii is that it is generally used at home. That means all your wild gesticulations with the controller aren't likely to injure innocent passers-by. The F305 is a whole different story. In fact, Sony says it's meant to be used with others. Sven Totté, head of product marketing at Sony Ericsson, said, "Gaming is no longer something you do on your own. It's about having fun with your friends and interacting with the game. We have used motion sensor technology before in our phones and integrating it into gameplay is a natural progression."

I've witnessed Wii injuries take place first hand. I can just imagine groups of users crowded in public places playing with their F305s getting into trouble, accidentally or not.

Of course, the F305 comes with a lot of other stuff, such as full media playback, stereo Bluetooth, and a 2-megapixel camera. Oh, and a strap! It will be compatible with North American cell networks, so perhaps we'll even see it in the United States someday.

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