Sony appears to be developing a new platform for free mobile games, according to details revealed in a PlayStation job posting. The mobile platform architect job listing states that the position requires designing the PlayStation platform to “develop, publish and operate free-to-play mobile games.” Previously, Microsoft announced that it would launch the Xbox mobile store in July.
Sony PlayStation launch hints at new mobile gaming plans
A PlayStation job listing spotted by TweakTown reveals some details about Sony’s mobile gaming plans. PlayStation Studios Mobile is seeking an experienced software engineer to lead the design and implementation of Sony’s mobile gaming platform, according to job postings. Individuals must also work with internal teams to connect mobile games to existing PlayStation services.
The list also mentions the responsibilities of the role. Individuals must “design system architecture and back-end services for mobile game platforms” and “actively track technological innovations, changes and trends that impact mobile game development.”
In addition, Sony is looking for people with experience designing APIs or related SDKs and application knowledge of game engines such as Unity or Unreal Engine.
The PlayStation parent company has yet to officially announce its plans for the free-to-play mobile gaming platform. However, the company has reportedly been working on porting some of its most popular PlayStation games to mobile devices.
The company reportedly said in a presentation last year that many of its in-house studios are developing mobile games. Sony said in the presentation that it expects mobile games to account for nearly 5% of its gaming portfolio by 2023, and that share is expected to rise to 10% by 2025.
Sony rival Microsoft has also been making movies in the mobile gaming space. Last year, the Xbox parent company completed its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard King, the developer and publisher of popular mobile games such as Candy Crush Saga and Farm Heroes Saga.
Earlier this month, Microsoft also announced plans to launch the long-awaited Xbox Mobile Game Store in July, where it will offer a portfolio of first-party mobile games such as “Candy Crush” and “Minecraft.”
