Sony Ericsson has been on a roll like never before – it has managed to line-up a series of Walkman phones at every price segment while the Cyber Shot series has established an image of a serious camera phone. The only frontier in the multimedia range that Sony hasn’t gambled so far is the mobile gaming space. But given its genetic composition, it is only a matter of time before it steps into this unexplored territory. In fact, Sony Ericsson might just knock on the doors of the gaming fraternity later this month, when it is expected to announce the PlayNow Arena – its digital content distribution platform – in Cannes, on January 27.

What’s interesting to note is the strategy Nokia has opted for when it comes to mobile gaming and how miserably it has failed so far. After the two flopped N-Gage handhelds, the Finland-based market leader tried giving the N-Gage a new look – that of an online platform compatible with a number of devices. So far, the N-Gage platform has been nothing more than an unfulfilled promise. Over the past six months, Nokia has roped in all the major game developers for some high-profile games but the platform on which the games will be distributed has been a tough nut to crack. Last year, we witnessed at least two aborted attempts at launching the N-Gage platform.

The other shortcoming in Nokia’s scheme of things is ironically that of the hardware. So far, the N81, the N95 and the N82 are the only phones that are N-Gage compatible. Of these handsets, the N81 is the only device that comes with dedicated gaming buttons, which gives a proper gaming experience. On the other hand, Sony Ericsson is busy building a repertoire of handsets with gaming buttons over the screen – the initial one being the W550i and the latest ones being the W910i and the W580i.

So what are the odds? What goes in favour of Sony Ericsson are a number of factors – the availability of a wider variety of gaming capable handsets, the Java platform for which more games are available and of course, its Sony genes from Japan. On the other hand, Nokia is imposing restrictions on handsets that will be compatible with the N-Gage platform and has put a lot on stake for a platform that has so far failed to prove itself. What goes for Nokia, as always, is its sheer market share. 

So, on which side are you betting your money on?