New Report Reveals Details on Sony's Smartphone Game Plans

According to a new report, Sony will launch "five or more" smartphone games in 2018 as part of its newly formed mobile gaming division, ForwardWorks. Nikkei reports that these games, which could launch in March 2018, will be "targeted" at Japan and other parts of Asia.

Sony could announce them by the end of the year, the report said (via MCV).

As announced previously, these games may pull from Sony's library of characters and franchises. Interestingly, Nikkei reports that "some older games that cannot be played on the latest hardware will be revived" for smartphone games. Additionally, "games may be linked to consoles as well," the report said.

The games, whatever they turn out to be, will be made for iOS and Android devices.

"The company will aim to deliver users with opportunity to casually enjoy full-fledged game titles in the new field of the smart device market," Sony said in March when it announced the new smartphone game division. The company added that it formed ForwardWorks so as to meet the demands of the "ever-expanding smart device market."

Sony has only announced that its new smartphone games will be released in Japan and Asia, though the company has not ruled out bringing them to the west as well.

The smartphone market is nothing new for Sony, as the company's PlayStation Mobile division has already launched titles like Run Sackboy Run and Ratchet & Clank: Before the Nexus.

Nintendo also has big plans for the smartphone market. Its first game, Miitomo, came out earlier this year, while Super Mario Run is scheduled to arrive in December. Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing smartphone games are also on the way.