In response to my unboxing of Sony Ericsson’s first PlayStation certified device, the Xperia Play, I received a number of messages that basically amounted to collective disapproval of the phone. Not everyone had something negative to say about the gadget; a lot of you own one and love it. But I did get more critical feedback than supportive. Perhaps the vocal minority feels the device can’t match the expectations generated by the long build-up of hype. I think it’s interesting that the people who contacted me to say that the Play stinks, or sucks, or just isn’t as good as the VIta didn’t mention trying a Play out. You could say that people who buy devices want to be happy with their purchase and will justify it. And it makes sense that people who are unimpressed with a product won’t purchase one. But I want to know why, exactly, you all love, hate, or simply “meh” over this phone.

With Gingerbread on board and a 1GHz Scorpion Snapdragon CPU (and graphics handled by the Adreno 205 GPU), the Play isn’t exactly behind the mobile technology curve. It may not feature the latest and greatest dual-core beast of a processor, but the phone can hold its own. And really, for me, the pleasure of the Xperia Play is in the ability to play games without obstructing the screen. Not to mention that the controls are plentiful and of high quality. Not all of you will agree with those sentiments, and we–and our audience–would like to know why. Is the franchise too young? Are you disappointed with the initial selection of games? Hate black and silver? Or, do you think the Xperia Play is the best thing ever invented, ever?

Submit your answer in the poll below and leave a comment at the bottom with any details, complaints, praise, etc. I will address as many of them as possible in my full review.