2011 VGAs PS3 Exclusive: New PS Vita Phone from Sony and Mentor Graphics?

A couple days ago we told you about a PS3 exclusive that would be revealed at the 2011 VGAs on Spike TV, December 10th.

Sony is advertising it as a “PS3 exclusive you won’t believe.”

Now, a teaser of sorts appears to have hit the net and it’s called “The Last Of Us,” or even better, “Who Are The Last Of Us?” (see below for more).

The video, which seems to show that all hell has broken loose, features real world footage of riots, protests and anarchy.

Not much else is revealed, other than a website with a second video revealing an ant crawling around. 

However, taking a look at the source code for the site, and doing a little digging from there, reveals the following:

• “Who Are The Last Of Us?” through the meta data.

• In addition, the background image can be seen (see upper right – “riot.jpg”).

• Checking the Google Analytic id reveals it’s from Playstation; I suppose that means “it” is made by Sony. The following sites are associated as well: TheTester.com, PS3.com, www.ps3.com, Forums.Socom.com and PlaystationPlus.com.

• Checking the domain registration reveals a private registration.

• However, the ip address for the site (107.22.189.180) reveals that it is hosted in Spain (through Amazon’s Web Service), with a second site sharing the same ip address: http://blogs.mentor.com/. Bing ip search reveals the same.

• Blogs.Mentor.com is the blog of Mentor Graphics.

• Mentor Graphics is a spinoff of Sony-Tektronix.

• The Company’s [Mentor Graphics] product line includes integrated circuits, printed circuit boards (PCBs), field programmable gate arrays, wire harness systems, and embedded software solutions. These products are used in designing and developing diverse electronic products, such as video game consoles, automotive electronics, digital cameras, personal computers, cellular phones, and others (Source: Dictionary.net).

• From Mentor.com: Mentor Graphics Silicon Partners: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications and Mentor Graphics Corporation teamed up in order to serve the global communications market with innovative and feature-rich mobile phones, accessories and PC-cards.

• Mentor Graphics partnered with Mercury Computer Systems to develop a fully integrated electronic design automation (EDA) platform based on the Cell Broadband Engine (BE) processor developed originally by IBM, Sony, and Toshiba for the Sony Playstation 3 video game console and other consumer electronics devices (source: ChipDesignMag).

• Mentor Graphics also did consulting for Ericcson.

• Peter Leahy Bonfield is on the board of directors for both Sony and Mentor Graphics, as well as Ericcson.

• Sony’s next-gen portable, the PS Vita is 3G, and is partnered with AT&T in the US, and Vodafone in Europe.

• Sony’s new software for the PS3, version 4.00, “ushers in new functionality for the console by making it a hub for the upcoming PS Vita handheld.” The new software went  live November 30th (source: CNet).

If we take a look at the writing on the wall: Sony is announcing something pretty huge at the VGAs, and the promotion for it is hosted side by side Mentor Graphics own site. As far as I can tell, Mentor Graphics seems to be more involved in the cell phone market than the gaming market.

The “Who Are The Last Of Us?” promotion could simply mean the chaos that wanting the PS Phone will bring (it’s never actually been stated to be a “game,” I believe).

Or could we simply be seeing a new game that is playable on both the PS3 and PS Vita (cross-play).

What about a game based on some kind of new tech? As the video below suggests, perhaps something “real world?”

Guess, we’ll find out soon enough.

Tune in Saturday, December 10th at 8pm on Spike TV for more about the Playstation 3 exclusive reveal.

Here’s “The Last of Us” video: