To all those enjoying some gaming action on Sony Ericsson’s new Xperia Play smartphone, or to those mulling whether to buy one or not, we have good news because Sony just announced 20 new gaming titles heading to the device.

The so-called “PlayStation Phone” allows users gaming freedom that few other devices offer, with a range of new titles as well as PlayStation One games being supported on the phone.

Among the new titles coming to the phone is the PC’s popular building hit Minecraft from developers Mojang. Voted as one of the best indie PC games of all time, the world simulator will be heading to the Xperia Play first in a long awaited mobile version of the game.

With over eight million registered users and around 50 000 people joining the gaming phenomenon each day, Minecraft is a highly anticipated Xperia Play title.

“As Xperia Play becomes available to Verizon Wireless customers in the U.S., the portfolio of great games continues to grow and we are delighted to announce 20 new games optimised for Xperia Play,” said Colin Williamson, marketing manager at Sony Ericsson South Africa.

“By building on the open Android ecosystem, we're providing a brilliant opportunity for developers and game publishers to bring their best titles to new audiences and fantastic new experiences for Xperia Play owners.”

In addition to mobile Minecraft, other Xperia Play exclusives include Battlefield Bad Company 2, Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6 Shadow Vanguard, Pocket RPG and Star Legends: The Black Chronicles. The new games are expected to be released in the coming months, with more details dropping at E3 next week.

In addition to the 20 new games, the company also confirmed that a number of new classic PlayStation 1 titles will also be joining the Xperia Play library soon.

Sony Ericsson is also launching a new programme to support up-and-coming mobile game developers. The “Stand our from the crowd” initiative enables budding developers to become part of the Xperia Play story and get their games the publicity they need.

Sony Ericsson will be offering hands-on demos of the Xperia Play and many of its new titles at E3 in Los Angeles, taking place June 7-9.