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Sony's PSX Game/Media Hub Loses Features For Early Release
StingRay02 writes "Sony's recently announced 'digital media hub', the PlayStation 2-based PSX, is getting a feature downgrade to facilitate getting it out of the door for the holidays in Japan, according to a GameSpot article. Apparently, the following features are being cut: HDD to DVD dubbing has been downgraded from 24x speed to 12x speed, CD-R playback will not be supported, DVD+RW playback will not be supported, MP3 file format will not be supported, TIFF and GIF file formats will not be supported, Sony's Cybershot movie format will not be supported. There will also be no antenna output, nor will it be compatible with the Playstation BB service. The original specs can be found on Sony's website." The company "plans to offer firmware updates to owners", but it's unclear as yet what features this will add.
This device is out of Sony Electronics, not Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated, nor Sony Pictures. Same brands, different heads of the hydra.
What winds up happening is that different sections have entirely contradicting business goals: Sony Electronics wants to provide the consumer with devices which will allow him to burn DVDs at high speeds from a large capacity hard drive, and record live TV onto said hard drive, not to mention viewing a variety of other burned media, including the burned DVD-rs.
SCEI fears this will allow people to play copied PS2 and PSOne games. They need to squash some features.
Sony Pictures fears this will allow people to play copied movies. They need to squash some features.
Sony Music fears this will allow people to play downloaded songs. They need to squash some features.
And so on. It's no surprise that the PSX is going to be all black-and-blue (and missing functionality) after all these corporate divisions have beaten it up. By the time this thing sees a stateside release, I'll be surprised if it even has a dvd-r drive in it.
Happiness is relative, Based upon the way we live.
I know the Media-less hub. It doesn't support CD-R or DVD+RW, my cheap Lenox sound DVD walmart player does. No MP3?? Heck it doesnt even play sony's own format. Save your money folks.
Several bad ideas.
The downgrade must have made sense on paper. The difference between 24 speed and 12 speed recording is not a lot. DVD+RW is a standard that isn't particularly necessary, despite what SCE's parent company may think. Who needs Tiff? Cybershot? MP3?
Ok, the lack of MP3 playback in a media hub is like a car that can't turn left. Even on paper that cut's dumb. And being incompatible with Playstation BB seems very odd... Almost like compatibility with other online games is not guaranteed.
The main problem that I see with this, however, is that you are taking a luxury device that retails near $1,000, and removing features before it launches. People spend that much money on a device because it will be the ultimate... The penultimate just isn't enough. If the cuts had been made before the device was announced, and released later as a patch, it wouldn't be an issue. In fact it would serve as a boost, as people get a better machine than they had planned for. But making cuts now just days before the item goes on sale is going to severely tarnish its image.
Bad planning guys. Bad planning.
The ______ Agenda
Those people who are looking at the PSX as the "next generation gaming system" to upgrade from their current PS2s are not the audience Sony is looking for with the PSX.
The PSX is aimed at those people who have not purchased a PS2 yet and are thinking of not buying one until the PS3 comes out... which won't be until 2005 (so everyone's been saying). Those people who are not early adopters.
Yes, the diehard PS2 owners and gaming early-adopters are probably dying to get their hands on the "next new thing" from Sony. To them, I say wait for the PSP or the PS3. As many of you have already said - you already have DVD burners, TiVo units, or other media centers. Why would you want this as well?
So the PSX doesn't have all the features that we would want (and I agree, networking and MP3 ability shouldn't have been stubbed), but for someone who doesn't even have a PS2, it's certainly better than nothing.
Analysts have said that digital cameras and other gadgets are what's driving computer sales, not vice-versa. I suspect the same philosphy and target audience is where Sony is heading with the PSX - people who haven't quite gotten onto the electronics/media center bandwagon and are looking for an easy entry point.