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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 is bad practice. The PSX always seemed like this poorly thought of device that was just going to test the waters for the PS3 (and gauge what people wanted from their PS3 - video game device or all-in-one media powerhouse) anyway. The poor selection of a name coupled with this news about the downgrade really makes me wonder who's in charge at Sony and whether they are thinking long term at all.
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...with no MP3 support. that's great R&D that is.
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.
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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.
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Did they drop support for electrical power as well? Should I dig out my old steam engine?
They will no doubt can the remote control as well. That does not bother me so much as I have 2 kids to change channels for me :)
Is this foreshadowing Sony's fall from the #1 spot? Sounds impossible, but it also seemed impossible that Nintendo would fall after the NES and Super NES (and Game Boy, for that matter), but all it took was the Nintendo 64 to send them free-falling down the totem pole.
Sony needs to not be screwing with this PSX crap, and maybe not even the PSP, but better focus attention on the PS3. There won't be a big head start for them this time.
Of course, for Sony to fall, it means Microsoft has to step it up to the next level. They had a good first showing, and really led the way on complete online console gaming, but they have to bring in more balanced, broad development for the second go-around (and no flubs like too-big-for-some-people controllers on release).