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Sony Demonstrates PS2 Video Conferencing

Posted by simoniker on from the eye-see-you dept.

Thanks to GamesIndustry.biz for its article discussing Sony 's demonstration of a PlayStation 2 using a USB webcam to run a video-conference across the Internet, as showcased at the IPv6 Business Summit 2004 in Japan earlier this week. GI.biz points out that, although this conference was "about the IPv6 [Internet] protocol", according to their sources, "Sony has been encouraging developers to use the EyeToy webcam peripheral to add video communications to their online PS2 games - over the plain old IPv4 Internet - and it's expected that the first games to use the functionality could arrive before the end of the year." The article concludes that this move "would give Sony a technological lead over Microsoft", but is also "likely to raise a number of contentious issues - such as the possibility for abuse of the service."

5 of 23 comments (clear)

  1. Useless in games by MBraynard · · Score: 4, Insightful
    I can't think of a single game existing where this would be remotely useful. Voice? Very useful. Seeing your opponent give you the middle finger after you sniper him? Pointless.

    1. Re:Useless in games by wan-fu · · Score: 5, Insightful

      What about a game like Ghost Recon or SOCOM where signaling can be just as effective as voice (and maybe even adding a 'cool' factor to the game) and perhaps if the game were to do something like in NS or Counter-Strike (a current or soon to be feature? I can't remember) where voice communications can be overheard by the opposing team? Or how about a game like DDR? I think a game of DDR over internet could be very cool if you could see your opponent/partner. It's not just about being useful either, it's about enhancing the game experience.

    2. Re:Useless in games by MBraynard · · Score: 4, Interesting

      There are a lot of features in games that go unused. This will probably be one of them. The resolution on most of these TVs will be too low to be good enough picture-in-picture and just think of how much it will slow the PS2 down to have to decompress the streams. The processor is already getting maxed out in many of these newer games anyway.

  2. Woohooo PS2 for the conference room by CowboyNick · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sweet! Now I have a legitimate excuse to order and expense a PS2 for the conference room. :)

    --
    -CowboyNick
  3. Bandwidth Issue by superpulpsicle · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I can't imagine sending voice with any network game I play already.

    To send voice & video conferencing image during the game would just grind everything to hell.

    Did people forget that U.S. broadband is no where close to 100Mbps.