Slashdot Mirror
Sony - PS2 Until 2010, First PSP Game Demo?
ack154 writes "Reuters has a good article from the Game Developers Conference in San Jose, explaining how Sony is planning to milk PS2 sales until 2010. They see a lot of potential still down the road. Also mentioned at the conference was that Sony has no plans to speed up PS3 development based on the next Xbox system. There was also an emulated demo of a game for the upcoming PSP handheld." Elsewhere, GameSpy has a more detailed write-up of the same GDC keynote, and 1UP.com has in-depth information on programming the PSP from another GDC lecture. Update: 03/26 14:31 GMT by S : 1UP has added a streaming movie of Death Jr., the PSP game demonstrated, to its coverage of the keynote.
Sony does certainly hace the hype machine in the thier court. If Microsoft starts to release the Xbox next before Sony releases the PS3, then all Sony has to do is start leaking rumors that they will be releasing the PS3 at about the same time Xbox next is going to be released. Then all the people more interested in Sony will wait it out, instead of buying an Xbox next in the short run.
I do believe that this round backward compatability is key, as well as network multi-player games. In addition to those, the console that adds the most multi-media functions as an easy side-task will get my dollars. I'd love to have a game machine for fun, as well as a HTPC for DVD playback, video/music streaming, PVR functions. I want an all-in-one box at a low price, and I don't want to have to hack it to get that.
--
Real time updates from Slickdeals, Techbargains, Bens Bargains, Got|Apex and more!
6 years ago was 1998.
I was using a 200 mhz pentium, playing games on my Playstation 1, and surfing the internet on a 28.8 baud modem, and I think I had a Voodoo 2 graphics accelerator card.
6 years from now.. who knows what I will be doing. But there is no way I will be sitting around playing a PS2.
Like my subject says.. 6 years is a really really long time in terms of technology. If Sony sits on their PS2 for that long they are going to be left behind.
Really? I plan on buying something that'll play video games and do it well. I don't need any of that other stuff to take away from that. Don't need an iffy DVD player included(I already own one), I don't need it to play CDs(I have a stereo), I don't need it to record TV shows(I have a VCR)
"Armed forces abroad are of little value unless there is prudent counsel at home" - Cicero
6 years ago was 1998.
I was using a 200 mhz pentium, playing games on my Playstation 1, and surfing the internet on a 28.8 baud modem, and I think I had a Voodoo 2 graphics accelerator card.
6 years from now.. who knows what I will be doing. But there is no way I will be sitting around playing a PS2.
In 1998 I had a 400MHz P2 and was within a few months of stripping my Voodoo 2 cards out of my system (and had already replaced one that fried from the heat of the SLI setup). I had cable internet access, and had only been using 28.8 before that because my parents' ISP didn't support 33.6.
On the other hand, I still play PS1 games almost as much as PS2 games, though I play them on a PS2. I've probably bought more PS1 games since the PS2 was released, but I can't say for sure because I sold a lot of my PS1 games with my PS1 (most of them were pretty horrible games).
-PainKilleR-[CE]
some ps1 titles still get sold.
consider that.
they can still continue to milk ps2 line after they make ps3.
.
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
I don't think that they are planning to wait with the PS3 until 2010. They're just going to support the PS2 until then, very much like they did with PS1(PSX). Even now you sometimes see games coming out for that system. The Backwards compatibility of the PS3 will give them a certain advantage, even when the PS3 is out, they can still make PS2 games, and PS3 owners will be able to play them.
It's clever, all those old PS2s need to go somewhere. They will probably go over to people that don't want to spend their money on an expensive console and are satisfied with something older. So next to the small PS3 start-up market after the release, they can continue to make money on the PS2, until enough people own a PS3.
Even if Sony doesn't push the PS3 faster, they should consider a PS2.5 box, no change to the CPU or GPU hardware, but have a build in HDD, network adapter, multitap, and/or better memory card system. Maybe update the firmware to fix some of the DVD viewing problems that also exist (esp. with multilayer DVDs). Heck, if they use a good size HDD (60g+), they could build a PVR unit easily off the PS2 base, sell this PS2.5 for $200-250, drop the PS2 to $150, and stay competive on hardware for the Xbox(2) and GC. Just give the consumer something that shows maybe a taste of what the PS3 will have and work from there.
"Pinky, you've left the lens cap of your mind on again." - P&TB
"I can see my house from here!" - ST:
The original Playstation / PSOne is coming up to ten years old, and a few games are still being produced for it, albeit not many, and the console is still available. So Sony thinking they can get their current console to 2010 isn't that stupid.
:) I guess they're clearing stock, I don't think the PSOne has that much life left in it, although it might not get officially canned until a 'PSTwo' comes out.
Although the PSOne is getting rare nowadays, but Game (a UK games store) is selling PSOne + Official Screen for GB80 (only 30 more than the usual selling price of the PSOne on it's own), if only I had the money I'd get one and a car adaptor.
10 PRINT "LOOK AROUND YOU ";
20 GOTO 10
Sold? Heck, the still get made, too, you know.
Nintendo still made profit selling the Famicom and Super Famicom in Japan until September 2003. Not much, but they didn't mass produce the console.
I didn't see anywhere where Sony said they'd sell the PS2 in the US six years from now, and Japanese gamers aren't as vain as US gamers. FDS games are still developed and sold there. Try selling an 8-bit game in the US and see how fast you get laughed out of the country.
Just because they say they're going to milk the PS2 for another 6 years doesn't mean that they aren't going to be putting out the PS3. All it said was that they aren't going to speed up the PS3 release because of the XBox2.
I still play PS1 games (and Genesis and SNES and so forth), and stores still sell PS1 games, and I'm pretty sure that there are a few PS1 games still being made (albiet rare). And I fully intend to continue playing the games I have on my PS2 (and the games still to be released) for plenty of more years, including after the PS3 is out (and probably the PS4, PS5, and so on).
I'm sorry, but that is just completely wrong, and you're buying into Sony's hype machine. I'm curious if you've ever compared the three:
The PSone (or playstation):
Has a 33 MHz, 32 bit processor, with 2MB of RAM.
The dreamcast:
Has a 128-bit, 200 MHz main processor, with 16 megs of system RAM, 8 megs of dedicated video RAM and 2 megs of audio RAM.
The ps2:
Has a 128-bit, 294 MHz main processor, with 32 megs of system RAM and 4 megs of video RAM.
According to the specs, the PS2 has a faster clock (though different processor) and more RAM. Unfortunately, it has far less video RAM, which is very important. Want to see great graphics? Take a look at the DC Soul Calibur.
The DC kicked the pants off of the PS1 and was very competitive with (besides DVD playback many would say better than) the PS2. Play a DC and PS1 game back to back and you'll see (because you would have never said they were comparable if you've ever used a Dreamcast). Play a DC and PS2 game side-by-side and I think you'll be hard pressed to tell the difference. The dreamcast was ahead of its time.
God Bless America. Why? Did it sneeze?