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E3 - Sony Drops PS2 To $149, Shows PSP, Hints At PS3

JSDopefish writes "Not much of a surprise, but Sony announced today at their E3 press conference that they're lowering the price of the PlayStation 2 console to $149, including the network adapter. That matches the already in-place $149 price of the Xbox system. The GameCube remains at $99." Elsewhere, jasoncart writes "Sony has just unveiled their Playstation Portable specs to the enthralled masses at their pre-E3 conference in LA. The result is the first photographs of the new device (alt. link), confirmation of the impressive specifications (Wi-Fi ahoy!) and hints on the games we'll be playing on the PSP, including 'clips of Gran Turismo... Wipeout [and] Metal Gear Solid'." 1UP also discusses mentions of the PlayStation 3 in the press conference, including "some rather grand predictions for the future of Sony's game console efforts."

19 of 326 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Yea, but does the PS2 run Linux? by stratjakt · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Yep

    But it'll cost you a few hundred bucks, and its severely crippled.

    --
    I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
  2. Re:poor microsoft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Pretty soon? They were selling it at a loss on launch day, it's just been getting worse since then.

  3. Re:poor microsoft by nate1138 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Hello, earth to guy with no clue how the market for game systems works. Can you hear me?

    Microsoft NEVER made any money on the Xbox. The console is sold at a loss, and the profits come from the games. I believe it took 3 titles purchased for Microsoft to break even when the XBox was launched. With the reduction in component prices and the increases in manufacturing efficiency, they probably aren't losing much, if any, more than they were when the console was launched.

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    Where's my lobbyist? Right here.
  4. Re:This will sell like acid at Woodstock . . . by bludstone · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I wouldnt be so quick to judge.

    This will be an interesting competition. MANY technologically superior handhelds have gone up against nintendo, only to be defeated soundly.

    Also realize that, if properly utilized, this touch screen could adapt the handheld to any control scheme necessary. Heck, Maybe in the future all controllers will be touch screen, and the button configurations will depend on the game programmers themselves.

    We shall see.

    Now. Gimme some ubisoft news. (play "beyong good and evil.)

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    no .sig
  5. Re:poor microsoft by stratjakt · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No, it's been improving, and ahead of schedule. Word is xbox will profitable sooner than originally expected, due to increased sales and drastically lower production costs. It makes me wonder how much of that includes boxes sold to dorks who think buying xboxes to mod and run linux on "screws microsoft over". It doesnt. An item sold is an item sold.

    Xbox outsold PS2 this month. The list of third party titles and developers is snowballing.

    I really dont get being a fanboy for any console based on the "company x is evil!" philosophy. Both are big companies with histories of Evil(tm), hell add Nintendo and their emulator witchhunts and censorship of games to the list, oh and their illegal developer lockin contracts of days-gone-by. Hell, if they had their way, Capcom, EA, et al would be contractually obliged to only develop for them.

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    I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
  6. Re:More info on the PSP by bludstone · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I suggest taking these specs with a grain of salt.

    Sony has a history of promising incredible things, and then backtracking on them a week or so before launch.

    "ps2 renders toystory in real time." Indeed. PSH.

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    no .sig
  7. Re:This will sell like acid at Woodstock . . . by NanoGator · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "I'm going to be in line on day one. It almost makes you feel sorry for Nintendo with that dual-screen monstrousity of theirs. "

    Monstrosity? Sorry, I don't feel sorry for Nintendo here. The system has wireless capability built in. This means both head to head play AND net play. It's got the touch screen interface like a Palm Pilot, that means you can play multiplayer + chat. Forget doing that on the PSP. It plays GBA games. Sorry, no backwards compatiblity for PSP. It has a built-in microphone. Sorry Sony, no voice recognition for you. Undoubtedly, the Nintendo system will be a lot cheaper than the PSP as well.

    Who should feel sorry for who?

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    "Derp de derp."
  8. Re:WHY! Why does a portable system have so many po by cubicledrone · · Score: 3, Insightful

    have so many ports from their non-portable cousins?

    Because games are too expensive to develop.

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    Business isn't willing to pay for products, innovation and careers, so we get brands, mortgage commercials and layoffs.
  9. Why are people fawning over the specs? by LilMikey · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Yes, they slaughter the GBA and Gamepark but those were fairly underpowered on release. Compare it to something like the Zodiac it doesn't beat it on any field except the 1.8gig disk.

    We all know it's going to be the games that make the system... so I'm sure this thing will be stunningly successful. As for the specs, it's almost exactly what I was expecting at the price-point, nothing more, nothing less.

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    LilMikey.com... I'll stop doing it when you sto
  10. Re:ps3 workstation by AltaMannen · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I think they mean development tool like the ps2 tool, which is a linux pc you can't access (no video out, no keyboard or mouse interface other than the ps2 USB & firewire) but that handles debugging over LAN. You still need another computer to interface with the machine.

    They are not in the business of making cheap development systems - the more expensive to the developer the fewer low-budget developers.

  11. Re:ps3 workstation by El_Ge_Ex · · Score: 2, Insightful

    hmmm... they (Sony, IBM, and Toshiba) plan to have a development station available sometime this fall.

    Meanwhile, Microsoft already and developers using G5's to develop for the X-Box2.

    Considering it can sometimes take two years for a game development project from start to finish, who should start to be worried???

    Just a thought,
    -B

  12. Re:This will sell like acid at Woodstock . . . by MoonBuggy · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Maybe in the future all controllers will be touch screen
    Ugh, I hope not. No analog sensitivity, no tactile feel and no raised buttons. It'd be an absolute nightmare - imagine the simple on/off of a PC keyboard compared to the 2cm travel of an Xbox pad shoulder button. Imagine having to look down at the controls rather than just feel a large, well placed button like on a Cube pad. No thanks.
  13. Not Likely by oGMo · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Heck, Maybe in the future all controllers will be touch screen, and the button configurations will depend on the game programmers themselves

    Given current touchscreen technology this isn't likely. Currently, touch screens (or even touch pad mice) register only a single touch at a time, and they wear out after a number of touches (usually like 100k). Given that you at least need two buttons at a time (direction and action), usually more, this probably won't happen.

    Maybe someone will come along with cheaper better technology that makes this possible, but the tactility of mechanical buttons along with the cheaper manufacturing costs will keep them around for the foreseeable future.

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    Don't think of it as a flame---it's more like an argument that does 3d6 fire damage

  14. Re:Slashdotted! by bonch · · Score: 2, Insightful

    After all, Apache sites never go down when Slashdot links them.

  15. Re:poor microsoft by Metallic+Matty · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Actually, at current prices, Xbox is selling at a loss to Microsoft. They are hoping this will encourage sales for the system, and that they'll make it up on the sale of games.

    And you're right, no point in supporting one company over another for "evil corp" reasons. Frankly, the way I see it, each company has its own domain. Up until recently I would say PS2 was the best system; but I think Xbox has taken over, with an excellent selection of games. Not to say that PS2 or Gamecube aren't good. Crystal Chronicles alone makes that system amazing.

  16. Re:This will sell like acid at Woodstock . . . by dasmegabyte · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It is entirely possible to have analog sensitivity with a touchscreen.

    Anyhow, they're not meant to replace all the buttons. They're meant to make in easier to perform selections based on variable options. Sure, it's pretty easy to select "Attack monster" with an analog stick, or to scroll through a list of weapons to find the one you like. But it's even EASIER to have a visual catalog of options that you can slide your thumb down and tap to select. It'll make for some GREAT controls, and for some INSANELY quick and intuitive gameplay.

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  17. Re:Sony/PSP Owned by ZaMoose · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Holy crap, indeed! Those Advance Wars shots for the GC look amazing!

    Great, just great. I had enough problems kicking my addiction to the AW GBA incarnations.

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    I wish I had a kryptonite cross, because then you could keep Dracula and Superman away.
  18. Never buy first generation Sony stuff by DigiShaman · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I've been burned with the failure of both my PS1 (the original that was released on 9/9/95) and PS2. And of course, they managed to fix the bugs with future product revisions. And this isn't limited with game systems, but it's rather more apparent with all of Sony's products I've encountered. As much as I want a PSP, I'll wait till a newer product revision (I don't mean model) is released before I crack open my wallet.

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    Life is not for the lazy.
  19. wireless chat? by Cryptnotic · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Um, unless your friends are deaf, why not use your voice to chat?

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    My other first post is car post.