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Smaller Playstation 2 Theorized

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the gross-conjecture-good-enough dept.

Tim Grube writes "According to Gaming Horizon and several other industry insiders, Sony will be celebrating their fourth-year anniversary of the Playstation 2 on October 26th by releasing a smaller, more compact version of the game system with the new name PStwo. Some analysts believe the PStwo will retail at $149.99, the current price of the Playstation 2."

102 comments

  1. Of Course by urbaer · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Ah.... of course, I just bought my new PS2 last month... the main reason I bought the PS2 was for San Andreas (I decided to buy early), so it's probably a smart idea to launch it at the same time as GTA. The PSTwo might sell a little bit... but it's not going to be huge is it?

    Does this mean the PS1 will finally disappear from our shelves?

    1. Re:Of Course by Fred+Or+Alive · · Score: 3, Informative

      I think production of PSones has already stopped, they're just going through remaining stock. In the UK "Game" stores had a neat PSOne + official LCD Screen + GBP10 game deal for GBP80 (the PSOne's RRP is GBP50). Pity I didn't have enough money to get it at the time, as it was obviously a stock clearance measure.

      --
      10 PRINT "LOOK AROUND YOU ";
      20 GOTO 10
    2. Re:Of Course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      but it's not going to be huge is it?

      A smaller PS2? Probably not... 8-)

  2. WOW 4 years already! by Sean+Johnson · · Score: 1

    It seems to me that it was just last week that people were paying $500+ on Ebay when the PS2 was first launched. What was the time frame between Playstation and the PSone launch? Was it about the same time frame, or am I just getting older and time goes by faster for me now?

    --
    >>>>>> Chewie, take the professor in the back and plug him into the hyperdrive.
    1. Re:WOW 4 years already! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If something that happened 4 years ago seems like "last week" then you have other issues besides the launch of a game console.

    2. Re:WOW 4 years already! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If something that happened 4 years ago seems like "last week" then you have other issues besides the launch of a game console.

      After your 21st birthday (or so), life moves quickly so it's all a blur. I moved to another state just over 4 years ago ... and it feels like months compared to the 4 years I spent in high school which felt like a life time.

  3. It only kinda worked for the PSone... by aldeng · · Score: 1

    Mainly because it was released so close to the PS2 that people didn't see a point in buying one. This could revitialize sales for Sony and drum up some buzz for the PS3.

    1. Re:It only kinda worked for the PSone... by GTRacer · · Score: 2, Informative
      Umm, I don't have numbers handy, but IIRC, PSone sales were substantial during the PS2's reign. Not like PS2's of course, but an upward spike in PlayStation-class hardware was probably most appreciated even as PS2 was taking off.

      Also, I'm sure a lot of people bought PSones as replacements for PSXs that died. We did - my kids inherited my 1998-vintage PSX when I got my PS2, but a year or so later they killed it by leaving it on overnight...

      GTRacer
      - Wondering what an import PSP will cost...

      --
      Defending IP by destroying access to it? That makes sense, RIAA/MPAA. Go to the corner until you can play nice!
  4. Forget that... by Sean+Johnson · · Score: 1

    I want a handheld version of the Playstation 2. Oh yeah, the DVD discs would never fit. Oh well, it was nice to dream.

    --
    >>>>>> Chewie, take the professor in the back and plug him into the hyperdrive.
    1. Re:Forget that... by mrgreen4242 · · Score: 4, Interesting
      On a related note, how come Nintendo doesn't do this and utterly destroy the PSP? Like you said, the DVD disc would never work for a handheld, but the GCs discs are already the same size as Sony is plannign for the PSP. The GC is already fairly small, and by now they must be able to put the whole thing onto a single low power draw board.

      Instant access to the entire GC library coupled with a fairly low price ($200?) would make it the obvious choice.

      That said, I'm still getting a DS over the PSP. However, the more I think about it, with Nintendos lackluster console sales and their continued dominance in the handheld arena, it might be smart to let MS and Sony duke it out with the PS3 and XBox2, while releasing a P(ocket)GC rather than a GC2.

    2. Re:Forget that... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nintendo couldn't afford to make a portable cube.

    3. Re:Forget that... by DarkZero · · Score: 4, Interesting

      On a related note, how come Nintendo doesn't do this and utterly destroy the PSP? Like you said, the DVD disc would never work for a handheld, but the GCs discs are already the same size as Sony is plannign for the PSP. The GC is already fairly small, and by now they must be able to put the whole thing onto a single low power draw board.
      Instant access to the entire GC library coupled with a fairly low price ($200?) would make it the obvious choice.

      Most Sony consoles, or at least the two that have existed so far, begin their life cycles as serious loss leaders. Sony loses tons of money for the first two years, at which point their slow refinements to the manufacturing process finally begin to draw a small profit. By the system's fifth year or so, they're actually out of the hole and profiting from the hardware itself.

      Nintendo, on the other hand, based on what little they've told us in the past, likes to make at least some money on their consoles, and they're probably making a small profit on every GameCube they sell right now. If they were to make it a handheld competitor to the PSP, they'd have to start losing money on it and bet that they can make it up in software sales. The problem with that is that even though they could conceivably make up the difference in software sales, they're a much smaller company than Sony or Microsoft. If they produced a loss-leading console or handheld and Sony happened to royally kick the crap out of it, the one-two punch would probably knock Nintendo right out of the hardware business.

    4. Re:Forget that... by Bagels · · Score: 1

      And if it was compatible with the existing GCN library, they wouldn't be able to sell as many of those very profitable games - a lot of the early adopters would already have a decent library to draw from.

      --
      --- Bwah?
    5. Re:Forget that... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Serious loss leaders? Prove it. Cite some evidence.

      I don't think you know what you are talking about. When Sony announced the price of the first Playstation, Sega accused them of dumping. Sony was never taken to court over this. That's where this whole idea got started.

      Prove to me that Sony has sold all their consoles at a loss.

      I guarantee you cannot cite adequate evidence to support this. You don't know what you're talking about and you're just repeating the same old crap that gets posted in the games section all the time. Not all consoles are sold at a loss - get over it.

    6. Re:Forget that... by Ondo · · Score: 1

      On a related note, how come Nintendo doesn't do this and utterly destroy the PSP? Like you said, the DVD disc would never work for a handheld, but the GCs discs are already the same size as Sony is plannign for the PSP. The GC is already fairly small, and by now they must be able to put the whole thing onto a single low power draw board.

      The biggest problem with this would be trying to fit all the buttons from a GameCube controller on a handheld.

    7. Re:Forget that... by accelleron · · Score: 1

      I'm wondering WHERE IS THE MODDINC COMMUNITY IN ALL THIS?! The GC's entrails are already pint-sized, all we really need to do now is to slap a custom control board on top, add a 3" LCD, and put it in a purdy box. This is really all that is required: - 1 GameCube unit ($99) - 1 controller (included with above) - 1 3.5 in. LCD (available with XBOX controller for $50) - Custom board for controls (can be hawked together from controller board and spare wire) - Custom board for power, reset, eject buttons (can be soldered together; take buttons from XBOX ctrlr) - custom plastic case ($5, a lot of patience) - screws ($0.20) Total: $155.20 + a lot of time Would sell for: $350, easily.

      --
      Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped.
    8. Re:Forget that... by mrgreen4242 · · Score: 1
      I was thinking about that myself, after I said it. At first, I agreed with you, but the more I think about it, the more sure I am it could be done.

      It's kind of hard to explain what I am visualizing, but the analog sticks could be replaced by a curved disc that moves in the same manner a the original does, but without protruding almost at all. The face buttons are easy, they're just buttons.

      The shoulder buttons would again be pretty easy, just make the analog motion of the L and R move into the handheld, so they didn't stick out very much.

      All in all, I think it is really a doable device.

    9. Re:Forget that... by mrgreen4242 · · Score: 3, Interesting
      Well, it might be doable, but I think that the draw would be in a slick, small package that carries the power of a full home console.

      You could probably hack something together with existing parts, but you'd spend alot more than $200 to build it. (The screen on those XBox controllers sucks by the way). Search on google for the guy who made a PSOne portable unit and see how much he spent to do that.

      On another note, a Nintendo made GC portable would be a huge hit for obvious reasons (great graphics, huge preexisting game library, etc), but if they made it also compatible with mini cd-r/w's (maybe not dvd-r/w's, for sake of copy protection/piracy concerns) so you could use it for an mp3 player and possibly other media playback, it would be a pretty slick system.

    10. Re:Forget that... by accelleron · · Score: 1

      the way I see it, there are two options:

      1. Leave the control scheme un-changed, and use a smaller-sized LCD on top, or

      2. Completely hack apart the controls, and arange them on opposite sides of a larger LCD (a la PSP)

      In option 1, we'd be resrticted to a 2.5" - 3" LCD, whereas option 2 would allow a gorgeous 3.5"-5" LCD. The challenge lies in the obvious: It'd be kind of hard to chainsaw the controller into two halves, and expect it to work, and, whereas the first configuration would really only require slight modification of the board, the second would require either a complete re-make of the original controller on a wider board (pain in the ass) or an additional board mounted on top (sloppy and increases size/weight). This is why I opted for the former configuration, although soldering gurus will likely go for #2.

      Another advantage of the first board is that the whole thing will more or less retain the original's configuration, and thus be more accessible to people familiar with the platform.

      A third alternative is to make a "GameCube Mini" module, that is slap the goods into a Tablet PC-style case, and use the stock controllers and parts. This would also allow for the biggest display sizes (around 7"), as well as serious battery life. On the downside, the thing will be MUCH bulkier than the other 2 options, and will be more of an in-the-car portable whan an in-the-pocket one. This is a good config for LAN parties, though... if you can find a GC LAN Party.

      --
      Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped.
    11. Re:Forget that... by DarkZero · · Score: 3, Informative

      Prove to me that Sony has sold all their consoles at a loss.

      I guarantee you cannot cite adequate evidence to support this. You don't know what you're talking about and you're just repeating the same old crap that gets posted in the games section all the time. Not all consoles are sold at a loss - get over it.

      Most of the reliable sources (newspapers, magazines) don't have the stories available for the PlayStation and PS2 in easily-searchable sources like Google news, but a quick search turned up two interesting bits about their current plans:

      As per 1Up's article, Sony plans to sell the PSP at a loss. And if you Ctrl+F for the word "loss" in ZDNet's PSX story, it will not only tell you that the PSX was planned to sell at a loss, but that it is generally an industry standard, much like the razorblade entry.

      makers typically sell hardware at a loss and make their profits from royalties on game software sales. That model gets shaky, however, when you start cramming nongame functions into the same box, Cole said.

      "They've been able to get the price way down on game systems, because they can make it up on software," Cole said. "With these kinds of hybrid devices, you're selling to people who aren't necessarily going to buy a lot of games. But you can't necessarily expect to charge a premium over the existing products it's intended to replace."

      The only thing I can't really prove is that Nintendo actually sells theirs at a profit. That's mostly from print sources like EGM's Quartermann column.

  5. So what features is it going to lose? by lightspawn · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It seems console companies always put out these small, streamlined versions... that lose some features that nobody's using or that they don't like. Power LED, keyboard slot, mystery connection that nobody knows what it's for, MIL-CD support, that kind of thing.

    Any bets on what we're going to lose this time?

    1. Re:So what features is it going to lose? by Sean+Johnson · · Score: 1

      Probably the DVD drive. I know I never used that. Well, maybe once when I waatched a movie DVD...LOL!

      --
      >>>>>> Chewie, take the professor in the back and plug him into the hyperdrive.
    2. Re:So what features is it going to lose? by Nexzus · · Score: 1

      Well, they already got rid of the firewire port from new versions. They need to keep the USB ports though.
      My guess is that they will take out the bay for the hard drive, integrate the network adapter, and make the whole thing top loading.

      --
      Karma: Can only be portioned out by the Cosmos.
    3. Re:So what features is it going to lose? by Babbster · · Score: 1
      As a major developer and the primary developer for the hard drive accessory (only? I honestly don't know), Square would [E]nix the hell out of removing the slot for the hard drive, unless they plan to give up on selling more copies of FFXI on the PS2.

      Integrating the network adaptor would be smart since, well, it would be easy and cheap.

    4. Re:So what features is it going to lose? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      instead of taking the drive out, they will probably change to one of the micro drives (a la ipod)

    5. Re:So what features is it going to lose? by DarkZero · · Score: 4, Interesting

      It seems console companies always put out these small, streamlined versions... that lose some features that nobody's using or that they don't like. Power LED, keyboard slot, mystery connection that nobody knows what it's for, MIL-CD support, that kind of thing.

      Any bets on what we're going to lose this time?

      Well, we may not necessarily lose anything. The PS2's business is starting to depend on the presence of a modem in the machine, so there's a good chance that Sony could release the PSTwo at the same price as the PS2, but with a modem built-in. If a NIC costs less than $10 at your local Best Buy, CompUSA, or Mom & Pop Computer Shop, just imagine how little it must cost Sony.

      And besides, there's not a whole lot to lose in the PS2. The hard drive slot is mandatory for certain games, so they can't lose that. The modem slot is also mandatory for some, so they can't lose that. Removing the USB port would stab Logitech, Mad Catz, Namco, Sega, and a whole lot of other peripheral manufacturers in the back. The only thing it might lose is the DVD player, because the unit can be produced cheaper without the DVD licensing cost.

    6. Re:So what features is it going to lose? by Vilim · · Score: 1

      Pretty unlikely since all of the PS2 games are on DVDs

      --
      History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it - Sir Winston Churchill
    7. Re:So what features is it going to lose? by HTH+NE1 · · Score: 1

      Replace the DVD drive with a small hard drive or big flash memory and have the DVD drive as a peripheral device used to load the game from the DVD to the drive. Then disconnect the DVD drive and take your player on the road. Perhaps even allow multiple games to be preloaded in this manner.

      Though they'll probably feel compelled to do some physical DRMming, such as locking down the peripheral drive so that it can't be used again until the game is unloaded from the unit it was loaded and hardware which self-destructs if tampered with. If you ever need it unlocked due to a failure, you'd have to send in the whole system for software license and tamper auditing.

      --
      Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
    8. Re:So what features is it going to lose? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think it's likely that the PSTwo won't have room for a hard drive slot. I'm currently looking at my PSOne (I know, it's not an apples to apples comparison) and I can't seem to see much room for even a 2.5" HDD. Maybe one could squeeze in a 1.8" drive, but such a beast would be fairly costly (assuming it would be 40GB). Hopefully, Sony will release an external drive for the PSTwo.

      I've also been waiting a while for the PSTwo and am expecting to use it as a portable DVD/CD/MP3 player in addition to playing games on it. It would be quite the cool portable multifunction entertainment device. Sony, hurry up!

    9. Re:So what features is it going to lose? by falcon5768 · · Score: 1
      they wouldnt take the drive out... too many games are being developed to use it in japan... as it is both FFXI and SoCom2 use it. Likewise FFXI here can only be bought WITH the HD... they would have to make a disk only version for the PS2 which I doubt they would do here.

      There is so much space in the case though that Im sure they could make it smaller and still keep a standard drive

      --

      "Slashdot, where telling the truth is overrated but lying is insightful."

    10. Re:So what features is it going to lose? by geminidomino · · Score: 1

      I could do without the DVD playing software in it. I could never figure out why, but I think it has something to do with the sound hardware. Even by pumping my TV to max volume, it's REALLY hard to hear (my hearing isn't the greatest, though)

  6. DVD play? by Daetrin · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Will the PSTwo have a decent DVD player that can handle _all_ dual layered disks? Not that i'm going to bother upgrading unless my PS2 falls apart more than a couple months before the PS3 release, but it would be nice to know that after four years they could finally get the thing working right.

    I'm also curious what Sony will do about the names if they ever decide to revamp the PSX or PS2 a second time. PSOne-2 and PSTwo-2? They could just leave the names alone i guess, but they only seem willing to reuse names on entirely different products.

    --
    This Space Intentionally Left Blank
    1. Re:DVD play? by ZX-3 · · Score: 1

      I'm also curious what Sony will do about the names if they ever decide to revamp the PSX or PS2 a second time. PSOne-2 and PSTwo-2?

      Super PStwo Turbo

    2. Re:DVD play? by mebob · · Score: 1

      PSTwo-CD ... no that won't work.... ...PSTwo-32X

      Segas hardware developers had to go somewhere, no? :)

      --
      =1000101
    3. Re:DVD play? by DrEldarion · · Score: 1

      Do you have any examples of what discs won't work? I've never had a problem playing any DVD (except one that it wigged out on because of a tiny scratch), and I use it as my primary DVD player.

    4. Re:DVD play? by leland242 · · Score: 1

      Metropolis doesn't work. There are lists you can google of dual layered disks that crap out. i gave up on the ps2 as a dvd player anyway - i just use my plextor in my pc. the gf is watching "queer eye for while you were out trading spouses and spaces" all day on the tv.

    5. Re:DVD play? by zonker · · Score: 0

      here's a quick google search...

      --

      Large print giveth, and the small print taketh away

  7. Will it actually WORK? by miyako · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I've owned 3 PS2's, all of them have had problems, I sent my first one (one of the originals that Sony admitted to having problems with), and got one of the second generation ones, sent it in for repair 4 times before they switched it out for a third one, after having to send it in several times for repairs I finally just decided to go with a gamecube, which has served me faithfully for 2 years now.
    There are still a lot of PS2 games that I have missed out on though, being a huge RPG fan, and Star Ocean has had me considering trying a 4th PS2. I haven't though because other people I know have not had any better luck with their PS2s, and I don't want to get burned again. If these things are going to be redesigned and manufactured differently, then I might consider getting one.
    BTW - anyone know what the backwards compatibility features of the PS3 are supposed to be? If it'll play PS1 and PS2 games then I might just wait to get a PS3, but if it'll only play PS2 games then I'll shell out for a PS2 so I can play my PS1 games on it, since I have a huge collection of great PS1 games, and ePSX on Linux might as well be an XBox emulator, it has microsoft-esque stability :P

    --
    Famous Last Words: "hmm...wikipedia says it's edible"
    1. Re:Will it actually WORK? by Zangief · · Score: 1, Flamebait

      Sony has screwed you not one, not two, but three times! and you still think on going back to them!

      People like you has made Microsoft the monster it is today. It was not Bill Gates, nor Ballmer, nor some bad decision at IBM. Just uneducated customers.

    2. Re:Will it actually WORK? by clambake · · Score: 1

      I've owned 3 PS2's, all of them have had problems, I sent my first one (one of the originals that Sony admitted to having problems with), and got one of the second generation ones, sent it in for repair 4 times before they switched it out for a third one, after having to send it in several times for repairs I finally just decided to go with a gamecube, which has served me faithfully for 2 years now.

      I'm used my ps2 for FOUR years, banged it up, taveled to Japan and back with it and it's never had a hiccup.

    3. Re:Will it actually WORK? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      One must wonder what people do to their equipment.

      Do you dust around your components?

      I still have my first and only PS2 (one of the originals that Sony admitted to having problems with), and it still works great. It's not because I never use it either. I'm on my fifth controller, having worn the grip off the analog sticks on the previous four. Between myself and my wife, the machine has easily logged 1500 hours of play time, probably more.

      Take care of your stuff and it'll last longer.

    4. Re:Will it actually WORK? by miyako · · Score: 1

      Actually, I paid sony from 1 playstation2 unit. In the end when it didn't work, after exchanging for a new unit, they did refund my money to me. While I was unhappy with the quality of the hardware, I didn't feel like I was mistreated, and if they are able to redesign the system so that there are not so many manufacturing / hardware flaws, then I would happily buy another one.

      --
      Famous Last Words: "hmm...wikipedia says it's edible"
    5. Re:Will it actually WORK? by OneHungLo · · Score: 1

      There are still a lot of PS2 games that I have missed out on though, being a huge RPG fan

      Well, if you're looking for your RPG fix on the Gamecube, I would suggest you check out Tales of Symphonia. I recently rented it from GameFly, and I've been hooked since. I'm about 16 hours into it, and apparently haven't scratched the surface.

      I'm not a big fan of Cel-shading, but ToS has probably the best usage of the technique that I have ever seen. At my first glance at screenshots in magazines, I thought it was sprite-based because it looked so good.

      The battle system is another one of my favorite features, opting for a real-time battle system with linkable combos and spells, as well as the ability for your friends to plug in extra controllers to control your party members and join in the fight at any time.

      So seriously, if you're a big RPG fan stuck with a Gamecube, it's definitely worth checking out.

    6. Re:Will it actually WORK? by DarkAdonis · · Score: 1

      Online I often read about PS2s and PS1s failing. I have never had a problem with these systems nor has a friend of mine. I wonder if something in the air like cigarette smoke increases the risk of PS failure. Or maybe I play my systems as much as others.

  8. Ummm.... by NEOtaku17 · · Score: 4, Informative

    You do know that if you call up Sony and say anything about a "disk read error" that they will have you ship them your PS2 and send you back one with a new DVD-ROM and/or a new mobo with all the latest firmware updates and DVD player software right?

    --
    Creative Demolition
    1. Re:Ummm.... by C0rinthian · · Score: 1

      Is this still the case if it's out of the normal warantee period?

      I've had my PS2 since they were first released, and living under a rock, I never knew about the proliferation fo problems till I started experiencing them about 6 months ago. Now the thing will not play PS1 games at all, (makes a wierd grinding noise at spinup) and is just now starting to give me DVD read errors. I guess I got "lucky" and got a unit that outlasted expectations. I assumed that since I was out of warantee I was SOL.

    2. Re:Ummm.... by kabocox · · Score: 1

      You do know that if you call up Sony and say anything about a "disk read error" that they will have you ship them your PS2 and send you back one with a new DVD-ROM and/or a new mobo with all the latest firmware updates and DVD player software right?

      Does Sony do that if your PS2 is out of warranty? My was having that problem. The main reason that I didn't just exchange was lack of receipt. I hate those little pieces of paper that vanish when I need them. I originally got my PS2 for PS1 & DVD combo use. When I started having disc read errors, I just bought a cheap $40 DVD player. I was just going to wait for the PS3.

    3. Re:Ummm.... by Delphiki · · Score: 1

      Yes. I sent mine in a few months ago, at no cost. I was one of the people standing outside Best Buy waiting to get one the day they were released, so the warranty was long passed.

      --

      Feel free to mod me "-1 - Angry Jerk".

    4. Re:Ummm.... by miyako · · Score: 1

      yeah, that's how I went from playstation2:1 to playstation2:2, and from playstation 2:2 to playstation2:3.

      --
      Famous Last Words: "hmm...wikipedia says it's edible"
    5. Re:Ummm.... by falcon5768 · · Score: 1

      yeah they will... if I had known it I woulndt have bought my second one after my original one died.. but for some reason they continue to support the DVD-Rom long after the warrentee

      --

      "Slashdot, where telling the truth is overrated but lying is insightful."

    6. Re:Ummm.... by geminidomino · · Score: 1

      Is this still the case if it's out of the normal warantee period?

      I can attest that they do, indeed. I had it done earlier this year. I think it has something to do with a Class-action suit over bum drive mechanisms or something.

  9. Price by Satertek · · Score: 1
    I'm really really hoping this to be at the $100-130 range, I've been putting off buying a PS2 becuse there are only a few games that I would want for it (FFs, DDRs)

    And I'm cheap :p

  10. Abnormal experiences by billybob · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I have had a PS2 for years, as have many of my friends, and none of us have had any problems whatsoever. You shouldnt talk like all PS2's are this way. You just got unlucky I guess... :P

    --
    Joseph?
    1. Re:Abnormal experiences by PhotoBoy · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Agreed, I have two PS2s, one running Linux 24/7 and the other for gaming, neither have given me a days trouble. My brother's PS2 gets treated like shit, it gets thrown in the back of various mates' cars and spends its life on dirty student's carpets, amazingly it's still running perfectly too.

      That said the CD/DVD drives in the PS1s and PS2s do seem to be their Achilles heal. I saw an article the other day saying most PS1/PS2 drives last about 7-8 years before they fail, yet 20+ year old Nintendo cartridge systems keep operating perfectly. So in about 10 years a working PS2 will be a rare sight indeed. Could be an investment for Ebay... ;)

    2. Re:Abnormal experiences by DeadScreenSky · · Score: 1

      Sony lost a class-action lawsuit in the USA because the PS2 disc drives were so shoddy and prone to breakage. (That is why they will repair them for free - that was the main terms of the settlement.) For the record, half of the PS2 owners I know have had their PS2 disc drive break ("Disc Read Error" on CD-ROM games seems particularly common - it happened to mine, too.). So it is likely that you are the lucky one. :P

      (Or more likely you have a newer PS2. The same is true for my friends who haven't lost a PS2. Apparently Sony decided it was cheaper to make the drive good to begin with - I imagine the need to repair them for free helped. They made some nice change on repairs prior to that!)

      --
      There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion. -- Francis Bacon
  11. Celebrating? by T.Hobbes · · Score: 3, Insightful
    It's not like some engineers sat around drinking sake and thinking about how best to party down for the 4th anniverery of a product launch. It's more like some executives sat around drinking sake, thinking about how to milk a little more from an aging cash cow. Bah humbug!

    OT, but does anyone know a general rule to solve the equation n^n = x? For example, if n^n = 3125, how would you solve for n? (in this case, n=5)

    1. Re:Celebrating? by 10101001+10101001 · · Score: 2, Informative

      There's no way I know of. You can use

      ln(x) = n * ln(n)

      and fiddle with n until it's close enough, though.

      --
      Eurohacker European paranoia, gun rights, and h
  12. Waiting for PSthree by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And GTA São Paulo.

    Winning combination! :-)

    Prediction: PSthree will have integrated lcd and be hand held / easily portable / laptop like

    Maybe even the PStwo.... stick an OS on it (bootable linux on PS3 as standard? why not let them use it as an office program, then you can sell cute PSprinters - have firefox webbrowser etc etc) [needs to be patchable!]

    Interesting ideas

    1. Re:Waiting for PSthree by wheany · · Score: 1

      Interesting ideas? Yes. Complete horse shit? That too.

  13. GTA San Andreas by yoyhed · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I would attribute GTA: San Andreas's recent delay for "extra quality testing" to this smaller PS2's release, if it's true.

    --
    WHO NEEDS SHIFT WHEN YOU HAVE CAPSLOCK/ DAMN1
  14. Vocab nazi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    A much better way of writing that would be "Sony has screwed you not once, not twice, but thrice!" A more pointed phraseology would be "Sony has anally penetrated you not once, not twice, but thrice!"

    Yours,
    The Vocab Nazi

    1. Re:Vocab nazi by ExKoopaTroopa · · Score: 1

      :) Nobody likes a wordsmith (straight out of GTA:VC)

      --
      Don't Tell Me What I Can't Do!
  15. Re:OT by rincebrain · · Score: 1

    As I recall, one takes the nth root of the number.

    The fifth root of 3125, for instance, is five. =)

    HTH.

    --
    It's only an insult if it's not true.
  16. Re:PStwo pre-christmas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    Halo wasn't the greatest game ever. It had some really, really serious problems. Chief among them, I'd say, were a devastating lack in variety of weapons and enemies, and over-long and under-varied missions, which could drive the player to the verge of insanity with sheer boredom. However, what it did have was potential. The multiplayer is a blast; probably the strongest console fps for multiplayer (although Timesplitters 2 is also good). Some sections of the game, particularly the all-too-short bits where you got to play with the vehicles, were great fun. It also had a decent plot and game-world, which verged on being actual science-fiction at times (rare in games), as opposed to an action game in space. As such, if the developers have figured all this out and worked to correct the flaws, Halo 2 could potentially be awesome.

    Console multiplayer is pretty big these days, in my experience. X-Box Live seems to be noticably busier than it was 9 months ago when I first signed up for it. The biggest X-Box Live games tend not to be the fpses, like Halo, but rather the genres which don't get much of a look-in on the PC. MechAssault and Crimson Skies are both among the most popular games, although fpses such as Halo and the Rainbow 6 games are obviously still significant. Over on the PS2, there's SOCOM, Final Fantasy XI (which is, so far as I know, pretty much the ONLY online game on any platform to have had a significant impact in Japan) and, hopefully very soon now, Gran Turismo 4. The only console without a decent and popular online lineup is the Gamecube.

  17. ot: solve n^n=x for n by reverius · · Score: 1

    it would be horribly inefficient, and would get slow for large numbers, but you could write an algorithm to do it. just loop (use a while loop) forward from 1^1, 2^2 (use whole numbers at this point) etc, until you go beyond the target. then loop back accurate to the tenths place until you're less than the target. then loop forward accurate to the hundredths place until you're above, etc.

    do this for as long as you want to (as much accuracy as you need, keeping in mind it gets 10 times slower for each decimal place), and then average the result that's slightly above (or below) with the one you got before it, with a certain range of error.

    but that's just an estimation algorithm, and may not be what you're looking for.

    1. Re:ot: solve n^n=x for n by BenjyD · · Score: 2, Interesting

      If you're going to do it numerically, that's the worst possible way to do it. The simplest way is:

      rearrange:

      n*ln(n)=ln(x)
      n=ln(x)/ln(n)

      iterative form
      --> n(n+1) = ln(x) / ln(n)

      then put a first guess in (say, 7) and keep iterating until the answer converges. Takes 25 iterations in this case to five dp.

    2. Re:ot: solve n^n=x for n by Feztaa · · Score: 0

      Why not just take the nth root of x?

      Jeez, you guys always do things the hard way. ;)

    3. Re:ot: solve n^n=x for n by BenjyD · · Score: 1

      Because that way doesn't converge.

      Unless you're confused over his reversed notation (using n as the unknown, x as the known) and mean solving analytically? He's trying to get n=f(x):

      n^n=x
      take nth root:

      n=x^(1/n)

      then where? I'll admit I'm an engineer, not a mathmatician, so my analytical solution skills are very rusty.

    4. Re:ot: solve n^n=x for n by Feztaa · · Score: 1

      I was making a joke. As far as I know, my way is impossible. Unless you enjoy the patented "Guess And Check" method. ;)

  18. It's a question of When, not If by Fred+Or+Alive · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This sort of thing isn't really a question if they're going to release a 'PStwo', it's when. All successful consoles seem to end up with a cheaper shrunken model at the end of their life, see the little NES and SNES, Genesis 3[1], PSone.

    But I don't think PStwo will be replaced this year however, as these little consoles are usually nearer to the launch of a next generation console, I think next Christmas will be when the console turns up.

    [1] The Mega Drive 2 / Genesis 2 is an interesting one really, seeing as it came relatively early in the consoles life.

    --
    10 PRINT "LOOK AROUND YOU ";
    20 GOTO 10
    1. Re:It's a question of When, not If by polyp2000 · · Score: 1

      Xbox? I'd like to see how M$ tackle shrinking the XBox - considering its made from "off the shelf" parts. Not that im interested in lining M$ pocket though, its always fun to see how M$ react to market pressures. Sony have the advantage of already investing in shrinking large portions of the PS2 onto a single chip, A benefit that its competitors dont have right now.

      --
      Electronic Music Made Using Linux http://soundcloud.com/polyp
    2. Re:It's a question of When, not If by Fred+Or+Alive · · Score: 1

      I hearby eat my own hat for say next Christmas. I should've believed the rumours. :-)

      --
      10 PRINT "LOOK AROUND YOU ";
      20 GOTO 10
  19. Interesting take by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I just know someone will mod your post down, and as I hit the reply link, someone did. It's not very diplomatic but then again, it doesn't change the substance of the text. If people didn't put up with crap, then they'd get less of it. It's one of the key ingredients to having a free market.

  20. MOD CHIP? by cbx_cbx · · Score: 1

    The real question is: Does the current high quality mod chip (DMS2/Matrix) will work in this little sucker?

    1. Re:MOD CHIP? by flatface · · Score: 2, Insightful

      One of the main reasons that companies release updated consoles is to break mod chips.

  21. Another clue! by nicksthings · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Let me back up this speculation with one more fact:

    Sony has more or less recently stopped sending retailers Playstation 2 systems. This has been going on for at least two months and word is, we're not going to be getting any more in the next month, either. So of course you have to wonder, if they do intend on releasing this PStwo, what would be the point of supplying the market with more older models? Exactly!

    Can't wait to see what this thing looks like (and if it has a broadband adapter built it...and where the HDD will go and if it actually plays media!)

    1. Re:Another clue! by GamingEngineer · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Yeah, I agree with that observation... I recently went in to EB to buy a PS2 for our office. (We had a little extra spare change) They only had one "network combo" console in stock. (The one that comes with Offroad Fury and the network adapter.) The others were just the barebones console which are priced the same as the combo pack -- this is why no one buys those. It made me wonder why their stock was so low on the combo packs, if Sony was going to drop the combo and just go with the barebones systems now, or if there was a new package being put together.

    2. Re:Another clue! by nicksthings · · Score: 1

      Actually, the combo pack has been done for quite some time (since around E3 and the price drop). Retailers have just been selling their warehouse stock since then. I was referring to the barebones system in my post. I've had a lot of customers tell me they've had trouble finding them anywhere but big box retailers (Wal-Mart, Best Buy, etc) - they're able to purchase a lot more at once and probably have a ton of back stock.

      But as far as getting more, it doesn't look like that's happening for awhile.

  22. Linux Kit by karstux · · Score: 3, Interesting

    If that PStwo still accepts a HDD, has a network adapter and will work with the Linux Kit, I might very well get one of these. Could be a sleek little desktop computer!

    And for 150$ it wouldn't even be expensive. I just hope it will be less noisy than the original PS2...

    --
    Don't whistle while you're pissing.
  23. xboxone by David_Bloom · · Score: 3, Funny

    Soon they'll start selling DELL x86 laptops with a big sticker on the top that says xboxone.

    --

    Karma: Excellent (fuck, even in the future moderation doesn't work!)
  24. Re:PStwo pre-christmas by Reapy · · Score: 1

    That's what I said when I finally fired up halo after it had been out a year or so. I looked at it and thought "wow another fps, snore".

    But then we just couldnt put it down. The biggest feature of it is co-op in my opinion. Not many games take the time to do a really fun co op mode, which makes playing the game twice as fun as by yourself.

    Really I think the reoccuring fun factor for me has been grenades and vehicles. Watching bodies fly through the air and massive grenade chain reaction explosions never ceases to become boring. Waxing the flood with a shotgun doesnt get old either. Cramming vehicles in places they arent supposed to go was another fun pasttime.

    I guess its really all the stuff you can do outside the standard run through the level and kill everything that draws you back to it time and time again.

  25. Re:PStwo pre-christmas by bigman2003 · · Score: 1, Troll
    The biggest X-Box Live games tend not to be fpses...

    Have you looked at the list of the most popular Xbox Live games? (Rather than taking an informal poll of what you and your friends are playing...which if you are sane, is Burnout 3)

    Here are the top 25 games on Xbox live.

    Of the 25 games, 7 1/2 are FPS's. Including the #1 game now (Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow) and the game that has been #1 since last December- until Black Arrow took over (Rainbow Six 3).

    The FPSs on the list are:

    • Rainbow Six 3:Black Arrow
    • Counter-Strike
    • Rainbow Six 3
    • Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (1/2 FPS, depending on your team)
    • Ghost Recon: Island Thunder
    • Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War
    • Unreal Championship
    • Ghost Recon


    But, at least you didn't do what most people do, and say 'Xbox is just for people who want to play crappy FPSs'. Because while there are a lot of FPSs (and a lot of them are good) there are also a lot of other types of games.

    From the same list- which is obviously a list of games that people are really still playing:

    • 7.5 FPSs
    • 6 Sports games (NFL 2K5 beats Madden- YES!)
    • 7 Racing Games (watch Burnout 3 move up the charts)
    • 2.5 'Action' Games. (Mechassault and Crimson Skies)
    • 1 Totally Crappy RPG (Phantasy Star)

    The only game on the list I have never played, is Jedi Knight, so I honestly have no idea what type of game it is.

    But to say that the Xbox Live games tend not be be First Person Shooters is probably wrong. FPSs are up there with everything else, and because they dominate the TOP of the list, they are probably the #1 genre overall.

    And finally- I would have to say that YES, Halo is an awesome game. Judging from the sentence structure in both of your paragraphs, I am going to say that you are obviously too caught up in your own psuedo-intellectual world to really enjoy a game where you go around shooting everything in sight. Your writing makes it sound as though you are just learning to 'write for business'- and now you take yourself way to seriously to have fun with such a childish game. OR, possibly you are foreign (non-American) and you come from a place where starting a sentence with 'As such,' is they way all the kids are talking on the playground.
    --
    No reason to lie.
  26. Re:PStwo pre-christmas by damien_kane · · Score: 1

    Over on the PS2, there's SOCOM, Final Fantasy XI (which is, so far as I know, pretty much the ONLY online game on any platform to have had a significant impact in Japan) and, hopefully very soon now, Gran Turismo 4

    And SSX3, Resident Evil:Outbreak, Amplitude, Siphon Filter:Omega Strain, THPS3/4/Underground, NFS:Undergound There is a wide variety of online games for PS2 (I think the actual count is close to 40 or 50, many of which I haven't heard of, though). Just because you dont play that type of game doesn't mean a lot of other players dont as well. Granted, I have most of the games I mentioned, I only play FFXI though (except when friends come over, then we throw in some SSX3 or NFS:U, or the classic fighters: SCII, KOF2k1/2k2, MK:DA)

  27. Re:PStwo pre-christmas by The+Other+White+Boy · · Score: 1

    i'm pretty sure that 'never ceases to become boring' would be considered a bad thing, in most cases.

  28. Re:PStwo pre-christmas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Wow, talk about a pointlessly offensive and immature response (at least in the final paragraph) to what I thought was a reasonable and balanced post.

    Fair point about the popularity of X-Box Live games. I think the point that it isn't just for fpses still stands, though.

    I've nothing against a game where you go around shooting everything in sight. Some of my favorite games are games where you go around shooting everything on sight. Thing is, though, I like a bit of variety. Shooting identical monsters, with identical weapons in identical rooms time after time after time is just boring. There's one level, I think it would be about the 7th or so ("The Library"), where you fight through 4 identical floors of identical rooms and identical enemies. It goes on a long time. The pace never changes. It goes beyond dull into the realms of soul-destroying tedium. This is perhaps the most obvious example, but plenty of the other levels are similar.

    Judging from the way you write, I'd guess you're probably a 1st year psychology student, convinced that a couple of lectures make you into Sigmund Freud reborn and that you can win arguments and impress everybody with your knowledge by making cheap shots at what you think (incorrectly) their language says about them. Yes, I'm non-American, I'm British. "As such" is a fairly common way of starting a line in written English, so I suggest you learn to live with it.

  29. Sounds Great, but... by justkarl · · Score: 2, Funny

    will the laser fall off the motherboard like the first gen PS2?

    Oh yeah, and does it run Longhorn.

  30. Crystal Ball by blueZhift · · Score: 1

    Looks like my crystal ball may be working pretty good with respect to the PSTwo!

    If it does come to pass, perhaps this re-released PS2 will offer some design/esthetic insights into the upcoming PS3. Will it be all curvy and meant to stand out from the rest of your entertainment components or will it be made to be right at home with them. These could be clues about how Sony feels about convergence after the relatively unsuccessful PSX in Japan.

    --
    To the making of books there is no end, so let's get started
  31. Re:Depending on the modem? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    . The PS2's business is starting to depend on the presence of a modem in the machine

    Where did you get that pile of horse shit? Less then 5% of ps2 gamers have modems.

  32. PStwo copyrighted? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Again, Sony has yet to confirm or deny this possibility, but they have secured the copyright to the name "PStwo." "

    Nothing turns up at the USPTO website. I think they're pulling this out of their ass.

    1. Re:PStwo copyrighted? by mh101 · · Score: 1

      Why would you think a patent website would have info on copyrights?

      --
      Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together.
    2. Re:PStwo copyrighted? by 17028 · · Score: 1

      Well, first of all, you can't copyright a term like that. Copyrights are for artistic works, i.e. much longer than one word.

      Second of all, if it was a protected term, it would be a trademark, which would show up in the USPTO database if it has been registered. If a trademark hasn't been registered, and not revealed to the public, then it isn't protected yet.

  33. Re:PStwo pre-christmas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    One word.

    Amplitude.

    That is all.

  34. It doesn't take GT4 into consideration by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It doesn't seems to take GT4 into considerations, IMHO that'll be a big hit and should be much better than halo 2.

    Wasn't the PSone added not too far from / after the PS2 release?

  35. Fascinating... by Thedalek · · Score: 3, Interesting

    So, the PS2, which was of a fairly tolerable size, is possibly getting a miniaturized update ala PSOne, whereas the Xbox, hulking brick of technology that it is, is almost certainly not getting such an update.

    *AHEM* Microsoft, the only reason I haven't bought your system is because it's massive. Cumbersomely large. I don't have a lot of room to spare for these things, and I live in a fairly rural area with comfortable living space. Imagine what it must be like for people who live in an overcrowded society where the average apartment size may be smaller than your kitchen, and space is at a premium.

    Good thing you're not trying to capture any portion of that market.

    --
    Happiness is relative, Based upon the way we live.
    1. Re:Fascinating... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      *AHEM* Microsoft, the only reason I haven't bought your system is because it's massive. Cumbersomely large. I don't have a lot of room to spare for these things, and I live in a fairly rural area with comfortable living space. Imagine what it must be like for people who live in an overcrowded society where the average apartment size may be smaller than your kitchen, and space is at a premium.

      That is probably THE stupidest reason to not buy a console. Considering that you have used VCRs in the past and how big they were, then its a stuid anti-MS troll on your part. I dont really pay attention to the size of the console if it is sitting in my entertainment center. Maybe if i put the console on my shoulder or in my lap when I played, then maybe it would be a problem. Otherwise, your size fallacy is very uneducated and makes you look like a blind fanboi.

  36. Oct 26th? by BIGmog · · Score: 1

    Is October 26th the PS2 anniversary in America or Japan? The price listed in dollars suggest this new PStwo will come out in America. So far there's no news of it in Japan. Perhaps the Tokyo Game Show next week will reveal what's going on.

    --
    V O T E F O R M O G
  37. Storyline.. by memco · · Score: 1

    The storyline however, is not the greatest. If it weren't for the storyline I'd say the game was absolutely great, but I just cannot stand the cheesy dialog. However, I have spent almost 41 hours on it so it's unbearable, just lame. It's almost an exact clone of the star ocean for SNES in terms of mechanics, but the skill system is reduced to cooking only, and if you can't get the new SO, get this game.

    --
    Get me a meat pie floater!
  38. Re:Details on Free 'Disc Read Error' Repair by DeadScreenSky · · Score: 1

    More info on this free Sony repair can be found in the "Disc Read Error Sony Repair FAQ" at Gamefaqs.com (which doesn't allow direct FAQ linking). Tells you how to know if you qualify, what you need, what you should say, etc. Pretty handy.

    --
    There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion. -- Francis Bacon
  39. Re:PStwo pre-christmas by tod_miller · · Score: 1

    I admit I liked tribes for that very reason.

    However, Halo didn't give me the happy feeling tribes did.

    Tribes was like Halo, counterstrike and quake 3 all rolled into one happy hippie joint, and taken in blowbacks from lots of sexy ladies.

    ok, erm, well... it was fun.

    --
    #hostfile 0.0.0.0 primidi.com 0.0.0.0 www.primidi.com 0.0.0.0 radio.weblogs.com