Sony Ceases Production of PSOne

Gamespot has the news that Sony is no longer manufacturing the PSOne. From the article: "Despite the news, Sony representatives noted today that the end of production does not necessarily mean the end of availability. PS hardware and software are still selling in countries around the world. Even if original PlayStation systems and games are becoming slim pickings in the US, gamers likely won't be going without for long. As part of its PlayStation Business Briefing 2006, Sony last week announced that it is working on an emulator that would allow gamers to play PS titles on the PSP."

Comments

Allowing PS titles on PSP?

[ASayre8]

Knowing Sony, you would have to pay for all the PlayStation titles again for a version that would work on the PSP.

Re:Allowing PS titles on PSP?

[tepples]

Either that or a hybrid PSOne/Walkman disc player that connects to the PSP through a USB 2 cable, using the PSP as a controller, display, and speakers. But I will admit that PS1 games that use L2, R2, L3, R3, or the right stick might need to be retooled.

Re:Allowing PS titles on PSP?

[geminidomino]

Too bad, too. I somehow doubt we'll ever see all my hard-to-find RPGs (Saiyuki, Hoshigami, Persona,etc...) available. Just more ports of FF7. *yawn*

I'll just keep contributing money to Zodttd's gp2psx project.

Re:Allowing PS titles on PSP?

[nbcjr]

No speculation is needed, from TFA: "As part of its PlayStation Business Briefing 2006, Sony last week announced that it is working on an emulator that would allow gamers to play PS titles on the PSP. Details haven't been released yet, but Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi said the games would be digitally distributed." SO... SONY!

Re:Allowing PS titles on PSP?

[CastrTroy]

I think that as far as sony is concerned, you'll probably have to pay. As I understand it, it's possible to play pirated stuff on the PSP. Maybe someone could design an emulator to play PS1, and then you could just put the games on flash memory.

Re:Allowing PS titles on PSP?

[Jozer99]

Probably you will have to pay, but at least its possible. The PS2 can not only emulate the PSOne, but even do extra anti-aliasing on the emulation. The PSP isn't that much less powerful than the PS2, right? Plus, eventually someone will hack the emulator to play ROMs off of the MS slot.

Re:Allowing PS titles on PSP?

[buffer-overflowed]

The PS2 has PS1 hardware in it, for I/O processing IIRC. There's not really any emulation involved.

Re:Allowing PS titles on PSP?

[ZakuSage]

Mmmhmm, because people loving nintendo totally doesn't already done that.

Re:Allowing PS titles on PSP?

[ZakuSage]

Stick = shift, so with L + R can be L2 and R2. No analog needed. It's quirkey, but it'd work, and you can bet dollars to doughnuts they'll do it.

Re:Allowing PS titles on PSP?

[Anonymous Coward]

... Anyone care to translate?

Re:Allowing PS titles on PSP?

[Orion Blastar]

Knowing Sony's history of buying PSX emulators like "Bleem!" and "Virtual Gamestation", it will be an emulator that uses ISO files. One simply downloads the ISO files to the PSP or stores them on a memory chip.

I am amazed that other PSX emulators like ePSXe haven't been ported to the PSP already.

Re:Allowing PS titles on PSP?

[Bladestorm]

Theres only been one FF7 port, and that was to PC. What are you talking about?

Re:Allowing PS titles on PSP?

[XBoyAdv]

The person was referring about Nintendo charging people around $20 for an exact port of some old NES/Famicom games on the GBA and $30 for "enhanced" ports such as Super Mario Advance series. This is nothing new.

The great grandparent of this topic ("Knowing Sony, you would have to pay for all the PlayStation titles again...") is just troll. Last time, I check Sony and Nintendo are not the Salvation Army that supplies old video games. It wouldn't be surprised Nintendo also will charging a fee for their "virtual console" service in their upcoming console. People would just like to stir some trouble.

Re:Allowing PS titles on PSP?

[moro_666]

http://www.epsxe.com/news.php

why mess around with mechanical emulators if you can just run the games on your pc and output the picture on the telly through your tv-out cable ?

yeah sure playing screens on a display that requires a magnifying glass is cool, but running epsxe in foreground and building gentoo on the back is way more sexy :)

Re:Allowing PS titles on PSP?

[Anonymous Coward]

They are charging fees for their virtual console. I can't believe people are excited about this considering you've been able to do it for free (illegal or not) for the past 10 years.

Re:Allowing PS titles on PSP?

[geminidomino]

Replace "ports" with "ports, spinoffs, and gaidens" then. Point being that there are a disproportionate number of FF7 fanboys, and I don't have high hopes of seeing the games I actually enjoyed on the system.

Re:Allowing PS titles on PSP?

[tepples]

yeah sure playing screens on a display that requires a magnifying glass is cool, but running epsxe in foreground and building gentoo on the back is way more sexy :)

It depends on where you are allowed (legally and socially) to carry and pull out a laptop computer. It also depends on how you figure out how to dump the PS1 BIOS.

Re:Allowing PS titles on PSP?

[Anonymous Coward]

Not via the PSP. asshat

Told you so

[tepples]

Sony last week announced that it is working on an emulator that would allow gamers to play PS titles on the PSP."

As I have been explaining since the PSP was first released in Japan, PS1 back-compatibility is the only way Sony can get the number of PSP-compatible titles anywhere near the number of titles compatible with its closest competitor, which can officially run 99 percent of GBA titles.

Re:Told you so

[CCFreak2K]

So uh, what's the other 1%?

Re:Told you so

[Anonymous Coward]

The one game to rule them all and in the darkness bind them.

Re:Told you so

[SetupWeasel]

The Kirby tilt game probably. It was made for the top loading GBA.

Oh, and any multiplayer GBA game. Of course, that only affects part of the game.

Re:Told you so

[ScaryFroMan]

Not to mention the GBA (still in the lead, IIRC), which can play all those, plus nearly all GBC and GB games, which makes for twenty years or so of games.

I don't think that Sony is capable of beating Nintendo at the handheld back-combatibility game. Especially since you don't have to rebuy the games for GBA and DS.

Re:Told you so

[Anonymous Coward]

As I have been explaining since the PSP was first released in Japan, PS1 back-compatibility is the only way Sony can get the number of PSP-compatible titles anywhere near the number of titles compatible with its closest competitor, which can officially run 99 percent of GBA titles.

Not the same, though. Being able to play the carts you already own on the DS is a plus, as the DS plays legacy GBA carts. But PSP will not play PS1 disks, you'll have to buy them again on UMD. That'll give them a huge library and exsisting PSP owners will probably buy them, but unless they can start coming up with must-own new titles they won't bring in new customers. Very few people are going to buy a PSP to play games from 1997 (that they'll have to buy over again, at that.)

Re:Told you so

[Anonymous Coward]

Slightly inaccurate, unless you're talking total install base. Nintendo DS is selling more than every other console (home and handheld) combined on a weekly basis in Japan. Completely selling out every shipment as they come in.

Re:Told you so

[JumperCables233]

There's a very simple solution to this, and I wonder if Sony's thought of it: Get into the software business. Pirated UMDs are already available. They can be burnt on a regular CD/DVD burner. Why doesn't Sony create some software that will let you copy from a PS1 Disc (which is just a CD anyway) and then burn it onto a UMD disc in your home burner? Sell it for 39.95 a piece. Make a fortune. Make people happy. Quadruple your PSP game library for the cost of developing one more title. Sound like a plan?

Re:Told you so

[Andrew Kismet]

Boktai. Has a solar sensor that is inappropriately placed for an GBA SP/NDS.

Re:Told you so

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm not sure what you're referring in regards to burning copied UMDs onto a CD-R. The only way to copy a UMD is to run a program on the PSP that dumps the contents of the disc onto the memory card. Then that file can be run from the memory card as though it were a disc. It cannot however, be put back onto a UMD with any avaliable hardware. If Sony releases a PS1 emulator, there may be a way to rip your current library of PS1 games to the memory stick, and then load them up that way. However, I highly doubt it, as Sony has been none too keen on any software running from the memory stick.

Re:Told you so

[Anonymous Coward]

The Boktai series is fully playable on GBA SP and DS.

Re:Told you so

[ClamIAm]

The Kirby tilt game was made for Game Boy Color, and can only be played in a GBC or the original GBA.

Re:Told you so

[ZX-3]

I had that game, and although it fits in an original GBA, it is barely playable. The tilting exacerbates the horrible glare of the GBA screen. It was a cool idea, though.

and?

[Anonymous Coward]

meh!

Emulation on PSP?

[Daneurysm]

Wow... So, they would be coming up with this handy software to enable emulation of PSone titles on a PSP?

How Thoughtful, and all I have to do is buy another version of the game should my PSone cease to function.

...perhaps a PSP as well...

But that's all... Thanks again Sony.

Re:Emulation on PSP?

[Anonymous Coward]

My completely unfounded guess is that they'll have a software package which can copy a PSOne disc to the PSP memory card, and then a UMD which runs the emulator and loads the game.

Okay, that's probably way to sensible for anything Sony would ever do, but it makes more sense than trying to get people to buy old titles all over again.

Re:Emulation on PSP?

[CastrTroy]

Doesn't nintendo have a pantent concerning running an emulator on a console. Oh wait, Sony isn't using the patent, because they're running it on a handheld. Which is sufficiently different since Nintendo was granted the patent, and emulators have been around for ages.

Re:Emulation on PSP?

[damsa]

Nintendo was granted a patent on emulation on handheld console emulating older handheld consoles, this is handheld console emulating something else.

Re:Emulation on PSP?

[XStylus]

It depends on how Sony plans to execute this emulation.

Would it be a matter of copying a PSOne game from your old CD onto a memory stick, or would it be a matter of downloading (for a fee, of course) a MagicGate encrypted copy onto a memory stick?

If it's the latter, thanks for nothing. Just more ways to get you to pay over and over for the same damn thing.

US customers!

[atari2600]

If you want a PS1, go get one at your local gamestop for ~40$ or less depending on the package. I went in and was almost tempted to buy but came out buying the slimline P2 :). Not sure why you would want to buy a PS1 (since the PS2 plays most games i believe) but if you want one for old times' sake, there's always a local store that sells used ones for dirt cheap. There's always Ebay too. Seriously though, time to make the PS1 a collectors' item ;).

Re:US customers!

[Neoprofin]

For one, the PSone is small and had an equally slim LCD\speaker attachment that could be had for, last time I saw, $120 brand new. Add $15 for an official Sony car adapter and you can play FF7 on any road trip without even using your entire lap.

Re:US customers!

[DigiShaman]

I love the slim PS2. It includes IR port on the front for a remote control. Cool part is, I can use Scientific Atlanta DVR remote (Time Warner Cable) and program in a universal Sony DVD code and it works. No need to by Sony's remote for the PS2.

Re:US customers!

[bVork]

There are a few PS1 games that don't work properly on PS2. I plan to pick up a Japanese PSone soon because of that. I'd like to play Gradius Gaiden (which has a level that runs in slow motion on a PS2), Toaplan Shooting Battle (two of the games included don't work on a PS2), and Metal Gear Solid Integral (which checks for modchips. I have a modded PS2, mainly for imports).

Re:US customers!

[Bacon Bits]

Wow, now I actually ave something to do when I cast my W-Summon + Knight of Round: I can drive to the store, buy what I need, and then drive home.

Re:US customers!

[Neoprofin]

No fooling, word to the warning though, if you cast Omnislash at night it's wise to close the lid otherwise you'll soon feel like you're in a absurd 80s disco.

Re:US customers!

[Anonymous Coward]

A collectors item indeed! I would have scoffed at that idea just last week. That is, until I walked into a local pawn shop and saw an Atari 2600 system sitting behind the glass on the shelf. Fully operational, the sign said, with 6 carts. Asking price; $450!

Sweet mother of God.

Re:US customers!

[Anonymous Coward]

You can find these at flea markets for around $20.

Re:US customers!

[Anonymous Coward]

$40 US? In Canada (the dollar's worth a little less here) I picked up a used PS1 for $15 with cables and controller at the local EBGames.

Warning: they just slap a price on the gear - no test, no cleaning. So use a shop nearby to make exchanging easy.

But yeah heck, these and the games are easily available at dirt cheap prices for a little nostalgia or to play a game you never got around to on the first pass.

(Also warning: if you're new to this, only buy a Sony memory card to go with your unit. The third-party ones have a nasty habit of failure.)

Re:US customers!

[Great Beyond]

A collectors item indeed! I would have scoffed at that idea just last week. That is, until I walked into a local pawn shop and saw an Atari 2600 system sitting behind the glass on the shelf. Fully operational, the sign said, with 6 carts. Asking price; $450!

Depends on the carts included. I've seen copies of Chase the Chuckwagon or Crazy Climber go for a hundred bucks each. Now odds are that this thing came with just Pac Man, ET and Combat - but you never know.

5 words

[astyanax]

Metal Gear Solid on PSP!

Nuff said

Re:5 words

[Anonymous Coward]

Metal Gear Solid minus L2 and R2? Nuff said, indeed.

Re:5 words

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd swear that was 7.

Re:5 words

[astyanax]

I would LOVE to know how my comment is redundant, since there were 8 comments when I posted this. MGS1 is quite possibly one of the best games ever, and playing a REAL MGS game and not some turn-based half-RPG half Pokemon card game like Metal Gear Ac!d on the PSP would indeed be a breakthrough. Jesus this place has gone to hell in a handbasket.

clearly, i am missing something

[macsox]

i had no idea they were still making these. does this mean i can buy a lisa? or at least an amiga. it would be pretty dope if they always made everything that had ever been made. get me a new coleco! or a mccormick reaper!

Re:clearly, i am missing something

[log0]

Sony flogged the Betamax horse for a long time too.

http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/08/ 27/1610252

Re:clearly, i am missing something

[Cadallin]

Apple doesn't sell Lisa's anymore, but you can buy Amiga 1200s. They're pretty cheap. Versalia Computer in Germany has them in stock with US keyboards for about $130, and lots of accessories.

http://www.vesalia.de/

Re:clearly, i am missing something

[MrCopilot]

No shit I saw a NEW coleco at walmart last night for $2.50.

Apparently these guys are making them for coleco. http://www.technosourceusa.com/pr-coleco.htm

Single unit Plugs into TV. 6 games like boxing, football, and hockey. Also had double unit 2player with 12 games.

I almost picked one up then I realized I'd have to unplug a real console to use it and I was too embarassed to show it to my children.

2.50 might be worth a larf.

Just emulate it!

[dwbassett42]

Who cares if the actual PS one is no longer being sold? There are good emulators for the PSX out there, ePSXe being the best. Everything is freely downloadable and open-source, except for the actual BIOS files. (Which you'll probably end up getting via P2P) Once you're all set up, you can play any PSX game right on your computer, and it even supports linked play via inter/intranet.

Re:Just emulate it!

[Cal Paterson]

No! ePSXe is NOT open source!

It's closed, and although the team haven't especially ruled out the possibility of making it Free Software, it is currently pretty much win32 only (although there is a GNU/Linux binary: it doesn't work very well).

To my knowledge, the only Free PSX emulator is PCSX, but development has been dead a few years, and I have a feeling compatibility is poor.

Re:Just emulate it!

[Anonymous Coward]

Once you're all set up, you can play any PSX game right on your computer

Wrong, there are plenty of games that won't run in ePSXe (or at least, won't run well). Try getting Chrono Cross to run for example. (of course, if you do manage to, tell me... I never got to play past the first disc, as it was never released in a PAL format)

Re:Just emulate it!

[Zaatxe]

It's just a matter of setting up the emulator properly. Chrono Cross is my favorite PS1 game and last night I decided to play it again. It took me about 2 hours to find the correct setup (specially because ePSXe doesn't let you change the settings after you start the game, which means you have to close it, open again, change the setup, wash, rinse, repeat), but it was worth it.
I even got it working in ePSXe 1.6, when most emulations forums say only ePSXe 1.5.2 can run Chrono Cross!

Anyway, if somebody need the setup information for Chrono Cross to run well in ePSXe 1.6, I can give it.

Re:Just emulate it!

[Anonymous Coward]

it does actually work very well

well enough to play pretty much any game i dunno what else you want to do with a psx emulator

Re:Just emulate it!

[Anonymous Coward]

Then by all means, give it, I've been waiting for over five years to finish this game :P

Re:Just emulate it!

[Zaatxe]

Taking the chances of having my post deleted or modded way down, here goes the configuration! I'm posting only the video configuration, the audio and CD-ROM configuration are the default internal plugins that goes with ePSXe. Enjoy!

By the way, I don't know if the disk changing will work, I still haven't reached this point of the game.

Plugin: Pete's OpenGL2 Driver 2.6
Author: Pete Bernert
Card vendor: ATI Technologies Inc.
GFX card: RADEON 7000 DDR x86/MMX/3DNow!/SSE

Resolution/Color:
- 640x480 Window mode
- Internal X resolution: 0
- Internal Y resolution: 0
- Keep psx aspect ratio: off
- No render-to-texture: off

- Filtering: 0
- Hi-Res textures: 0
- TexWin pixel shader: off
- VRam size: 0 MBytes

Framerate:
- FPS limitation: on
- Frame skipping: off
- FPS limit: Auto

Compatibility:
- Offscreen drawing: 1
- Framebuffer effects: 2
- Framebuffer uploads: 1

Misc:
- Scanlines: off
- Mdec filter: on
- Screen filtering: on
- Shader effects: 0/1
- Flicker-fix border size: 0
- GF4/XP crash fix: off
- Game fixes: on [00000400]

Re:Just emulate it!

[Cal Paterson]

Do you mean pcsx? or epsxe?

Re:Just emulate it!

[Fryth]

My friend beat Chrono Cross on ePSXe, and he said it worked fine.

ePSXe is great and the linux version is fine as far as I can tell. But it's true for ePSXe just as it is true for all other systems: for some reason it's still a little weird playing emulators instead of the actual system. The experience just isn't 100% there, even when you have a gamepad and TV-out. I emulate all the time, and I love the ability to play those old games on my computer, but oh how I wish I owned all those original systems.

Re:Just emulate it!

[dwbassett42]

My bad. You're right, ePSXe isn't open source. I simply assumed it was since it was 1)free and 2)available for Linux. But there's no download for the sourcecode, and no mention of any open source on the site. But I got it all working fine in just a few hours, and am no playing Bushido Blade 1 and 2 (my favorites on the PSX) and Xenogears, which I have never played but heard good things about and so I'm giving it a try.

Any other obsolete products still in production?

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow...that came as a surprise. Why were they still making it? Are there any other obsolete consumer products which are still produced that we may not know of? I would love it if I can buy a brand new snes, sony walkman, Zenith Space Command, or an Apple Newton today.

I can't wait to see this..

[radiotyler]

"emulator that would allow gamers to play PS titles on the PSP."

To me, this means:
1. The games are downloaded and stored on you PSP. (Yay!)
2. The games are repackaged and sold as PSP games. (Boo!)
3. I'm completely missing the point of why this matters. (Likely)

Considering all the titles available for the PSP and the ability to play PSOne games on your PS2 (acronym central) already, this seems kind of like a scare tactic towards Nintendo for offering free games on Revolution. The "Look! Look guys! We can do it too!" mentality, I guess.

Re:I can't wait to see this..

[tepples]

this seems kind of like a scare tactic towards Nintendo for offering free games on Revolution.

That, or it's a reaction to the Nintendo DS's back-compatibility. Or it's a reaction to homebrew emulation efforts.

Re:I can't wait to see this..

[radiotyler]

Whatever their motives, it's the implementation of the games on the PSP that really interests me. I honestly cannot see Sony giving up any games for free, or making an inexpensive adapter to transfer games from PSOne to PSP. All signs point to reselling the games and downloading software emulation onto your PSP to play the games you just bought... again.

Anything short of making the games available for download to the PSP seems like a terribly bad move, especially with third party solutions either already in the works, or new ones sparked by the idea of PSOne emulation for the PSP. This should be a fun one to watch fizzle.

Re:I can't wait to see this..

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

"1. The games are downloaded and stored on you PSP. (Yay!)"

One game per memory card. Wee.

"2. The games are repackaged and sold as PSP games. (Boo!)"

The PSP has fewer control buttons than the PS1 controller. It also has a wider-aspect screen and stronger processing capabilities. I'd rather they repackaged it to make it more PSP friendly and smarten up the graphics a little bit.

"3. I'm completely missing the point of why this matters. (Likely)"

Actually, I'm missing the point as well. This smells an awful like like an attempt to syphon some of Nintendo's hype. Sony makes neato gadgets, but they've yet to impress me as a game company.

Re:I can't wait to see this..

[buffer-overflowed]

Even if you could download, convert them, and/or run them from memory-stick, a lot of PS games are big, filling an entire CD(or more).

Re:I can't wait to see this..

[tepples]

a lot of PS games are big

And a lot of them aren't. Particularly, Zoop is about 3 MB, and the rest is CD audio that could be compressed for use on PSP. Sure, that's an edge case, but a lot of PS1 games are similar (under 100 MB data track plus lots of CD audio).

Re:I can't wait to see this..

[DDLKermit007]

Yeah...and Sony is going to just give you access to all those games for free? Not to mention all the devolpers that just can't wait to repackage thier games for the PSP?

Oh fawk!

[gulfan]

I just woke up and for a second there I thought it said PSP. I was like no way, I just bought the freaking thing.

Dual Shock and other PS1 Controller Oddities

[MarioMax]

Question: How will they be able to emulate the twin Dual Shock joysticks, as well as the L2, L3, R2, and R3 functionality.

Re:Dual Shock and other PS1 Controller Oddities

[Anonymous Coward]

How will they be able to emulate the twin Dual Shock joysticks...

By having the PSP controlling a 50k volts adapter that got one set of wires connected to your finger tips and another to your neck. If that doesn't give a shock enough, you can always take a bath with the adapter submerged.

Best regards,
The PS2PSP emulator crew

Sad day for a PS1 collector...

[Anonymous Coward]

I knew it was inevitable, but in the end it means more rare titles and accessories in the used bins.

Still a great little system. I've got over 200 titles so I don't have much of a need for the newer systems. However I will be continuing my collecting on the PS2 platform.

Here's to more games!

They're stopping now?

[Konrad9]

I'm confused. When was the last time ANYONE saw a NEW PSone in a store? I haven't seen one in years. :/

Re:They're stopping now?

[aichpvee]

I think they were primarily being produced for sale in countries other than the United States.

Re:They're stopping now?

[Neoprofin]

Screw reading the articles, we're not even going to read the summary anymore!

"PS hardware and software are still selling in countries around the world. Even if original PlayStation systems and games are becoming slim pickings in the US"

Re:They're stopping now?

[Konrad9]

Wow, so I was entirely correct.
Thankyou for pointing that out.

Re:They're stopping now?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, "ANYONE" apparently means "ignorant, self centred Yank" now.

Re:They're stopping now?

[cianduffy]

I haven't seen one on sale either but I got one free with a Brother printer from Viking Direct recently. Does that count?

Its still in its box. Being kept for ebaying in twenty years time or so.

Re:They're stopping now?

[Superblargo]

They used to (and they still might) sell them at Wallyworld and Shopko, just to name a couple.

Re:They're stopping now?

[mex666]

Well I bought a brand new boxed PSOne in Kmart no more than 6 months ago for $39.95 AUD. *pre-empting ignorant reply mode* It was in a central Sydney store, not a back water country town.

Re:They're stopping now?

[boarder8925]

When was the last time anyone saw a new PSone in a store?

Late 2004 or early 2005 at the Target in Millenia (Orlando area), actually. It came bundled with three games, too. I believe it was $70 or $80.

Re:They're stopping now?

[Anonymous Coward]

Since nobody else is asking, I'll bite: How and why the heck did that happen? Strange promotion? Accident? Deal still going on?

Re:They're stopping now?

[cianduffy]

Very, very strange promotion. I'd guess it was stock clearence except Viking are a stationary company and really shouldn't have consoles in stock in the first place.

Re:They're stopping now?

[grocer]

Yeah, big box retailers had them until very recently...last summer I briefly considered one before realizing I was better off buying a PS2...

A more viable product...

[thej1nx]

A better and worthwhile product would be an emulater drive gadget that let me play my PS2 games on PSP. Something the same size as a portable DVD player, that let you mount your PSP on top(say slide it into a PSP shaped cavity or something, and snap shut).

They should realize that their UMD format is not going anywhere :p

Re:A more viable product...

[Man in Spandex]

Sure it will, same place as where Betamax currently is :o

Re:A more viable product...

[loki1978]

I see no problem with the UMD
Where is the problem? Do you see same problems with Gameboy cartridges?

Re:A more viable product...

[Anonymous Coward]

PSP isn't powerful enough to play PS2 games. Its hardware is neither binary-compatible with PS2 nor anywhere near powerful enough to emulate the PS2.

Playstation, maybe (other than the obvious insufficiencies of the PSP controls), PS2 definitely not. It will never be able to do anything close to full-speed Saturn or Dreamcast, either, just to help put things in perspective.

Scissors

[writermike]

Sony last week announced that it is working on an emulator that would allow gamers to play PS titles on the PSP.

Reminds me of the old technical support story of the person using a pair of scissors to make the 5.25 inch disk fit the 3.5 inch drive.

Re:Scissors

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't ever do that! I did that years ago with my porn collection and lost everything below the waist. Man, I was so pissed...

Re:Scissors

[Anonymous Coward]

Uh, you're a liar. That wouldn't work. Most probbaly the disk would be rendered unreadable.

Re:Scissors

[Anonymous Coward]

Holy cow....I can't believe anyone took that seriously....

ps2 backward compatible

[layingMantis]

get a freaking ps2 for 140 bucks. or apparently, a ps3 when they come out.

if you still insist on a ps1, i can sell you mine call me :P

Re:ps2 backward compatible

[Baloo Ursidae]

How? You didn't leave a number.

PS1 had digital pads before Dual Shock

[tepples]

How will they be able to emulate the twin Dual Shock joysticks, as well as the L2, L3, R2, and R3 functionality.

In-game remapping for titles that support it, or in-emulator remapping. I'm guessing that Sony will just skip the more complex titles that require analog sticks. Besides, half of the PS1 game library (including such classics as Parappa the Rapper, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, and Final Fantasy VII) was made before the Dual Shock controller and thus doesn't know that L3, R3, and the analog sticks exist.

Re:PS1 had digital pads before Dual Shock

[bri2000]

Also weren't L3 and R3 only introduced for the Dual Shock 2 (i.e. the PS2 version of the controller) so never used for PSOne games?

Re:PS1 had digital pads before Dual Shock

[tepples]

Off the top of my head I remember that Tobal 2 for the Japanese PS1 used L3 and R3 to charge fireballs.

Steve Ballmer declares victory

[BlueScreenOfTOM]

Upon hearing the news from Sony, Steve Ballmer declared victory, looking back to his pre-XBOX days when he made the following comment:

I've done it before and I'll do it again! I'm going to Fucking Kill(TM) Sony!
-Steve Ballmer, 2002

Ballmer then spoke with his staff, who informed them that Playstation 2 has been out since 2001, thus making the PS1 essentially obsolete since before the XBOX was released. He then vowed to Fucking Kill(TM) his staff as he continued down the list of things to Fucking Kill(TM), booking a plane to Europe to hopefully "deal" with the EU.

Sega

[Symp0sium]

Sony last week announced that it is working on an emulator that would allow gamers to play PS titles on the PSP

I'm still holding out for Sega to do the same with the Game Gear and Master System, Alex Kidd in Miracle world here I come!!

Re:Sega

[Anonymous Coward]

Are you kidding? Sega made a device that let's you do that called Master Gear.

Re:Sega

[DDLKermit007]

Keep your eye on the Revolution. Theres a very good chance you'll get that wish.

Re:Sega

[Symp0sium]

Thats for emulation on the PC not on the game gear itself

Re:Sega

[Anonymous Coward]

No, my newbie friend. Perhaps you were blinking (or maybe not yet alive) when the MasterGear converter was released, so do a more comprehensive web search next time and don't just assume that the first hit you get is all the info you need.

Correction to the GP: Sega didn't manufacture the MGC, and have never officially supported playing SMS games on the GG. K?

Re:Sega

[Symp0sium]

I apologise for not remembering that a piece of lame third party hardware had the same name as the emulator for pc. Yes I was alive at the time and no doubt screwing your mother whilst your father watched.

Re:Sega

[Anonymous Coward]

"whilst"? fag.

Re:Sega

[Duds]

Nintendo have already announced Genesis titles for the revolution, it's not great stretch to assume Master System might follow.

Re:Sega

[Symp0sium]

Sorry I forgot to reply using words you could understand, good luck with your battle with illiteracy.

Re:Sega

[Anonymous Coward]

No, I could understand it just fine, it just made it sound like I was watching Miss Manners try to act tough.

Re:Sega

[Anonymous Coward]

You're right about everything, young newbie! All of it!

Even smaller

[PatTheGreat]

I think it would be even cooler if they just came out with an even smaller version. Like, a watch or something. That would be hawt.

ps2 not 100% backward compatible

[tepples]

get a freaking ps2 for 140 bucks.

Not entirely. Several PS1 games do not work correctly on the PS2. I'm guessing this PSP emulator won't be 100% compatible either, just as the Nintendo DS isn't compatible with link-cable-heavy GBA titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords and Pokémon.

Ironic

[rtobyr]

What's ironic is that Sony is discontinuing the PSOne not long after Atari started reviving the Atari 2600 & 7800 (http://www.atari.com/us/games/atari_flashback/780 0).

Re:Ironic

[richman555]

Wow I hope this means they will drop the price to $99 or lower.

Re:Ironic

[Anonymous Coward]

That's not ironic, it's coincidental.

Re:Ironic

[Anonymous Coward]

It would have been nice if the Atari Flashback had included a built-in cartridge slot, since most Atari 2600 cartridges are cheaper than dirt now.

There are hacks out there that let you add a cartridge slot to the console yourself; but that's beyond most people's capabilities...

Re:Ironic

[mex666]

Clearly you learnt the meaning of IRONIC from Alanis Morriset.

Good News Everybody!!

[JimXugle]

I've got like 50 in the freezer down in my basement!

eh... not really.

Somebody needs to start working on cracking the PSone's authentication system... that way the PSP will be able to play homebrew no matter what!

I run epsxe on my laptop

[Psx29]

I can load as many games as I want on my 80GB hd (and now they have 120gb laptop drives even) and the graphics look better. Hell I can even plug in my playstation controller with a nifty adapter. Screw sony and their psp.

Re:I run epsxe on my laptop

[Anonymous Coward]

Except you can't easily play a laptop on a bus, train or just standing/walking around. Also, any laptop using full system resources (ie. 3D accelleration, sound, etc.) is going to have even worse battery life than the PSP.

Re:I run epsxe on my laptop

[Chemical]

I dunno about ePSXe. I've not had the best of luck with it. While the higher resolutions are nice, ePSXe's emulation is far from perfect. No game seems to run without it's share of glitches, whether it be sound or graphics, and many games are so glitchy as to be unplayable, or at least unpleasent to play. Also ePSXe seems to suffer from tremendous slowdown, even on my relativly high powered system. In addition development seems to have died years ago, so these problems will likely never be fixed.

I admit ePSXe is an impressive program, but it's not a very good replacement for a real Playstation. If Sony can come up with something for the PSP that can do near perfect PS1 emulation, they'll have a real killer app on their hands.

Re:I run epsxe on my laptop

[SigNick]

I play everyday on the bus, train and subway. My Centrino/Sonoma laptop has 6.5 hours of battery life when reading ebooks and using Gaim/Winamp, 5.7 hours when playing ePSX continuously (1600x1050 resolution, Ati X700, AC97 sound). An extra battery costs as much as a PSOne if I want to double my playing times.

By the way, why would you like to play when walking around? I sure hope you don't live in a place where's other traffic too..

The best thing about using an emulator with a laptop: not having to buy the games AGAIN.

Re:I run epsxe on my laptop

[Anonymous Coward]

Your problems sound mostly related to plugins. The core ePSXe is pretty much perfect, but the plugins that it comes with by default leave a lot to be desired. Try these plugins: Video, Sound, CD. You'll need to do some tweaking to perfect it for your system but they work pretty much perfectly.

Re:I run epsxe on my laptop

[DigitalReality]

I'm sure that some homebrewer will figure out how to drop the games on a DUO and play them on the emulator. Or they can use that PSP harddrive.

Re:I run epsxe on my laptop

[sdhankin]

Of course, the same argument could be made about buying a GBA - there are PC emulators for that as well. If you consider a laptop to be portable gaming, more power to you. I don't.

Re:I run epsxe on my laptop

[stilz2]

I'm sure we are all aware of the fact that emulation is no easy task and the developers created the emulators at their free time, etc, so we really shouldn't expect to have it working 100% without any work on OUR part. If you are having trouble with the settings, visit ngemu's forum. There are many people who are very knowledgeable in this area and very willing to help (so long you do not break the rules). Just to give an example, FFIX works better on ePSXe 1.52 than the newest 1.6. Good luck.

Price will continue to make the PS1 attractive.

[6350']

In much the same way that Windows 98 became the world's operating system due to it's relatively slim install and memory use (ie, usable on bare-bones inexpensive computers that much of the developing world uses), the Playstation 1 has become the planet's game console.

While the price for a PS2 has dropped considerably, the even cheaper PS1 is still the only real option for a person who has not much cash but want's a good console. Add in the vast pirated library of PS1 titles, and the PS1 will be an oddly vibrant video game platform for quite some time.

Re:Price will continue to make the PS1 attractive.

[bokutoe]

Dreamcast attainable for $12, pirated games burned directly to CD-R, no need for modchip.

Re:Any other obsolete products still in production

[SetupWeasel]

The Famicom was still in production in Japan until a year or so ago.

Whoops

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, Sony decided to use new XPCP DRM technology to make sure your not stealing it's (awful) BIOS files.

It's not ironic... it's a sign of times...

[Anonymous Coward]

After all, 3D Realms are releasing Duke Nukem Forever on Atari 2600, but probably not on PSOne.

What PSP REALLY means

[Doomstalk]

Please Stop Porting.

rip?

[tepples]

and Sony is going to just give you access to all those games for free?

In the ideal world, I could stick a PS1 game in my CD drive and rip it, creating an encrypted iso that is locked to my PSP unit.

Please...

[irimi_00]

Please, let me be the first to say what we all are really thinking and feeling.

Good riddance.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

It's pretty much 100%.

[Inoshiro]

That list is about a bunch of games that, frankly, work with models that are SPCH-30001. If you have an SPCH-30001 that's not dead due to the defective lasers that were used in the 1999-2000 production run of 1st gen PS2s that still functions, you're lucky and due for a replacement anyway.

My PS2 plays Final Fantasy Anthology perfectly fine, and brings the load times of the FF6 menus down to something approaching playability, although it's still not as nice as the SNES rom.

From Wikipedia: "Early versions of the PlayStation 2 console were incompatible with both the North American and European versions of Final Fantasy Anthology, although these incompatibilities have since been addressed in later hardware revisions."

Re:It's pretty much 100%.

[Anonymous Coward]

Not entirely true. The new slimline PS2 has its own compatibility issues and Sony still keeps the earlier list of problems on their Consumer Alerts page. So, if you were to go out right now and buy said replacement unit, even more PS1 games wouldn't work than before, in addition to whichever PS2 titles don't work on the slimlines.

think about poorer countries

[Potor]

yeah - but i lived in thailand until this past october and saw the ps1 everywhere - it remains quite popular, and cheap.

Re:think about poorer countries

[Potor]

at least that wasn't posted ac ...

Re:think about poorer countries

[cgenman]

Oddly, I too was in Thailand in December.

Most of those PS1's are pirate systems that are cheaper than the real thing... and will continue to be available. Just look in the gaming section of MBK. You won't find any officially licensed Sony hardware, but you will find a lot of cheaply printed cardboard boxes holding slightly-too-bubbly PS1 systems.

Re:think about poorer countries

[Potor]

Almost everything at MBK is fake, just like most stuff in Panthip (still, a tech mecca!), excluding the chain stores like DataIT. But, at TescoLotus and Carrefour, for example, the PS1s are genuine, IIRC.

What?!?!?!?

[Zaatxe]

How come the headline isn't "Sony announces a PSOne killer"?

Slashdot is losing its traditions...

Re:Any other obsolete products still in production

[ecc0]

I would love it if I can buy a brand new [...] sony walkman

hi there

PS2 emulation anytime soon ?

[billcopc]

PS1 is cute and all, but I'd kill to run some PS2 games on anything other than a PS2. FFX, Frequency/Amplitude and Devil May Cry.. Mmmmmmm Mmmm Good!

Re:PS2 emulation anytime soon ?

[Xymor]

PS2 -> PC emulation is being developed for several years now, and it's not even close to the real thing. You've better luck waiting for a PS3.

Re:PS2 emulation anytime soon ?

[billcopc]

What does the PS3 have to do with anything ? I miss the good old days when new products were released whenever and people found out once they saw the item at a store. The only thing more ridiculous than PS3 speculation is Nintendo Revolution speculation. If I had a nickel every time I saw a gamer speculation headline, I could afford my own US senator!

PS2 has been out for many many many years and the last I saw of any emulation was a partially working preview of FFX.

What has me baffled is why we don't have Xbox emulation at all, seeing as it runs X86 code, all that should be required is a hardware virtualization layer for the MCPX, no ? Hell I'd do it myself if I could still live like a teenager.. life gets in the way though.

Emulator will make you rebuy the games

[VGfort]

The Emulator they make to play PS games will require you to rebuy those old games though

/. traditions

[Anonymous Coward]

Slashdot is losing its traditions...

I refuse to believe that until I hear Netcraft confirm it!

Size matters...

[Anonymous Coward]

How in the heck am I going to put in the CD in that small slot?

US Patent 6,672,963 is BS

[tepples]

Nintendo was granted a patent on emulation on handheld console emulating older handheld consoles

Actually, US Patent 6,672,963 assigned to Nintendo covers a method of turning on speed hacks within handheld emulators based on identifying the title of the ROM. This patent is likely to be found invalid, as emulators have included title-specific hacks long before November 2000.

I found this out yesterday

[shaedee]

Yeah.. this is true..
My sister in law has a 7 year old, and his Birthday was last week..
anyway.. she bought him a PS1 game (dunno what title..sorry).
So, the guy who sold it to her tells her that this is the last production title to be made, (store was EB.. i think)
anyway.. she gets it home... has birthday party etc..
young fella's dual-shock no longer goes!bummer
she tries to buy a new PS1 dual-shock from same store, only to be told that they don't have them anymore and have not had them for quite some time.
so... she rings me to see if i have an old one she can have... i didn't.
my suggestions
1. but PS2 dual-shock (should be backwards compat..)
2. just buy a complete PS1.. (you can probably get a 2nd hand one for around $10nzd
It makes you wonder if PS3 is actually gonna be backwards compat.. have Sony actually confirmed this for sure???

Re:Any other obsolete products still in production

[SomeOtherGuy]

"The Famicom was still in production in Japan until a year or so ago."

And it is still outselling the Xbox.