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To me, consoles have only been around for about 10 years or so. I was late onto the scene buying a Sega Megadrive a year after release. However, since then, I’ve had a keen interest in following new and improved consoles to the frontiers they offer. Everything from graphical improvements to link play options with two playstations seemed interesting prospects, and having tried and tested many of these features, I now know that they have been worth looking in to. Each step has been fairly small though, sometimes as trivial as adapting to the new “J-Cart” that allowed 4 players on Micro Machines Turbo Tournament by plugging in two extra controllers directly into the cartridge itself. Other small steps have been the transition to CDs, and of course peripherals such as memory cards.
With the arrival of next generation consoles, consumers have always matched the evolutionary pace. However I am uncertain that this trend will be maintained with the arrival of online gaming on consoles. The ability to take part in an online game is already available on PCs. Numerous times I have heard friends telling me how amazing it is to play Unreal Tournament against a group of people you do not know, and will probably never meet. The question is, “Will this work on consoles?”
It has been quite interesting to watch each of the new consoles and how they look at online gaming. Nintendo and Sony have taken different views, unsurprisingly, each one convinced it is going in the right direction. Sony long ago decided that online gaming was the way to go, and have been heading in this direction from the start. Whilst they may not yet have released all the online equipment for us to get started, their plans are well underway to getting the Sony world online. In complete contrast, Nintendo have decided to keep going in the traditional console direction. Their new Gamecube is a gaming machine, for games, and games alone. They intend to provide the best choice for pure and simple gaming fun. Whilst perhaps this makes Nintendo seem afraid of progress, at least it shows that like Sony, they are willing to put forward a point of view and stick with it.
The weakest of the group seems to be Microsoft. With not a single original thought in their heads, it seems the console is destined to follow in the footsteps of any of the other consoles it can keep up with. This slightly unfair method has actually given them strength though. Wherever they decide they should follow, they always ensure that when they do, they do it with a lot more money. Wherever there is a promising footprint left by Sony or Nintendo, Microsoft find a bigger boot and step on the original print, claiming it as their own. Despite being the last console to announce its online decisions, it is suggesting it is the first console to go online. By releasing the console fully equipped from the box, Microsoft managed to claim they were the first online. However, how many reports have you heard about Microsoft’s online success? I haven’t heard a single thing, suggesting perhaps they got stuck in a little early.
This will seem like a biased view towards Sony, but I truly believe they have taken the most sensible approach. Personally I am unsure about online plans, and it seems Sony take into account that most average gamers are like myself – interested in progress, but a little cautious at first. Rather than dismissing online plans before they have begun like Nintendo, or alternatively hurling themselves at it simply to be there first like Microsoft, Sony have allowed time to let people think about the idea. The Playstation 2 has a compartment in the back that we all know means it can be upgraded. The modem add-ons are at an extra cost, approximately £30, but this is simply so that it can be left as an option, rather than a decision fixed by the manufacturers. It’s a nice gentle way of letting us become accustomed to the idea.
As a Playstation 2 owner, it is perhaps obvious that I would agree with Sony’s tactics, however, as I am uncertain about the future, I am happy to wait until we know more. When (and if) the time comes, I will be happy to switch my consoles status to online, but until then, some serious research needs to be done.
With the arrival of next generation consoles, consumers have always matched the evolutionary pace. However I am uncertain that this trend will be maintained with the arrival of online gaming on consoles. The ability to take part in an online game is already available on PCs. Numerous times I have heard friends telling me how amazing it is to play Unreal Tournament against a group of people you do not know, and will probably never meet. The question is, “Will this work on consoles?”
It has been quite interesting to watch each of the new consoles and how they look at online gaming. Nintendo and Sony have taken different views, unsurprisingly, each one convinced it is going in the right direction. Sony long ago decided that online gaming was the way to go, and have been heading in this direction from the start. Whilst they may not yet have released all the online equipment for us to get started, their plans are well underway to getting the Sony world online. In complete contrast, Nintendo have decided to keep going in the traditional console direction. Their new Gamecube is a gaming machine, for games, and games alone. They intend to provide the best choice for pure and simple gaming fun. Whilst perhaps this makes Nintendo seem afraid of progress, at least it shows that like Sony, they are willing to put forward a point of view and stick with it.
The weakest of the group seems to be Microsoft. With not a single original thought in their heads, it seems the console is destined to follow in the footsteps of any of the other consoles it can keep up with. This slightly unfair method has actually given them strength though. Wherever they decide they should follow, they always ensure that when they do, they do it with a lot more money. Wherever there is a promising footprint left by Sony or Nintendo, Microsoft find a bigger boot and step on the original print, claiming it as their own. Despite being the last console to announce its online decisions, it is suggesting it is the first console to go online. By releasing the console fully equipped from the box, Microsoft managed to claim they were the first online. However, how many reports have you heard about Microsoft’s online success? I haven’t heard a single thing, suggesting perhaps they got stuck in a little early.
This will seem like a biased view towards Sony, but I truly believe they have taken the most sensible approach. Personally I am unsure about online plans, and it seems Sony take into account that most average gamers are like myself – interested in progress, but a little cautious at first. Rather than dismissing online plans before they have begun like Nintendo, or alternatively hurling themselves at it simply to be there first like Microsoft, Sony have allowed time to let people think about the idea. The Playstation 2 has a compartment in the back that we all know means it can be upgraded. The modem add-ons are at an extra cost, approximately £30, but this is simply so that it can be left as an option, rather than a decision fixed by the manufacturers. It’s a nice gentle way of letting us become accustomed to the idea.
As a Playstation 2 owner, it is perhaps obvious that I would agree with Sony’s tactics, however, as I am uncertain about the future, I am happy to wait until we know more. When (and if) the time comes, I will be happy to switch my consoles status to online, but until then, some serious research needs to be done.
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not alot just missing out paying line rental to play some american geeks over the sea.
im waiting for the PS3 internet.
im waiting for the PS3 internet.
because that is three years away and you'll miss out on alot in the mean time
I personally will not be getting any internet stuff for my PS2 because as Sony said themselves " The PS2 is just a practice at on-line gaming, the real thing will be PS3". so why spend so much on a practice when the real thing will be here when im 18 and i will easily have even money for it then.
KR
KR
I still dont understand why the Euro version of Capcom vs. Snk 2 didnt have the online feature that the japanese version had.
Good post i think going online for sony will be good as a gamer i know that we or i want to against other PS2 owners and what better way than online, you can be playing against people all over the UK which is brilliant, If i can get anough money i will deffenetly get a modem but what about the price of the internet? can you dial up on the number that you do at home? ive got a nice deal woll i be able to use it for dialing up with my PS2? i would think so if you can't then i won't be getting one. Unless i get a job ive got a paper round at the moment which brings in £7.50 a week and with £4.00 pocket money comes to £11.50 a week which isn't really anough im 15, i need a job
I think perhaps the long term success of Sony`s online plans could be greatly increased if they decide to keep the backwards compatibility going. If PS3 can utilise the hardware for online networking that PS2 uses, then it will make the online step much easier next time.
For now though, it is as you say HHH, things must be taken slowly and carefully.
Ginger, I know of nobody who has gone online with THPS3 other than magazine reviewers. PSM2 have a large section devoted to taking THPS3 online.
For now though, it is as you say HHH, things must be taken slowly and carefully.
Ginger, I know of nobody who has gone online with THPS3 other than magazine reviewers. PSM2 have a large section devoted to taking THPS3 online.
Good points, has anyone played THPS3 online, just wondered how many people were playing ??
Good post there phil.It is true that the online gaming still hasnt been explored by the consoles properly. THe Dreamcast tried to achieve something by including an option to play games online, but unfortunately the service was too complicated to use and in the end failed miserably. Many people do not trust online gaming, because they are used to games slwo down on their PC's and other minor annoyances such as hacking and cheating.
People are suspicious about the 3 major companies deciding to go online with their lates consoles and they have a right to do so. Even though Sony are supposed to launch the Hard Drive and the Network Adaptor in just few months, we are still totally unsure about how on earth it is actually going to work. And this is a major hurdle which Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft will need to pass. They need to convince the public that online gaming will actually work and they need to be sensible about the prices of access and the services.
I really hope that online gaming does take off but unfortunately I do not believe that we will see Thousands and thousands of people online in the next year. I think that it is going to be a very slow process, and Sony should introduce the online element very slowly and gently. If they go out and start making games which are best played online, people who do not have access to their service will be put off. I am sure that many will simply decide to wait for a year or so when the service should hopefully be well established and the 3 companies will be confident about how they should handle the matter.
I am going to wait and see how it all works out, and I am surely not going to rush out and buy the HDD as soon as it hits the shops...
Thank you
People are suspicious about the 3 major companies deciding to go online with their lates consoles and they have a right to do so. Even though Sony are supposed to launch the Hard Drive and the Network Adaptor in just few months, we are still totally unsure about how on earth it is actually going to work. And this is a major hurdle which Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft will need to pass. They need to convince the public that online gaming will actually work and they need to be sensible about the prices of access and the services.
I really hope that online gaming does take off but unfortunately I do not believe that we will see Thousands and thousands of people online in the next year. I think that it is going to be a very slow process, and Sony should introduce the online element very slowly and gently. If they go out and start making games which are best played online, people who do not have access to their service will be put off. I am sure that many will simply decide to wait for a year or so when the service should hopefully be well established and the 3 companies will be confident about how they should handle the matter.
I am going to wait and see how it all works out, and I am surely not going to rush out and buy the HDD as soon as it hits the shops...
Thank you
To me, consoles have only been around for about 10 years or so. I was late onto the scene buying a Sega Megadrive a year after release. However, since then, I’ve had a keen interest in following new and improved consoles to the frontiers they offer. Everything from graphical improvements to link play options with two playstations seemed interesting prospects, and having tried and tested many of these features, I now know that they have been worth looking in to. Each step has been fairly small though, sometimes as trivial as adapting to the new “J-Cart” that allowed 4 players on Micro Machines Turbo Tournament by plugging in two extra controllers directly into the cartridge itself. Other small steps have been the transition to CDs, and of course peripherals such as memory cards.
With the arrival of next generation consoles, consumers have always matched the evolutionary pace. However I am uncertain that this trend will be maintained with the arrival of online gaming on consoles. The ability to take part in an online game is already available on PCs. Numerous times I have heard friends telling me how amazing it is to play Unreal Tournament against a group of people you do not know, and will probably never meet. The question is, “Will this work on consoles?”
It has been quite interesting to watch each of the new consoles and how they look at online gaming. Nintendo and Sony have taken different views, unsurprisingly, each one convinced it is going in the right direction. Sony long ago decided that online gaming was the way to go, and have been heading in this direction from the start. Whilst they may not yet have released all the online equipment for us to get started, their plans are well underway to getting the Sony world online. In complete contrast, Nintendo have decided to keep going in the traditional console direction. Their new Gamecube is a gaming machine, for games, and games alone. They intend to provide the best choice for pure and simple gaming fun. Whilst perhaps this makes Nintendo seem afraid of progress, at least it shows that like Sony, they are willing to put forward a point of view and stick with it.
The weakest of the group seems to be Microsoft. With not a single original thought in their heads, it seems the console is destined to follow in the footsteps of any of the other consoles it can keep up with. This slightly unfair method has actually given them strength though. Wherever they decide they should follow, they always ensure that when they do, they do it with a lot more money. Wherever there is a promising footprint left by Sony or Nintendo, Microsoft find a bigger boot and step on the original print, claiming it as their own. Despite being the last console to announce its online decisions, it is suggesting it is the first console to go online. By releasing the console fully equipped from the box, Microsoft managed to claim they were the first online. However, how many reports have you heard about Microsoft’s online success? I haven’t heard a single thing, suggesting perhaps they got stuck in a little early.
This will seem like a biased view towards Sony, but I truly believe they have taken the most sensible approach. Personally I am unsure about online plans, and it seems Sony take into account that most average gamers are like myself – interested in progress, but a little cautious at first. Rather than dismissing online plans before they have begun like Nintendo, or alternatively hurling themselves at it simply to be there first like Microsoft, Sony have allowed time to let people think about the idea. The Playstation 2 has a compartment in the back that we all know means it can be upgraded. The modem add-ons are at an extra cost, approximately £30, but this is simply so that it can be left as an option, rather than a decision fixed by the manufacturers. It’s a nice gentle way of letting us become accustomed to the idea.
As a Playstation 2 owner, it is perhaps obvious that I would agree with Sony’s tactics, however, as I am uncertain about the future, I am happy to wait until we know more. When (and if) the time comes, I will be happy to switch my consoles status to online, but until then, some serious research needs to be done.
With the arrival of next generation consoles, consumers have always matched the evolutionary pace. However I am uncertain that this trend will be maintained with the arrival of online gaming on consoles. The ability to take part in an online game is already available on PCs. Numerous times I have heard friends telling me how amazing it is to play Unreal Tournament against a group of people you do not know, and will probably never meet. The question is, “Will this work on consoles?”
It has been quite interesting to watch each of the new consoles and how they look at online gaming. Nintendo and Sony have taken different views, unsurprisingly, each one convinced it is going in the right direction. Sony long ago decided that online gaming was the way to go, and have been heading in this direction from the start. Whilst they may not yet have released all the online equipment for us to get started, their plans are well underway to getting the Sony world online. In complete contrast, Nintendo have decided to keep going in the traditional console direction. Their new Gamecube is a gaming machine, for games, and games alone. They intend to provide the best choice for pure and simple gaming fun. Whilst perhaps this makes Nintendo seem afraid of progress, at least it shows that like Sony, they are willing to put forward a point of view and stick with it.
The weakest of the group seems to be Microsoft. With not a single original thought in their heads, it seems the console is destined to follow in the footsteps of any of the other consoles it can keep up with. This slightly unfair method has actually given them strength though. Wherever they decide they should follow, they always ensure that when they do, they do it with a lot more money. Wherever there is a promising footprint left by Sony or Nintendo, Microsoft find a bigger boot and step on the original print, claiming it as their own. Despite being the last console to announce its online decisions, it is suggesting it is the first console to go online. By releasing the console fully equipped from the box, Microsoft managed to claim they were the first online. However, how many reports have you heard about Microsoft’s online success? I haven’t heard a single thing, suggesting perhaps they got stuck in a little early.
This will seem like a biased view towards Sony, but I truly believe they have taken the most sensible approach. Personally I am unsure about online plans, and it seems Sony take into account that most average gamers are like myself – interested in progress, but a little cautious at first. Rather than dismissing online plans before they have begun like Nintendo, or alternatively hurling themselves at it simply to be there first like Microsoft, Sony have allowed time to let people think about the idea. The Playstation 2 has a compartment in the back that we all know means it can be upgraded. The modem add-ons are at an extra cost, approximately £30, but this is simply so that it can be left as an option, rather than a decision fixed by the manufacturers. It’s a nice gentle way of letting us become accustomed to the idea.
As a Playstation 2 owner, it is perhaps obvious that I would agree with Sony’s tactics, however, as I am uncertain about the future, I am happy to wait until we know more. When (and if) the time comes, I will be happy to switch my consoles status to online, but until then, some serious research needs to be done.
Page: