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There has been a lot of problems with Sonys new superconsole, but taking all the problems to one side, is the big black box any good? Even though I am pre-ordering the thing, I still have my reservations about it.
The Playstation 2 is on paper not the most impressive piece of hardware designed as a games console, that honour goes to the X-Box. However, what the Playstation 2 does have going for it is that Sony has always intended for the PS2 not to be a games console on its own- it was designed to go alongside other pieces of hardware in the future to comprise the worlds first truely multimedia system. A lot of people have been criticising the PS2 as a games console, but they should do because it isnt a games console at all technically. Look at the gamecube, yes it is DVD based, but it cant play DVD's. Another attractive feature is that it is able to play and in some cases enhanse graphically the original Playstation games all over 900 of them infact. It is perhaps the largest catalogue of games ever seen for a console, I think that it is a resource the Sony would not want to throw away. In these cases, it has a lot going for it- its not designed as a piece of hardware that will be at its best right here right now- its designed as a piece of hardware that will be around for years to come. The original Playstation was intended to be DVD based after all...
I would say though that the PS2 does have its flaws. Its current launch catalogue is nowhere near as good as it potentially should be- with many a sequel in its books, naming Ridge Racer V and TTT as the major parties and perhaps the early flagship games of the console. Also, many of the games that are pivotal to the success of the console are in fact sequels: Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid to name but a few. Lets hope The Bouncer and The Getaway do as well, as they both appear to be quality games.
I was surprised in Japan to see just how many Japanese people were buying it for its DVD capabilities, but that seems obvious when it was intended to not be just a games console. All in all I feel that the Playstation 2 has a lot going for it, as a multimedia system and not as a stand alone games console... if you want to get one thats specialist for that get an X-Box or Gamecube, and not one that does or should I say will do a lot more.
The Playstation 2 is on paper not the most impressive piece of hardware designed as a games console, that honour goes to the X-Box. However, what the Playstation 2 does have going for it is that Sony has always intended for the PS2 not to be a games console on its own- it was designed to go alongside other pieces of hardware in the future to comprise the worlds first truely multimedia system. A lot of people have been criticising the PS2 as a games console, but they should do because it isnt a games console at all technically. Look at the gamecube, yes it is DVD based, but it cant play DVD's. Another attractive feature is that it is able to play and in some cases enhanse graphically the original Playstation games all over 900 of them infact. It is perhaps the largest catalogue of games ever seen for a console, I think that it is a resource the Sony would not want to throw away. In these cases, it has a lot going for it- its not designed as a piece of hardware that will be at its best right here right now- its designed as a piece of hardware that will be around for years to come. The original Playstation was intended to be DVD based after all...
I would say though that the PS2 does have its flaws. Its current launch catalogue is nowhere near as good as it potentially should be- with many a sequel in its books, naming Ridge Racer V and TTT as the major parties and perhaps the early flagship games of the console. Also, many of the games that are pivotal to the success of the console are in fact sequels: Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid to name but a few. Lets hope The Bouncer and The Getaway do as well, as they both appear to be quality games.
I was surprised in Japan to see just how many Japanese people were buying it for its DVD capabilities, but that seems obvious when it was intended to not be just a games console. All in all I feel that the Playstation 2 has a lot going for it, as a multimedia system and not as a stand alone games console... if you want to get one thats specialist for that get an X-Box or Gamecube, and not one that does or should I say will do a lot more.
Don't read too much into the X-Box. You know what Micro soft are like, their systems work great when you first get them, then 6 months down the line you need to download or buy an add-on. This of course (sometimes) at a nominal fee. I sometimes think that Microsoft have their own "Gremlin" dept.
At any rate, the other 2 consoles are about a year down the line, and logic dictates that they will have refined their little boxes by the time they hit the shelves in the UK.
There will also, i think, be plenty of scope to upgrade the PS2.
At any rate, the other 2 consoles are about a year down the line, and logic dictates that they will have refined their little boxes by the time they hit the shelves in the UK.
There will also, i think, be plenty of scope to upgrade the PS2.
There has been a lot of problems with Sonys new superconsole, but taking all the problems to one side, is the big black box any good? Even though I am pre-ordering the thing, I still have my reservations about it.
The Playstation 2 is on paper not the most impressive piece of hardware designed as a games console, that honour goes to the X-Box. However, what the Playstation 2 does have going for it is that Sony has always intended for the PS2 not to be a games console on its own- it was designed to go alongside other pieces of hardware in the future to comprise the worlds first truely multimedia system. A lot of people have been criticising the PS2 as a games console, but they should do because it isnt a games console at all technically. Look at the gamecube, yes it is DVD based, but it cant play DVD's. Another attractive feature is that it is able to play and in some cases enhanse graphically the original Playstation games all over 900 of them infact. It is perhaps the largest catalogue of games ever seen for a console, I think that it is a resource the Sony would not want to throw away. In these cases, it has a lot going for it- its not designed as a piece of hardware that will be at its best right here right now- its designed as a piece of hardware that will be around for years to come. The original Playstation was intended to be DVD based after all...
I would say though that the PS2 does have its flaws. Its current launch catalogue is nowhere near as good as it potentially should be- with many a sequel in its books, naming Ridge Racer V and TTT as the major parties and perhaps the early flagship games of the console. Also, many of the games that are pivotal to the success of the console are in fact sequels: Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid to name but a few. Lets hope The Bouncer and The Getaway do as well, as they both appear to be quality games.
I was surprised in Japan to see just how many Japanese people were buying it for its DVD capabilities, but that seems obvious when it was intended to not be just a games console. All in all I feel that the Playstation 2 has a lot going for it, as a multimedia system and not as a stand alone games console... if you want to get one thats specialist for that get an X-Box or Gamecube, and not one that does or should I say will do a lot more.
The Playstation 2 is on paper not the most impressive piece of hardware designed as a games console, that honour goes to the X-Box. However, what the Playstation 2 does have going for it is that Sony has always intended for the PS2 not to be a games console on its own- it was designed to go alongside other pieces of hardware in the future to comprise the worlds first truely multimedia system. A lot of people have been criticising the PS2 as a games console, but they should do because it isnt a games console at all technically. Look at the gamecube, yes it is DVD based, but it cant play DVD's. Another attractive feature is that it is able to play and in some cases enhanse graphically the original Playstation games all over 900 of them infact. It is perhaps the largest catalogue of games ever seen for a console, I think that it is a resource the Sony would not want to throw away. In these cases, it has a lot going for it- its not designed as a piece of hardware that will be at its best right here right now- its designed as a piece of hardware that will be around for years to come. The original Playstation was intended to be DVD based after all...
I would say though that the PS2 does have its flaws. Its current launch catalogue is nowhere near as good as it potentially should be- with many a sequel in its books, naming Ridge Racer V and TTT as the major parties and perhaps the early flagship games of the console. Also, many of the games that are pivotal to the success of the console are in fact sequels: Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid to name but a few. Lets hope The Bouncer and The Getaway do as well, as they both appear to be quality games.
I was surprised in Japan to see just how many Japanese people were buying it for its DVD capabilities, but that seems obvious when it was intended to not be just a games console. All in all I feel that the Playstation 2 has a lot going for it, as a multimedia system and not as a stand alone games console... if you want to get one thats specialist for that get an X-Box or Gamecube, and not one that does or should I say will do a lot more.