From what I understand, the PS2 has already gone through one slight revision though. I can’t remember the details, mostly just internal stuff but something about the USB ports or something too. And what about the PSOne, the cute little white Playstation? It didn’t come out until into the PS2’s life, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they did something similar with the PS2 before the PS3 came out. I don’t expect it, but it wouldn’t be shocking.
Hey, if you can make it smaller and lighter near the end of its life-cycle, you can remarket it as a semi-portable like Sony has done with the PSX. I’ve never bought one, but that tiny PSX with the LCD screen is damn attractive.
Yeah, they eliminated the Firewire port and added a built in IR reciever for the remote, and I’m sure they’ve streamlined the motherboard and other internals as well. The 90 nanometer single chip PS2 chipset hasn’t gone into production quite yet though. And as for a new PS2 form factor, that’s likely not something that will occur until around the time the PS3 hits. Sony and Nintendo have done this a few times with their previous generation after the latest has been introduced. It’s usually associated with a really low price.
The PSX is a whole nother deal. $700 seems like a lot, but when you consider it replaces a $179 PS2, a $200-300 PVR and a $400 DVD recorder, it doesn’t sound so bad.
Description
Sony unveiled its “PSX” entertainment system and revealed it will include a satellite TV tuner and DVD recorder plus its PlayStation 2 game player. The company also unveiled the new system’s significant price tag which is set at a minimum of 79,800 yen (USD 719).
In order to justify such a price Sony has included an HDD recorder in the unit. The above mentioned price will apply to the units featuring a 160-gigabyte HDD which will be able to record up to 204 hours of television. A 250-gigabyte version will also be available for 99,800 yen. There is no timetable for an overseas PSX launch, Sony said.
The new product will also attempt to keep consumers busy while preparing for the launch of Sony’s new console the PS3. This could also create a problem for Sony however, since many will choose to wait for the new games machine rather than invest such a large sum of money on a unit whose core is based on the now aging PS2.
There is the game industry and game development and we are trying to fuse the consumer electronics business with games to make a new growth area, said Sony Chief Executive Nobuyuki Idei.
While Sony were launching their new product another attempt at fusion was being launched. Nokia introduced their N-Gage games console/cell phone/mp3 player etc. These moves mark the latest trend in the electronics industry which is to utilize the success of video games in order to sell other electronic devices and services as well.
Sony also plans to enter the portable game device market next year with its PSP, which will also play music and movies.
Although the price of the PSX does, initially, seem extravagant, many analysts claim that considering the hardware on offer in the PSX, its price sounds very cheap.
Most visitors to the exhibition in Japan were the PSX was introduced, claim that the lack of new gaming features in the PSX, make it less of a temptation.
It is widely accepted that the PSX is planned to contribute financially to the company’s upcoming PS3 console. Although Sony has not announced any date for the release of PS3, the company has indicated it plans to commit 500 billion yen over the next three years in semiconductors, including research and development for the high-powered microprocessor codenamed cell which is being developed with Toshiba and IBM and is expected to be the driving force behind PS3. Sony have very high hopes for cell and it is expected that they will try and introduce it as the next standard for consumer electronics.
Here is a pic http://www.megagames.com/news/html/hardware/psxnowps3soon.shtml
Don’t quote me on this, but I was under the impression that Sony was going ahead with the 2005 date announced a year or so ago, despite the IBM/Toshiba/Sony group announcing that the Cell chip wouldn’t be ready till 2006.
I didn’t, and still don’t, know what to make of that - How can they keep the same release date when the CPU and system architecture they were relying on was no longer viable? My guess is they had a backup plan from the start, they Plan B’d it. Perhaps they had a team working on a re-tweak of the PS2 core or something. I dunno.
Either way, if nothing’s change since I last heard about it, PS3 in 2005.
The PS2 is actually twice as expensive as the GameCube in Canada now, which seems pretty crazy (Nintendo being the only console maker to adjust prices to reflect the fact that the Canadian dollar has gained 15 cents on the U.S buck this year).
In Vancouver the prices I’ve seen are:
Gamecube: $140
Gameboy Advance SP: $140
Xbox: $250
PS2: $250
There’s a PS2 bundle that includes the network adapter for $280 and some stores are still selling the Xbox Halo/Amped bundle for $280 but the other Xbox bundle (Tetris Worlds/Clone Wars plus two months of Xbox Live) is $250.
I was a bit surprised neither Sony nor Microsoft budged when Nintendo dropped the price of the GC. As Desslock points out, the gap in prices is huge now. Any further rumors of price drops before the holidays?
If you live in Canada, for the next 3 days you can pick up a Gamecube for $139.99 at Futureshop or Best Buy and receive a $40 rebate
The PSX just doesn’t make sense to me. Who wants to spend that much money on a system that comes with the oldest console on the market? If you’re that much into home entertainment surely you already have a PS2? I don’t understand why Sony doesn’t make the PS2 component upgradeable. That would be a much more attractive offer IMO.
It may be older, but it still has the largest number of games. And you’re not paying huge bucks for the PS2 compatibility, that’s just the cherry on top. You’re paying for a DVD recorder/PVR/Multimedia playback device. Highend HT types probably already have dedicated units for all these functions, this is more for people with too much money who buy Bose stereos cause they think they’re cute.