Sony said to have sub-$100 PS2 in the pipeline
Cheaper, smaller
Sony's saying nothing, but online reports suggests the consumer electronics giant is readying a further incarnation of the PS2 that's set to ship in the States next year for under $100.
Sony's PS2: last redesigned in 2004
According to a report published by games industry trade paper MCV, the third-generation PS2 will be more compact than the current 'slim' model and see the power brick moved inside the casing.
It claimed the machine will retail Stateside for $99 - the current version costs $129 - and over here for around £75 - 20 quid less than today's £95 RRP.
It's suggested the new PS2 won't appear until 2008. If so, Sony clearly doesn't want it to hinder PS3 sales this coming Christmas. But Sony last week said it expects to sell around 12m more PS2 worldwide in the five months to the end of March 2008, and the new, cheaper model could well be how it plans to meet that target.
COMMENTS
PS2 emulation in the PS3...
There's a few basic reasons why people such as myself are ticked off at Sony's approach to PS2 emulation in the PS3.
The first is the most basic. They *said* the PS3 would be backwards compatible.Then, outside the US/Japan, they messed that up switching to software emulation (less compatible) at a higher price. And then ditched compatibility altogether (as well as cutting some other bits)... only to reduce the price to what the US paid in the first place for the higher-spec, hardware emulation version. So we have a string of lies and downgrades.
Second, owning a PS2 doesn't mean that you want to keep it when you upgrade. I was planning to hand my PS2 down to my sister, along with a selection of the games I don't play much. Why? I save space, and now *two* people can play games. Except the emulation didn't happen, and if I want to keep playing my PS2 collection I have another box cluttering my loungeroom floor.
Personally I have one or two PS2 games with poor compatibility with my particular model of PS2 and I was hoping they would work better with the PS3 emulation of the PS2. Now I'm reduced to the option of buying a new PS2 - but it's not worth it for one or two games, so I'll have to write them off.
Re: Overheating
"Hopefully this one will be better than the overheating piece of crap that is the current slim PS2."
Hmm. Never had a problem with my slimline PS2 overheating - granted, it isn't in constant use but when it is used it gets a real hammering. Having said that, it's actually kept somewhere where there is decent ventilation.
However I'm really not a fan of external power bricks/wall warts, so if Sony can do a small(er) version of the PS2 with an internal transformer I'd seriously consider buying one. Hell, if M$ did the 360 with an internal PSU I'd get one like a shot.
@Arif Rashid
"Then they announce they are realising a cut down (crap) version of the PS3"
Really, when was that? I thought that apart from a smaller HDD (which can be swapped with any laptop HDD of your choice, or supplemented with an external HDD), fewer USB ports (which can be added to with any USB hub), and removal of backward compatibility (presuming that people with vast catalogues of PS2 games they want to play, actually own a PS2), made financial sense.
It's not like they seriously downgraded the console in any way, like for example adding a model with no HDD, or DVD instead of blu-ray, which would mean games have to be designed for the lowest common denominator. Personally I'm not re-thinking any code because the PS3 now has only 2 USB ports and won't play a game released 6 years ago...
A good thing
"You don't see Nintendo revamping their previous generation product."
No, but it wouldn't be unprecedented; both the NES and the SNES got rebuilt in smaller form factors, and the Wii is 100% Gamecube compatible.
I think keeping the PS2 going is a good idea and it's good for developers who have already made a heavy investment in PS2 training and materials.
It sends the double message that if you invest in the PS3, Sony intends to keep their products going for years and years and years past the end of the generation cycle. Respecting developers is one of the best things you can do with the system.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has sent the message by releasing a year ahead of the cycle that if you invest in the X-Box, they're going to be more than happy to dump it and move on if they feel it suits them. That's a big caution sticker on that 360.
Speaking of living in the past, how come everyone is so crazy about PS2 emulation? We're talking about a system that almost everyone has, and if you don't have it, you can get it. It's the single best selling console of all time, and if you want to play PS2 games, guess what! You don't have to buy a $600 PS3. You can probably find a PS2 for as little as $20 used, and brand new they'll be under $100.
I'd go so far as to say that anyone that butt-hurt about the PS2 compatibility is either simply running short on reasons to hate Sony, or is simply an epic wanker.
Stupid
When are they going to realise that people want the PS3 but don't want to pay a cost comparable to a low end PC.
Is this somehow supposed to make up for the removal of PS2 emulation?
They need to stop living in the past and sort out their current generation product. You don't see Nintendo revamping their previous generation product.
