Path: chuka.playstation.co.uk!news From: "Dave Smethurst" Newsgroups: scee.yaroze.freetalk.english Subject: Re: how do you do, PS2? Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1999 21:19:25 +0100 Organization: PlayStation Net Yaroze (SCEE) Lines: 138 Message-ID: <7rrj2b$lcu1@chuka.playstation.co.uk> References: <7rilo6$g0d7@chuka.playstation.co.uk> <7rjlhh$g0d16@chuka.playstation.co.uk> NNTP-Posting-Host: modem-45.conductor.dialup.pol.co.uk X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2014.211 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2014.211 Right .. lets comment =) > Firstly, the logo - the symbol by which the console will be recognised by. > Personally, I don't think it matters, especially in the actual use of the > machine. I don't really like the old PlayStation logo, but that didn't stop > me getting one. The most recognisable advertising symbol of the PlayStation > is 'Cross, Circle, Square, Triangle', and as these are being kept at least > on the Dual Shock 2, the logo on the machine will not be too relevant. One > good thing about the logo is that you can easily draw it!! ;) Hmmm, I'm still undecided about the new logo - looks very 'futuristic' to me. Mind you , if you look carefully, there is the old PS logo on the front of the CD loading tray ... and since the controller isn't changing much then the obvious marketing of the 'Cross, Circle, Square, Triangle' will continue. > Secondly, the machine. Well, black looks pretty nice, goes with everything, > and looks like my Yaroze - (turn to camera - stage left) nice! Right, the > bluey bit's look a bit iffy, but they should grow on me. The overall thing > that strikes me is that it looks too PC like, although a pretty nice PC. I > suppose this is mainly due to the ability to stand vertically, instead of > horizontally. Actually, I reckon the shape is based on my flat bed scanner, > well, the over hang of console at the top. Hmmm, what else. Oh, yeah, I > don't like the CD loader, 'tray-style' - PC, not nice. Another thing is that > the button's look a bit strange, and it's odd how there's a power switch > (1-0 one) on the side, and a power button on the front. Okay, lets maybe take another look here, I think the PS2 looks alot like old CD players (at least like one my parents used to have) Also the long 'heat sink' like bars remind me in some ways of the old Spectrum 128K ... Anyway, if you think about where Sony might be marketing this machine - alot of current owners are in the mid 20 to early 30 ranges now - since the PSX is going to near on 4-5 years old when PS2 is launched you have to recognise that the people who grew up with it will be older, therefore the design is more asthetic than the PSX and might have been designed to garden for the older range players - alot of people will probably buy because of the Playstation connection anyway ! Plus the machine will probably fit nicely next to the video/tv/hi-fi system and not look out of place. Admit it - have you seen many grey boxed tv's hifi's ? what color are they all usually - that's it .... BLACK !! > Ok, now other stuff. 2 pad slots?!?! Bit amazing, especially the image it > will confer to 'the casual gamer' (Edge 75-76 ;), who all whine "but the > Dreamcast/N64 has got 4, the PS2 is shit...". I dunno how it will work with > more than 2 people, mainly as we (read: "I") don't know any details about > the pad, but if it's normal port/USB, then obviously, the two normal ports > are only there for backwards compatibility, and use with multi taps etc, and > the USB attaches to one of the 2 USB ports, then multiple pads are either > daisychained or attached to some sort of hub. Someone complained about daisy > chaining, but surely it would be more convenient than a multitap/hub, as > you'd just stick the next pad into the latest pad plugged in, rather than > into the hub, taking up less space. This also leaves less of a restriction, > such as the 8 player one on the PSX. Although not possible in every game, it > will allow a lot more multiplayer fun, in games such as Micro Machines, > especially as the graphics in that are pretty simple, the number of cars at > one time can be massive. Also, in sports, you could have one player for each > player on the field/pitch. (Gonna stop here, sounding too much like > advertising for Sony...) This sounds like what I'd think it'd go like - can you imagine if the controllers weren't USB ? Has anyone actually found out the connection type for the DualShock2 pad yet ? Since it's got a 2 in it, I'd expect something different and I'd edge towards the USB connection. Also think about it, how many people do you know with multi-taps ? I ain't got one ! But I know alot of people with PSX machines. If the pads were USB then that would be alot of people who could all gather round and play micro-machines at once !! The only limit then would be the developers who would have to produce high multiplayer games ... and the amount of power that a psx can deliver to all the pads - admit it - do you really think the PSX was designed to power 8 connected dual shock pads all vibrating at the same time ? > Finally, extras. Memory card: 8mb, although you could've had these ages ago, > with all the third party mem cards, but now games can be certain of having > 8mb. Hopefully that will only be used for the user to have more games saved > on one card, but most likely, it will be used by lazy programmers (all of > us? ;) who can't be bothered to work out clever ways to store all the data > needed, and you'll still need to buy a ton of mem cards. Let's hope the > programmers can prove us wrong. Also, anyone got any idea about the stance > on modems in the PS2, I couldn't pick out anything specific, anyone? Modems will be either PCMCIA or USB I think - or from what I've gleaned from the documentation. Probably of the Cable Modem type or at least 56K !! The only problem is going to be local telecoms providers here in the UK!!. Is BT going to actually have ASDL rolled out by 2001 (when sony plans to launch their net strategy !?!). Also , I'm interested in the multi-gigabyte device they reckon will be used to store 'downloaded' games and the strategy for this - will you pay a one off fee then will be able to download the game whenever you want - what about games like everquest - will they be available via this sort of strategy - where you have a client-server architecture with 'free' updates being provided - it opens up a whole load more oportunities this way. Not in the patching sense but more along the line of extra content. Where the gamer would be able to get extra levels to play, better cars to driver etc etc. To me this sounds like a top console, even without the modem provided at launch. It just depends on sony's development support (which is probably pretty good) and the developers ideas ..... just a couple of pennies in there D.