PlayStation 2 - The Future
Sony has announced at a currently taking place in Japan Tokyo game show the specifications and plans for the global market. From the 4th March 2000 to the console in Japan for 39,800 yen (the equivalent of about 700 DM) to be available. Equal to one million units Sony will have shipped for the launch to the trade. By autumn 2000, the PlayStation 2 should then also be available simultaneously in Europe and the USA.
In addition to the details of the launch, Sony has also released some information about the technical features that sound impressive. The playstation for sale is to be not only to the old PlayStation compatible, but now definitely also play DVD-Video, a feature that is more expensive DVD players could put the death blow.
The console comes with a "Dual Shock 2 gamepad, an 8 MB Memory Card, a connection cable for TV and a PlayStation 2 demo disc. Inside they find a 4x DVD-ROM tinkers an emotion engine called 128-bit CPU with a 294.912 MHz clock frequency, a graphics synthesizer with 4 MB of integrated VRAM and a frequency of 147.456 MHz and 32 MB of fast Direct RDRAM as the main memory. all for good sound, the sound SPU2 which offers 48 voices in hardware with 2 MByte memory comes up.
For data exchange provides the IOP-I/O-Prozessor, which is clocked at 33.8688 MHz or 36.864 MHz optional. What will the PlayStation 2 on connectivity with can even look old PCs with USB: Besides the well-known from the PlayStation 1 memory card slot, there is an optical digital output for optimal sound, a USB port, i.Link (Firewire , IEEE1394) port and even a Type III PCMCIA Card (PC Card) slot. This gives hope to many extensions such as hard drives, modems or the like. A network card for the PC Card slot, Sony has announced for 2001.
"The PlayStation 2 shows a path to the future of networked digital entertainment," said Ken Kutaragi, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "Just as the PlayStation interactive games in a not yet seen before the mass market has brought, the PlayStation 2 allow the combination of breathtaking digital graphics, outstanding sound and DVD video is a new experience of home computer entertainment. "
In addition to the more than 600 old playstation for sale software titles to the launch of the PlayStation 2 many titles will be available. Although no figures called Sony, but have been 89 publishers in Japan, 46 U.S. and 27 European publishers Publisher at least signed letters of intent to develop software for Sony's console dream.
Of particular interest, of course, the question of how Sony intends for now, the PlayStation 2 is to make Internet-ready. There seem to exist highly ambitious plans to connect the PlayStation 2 with high-speed networks, eg provide broadband via cable. PlayStation 2 users will thus have the possibility to back up even data-intensive content on hard drives offered by Sony. An electronic transaction system developed by Sony with authentication and encryption technology will allow this bill. "E-Distribution Server" here with the aforementioned network card from 2001 are available and the key to a tolerable market of the future.
Comment:
What Sony announced the PlayStation 2 makes not only a manufacturer of PC graphics chips jealous, but would bring to all the console competition, a provider of set-top boxes and the manufacturers of DVD players to tremble. With the Sony PlayStation can provide so far the only manufacturer, an "all-in-one" hardware that allows entry into a new, high-quality networked entertainment age, while creating a lucrative market for entertainment companies.
