Playstation 2; Is It Worth Your Hard Earned Cash?
Written: Aug 25 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Excellent game library to choose from.
Cons: May have problems getting it to always work right.
The Bottom Line: The PS2 is a great system with great games, but questionable life span.
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| psycho_gamer's Full Review: Sony PlayStation 2 Slimline Console |
Let's face it, Sony owns the console home video game market. They took the crown away from Nintendo as the number one home gaming console in the world back with the original Playstation, and have held on to that title for all they're worth since then. Back in the glory days of the Playstation, almost every home in America had one. It is still widely considered to be the best console ever released. So with ever improving technology and market demand, it was only natural that Sony release a new and more powerful console, one that could do things we, at the time could only dream about. In mid 2000, Sony did just that, after much hype and anticipation the Playstation 2 was finally released in the United States.
The Specs
At launch, Sony released the model number SCPH-30001 Playstation 2. The specs on the system are as follows:
U.S.A launch: October 26 2000
U.S.A launch Price: $299.00
Format: CD-ROM(Playstation)
DVD-ROM(Playstation 2)
Is backwards compatible
CPU: 128-Bit "Emotion Engine"
Graphics processor: 150Mhz GS
Clock speed: 294.912 MHz
Resolution: 1080x1224
Full anti-aliasing: No
FLOPS: 6.2 Billion
Polygons per second: 75 Million, 20 Million with effects
RAM: 32 Megabyte
Sound processor: 48 Channel/48Khz
DVD-ROM speed: 4X
CD-ROM speed: 24X
Max game size: 4.7 Gigabyte (per DVD)
Controller ports: 2
Save game type: 8MB Memory Card
Memory card slots: 2
Vibration type: Dual Shock 2
Modem included: Not in the box, but supported
Broadband/Ethernet: Supported
HDTV support: Yes
Since the launch, and due to multiple problems with the SCPH-30001 model such as disc read errors and DVD playback problems, Sony has released another model number, SCPH-35001, This model was supposed to eliminate the problem gamers were experiencing with disc read errors (or DREs) and upgraded the DVD drive to be compatible with most DVDs. Sony plans on releasing yet another model this year with a better fan, an upgraded DVD drive, an updated processor that will supposedly speed up the load times and such and a built in remote control for the DVD. All the models look the same as one another, just the innards are a little different.
The Launch
It is a proven fact in the gaming industry that a launch of a new system can either make or break a new console. If the games launched with the system are in small numbers or poor quality, the makers of the new console will have a hard time pushing their new product onto the consumer. Sega time after time demonstrated how not to launch a new system with their lackluster performances. Sony though, this time, was the exception to the rule. Since nearly everybody who played games recognized the Playstation brand name and trusted Sony already for their track record with the original Playstation, they already had a leg up on the competition when they released their new console.
Sony was the first of the now big 3 companies to release their "next generation" gaming system with the only true "next generation" system at the time being Segas Dreamcast. This was a wise move as the Playstation 2 clearly was more powerful than the ill fated Dreamcast and with no other systems on the market to compete for its share, Sony saw the PS2 leap out of the gates with record sales despite the fact that their launch titles were less than stellar.
The Launch Games
Most of the launch games for the PS2 were purely over hyped tech demos for what the PS2 could do. Many complained that the games were all too short and lacked substance, which I would agree. Though they released a good number of games, only a few were actually worth playing and this upset many people.
The 25 games that were launched in America with the PS2 were:
1. Armored Core - Agetec
2. Dead Or Alive 2: Hardcore - Namco
3. Dynasty Warriors 2 - Koei
4. ESPN International Track & Field
5. Eternal Ring - Agetec
6. Evergrace - Agetec
7. Fantavision - Sony
8. Kessen - EA
9. Madden 2001 - EA
10. Midnight Club: Street Racing - Rockstar
11. Moto GP - Namco
12. NHL 2001 - EA
13. Orphen - Activision
14. Ready 2 Rumble Boxing - Round 2 - Midway
15. Ridge Racer 5 - Namco
16. Silent Scope - Konami
17. Smuggler's Run - Rockstar
18. Street Fighter EX3 - Capcom
19. Summoner - THQ
20. Tekken Tag Tournament - Namco
21. Timesplitters - Eidos
22. Unreal Tournament - Infogrames
23. X Squad - EA
24. SSX - EA
25. Swing Away Golf - EA
Granted there are some good titles in there, but nothing spectacular. Despite this fact though Sony had a successful launch under their belt with the PS2 and were well on their way to dominating the next generation console market.
Support
Everyone knows that a console is only as good as its games, meaning that if a company doesn't support it's gaming console with good quality titles, it will ultimately fail. Thankfully, Sony has thrown a lot of their weight behind the PS2 as they did with the PS1 and are committed to supporting it with an ever growing, in number and quality, video game library.
Sony has it's own in house development company who turn out some of the better games for the system and are sold for $10.00 less that 3rd party games.
Speaking of third party games, a consoles life or death pretty much depends on how much support it gets from 3rd party developers. Developers such as EA, Rockstar, Capcom, and Konami are some of the big ones. They make the system seller games, games that make people want to buy a PS2. As with the PS1, the PS2 has the full support of most 3rd party developers and that is a good thing.
Since it's launch with the initial 25 titles, the Playstation 2 library has grown immensely in just 3 years. There are well over 500 games for it (probably more, I'm just estimating) with more and more being released every week. The suprising thing is that the majority of those games are good. The PS2 has an overwhelming selection if titles spanning every genre imaginable.
We all know games are expensive. Sony knows this too, that's how they make their money after all. But despite this fact, Sony has once again implemented the Greatest Hits line of games. These are games that meet a certain criteria and are then lowered to the low low price of $19.99, usually after a 6 months to a year after its release. This is great for the "price conscious" consumer (or cheap) to get some new games. All the other system makers have followed Sonys lead with this, introducing their own line of "Players Choice" or "Platinum" or whatever fancy name they decided to call their old, cheap games. The only bad thing, that damn red stripe on the box is ugly and embarrassing. It's like announcing to the world that you are cheap and can't afford a regular priced game, but I digress.
Overall, the Playstation 2, it can be argued, has the biggest and best library of games to choose from. I would tend to agree, but I'm being impartial here. But when one cosiders that it is also backwards compatiable, meaning it can play most all Playstation 1 games, it's pretty impressive.
Peripherals and Online Gaming
Yeah yeah, games schmames. What about the extra stuff I can buy to play those games with? Well, glad you asked. The PS2, while at it's launch was at a loss for peripherals and online gaming was a pipe dream, it now boasts quite a few of both.
There is a nifty USB keyboard one could buy to play and online game such as Everquest with. If you have a keyboard though, you will need an online adapter for that PS2. Luckily, after a few delays, Sony finally released one. The PS2 supports both dial up and broadband connections. Though to play most of the multi player games such as SOCOM and such, you will need a broadband hook up.
About the online gaming. Sony has decided to take the hands off approach as it concerns online gaming, choosing to leave it up to the developer to maintain their game servers. This is not entirely bad and not entirely good at the same time. While this means that there is no monthly fee for playing some games online, it also means that the developer can charge the gamer whatever they want (within reason of course, we're not stupid ya know) to be able to play their game online. On the opposite side of the fence, Microsoft has set up its own servers to house Xbox Live and subscribers are charged a flat rate (either monthly or yearly) to play as much or as little online as they want. The downside to that is, only broadband users can subscribe. I personally think Microsoft has the better online plan, but who am I to say.
The games supported by online play on the PS2 are starting to finally come around. Such great titles as the team based shooter SOCOM: US Navy Seals is one of the best online games for the system and most all of the sports titles coming out this year are supported online. EA has even set up it's own network of sorts for all their games. The PS2 has the only online enabled Tony Hawk game as for reasons unknown, they decided to make only the PS2 version playable online.
Of course, one needs to save their games after they are done playing them, and Sony has just the thing for that! They released the 8MB memory card, which is a huge upgrade from the tiny PS1 cards. They hold an immense amount of data and are easy enough to maintain and browse through.
Of course, most would prefer not to have to buy a memory card and save their data onto a hard drive. Well, Sony has been promising a hard drive for the PS2 since its launch and so far, it is still missing in action. As it stands, Sony plans on releasing the hard drive (in the States anyway, it's already out in Japan) to coincide with the release of their much hyped online game, Final Fantasy XI. The game requires a hard drive to play and is due out "sometime in 2004". We will see. As it stands, no game released already supports the hard drive, so it is a moot point anyway.
You like controllers? Sure you do. Sony knows this and with the release of the PS2, they didn't change the design of the controller from the PS1 at all. They did upgrade all the buttons to be pressure sensitive and the dual shock is a little more powerful, aside from that though, the tried and true design is a favorite for most gamers. There are a multitude of colors to choose from, from Ice Blue to Fire Red. Nice.
Also available are nifty stands that attach to the bottom of the PS2. There is one for the horizontal position, which does little but offer a nice aesthetic to your PS2. There is also a vertical stand, which is almost a necessity if you choose to stand your PS2 vertically. It not only looks cool, but prevents the PS2 from tipping over when vertical. The horizontal stand runs about $9.99 while the vertical stand will set you back roughly $14.99.
If you choose to use your PS2 as a DVD player, you can pick up a DVD remote controller. It is a good quality remote and only requires you to save a file on a memory card and plug in a receiver to a controller port to use. The only down side, no off button on the remote. The remote will cost you around $19.99. The quality of the PS2s DVD player is decent. It can't hold a candle to regular higher end DVD players, but it will play most DVDs well enough. If you're buying the PS2 mainly for it's DVD playback capability, don't. Save your dough and go get a real DVD player.
Bundles
Everybody likes a deal, right? Sure they do. Shortly (about 6 months) after the PS2 was released, Gran Turismo 3 bundles started showing up in stores. They included the PS2 console and the GT3 game for $329.00. Ouch. Since then, Sony hasn't released any other bundles I can think of, until recently. Now there is an online bundle available for a good price of $199.99. Considering the PS2 is $179.99 now and an online adapter is $39.00, you're saving about $20 if you choose to go that route. Sony also recently announced that they would be including a free game with this bundle starting next month, that game being ATV: Offroad Fury 2, which is a fun online game.
My Experience With the PS2
Okay, all those facts and details are great, but what do I think about the PS2? What has been my experience with the system? Well, I bought mine back in August of 2001. I paid $329.00 for the Gran Turismo bundle and the model number SCPH-35001 PS2.
Since I brought my PS2 home, I have logged many, many hours on it and bought an ungodly amount of games for it. I have found that of all my systems, the PS2 still ranks up there pretty high. It's game library is one of the best for any system ever and that's what really counts.
I have noticed major differences in terms of hardware performance when compared to the Gamecube and Xbox. You sometimes get some jaggies and the graphical quality is not always where it should be. Load times can also be a problem with the PS2, I notice, on average, it takes the longest of all 3 next generation consoles to load levels and what not. This largely depends on the game though.
I have had my PS2 for just about 2 years now and until recently (last month) have never had one single problem with it. I have read on message boards about people getting DREs and their PS2 not being able to read the blue bottom discs, but have never experienced that for myself, until recently, like I said. It is well known that if the lens of the PS2 gets dusty or dirty, you will have some major problems on your hands. Knowing this, I have kept my PS2 in a glass enclosure and kept it super clean since I got it. This however has not prevented me from falling prey to the dreaded DRE. Lately, I am having problems even getting it to load up any game of any kind. Playing a game usually requires me to try from anywhere to 5 to 45 minutes to get my PS2 to read the disc. This is very frustrating and quite frankly unacceptable.
I have never had any problems with any of my consoles in the 19 plus years I have had consoles, much less have one poop out on me not even 2 years into its life cycle and I have a Dreamcast people. To me, this is a show of poor quality and manufacturing. Sure, it's just a dirty lens, but there is no way to clean the lens without popping open the console, voiding the warranty and taking the risk of damaging your console even further. Yet worse, to get it fixed by Sony, I have to send in my precious console and pay them to fix their poor craftsmanship and wait 6-8 weeks.
Like I said, 2 years for a console to work perfectly, then start to poop out is unacceptable, considering how much I paid for it and how I took care of it. If it wasn't for that, I would have few complaints about the PS2. It's a fantastic system with fantastic games, but sadly, the quality of its manufacturing and the parts used in it make me uncomfortable. If you do choose to get a PS2, get the extra warranty with it, I didn't and now I am paying for it.
Overall
Overall, the PS2 is the most widely supported and best selling non portable home console on the market today. It's game library is unparalleled and it still has at least another 2-3 years left until it's run ends. The PS2 will continue to go strong for as long as Sony chooses it to. That meaning, until the PS3 comes out.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
psycho_gamer
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Member: Steve Grove
Location: Eugene, OR
Reviews written: 11
Trusted by: 10 members
About Me:
You blew it (not in the good way neither)
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