Sony to launch smaller Playstation 2 console- PSTwo **NOW WITH PHOTO**

Ericnmel99

Ericnmel99

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TOKYO - Japan's Sony Corp is expected to unveil a smaller version of its popular Playstation 2 game console on October 26, The Hollywood Reporter said on its Web site, citing retailers and industry analysts.


Sony Computer Entertainment declined to comment, but the conglomerate's game unit will be holding a briefing in Tokyo next Tuesday to explain its business strategy and industry watchers expect it to unveil the new product then.

Ken Kutaragi, known as the father of the Playstation, will be at the briefing.

Called the PStwo, Sony's new console will be 30 percent smaller than the current PlayStation 2, but is expected to retail for the same price of $149, the entertainment trade paper said in an article dated September 15.

Sony's expected move prompted Take-Two Interactive to push back the release of its "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" video game by one week to October 26 to coordinate with the launch of the PStwo on that date, The Hollywood Reporter said.

Industry watchers say there have been some shortages of the PS2 in the United States in the past several months, stoking speculation that Sony was deliberately clearing shelf space for the new game machine.

"The rumour mill will start to grind and very often what comes up is that if there are really no production issues it is likely that Sony is clearing the channel for a new product," said a Tokyo-based game analyst.

Sony enjoyed success with the PSone, which was introduced as a smaller version of the original Playstation game console.

"If they are trying to prolong the PS2 product cycle to mimic what the PSone has done for them, I think it's a pretty good idea," said another industry analyst.

edit: photo:http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?g=events/tc/100703sony&a=&tmpl=sl&ns=&l=1&e=1&a=0&printer=
 
[quote name='Trakan']Wtf is the point of this?[/quote]

To save Sony money/Make it look like a high tech toy/space contious consumers/collectors/mornos/smart people/Christmas...i can think of a few reasons
 
[quote name='Scrubking'] but is expected to retail for the same price of $149,

:puke:[/quote]

how dare the optimize their product and sell it for the normal price!
/sarcasm
 
[quote name='Trakan']I see that, but will the continue to make the current Ps2?[/quote]
all signs point to no

/magic 8-ball
 
[quote name='punqsux']is this gunna hit the states in oct or just japan?[/quote]

Since there has been a shortage here, I would assume so. But hey, you never know.
 
I want pictures!


I've got a launch model PS2 so if it craps out on me soon this could be a good option. It would be great if it had an integrated network card, as well.
 
Hey, OP, how about a link to the story you're quoting. I'm not saying you're pulling it out of thin air, but now WOULD be the perfect time to spring an April Fools prank on people.
 
Wow I knew it was coming, but I would've thought somehting like early summer of next year or whatever. Oct. seems really early.

I sure hope they keep the expansion bays there for the HDD and and package it with the Network adapter still.
 
[quote name='Duo_Maxwell']
I sure hope they keep the expansion bays there for the HDD and and package it with the Network adapter still.[/quote]

ya right. Now then can sell the PSTwo network adapter. Sony sucks like that.
 
[quote name='darekIsAwesome']VERY OLD news.. I remeber hearing of this a long time ago. Hopefully it looks good.[/quote]

all you heard was speculation, so stop lying
 
It would be a smart move if they release it here in the US before x-mas or a simultaneous release with japan. But having it for the same price? I don't think many people are going to get it unless it is cheaper or better looking than the PS2.
 
[quote name='punqsux'][quote name='Scrubking'] but is expected to retail for the same price of $149,

:puke:[/quote]

how dare the optimize their product and sell it for the normal price!
/sarcasm[/quote]

Offering the same old crap in a smaller package for the same price is NOT optimizing - it's called a sales ploy.
 
Update... It appears that sony hasnt even anounced this yet. THey just registered the name PSTwo.....

Sony is believed to be preparing a more compact version of its PlayStation 2 console intended to give the platform mid-life boost in much the same way it did with the original PlayStation.

Sony announced the PSone in June 2000, initially alongside the original console, but later, once the PS2 was widely available, in place of it. Sony used the device to win over consumers for whom the latest-generation console was too pricey.

The consumer electronics giant's move to register the name 'PStwo' as a trademark, signalled by market watcher PJ McNealy of American Technology Research, suggests that it is considering a similar strategy as the company prepares to launch the PS3, currently scheduled for Q1 2005.

Once the PS3 is announced, Sony may also feel the PS2 will need refreshment in order to counter a potential tail-off in sales as consumers prepare to wait for the new machine. A redesign might also subtly shift the console away from the audience the PS3 will be pitched at.

Some commentators have suggested that the PStwo could ship in time for Christmas - an idea given weight by the low levels of PS2 stock in the US, reported by GamesIndustry.biz. Indeed, the site suggests Sony's Computer Entertainment division may use its annual strategy meeting next week to announce the box.

Such an announcement could be seen as an attempt to counter Microsoft's upcoming Halo 2, which is expected to give Xbox a kick in the run up to Christmas.

However, with PS3's ship date -as opposed to its formal launch - still a long way off, and PS2's pricing now at an all-time low, now may not be the time to launch an alternative version. Sony may simply be registering the PStwo name now in readiness for a launch next year, or just in order to be sure of the name's ownership if it ever decides it needs the brand. ®
 
[quote name='Scrubking'][quote name='punqsux'][quote name='Scrubking'] but is expected to retail for the same price of $149,

:puke:[/quote]

how dare the optimize their product and sell it for the normal price!
/sarcasm[/quote]

Offering the same old crap in a smaller package for the same price is NOT optimizing - it's called a sales ploy.[/quote]

very true, id also like too state the psone looked like shit compared too the playstation, i expect similar things with the pstwo
 
Was anyone actually surprised by this?? well at least since my PS2 is sort of old and the ports on it are sort of out, I might get one. I want pics though otherwise I'll just buy a used Ps2 instead of a PSTwo.
 
Here's what it needs: Built in modem/ethernet adapter, an add on screen option (preferably wide-screen compatible)

that is all
 
It needs, IMO, a hard drive built into it like the X Box. I can't believe that they are telling us this now instead of at E3 or until mid next year.
 
[quote name='"hiccupleftovers"']It needs, IMO, a hard drive built into it like the X Box.quote]

definately. I am suprised that I could not even find a pix of the pstwo online yet, but I probably have to wait until tuesday.
 
No pictures means it's either undertight wraps untill the actual press conferance, Also not talking about it at E# is obviously designed to not take away from what they'd concider a more important NEWER product in the PSP.

Not EVERYthing has to be unveiled at E3.

But it's not like a lot of us didnt see it coming, the PSone was a brillaint move that got people to buy it just because they knew it'd be easier to tuck into a glove compartment of the car for a long trip. Hell I'm trying to find a nice cheap used one right now but no store I checked in manhattan had any yesterday.

Also a smaller system means less material to make and a cheaper cost per unit, this leads me to beleive they could possibly offer a deal where you buy a PStwo and get the modem and harddrive as a freebie.
 
Unless they are realizing a major cost savings from the new rev of the chip set this would seem premature. I wouldn't expect the PS2's cost reduced replacement to appear until the PS3 was on the horizon and approaching fast. This approach worked well last time and I'd expect them to stick with a success.

The initial price would likely match the existing machine for two reasons. First, they don't want to create a situation where the remaining inventory of the PS2 becomes difficult to move due to a higher price. Second, there are one-time costs associated with developing and tooling up to produce the new model.

I would expect a price drop almost immediately after most of the sales channel indicates they have no more PS2 units in stock.
 
[quote name='hiccupleftovers']It needs, IMO, a hard drive built into it like the X Box. I can't believe that they are telling us this now instead of at E3 or until mid next year.[/quote]

Absolutely not. At this late date hard drive support in Ps2 games is unlikely to ever exceed 2% or 3% of the entire library. Why add such an expensive part (interms of the total bill of materials) for so little value? If it isn't built-in or an option on day one it isn't worth building in later.
 
Actually the HD is such that they could still incorporate it into the design of the PS3 if they just think about it. Plus it means they can sell an expensive non HDD equiped model and a cheaper one for people that dont want it. The best way to do it is to always give people a choice, but give them a good reason to WANT it which means better support for online games and more functions for the HDD in general.

Anyway I was kinda inspired by this thread with a PStwo design idea, not that I think it'll look like this (wheen you compare the original PS to the PSone it's obvious they're a bit more foward thinking when it coes to redesigns) but I figured what the heck.

pstwo.gif


I used the current PS2 and a standard, it's a little fatter since the ports are all on the bottom under the drive tray but it's 2/3 the size of the current model and still has roon for the HDD/Modem and USB plugs (I dropped the iLink since it's obvious Sony has too.) I also made the power and eject buttons larger. I did concider a possible flip top design which would get rid the verticle position but dropped it because I figure by now they would have figured out a way to make the motorized door a little less of a hassle.

(and yeah, I just realized it says PS2two... I'll fix it later.)
 
[quote name='hiccupleftovers']It needs, IMO, a hard drive built into it like the X Box. I can't believe that they are telling us this now instead of at E3 or until mid next year.[/quote]
If they did include a hard drive they should have a program simular to the HD Loader where the games load from the hard drive, but require the game disk to be in the DVD drive.
If not just have a faster DVD Rom drive.
 
[quote name='Scrubking']Gamespot says this story is bogus.[/quote]

Sorry Scrub. My sources at Sony say otherwise. We will know for sure on Tuesday.
 
Sony would probably never sanction an HDloader type program, the drive isnt large enough to be useful for more than a few games at a time as it is between FFonline and the data to speed up a few RPGs and adventure games.

I think just offerint it as a freebie you can get from a mail in offer would be enough.

Also I dont think they sped up the drive any for the PSone so I doubt they'd do it for the PStwo.
 
[quote name='daphatty'][quote name='Scrubking']Gamespot says this story is bogus.[/quote]

Sorry Scrub. My sources at Sony say otherwise. We will know for sure on Tuesday.[/quote]

Actually they said the PSTwo was "eventually not bogus" but they speculated as to whether or not it would make it out this year in the states. Also they did say that a potential bundle of GTA: SA and the PSTwo was bogus. However I believe that a bundle such as that could be a huge seller in November/December if they choose to do it.
 
Not too surprising. I thought the whole "smaller is better" PSOne wasn't necessary, as I didn't take my PSX on travel anyways. I also found it lame of having to buy a $150 portable screen if I was to upgrade to the PSOne.

Hopefully this PSTwo will at least look good.
 
[quote name='"daphatty"'][quote name='"Scrubking"']Gamespot says this story is bogus.[/quote]

Sorry Scrub. My sources at Sony say otherwise. We will know for sure on Tuesday.[/quote]

check this out: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6027494/. MSN confirms that the pstwo will be released on oct 26 along with the next gta.
 
[quote name='Alpha2']Actually the HD is such that they could still incorporate it into the design of the PS3 if they just think about it. Plus it means they can sell an expensive non HDD equiped model and a cheaper one for people that dont want it. The best way to do it is to always give people a choice, but give them a good reason to WANT it which means better support for online games and more functions for the HDD in general.
[/quote]

The PS3 is an entirely separate issue. One factor remains for that. Hard Drive support within a game adds a lot of labor for developers. If it isn't standard equipment on all units a major portion of the development community will choose to simply ignore unless their game demands it. This in turn makes an add-on hard drive less attractive to consumers and in turn less valuable to developers. If the hardware to enable a feature set is expensive (greater than $20) it must be built-in or dropped as unviable. The Rumble Pak and RAM Expansion, both for the N64, are two examples of a successful add-on. They had very low retail cost and were inexpensive enough to bundle with major game titles and seed a substantial installed base. That simply isn't possible with a mass storage device. The capacities grow but the cost of entry doesn't decrease greatly. It cost no more to make a single head, single platter 30 GB drive today as it did when 10 GB was the best capacity offered by such a drive.
 
[quote name='Moxio']Not too surprising. I thought the whole "smaller is better" PSOne wasn't necessary, as I didn't take my PSX on travel anyways. I also found it lame of having to buy a $150 portable screen if I was to upgrade to the PSOne.

Hopefully this PSTwo will at least look good.[/quote]

So Sony's decisions should be decided by the whims of a single customer? Plenty of other people found the PSone's easy transportability very attractive. I picked up one even though I have a PS2 to attach to the other TV in the house. It is also what I would take on a long trip. The GBA is alright but limited. If I'm going to spend a lot of time in a hotel room I can usually connect to the provided TV and don't need a portable screen. Alternately, I have a PCMCIA card that lets me do video in on a laptop and use that screen. I've had business trips where I was stuck in Nowheresville for many days at a time. Once the day's work is over you're on your own in a town with nothing to offer. The PSone really earned its keep on those occasions.

Also don't forget that 'smaller is better' plays very well in Japan. One of the first Japanese commercials for the PSone featured a teenage girl looking at her new console and having an idea. Soon, in a flurry of activity, she has produced a cute back-pack purse for her cute little console. Someone very quickly got those backpack purses into the stores (it wasn't Sony, IIRC) and did a nice business.

The other factor is cost. It may not seem like much but the smaller case of the PSone offers a very real savings in materials used. The amount of plastic saved may only be measured in coinage but over the course of millions of units it adds up. Sony knows it needs any cost savings it can manage to reduce the PS2 price and maximize the installed base. Every additional million installed around the world translates into huge publishing revenue potential.
 
In regards to Gamespots bogus, not bogus columns...

They almost never are definitive. Its almost always "probably bogus" or "probably not bogus", so its not really worth the read most of the time.
 
Having seen this:

Note: Illustration may not match all PlayStation 2 console types.
For owners of SCPH-70000 series PlayStation 2 systems, refer to
the setup instructions supplied with your system.

in the manuals for both Phantom Brave and GunGrave OverDose so far would seem to indicate that a new, as of yet not unveiled model of the PS2 is indeed coming out very very soon.
 
Well, I'll be a new PS2 if Sony makes a new one. Mine works great, although I've played it over 550 days straight, I would like one for college and the other for home.

I do think Sony is releasing a new model. Everywhere I went during the weekend, nobody except Fye had a PS2 with a broadband adapter. And for the original PS2, only two stores I saw had a few, but that was it.
 
I was just looking to pick up a psone becauyse my original model is slowly dying I think, so I'll wait to see whta the announcement is....it'd be great to pick up a ps2 (smaller) and maybe a price drop!
 
I just read this whole thread, and it seems everyone is taking the news stories as fact, when all of them all just pure industry speculation. The only reason that this whole idea got started up is cause theres been short supply of PS2s everywhere, which leads some people to think that they would be introducing a new model. Mind you it is a good inference, but Sony hasn't offically announced anything at all. But, I guess we'll all see tomorrow at Sony's conference when we'll also finally hear about the PSP and its battery life and such.
 
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