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Games Entertainment

Sony Unveils Portable Playstation 124

Posted by Hemos from the pretty-sweet-lookin' dept.
Filly-O-Fish writes "Sony has made an official announcement, and released pictures of its online Playstation. You can go head to head by plugging your mobile phone into it. It's out this month in Japan, and in the UK in September. Full story is at Games online."
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Sony Unveils Portable Playstation More

Sony Unveils Portable Playstation

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  • Feasability? (Score:4)

    by Racher ( 34432 ) on Thursday June 08, 2000 @04:15AM (#1016422)
    One of my main concerns is power source with these... Somehow I don't see people willing to run the LCD version for about 3-5 hours maximun, "Average Laptop battery in my experiance" especially with games like FF7 taking 70+

    Other alternatives would include those laptop base batteries, but that would be too heavy and destroy the purpose of portability

    and the other option is through and AC adapter, though who would really want to haul around an adapter, wouldn't that be much like carrying around a regular playstation.

    My thoughts is that you should just get Playstation emulation software for your laptop for several reasons: Longer battery life (iBook 5-6 hours), larger screen (15.1"), and all the other benefits of a laptop. The only drawback to that option is cost though and you would need to buy a controller.

    ...and I'm not sure we should trust this Kyle Sagan either.
  • Whoops... I've never used a cable to connect my Palm to a mobile phone, so I'm anti-cable I suppose. Maybe IrDA is not common in Japanese handsets.

    As soon as you have more than two devices, cabling becomes a nightmare - I have a laptop, Palm device and mobile phone, so adding a mobile Playstation would mean as many as four cables.

    GPRS and other mobile phone standards would work with a cable, since they go from the mobile to the base station - typically you would run IP over the cable protocol, then the phone routes this out the other side on top of GPRS or whatever. Yes, your mobile phone is now a real IP router :)
  • .....But, did anybody happen to see a mention of the price for the screen? That's got to make it pretty prohibitive for your average kid (and a lot of us adults as well).
  • Anyone want to bet on whether this model too is modchip [modchip.com] compatible or not?

    In case anyone didn't know, Sony has released something like 10 or 15 versions of the Playstation, all of which have been able to be modified. (Modding enables playing out of region games and CDR discs).

  • I guess it could be good for automotive installations. You know, those spank-monkeys with PlayStations in their Jettas (as seen on the Web) and vans (as seen in my neighborhood). All you need it an automobile power adapter for it.


    Refrag
  • "We ask you what kind of laptop you want. Before it ships we throw a copy of bleem! in the box."

    Film at 11....
  • If you were Sony, why would you release this. The PS2 comes out in October and anybody that is considering buying anytype of PS would just wait until then. I know it would be cheaper, but why buy it to only have the last set of new games for come out this X-mas.
  • All I care about are the MP racing games, GT 2 rocks, and if it plays with a decent quality, mini PS will make it into my grubby little hands.

    However, I've got a question, how do they expect to sync a game between the two consoles? The mobile adapter appears to connect to the second controller socket, which would seem to cause some havoc if you play a game not designed for the semi-multiplayer adapter (different random number seeds, lagtime, etc.). Anyone else have more to add?

  • Sony's electronic products may be respectable, but their CD rates are insane. The *retail* price for CDs distributed by them is now something like $16-17 (including VAT) in Europe. Substract from this about 0.15c actual CD cost and maybe $10 shipping, packing, handling, artist payment and the whole shebang and things are certainly looking good for Sony - and bad for us.
  • I would think that the ideal market for this is travel entertainment.

    A simple plug adapter for the car so Mom and Dad can tune out the kids in the back of the mini-van.

    I would love to have one of these things for flying, most airlines provide AC plugs for laptops now.

    Cool

    A .sig should reflect you personality. Mine is blank....

  • Doesn't the thing seem unusually cumbersome for a 'portable' device? I mean I picture a portable device as being self contained.. rather than the seemingly three seperate parts included here. Now put the cell phone, the controller and the system all on a single device and *then* you have a truly portable device that I can play on the bus. This thing only seems to be useable in the back of a car to entertain kids on long trips.

    Too many wires! Hmm.. maybe I should patent that.
  • To compare:

    PlayStation dimensions: Listed as 17" x 4.25" x 11.25" based on this Sony product page [sony.com].

    To convert to millimeters, multiply each by 25.4: 431.8 mm x 107.95 mm x 285.75mm.

    (Similarly, divide the mms by 25.4 to get inches, so the PlayStationOne is ~7.6" x ~1.5" x ~5.7")

  • I think this is the link to the Playstation Wearable. It was posted to the wear-hard wearable listserv (sorry L-Soft) June 1st: http://www.easyfinder.com.hk/easyleft/text/435/p1. htm --Ted
  • My friends and I always took our game systems everywhere we went. When I went out to our cottage for the weekend, you can be assured I either had my Genesis or Super Nintendo (and all the associated games) with me. If I went over my grandmothers? Well, usually I brought my Genesis or my cousin Louie brought his Nintendo or Playstation. When I went over Tony's house? Well, he had a Super Nintendo so I only took my Sega (same for Joe's house). This tradition continues to this day. Joe totes his Nintendo 64 around with him everywhere he goes while I bring my Dreamcast whenever possible. Sometimes we even trade systems for a few days (or weeks!). Right now I'm trying to figure out a way to efficiently pack my Dreamcast so I can take it home for the next two weekends (Joe's getting married!). Doesn't matter how old we get, some things will never change.
  • is the same thing Nintendo and Sega have done with all of their consoles. A smaller, lighter, newer, cheaper PSX. I like the design, and love the small size, but I'm not about to pay $140 for that. If it was actually comparable in portability to other portable gaming systems, I'd be interested... but it's not. Who knows how much that LCD screen is gonna cost on top of that $140... I'd guess it's not gonna be cheap. Gimme a $50 mini-PSX to replace my 4-year-old, falling-apart PSX. I'll buy that.

  • That's right, kiddies. Sony isn't claiming that they are making a Game-Boy-style handheld game, just that they're making an easier-to-transport version of the PlayStation. That's where the confusion is coming in. So, I'll say it again: THIS WAS NOT MEANT TO BE A HANDHELD!

    Remember the old Compaq Portable? Or IBM's line of 'Luggable' PS/2s? That is what this is equivalent to. A fully-functional, normal PlayStation, just designed to be more easily taken from one place to the other. And, with an add-on screen, you can use it in other locales, too; like a car. But not all on it's own. You can tell that just by looking at it.

    So, you'll have to wait a little longer for them to release a handheld that can play PS games. (Although, using CDs as media, it will be awkward to impliment. Either a single device, that is unweidly because of it's size (and the danger of skipping,) or a two-piece system where you have the CD player portion on your belt (pocket, etc) and have a seperate hand-held part with the screen and controls. There are two ways to impliment this system:

    1. Wire the two together.
    2. Use Bluetooth (or similar technology) to have them connect wirelessly. This would be preferred, but unlikely.
  • Whatever market this is seems to be the same kind of market that would spawn the existance of games on a cell phone to be considered a feature. Think about it: how many kids actually carry cell phones of their own, let alone have any need to hook it up to an expensive game system? Very few, from what i've seen. It seems more like the kind of thing that a professional staying in a hotel would be interested in - something to pass the time between meeting A and lunch B.

    now what would be really cool would be to make a battery pack for it and bundle it with some headset goggles. the wearable market is getting to be more and more existant (I have a wearable computer that I take with me everywhere: it's called my Visor and Stowaway keyboard :-) )

  • It didn't happen here because cell phones at the outset we're never as economically compelling. I used to live in Israel where the phone company (Bezeq) had a complete monopoly - making you wait years for a second line, and the whole bit. A couple companies went in and put in cell infrasturcture and everyone switched to cell phones. The situation was similar in many parts of Europe, if I understand correctly. Thats why cell phone tech in Europe and Japan is several generations ahead of what we have in the US.

    -Spazimodo

    Fsck the millennium, we want it now.
  • My guess is that it will be incompatible with all previous modchips in a trivial way which will result in a new modchip being introduced.

  • What is the Market? (Score:4)

    by Sway ( 153291 ) on Thursday June 08, 2000 @04:20AM (#1016442)

    I've always noticed, as I've wandered down the console aisles of my local gaming establishments, a fairly good amount of products aimed at taking your N64/PSX/DC on the road. I've seen carrying cases for the consoles, extra carrying cases for the games, even controller carriers that look like Batman's utility belt, and now, this mini playstation. My question is what is this market?

    A market obviously exists, hence the products. Or is this a case of products trying to create a market? I've just never seen it in action. Is it the lucky kids on the block who tote their hardware around to the homes of those less fortunate? Is it a strictly sleepover audience? Or is it weary little Rex Jr. stuck travelling the world with his parents armed against boredom with only his Dreamcast, a tote bag, and a shoebox full of voltage adapters?

    The circles I run in are mostly convenience console players. Nobody is going to go to the trouble of fiddling around behind their entertainment center/cardboard box to unhook the thing, packing, and then slinging their machines over their shoulder for a night out. But if we settle in somewhere and somebody spies a Dual Shock dangling out of a pizza box, we'll play a few rounds of Bust-a-Groove or what-have-you.

    Since children and their games have changed a wee bit since I used to go to my friend Mike's house and hint relentlessly about how cool his Intellivision was and how much fun it was, hoping to score a few more minutes with Nightstalker, I was hoping a parent out there might shed some light onto the kids of today and whether or not they pack console before they hit the streets.


    Peace. Sway

  • Here in Japan there is a wire-less data service that is gaining a lot of ground called PIAFS. PIAFS is actually a point-to-point connection-oriented protocol that runs on top of ISDN.

    PIAFS supports both 32k and 64k data rates (and within the PIAFS 2.1 spec, it can switch between these rates on the fly depending on signal quality).

    With my PIAFS adapter and phone dialed into my ISP, I can pull down stuff at 6kB/s with 120 ms latency :)

    What I like about PIAFS is that:

    1) It is here in Japan now.
    2) It works and has good geographical coverage (including subways!).
    3) The PHS phones that talk PIAFS don't need powerful tranmitters because the antennae are so close together. Battery life is a non-issue. I can use my phone for days without a recharge!
    4) You can dial into any ISDN equipment.

    However, I am not sure if this is the phone type that this new PS can talk to. Anybody know?

    -AP

  • Close but no cigar (Score:3)

    by Atz ( 173885 ) on Thursday June 08, 2000 @04:25AM (#1016444)
    Almost an extremely cool idea. With PSX2 backwards compatible you could snap up a load of old PSX games and own both that and this "portable" device and play them on either. Sadly Sony seem to be under the impression that we want a largely unportable device to hook up to our mobiles. Sorry but I have a land line for use at home and wouldn't want to pay the call charges for playing online games using the phone when there was a cheaper alternative. As an on the move gaming and easy email access box (if they provided that service) it would have been high on my shopping list. Seems to me that all this really is is a cosmetic upgrade to the slightly old looking grey box, altho it is pretty damn nice :)
  • Who moderated this up? This comment is just plain stupid. This isn't a crypto device. You're thinking of the Playstation 2 marketing media scam. They (like Apple) use the restrictions on "supercomputers" to promote their product.

    The Playstaion 1 isn't a powerful machine. It's got a 33mhz processor and a graphics chip that can do floating point matrix multiplies and non-perspective-correct texture mapping. That's it.

  • Just as much as it's ridiculous for a 500 MhZ computer to have a 56K modem, not a T3. Or for a certain Sega console to run Windows CE. Seriously, though, it's almost always proven to be an unsuccessful idea to attempt late after release to provide connectivity for console systems, luggable or not. Remember the X-Band modem for Super Nintendo? Didn't think so. Maybe even the Gamelink for Atari 2600? The Original Online Gaming Service? I seem to be the only on that wasted money on those things... Sony's in for a rude awakening, since most software isn't already written to use it. Established customer base does not always equal continuing support for new ideas.

  • The Lynx was cool, but my favorite handheld is currently the Sega Nomad. Beautiful screen, takes normal Genesis games (which can be had for very cheap at thrift stores). Plus you can plug in a second controller and hook it to a TV when you want some multiplayer.

  • Getting emulator software for your laptop makes sense, if you already have a laptop. But let's say you're a parent and you are taking your kids on a plane flight from New York to California. Or maybe a four hour drive to Grandma's house. The kids most likely don't have their own laptops, and at 15k yen, or about $150, it's hella cheaper to get the kids one of these, even one for each, than to get them one laptop (even one iBook) to share. Can they do more with a laptop? Sure. But they've got my old computer at home for that - travelling, I just want to keep them from getting bored, and schoolwork on a laptop doesn't cut it :-)

    Heck, I'd buy the software for my laptop, but buy one of these for my daughter (she's almost four, and loves Parappa the Rapper).

    Wouldn't you know it, six months after I stop working for Sony, they start doing all this cool stuff? Or maybe it just seems cooler from the outside, since I no longer know about all the really cool stuff they're doing in the research labs (the successor to AIBO kicks ass).

  • Automatic dial-ins for pizza? Overheats and it fries all available cellular antennas?

    Every system Sony has released has had some major flaw (PS overheated, prompted a complete overhaul of the system; PS2 can't get antialiasing straight, offers DVD region workarounds, prompts developers queries and redesigned DVD drivers).

    Hopefully they will be able to get this system out without it frying.

  • Sony is like microsoft. They steal other people's ideas and then markets it better.

    That happened once. DOS.

    What about kerebros and other such applications? They took unix's ftp client and fucked it up. Just look at ftp.exe. How pathetic is that sonofabitch? Can't even use pasv mode or anything.

    They've been trying to make Windows better since they stole OS/2... yet it still is a big ass chunk or shit.

    Thanks for pointing out they had 1 release.

    k

    bye

  • I think sony as a company expects landline telephones to become obsolete. They may be right.
  • Speak for yourself. I like computers (I save "love" for actual people), but I still enjoy video games. One does not exclude the other.

    --

  • where's the games? (Score:4)

    by tensionboy ( 115662 ) on Thursday June 08, 2000 @05:21AM (#1016453)
    maybe i'm missing something here, but what multi player PS games are available currently? and who's going to write more with the PS2 coming out so soon?
  • Will the new PS One work with my old PS/1 software? I'm happy with my PS/1, but the PS One seems to have much better controllers.


  • Here [scei.co.jp] is the official Sony announcement in English.

    One interesting note from that page is that it seams as though the LCD panel can ONLY be run from AC power:

    When connected to the specially designed "PS one" LCD monitor that is planned to be available next spring, it is possible to take the world of PlayStation entertainment with; from room to room, house to house and out and about in a car*.

    *Requires appropriate AC Adapter

    Yay! So pointless!

    -AP

  • You're missing the point. Sony is a JAPANESE company, and in Japan, they pay for every minute of "landline" use. Cell phones are CHEAPER per minute in Japan than their hardlines, and thus, this is an EXCELLENT idea for that market.

    However, it's completely unsuitable for the US market. The technology is now past it's prime, it's not truly portable, cell phones (while catching on fast) are not pervasive enough, and it's just not NEW.

    They're trying to pull a Nintendo, taking really old technology (GameBoy) and making it seem new with a different casing. It's just not going to compete. People want a GameBoy-like version of the Playstation ... not a smaller Playstation.

    Sony's got an idea for the Japanese market, but it won't work here.

  • Will they make a mod-chip for it?
  • Maybe you missed Tekken 3 and the EA sports games. And with the PS2 being backwards compatible there are plenty of reasons to continue developing for the playstation. Sony may even follow Segas move and allow emulator and rom downloads for it.
  • I think you will be able to play any multi-player game with this system. Both systems run the same game simultaneously and the cell phone adapter simulates the second player. (stadard controller port, rite? cell phone just sends standard controller signals) xxxoooxxx

  • Comment removed (Score:3)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Thursday June 08, 2000 @07:37AM (#1016460)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • Sorry for calling your comment stupid. It was early in the morning (about 6am) when I posted that message.
  • .. but I will still play PocketChess on my Palm V instead.


    --

  • Looks neat, but I'll stick with my current PSX. I would like one of them white controllers though.

    But this new system doesn't hold any value for me... a cell phone uplink? Why not a regular damn modem? I boycott celular phones anyway... I never want to be that accessible to anyone.
  • soon to headline at /. ...

    Spam email virus hits PS1 through mobile phones...
  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • Reminds me of the intellivsion II which was an intelivsion in a smaller box.
    Also cell phones in japan are different than those in the us.. They might need a different modem.
    It would be cooler if it was a handheld maybe using those new Hd 650 meg MiniDiscs.

    Will they make an NTSC version so it can be used stateside?

  • I've never used a cable to connect my Palm to a mobile phone
    More than that, I have an 8810 and it only connects via IR, it doesn't have an option for a cable. Eww, wires, how retro. ;)
  • hmmmm.....it's small....but hardly practicle as a portable entertainment system...

    I'm not entirely sure what market Sony is aiming this at...

    Afterall....the full sized playstation is not really all that clumsy to lug around......

    The mobile phone link is interesting though....especially since the article says it will be avialable for the PS2 too....
  • As expensive as mobile airtime is now, how useful really is this feature? I cannot imagine a parent allowing their kid to spend 30 minutes on a cell to play games. Cool, but a little ahead of its time (at least in the US).
  • Jeez. "Portable" my arse.

    Why don't Sony just make a PSX like a clamshell DVD player?

  • Will it hook up with land-line phones, too? An RJ-11 jack for those of us who prefer not to have to burn our monthly cell quotas on our games?

    Why are they coming out with a new, "luggable" version of the venerable PS1, when the marketing blitz is going to be on for the PS2?

    Has Sony given up on the hand-held market? Will my nieces and nephews be condemned to GameBoy Hell forever (or at least for this product cycle)?

    Inquiring minds, and all that....

  • Well, at work I'm not using either, I'm using Terminal Services to get GUI logins so I can get some real work done.

    Oh boy, I bet I'm getting flamed for that one.

    Amazingly, a lot of the work I'm doing on NT right now involves Lyris List Manager [lyris.com] on NT, which is a very standards-based Mailing List Manager. I've been having some number of problems with it, but I fully expect it to be the best solution once I get everything sorted out.

    In any case, Lyris uses whatever webserver you like (up to and including Apache, Fnord, or whatever else you like), and it has a perl library that you can use to interface to Lyris and do basically anything you can do with the thing any other way, and then some. There's a number of things you cannot in fact do without perl.

    So, if I used "dos" edit under win2k (which does indents now, which is kind of cool) as my editor, and nosed around with telnet enough, I could probably get most of my work done there - But I'd have to write more scripts and open a whole bunch of windows. Since this is a 100mbit/sec switched network, I don't think the small amount of bandwidth Terminal Services uses is going to cause much trouble.

    Anyway, yes, when I log into a unix box, I use SecureCRT to talk to OpenSSH, generally -- Because I run OpenBSD on my webserver (which is down right now, anyway... Network issues.) I really do think that the telnet functionality in NT is pretty spiffy, though. (Desperate attempt to get back on topic)

  • The mobile phone thing looks interesting, but the main thing I'm wondering about is how much will this cost for the average person to run it head to head?

    What's their target market?

  • Slightly off topic -- but does anyone else remember the Atari Lynx? That was a great handheld!

    Also, this month's NextGen has screenshot of Metal Gear Solid 2 for PS2...Jaw drops, drool drips from chin.

    dc


    --
  • Although it's a bit unknown what the actual screen *really* is, there are devices out there that can run with a colour screen for 20+ hours: A good example is the Game Boy colour, which runs with a colour screen for over 20 hours with only 2 AA batteries.

    Also, don't the Crusoe-based pads have a long battery life also?
  • The article lists that the LCD screen on which to play the games will be sold separately. When I first saw the headline, I thought that Sony had rigged up some sort of actual handheld system. The technology's there, and they've already got an established market base.
  • There's still the different seed value that you'd need to take into consideration. On racing games, sure it's not going to make much of a difference if the seeding is a little bit off, chances are, you're still going to be (mostly) in the same position. Now you take a deathmatch game, where you're randomly teleported into the level, you're going to need some syncing to make sure that when your console says that you're in one part of the level, the other guy's console doesn't say you're on the opposite side of the level. I'm just curious on how Sony's communicating with the two consoles, if it's through a known feature of the controller (like the control port), or through some means not known to mere mortals.
  • have you goys forgot that fancy deck of cards? you can play solitaire or poker etc

  • seems a little pricey, doesn't it. The cell phone access I mean.
  • So how do you play this thing on the go, on your lap? And where do I plug in that AC adapter then? There is no mention of a battery. So how can this compete with a Gameboy Advance?
  • ...except that it's gone wireless. I wonder if it's going to use the wireless networking in place of the link-cable. That was one feature of the PlayStation that I loved that never got implemented in too many games. If not, is it only going to work with newer games built for the portable, wireless PlayStation?


    Refrag
  • This is why I love sony, they deliever what they promise! They did it with PS2, and now they do it with portable PS, I heard of portable PS, but never took them serious, they shocked me, because they are ahead of schedule. Sony is a very respectable company. I hope other hardware companies learn from them.
  • ...you can still play PocketPool with your palm...
    --
    Wanna hook MAPI clients to your Tru64/AIX/Linux server?
  • ...yeah well....it happens to all of us at some point...hehe....

  • The Need for Speed (Score:4)

    by sql*kitten ( 1359 ) on Thursday June 08, 2000 @04:01AM (#1016486)
    From the article:

    A special adapter cable, available this winter in Japan, will enables the entire PlayStation platform - including its 128-bit successor - to be connected to mobile phones,

    Does any else think it's strange to connect a 128-bit processor to a 9600 baud modem!?

  • Hey, this is great! Combine the portable PSX with a pair of Thinkgeek's I-glasses [thinkgeek.com], and that silly Microsoft commercial with the stockbroker in the plaza in Russia can become a reality!

    <cut to scene of business-suited man in a park, leaping around, screaming "spill your black blood, Sephiroth!" and nearly running into pedestrians, crying "no, not more zombies!">

    Okay, maybe it's not so great.

    - Michael Cohn
  • I'm not sure why this didn't happen in the US

    IIRC, it's because of the encryption incorporated into the GSM standard.

  • For people who are thinking that this isn't any smaller than an ordinary Playstation, here are the dimensions, from the Japanese Sony site [scei.co.jp]:

    193mm x 38mm x 144mm (W,H,D)

    weight: 550g

  • I don't think supporting cell phones is very interesting. That is expensive, and where could you possibly be using this thing that it would be easier to use a cell phone instead of a regular cheap phone jack? The park? A movie theatre?

    However, what about bluetooth and related short range wireless stuff? Since these things are small, and potentially have their own screen, wouldn't it be better if they created a sort of wireless lan based on proximity?

    You and a couple friends bring your playstations into the same room, and blammo, you are networked or whatever. It would raise the cost of the ps1, but at least it would be useful.

    --Scott
  • PSX-es et al tend to follow the LAN party thing...

    Particularily when they have multiplayer games...

  • My impressions... (Score:4)

    by Megane ( 129182 ) on Thursday June 08, 2000 @04:42AM (#1016492)
    First of all, in .us cell phone usage is more of a luxury than not. Many people (like me) don't own a cell phone and could care less about having one. Interesting that it hooks up to the controller port, though.

    I'd have been more happy to see Ethernet access instead, what with the ability to network anywhere, *and* the growth in broadband (DSL/CTM) in .us homes. (And even without broadband, one could always hook up to a masqueraded dial-up gateway.)

    As for the screen, it's damn cute, but like the old Jaguar CD, it makes the machine look like a toilet. More so since it's white. Although with the screen in the lid like that it also looks a bit like a make-up kit with a mirror.

  • This is a plus (Score:4)

    by the_other_one ( 178565 ) on Thursday June 08, 2000 @04:44AM (#1016493) Homepage

    The smaller size and weight of this system is a real boon to those designing missile guidance systems. The attached phone also makes remote operation much simpler

    Just dial 3210 launch.

  • so, if i have a sony playstation one hooked up in my conversion van, and some other kid(s) have the same setup, we can deathmatch on our long country ride!!! ah, technology.
  • It seemes like this thing would take quite a bit of power to run and upon further investigation I discovered that it actually requires a seperate power source to be plugged into. This would limit its potential for portability quite a bit. Oh will, I guess I'm stuck with my GameBoy.
  • The Sega Dreamcast has its own OS in addition to WINCE. Games only run on WINCE when the developers were too lazy to write for the Dreamcast's OS. The games that run on WINCE make me wince -- they suck. I figure the XBox will either cost ~$500 or suck.


    Refrag
  • That would be quite intresting to bring to either work or College. The class I'm in now doesn't do much anyway.
    -Mr. Macx

    Moof!
  • I've got versions of Bomberman and Gauntlet for the playstation. That's the original Gauntlet, btw, not Gauntlet Legends.

    Gauntlet is a lot of fun.

    Jon
  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • Coward, why don't you post with your name.
  • duh! it is a 32bit processor, it is PS, not PS2, hence it has a mips r3000 33mhz cpu.
  • duh! It's also going to be available for Playstation 2 - hence, a more-or-less 300mhz 128bit CPU.

  • Re:Unanswered questions... (Score:3)

    by Phexro ( 9814 ) on Thursday June 08, 2000 @07:50AM (#1016503)
    Why are they coming out with a new, "luggable" version of the venerable PS1, when the marketing blitz is going to be on for the PS2?

    it's a tradition for electronics companies to release "updated" versions of their old consoles when a new platform is released. they are trying to squeeze every last dollar from their investments in the technology.

    nintendo released an updated nes when the snes was released, and an updated snes when the n64 came out. sega made a portable genesis when the saturn came out.

    it's also a hook of theirs; they hope that if someone get hooked on the cheaper old platform, they will spend the cash to get the current model afterwards.

    it is interesting that it will be out before the ps2 though. :)

    --

  • Interesting that it hooks up to the controller port, though.

    Interesting and bizarre. The Playstation has an RS232 serial port [geocities.com], and I understand that's what mobile phones use too. So why connect it to the controller port? I can only assume it's so that Sony can sell another proprietary interface cable (you should see how much they charge for digital audio cables for their DAT recorders).

  • On the other hand, SQL Server 7 (MS SQL came originally from Sybase X) is way cooler than Sybase. Faster, too. Win2k telnet is reasonable, and they have a server. Of course, the telnet server only lets you telnet in from another Win2k box, but at least it does authentication at the NT level. WLBS load balancing doesn't suck. NTFS 5 is journaling, and quite quick. I haven't lost a file due to a power outage since Win2k.

    Get over your microsoft hating. If you're going to hate them, hate them for their bad buisness practice, or how much the OS likes to crash; Not for microsoft failing to ever improve someone else's idea - They've done that more than once.

    And let's not forget MS flightsim :)

  • Glasstron [sony.com] baby!!!

    Tried one at the local Sony store, not bad quality...sorta grainy (standard three-color lcd grain) but definatly watchable. Wouldn't want to try and play something detailed like Command n Conquer on it...but anything else should be fine.

    Just need a decent power source...

  • And they're releasing it in the UK where we pay thru the nose for both mobile and land lines, so Sony probably assume that both Japan and the UK would be as happy paying for mobile as land line.

  • Well done, you've just shown how backward some countries are in terms of wireless communications.

    Where was this announced? Japan.
    What sort of wireless connectivity is available in Japan? 64Kbps (same as single-channel ISDN).
  • then Intellivision III came out, which was the size of the I, but had the intellivoice built in. Such a great system :-)

    how many times did you hear "matel electronics presents: Space Spartians!!!"

  • This was announced IN JAPAN, OK? Did you know that a type of cellphone service (the i-Mode) in Japan has more than 200,000 new applicants PER DAY? That Ken Kutaragi has previously said that the cellphone is Sony's biggest competitor?

    Sony is doing this to get a chunk of the rapidly-growing cellphone-based comms market in Japan. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't even release it overseas.
  • The 'inconsistancies' you speak of are probably due to the fact that a lot of very different people read slashdot..

    There's no screening process that makes sure we all follow the 'official' slashdot point of view...

    in fact...as far as i can tell there IS no official slashdot point of view....

    People just speak up when an article interests or concerns them...and different articles interest different people...
  • yeah, that seems to be the question; where the target?
    personally speaking, i think they're going for the 'has-a-job-but-played-loads-of-games-when-he/she-w as-a-kid-and-now-has-enough-cash-to-get- the-very-best' market...same way that some mobile phones are financially beyond the reach of us 'ordinaries', or at least until the tech becomes standardised and cheaper...
    i think they're aiming for the 'early birds' of the gaming market.
    it always causes surprise and offence when companies do this...i'm usually one of the offended. damn, i am here as well...
  • Where do you live? I'm in Boston and on my cell phone I pay 5 cents a minute. Ma Bell charges me 7. And the cell phone has free nights and weekends besides.

    The only shitty thing about connecting over a cell phone is that analog connections typically suck, and the digital providers don't have the infrastructure in place yet to do any sort of high speed data access - damn premature phone monopoly deregulation.

    -Spazimodo

    Fsck the millennium, we want it now.

  • Needs always-on connection (Score:5)

    by Cato ( 8296 ) on Thursday June 08, 2000 @04:04AM (#1016515)
    Looks like an interesting gizmo, particularly if it supports mobile phones with Bluetooth (gives you a few Mbps to the phone) and GPRS (always-on packet-switched connection, designed for IP and not charged by the minute). Even though GPRS will only go at 25-56 Kbps typically, it should be enough for interaction between games on two or more consoles.

    Perhaps the initial connection will be via IrDA, which typically goes up to 115 Kbps but can be faster - not sure if any phones implement the fast version.

    GPRS (Generalised Packet Radio Service) is based on TDMA (time division multiple access) mobile phone standards such as GSM (whole world and some parts of North America) and the North American digital one whose name I forget (IS-136?). It's just a software upgrade to most base stations and expected by end of this year in Europe (although BT has just announced a business only service starting this month in the UK).

    For more info on GPRS, see http://www.mobilegprs.com/ - sibling sites also have good info on EDGE, 3G/UMTS, WAP, and other horrible mobile phone acronyms...

  • awwwwww.... (Score:3)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 08, 2000 @04:05AM (#1016517)
    its so CUTE... i just wanna pinch its smooth little corners and general aerodynamic design...
  • At last I can take my Playstation to church with me! Screw you God, I want a high score on Tomb Raider!
    -Brandon LostBrain [lostbrain.com]

    Because Breaking Up Microsoft [lostbrain.com] Is Funny

  • Re: Deregulation vs. standards (Score:3)

    by Cato ( 8296 ) on Thursday June 08, 2000 @04:10AM (#1016522)
    It's not just a matter of deregulation - in the UK, there has been competition in the mobile phone market since it started (Cellnet and Vodafone, then after a few years, one2one and Orange), yet we use a single international standard (GSM) operating on 2 frequencies.

    The result is that I can take my dual-band phone to almost any country in the world (except Japan, US, Canada, Mexico and some South American countries) and have it work seamlessly. I can even do short messages (similar to text paging) and data calls (e.g. sending email from my Palm device) from abroad.

    I'm not sure why this didn't happen in the US - perhaps the vendors thought the market was big enough for them to go with proprietary standards (e.g. D-AMPS, CDMA) as well as GSM. In the US, GSM is available from Omnipoint and some others, operates on a 3rd frequency, 1900 MHz, but you can get tri-band phones that work on all 3 global GSM frequencies).

    Just as with most technologies, standards are a Good Thing...
  • Thank you for the clarification, I stand corrected.

    If anyone has a point or two left, please mod my parent post down as it appears to be factually incorrect as eloquently stated by Cryptnotic. And if you have an extra point, please pass it along to Cryptinic for pointing this out. His comment is not just plain flamebait, He made a good point.

  • There's a bit more info available at IGN:
    http://psx.ign.com/news/20603.html [ign.com]
  • Sure, I'm disappointed that its not battery powered (though, we don't *know* that yet for sure)... but even still, I'd find it quite useful to have it even in AC-powered situations.

    Such as laying in bed with the SO, playing Tekken or Vagrant Story. No need to bring the TV into the bedroom and set up all that junk - just put it between us on the covers and play away the Sunday.

    Plus, you should also consider that this version of the Playstation caters to a very strong Japanese space-is-everything ethic. I imagine there will be cube-dwellers buying this thing just to give themselves another 6 inches of elbow room ...
  • If so, then that's a seriously nice combo...

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