An in-depth look at Playstation 2 and the future of the console

by Jake Fiveash 

Playstation 2, the single biggest console ever to hit the market. Hyped up by the media, and sporting some superior hardware, Sony has released a console that may very well change the face of the video game market. But how is Playstation 2 faring so far, how has the console changed the market thus far? Let's analyze the system and see what its done.

First, take a look at the console itself. Playstation 2 sports a 294 - 912 MHZ Central Processing Unit, a 147.456 MHZ Graphics Processor, and 40 MHZ of total memory. Its polygonal performance is 66 million polygons per second, and its particle performance is 150 million particles per second. What does all that mean? Its a fast, high tech console with a lot of processing power and the ability to run some expansive, highly detailed games. But what about the other consoles? How does the X-box, and Gamecube compare to the Playstation 2? Well, X-box beats the Playstation 2 in the polygonal and particle performance areas, but falls short in processing power. But, X-box also supports compressed textures, the first console ever to do such, and has more then 4 times the audio channels that Playstation 2 has; needless to say, X-box dominates Playstation 2 in the hardware area. Gamecube also beat Sony's monster in most areas, only falling short in the processing department. What does this mean? Don't rule any of the other consoles out of the fight, especially X-box.

Next you have to take a look at the Software line-up, what games will the system have? When will they be available? Well, as of now, Playstation 2 suffers an extreme lack of quality titles, if someone was going to buy a console right now I'd recommend getting a Dreamcast simply because it has a lot more replay value for a lot less money. But that's not what people want to hear is it? Yes, in the next year or so, Sony and its third part developers have a jam-packed line-up of impressive titles, ranging from Final Fantasy 10 to Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. But, the problem with that is, no matter how good the game looks in the magazines and on websites, nobody can really tell you how its going to look and feel when its released in the United States. My recommendation, wait until you see at least 5 games for Playstation 2 that you've tested and really want to own before you buy the system.

Last but not least, marketing. Now Darien smashed my love of marketing in his last article, but you have to think a second. If the system and games aren't marketed well, are people really going to want to buy them? This is the area Sony really excels in. Not only have the hyped up Playstation 2 so much that it sold out on the first day in Japan and the United States, but they've managed to do so without having enough consoles to sell. That isn't a good thing. Sony may have sold out on the first day, but they didn't release anymore for months and didn't stick with their United States Quota. So should we trust Sony? Perhaps not, by not releasing the consoles they increased demand for the product, which is something to be expected from a large corporation. So don't go thinking Sony is your best friend, because obviously, they have proven they are not. Look out for those marketing ploys, and remember, always think before you buy your next console.

Well, that should wrap this editorial up. Thanks to Sony for being an evil corporation and giving me something to write about. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.