Sony intros red PS2 and metallic blue PSP for Japan

Proving once again that old gadgets die hard (some, at least) Sony Japan is introducing fancy new paint jobs for two of its oldest -- and most successful -- products. Come July 3rd, the venerable PS2 will be hitting shelves with a new job, a new outlook on life, and a "red cinnabar" paint job. The refreshed system will run you about ¥16,000 (or around $153). Meanwhile, that metallic blue PSP we've seen is making its way to Japanese gamers on July 17th, sans Madden '09, for ¥23,800 (or $227) for the Value Pack, or ¥29,800 (or $284) for the a decked out bundle including a 1seg tuner, 1GB Memory Stick, and handsome matching carrying case. Check out a closeup of the handheld after the break.

[Via Impress]

Read - PS2 "red cinnabar" press release
Read - PSP "metallic blue" press release

[David @ Jun 3rd 2008 9:28AM]

Get out

[David @ Jun 3rd 2008 2:20PM]

Yey he's gone! btw I love the red paint job, and I can see why Sony are continuing production - it's still great fun to play and there is a market for a cheap console with plenty of titles, buyable second hand for peanuts.

Starwars battlefront is where its at!

[Technex @ Jun 3rd 2008 9:36AM]

I googled GoogleMyName and found just some crap about "GoogleMyName"... Myspace noobie...

GTFO!



/on topic

Who wants a PS2?...

[Lars @ Jun 3rd 2008 1:39PM]

Gee, I dunno... Maybe low-income households that want a great gaming console that wont break the bank?

[wookee @ Jun 3rd 2008 1:56PM]

i think the ps2 is still selling quite well in many places

[nh @ Jun 3rd 2008 3:50PM]

Yeah, the PS3 is out soon

[Aguiluz @ Jun 3rd 2008 6:07PM]

Man, I just upgraded from a PSone.

I'm liking my PS2. :D

[Flashpoint @ Jun 3rd 2008 9:38AM]

I fail to see why SONY bothers to continue producing PS2's - rather than simply include emulation/ backwards compatibility with the PS3's.

Furthermore, though there may not have been many games to use it, I'll never understand the logic behind the slimline PS2 not offering an adaptor some type of mass storage drive.

[Josh L @ Jun 3rd 2008 10:24AM]

You fail basic economics then. Let me break it down for you:

PS2s are making SONY money.

PS3s are not making SONY money.

Increasing the production cost of the product that is not making them any money (by trying to improve the backwards-compatibility) is not a smart move.

And you answered your own question in the second paragraph. I believe there were a total of two games (at least in the American and European markets) that used the HDD. Spending more money to produce a console that is compatible with an accessory that almost nobody owned or would ever own is also not a smart move.

[DiRT @ Jun 3rd 2008 5:23PM]

If playing PS2 games is that important to you, spend the $129 to get an actual PS2.

[hustle7 @ Aug 13th 2008 11:30PM]

The 80gb PS3 is backwards-compatible and plays ps2 games with emulation, but not the 40gb version. Believe it or not, unless people are in the market to buy a blu-ray player, most people would hesitate to buy the ps3 just for gaming alone (excluding die hard gamers that's into next gen graphics). PS2 is still a viable game console because it's cheap and has a larger game library than the PS3. As long as that price tag is still high and the way the economy is currently ps2 will continue to sell successfully.

[Michael @ Jun 3rd 2008 9:43AM]

@Flashpoint:
Maybe because NOT everyone can afford a $400 machine... Especially with the recession we are having...

@Engadget.com:
What do you mean by the "oldest" product that Sony has... If PS2 is the oldest, what the heck is PSOne? Pre-Historic? And what is Atari or NES? Like when the world was empty... :P

Bring on more colors boys!!

[fistpittingnork @ Jun 3rd 2008 10:15AM]

I believe Atari and Nintendo were manufactured by those 2 other companies, whatever their names were.

[CraigJ @ Jun 3rd 2008 12:12PM]

A. What recession?
B. These units are not available in the US.

[Tony @ Jun 3rd 2008 4:17PM]

Technically, we are not in a recession.

[CarpeD1em500 @ Jun 3rd 2008 9:48AM]

Also, how is the PSP old?

It's their most current handheld platform...

Strange..

[Troels C @ Jun 3rd 2008 9:49AM]

Thats right! Milk that cow!

[wrabbit @ Jun 3rd 2008 9:51AM]

I purchased the PS2 only few months ago with GoW, GoW2 and Shadow of Colossus and I gotta say, it was a way better purchase than the 360, and cost me half as much. I think for anyone without much time to play consoles, PS2 is a great choice. The games are still awesome, and if you're not gonna spend more than couple of hours a week on it, would you really wanna shell out 5 or 6 Benjamins on a console?

[John @ Jun 3rd 2008 12:24PM]

apart from CoD4 and DMC4, pretty much all I use my PS3 for is media (streaming my AVIs and playing blu-ray) and playing PS2 games. Even then though, I still don't regret the purchase. Playing wirelessly is a big sell to me ever since the days of my N64 and SSB tournaments where the cables shrunk as they got more tangled. While most of the games I play on it might be PS2, my wireless SIXAXIS (and Dualshock 3 now), the online element of CoD4 and the blu ray movies more than justify the purchase to me.

[Vagrant @ Jun 3rd 2008 9:52AM]

Oh...I like the blue. I picked up one last week, but it was silver. (I wasn't keen on those pastel colors.) Still, that's not too bad of a deal for that 1SEG TV combo. I purchased mine separately. The 1GB stick will work as a backup to hold pictures, or movies, but I'm doing fine with a 4GB stick.

The Remote Play feature is pretty cool too, if you have a PS3 as well.

[Matt @ Jun 3rd 2008 9:54AM]

@Flashpoint:
Its a simple concept, try to keep up: THEY ARE STILL MAKING TONS OF MONEY FROM IT!!! Its still selling better than the PS2 and people dont want to drop $400 for the low end PS3 that isnt backwards compatible. Just this last Christmas, I bought a slim PS2. It took forever to find a store that had them in stock. They were selling faster than the Wiis and DS's.

I want to get a PS3 like everyone else but I'm not willing to drop that much money until I have a HI def TV that can show it as its best quality.

[CosterMonger @ Jun 3rd 2008 9:55AM]

some of the game don't make it to high def.

[Matt @ Jun 3rd 2008 10:07AM]

I understand that not all games on the PS3 arent in HI Def. I just meant that to fully appreciate the system, a HI Def TV is a must: whether its playing games or playing a Blu Ray movie.

[John @ Jun 3rd 2008 12:25PM]

Most games on it are at least 720p - CoD4, which is the game that you are pretty much obligated to buy, even goes to 1080p.

[CosterMonger @ Jun 3rd 2008 9:54AM]

I wish the glass on the psp was more scratch resistant, couldn't they just coat the the psp glass with Durabis II from TDK same coating that's on Blu-Ray, or simply give me better glass {artificial fabrics scratch the $#!% out of the screen}.

FIX THE PROBLEMS before offering more colors!

There is an impressive library of games for the PS2, but it's due for it's last price drop the one that brings it to $69, I'm just hoping sony will be smart enough to eventually enable Backwards Compatibility for 40GB systems {is there any technical reason while this can't be done, or were game developers in fear that no one would buy new games?}.

[DiRT @ Jun 3rd 2008 5:26PM]

I have a launch PSP and a $2 screen protector. You know what I don't have? Scratches.

[Ortzinator @ Jun 3rd 2008 10:47AM]

I would be impressed if I hadn't already spray painted mine.

[Steffen Jobbs @ Jun 3rd 2008 10:48AM]

The PS2 is an okay gaming machine, but why aren't they discontinuing it to push up sales of the PS3? Eight years for gaming machine seems a long time considering how much graphics and processors have advanced. Sony's made the PS2 smaller and lighter and more power efficient, but enough already. Bring down the price of the PS3.

[Lars @ Jun 3rd 2008 1:50PM]

Those questions are odd coming from someone named Steffen Jobbs --which I assume means you're an Apple fan.

Let me demonstrate what I mean:
"The Mac Mini is an okay computer, but why aren't they discontinuing it to push up sales of the Mac Pro? Obsolete hardware for a computer seems a outdated considering how much graphics and processors have advanced. Apple's made the Mac Mini smaller and lighter and more power efficient, but enough already. Bring down the price of the Mac Pro (or in Apple's case, ALL products)."

[JQuilty @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:04AM]

No Char Aznable branding for the red one? I'm crushed.

[finchburg @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:52AM]

It would be nice if the PSP were released stateside, it would match my DS Lite.

[JJV @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:54AM]

they still make these?!?!?!?!?!!?

[jay @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:55AM]

Metallic Blue PSPs have been out for years in Hong Kong, i bought one when I was over there last year!?

[Jamesology @ Jun 3rd 2008 12:02PM]

that was the first gen. if was the second gen, then it was hacked and painted like most things in HK

[SimbaDogg @ Jun 3rd 2008 12:01PM]

wow...seems like u werent really paying attention to all the people that said they wanted ps3 in a cheaper package no BC=cheaper, just like fewer usb ports = cheaper, smaller hd = cheaper etc...

[Valgas @ Jun 3rd 2008 1:31PM]

Does Sony know for a fact that Americans don't like colorful electronics? Red is awesome and I'd love to have a slimline PS2 in Crimson Red. Anyone else?

Guess I'll import one.

[BigD145 @ Jun 3rd 2008 2:40PM]

Tack an extra $50 and put that PS2 into a PS3. It would be a deal.

[Chino B @ Jun 3rd 2008 2:54PM]

I'm totally digging the red PS2.