Playstation 2 -- Engadget

playstation 2 posts

Video: a brief history of game console teardowns

by Ross Miller posted Sep 25th 2009 at 7:42AM

Granted, none of these are teardowns we haven't already seen ad nauseam, but seeing every Sony and Microsoft console ripped to shreds and placed side-to-side in a series of glass cases is still a sight to behold. Peruse the display yourself, found at Tokyo Game Show and shown courtesy of the Museum of GAME Science, in a video tour after the break.

Continue reading Video: a brief history of game console teardowns

Audiovox integrates PlayStation 2 into rear-seat entertainment system

by Darren Murph posted Sep 23rd 2009 at 1:56PM

Tired of strapping muzzles on your youngsters whenever you have to make that eight hour trek to grandma's pad? So were a couple of engineers at Audiovox. The VOD10PS2 claims to be the planet's first fully integrated gaming system made for the car, with the overhead system not only packing a 10.2-inch display, but an honest-to-goodness PlayStation 2 console as well. Just so we're clear -- the $949.99 asking price nets you the box itself, a screen, a PS2, two wireless controllers, a built-in dome light, a pair of fold-flat IR wireless headphones and a copy of Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando and Hot Shots Golf 3. Heck, there's even a remote and FM transmitter, not to mention a pair of trim rings that'll obviously work with whatever drab interior color you selected for your minivan. So, willing to pay just under a grand to shut the little ones up forever? (Tempting, isn't it?)

Gallery: Audiovox integrates PlayStation 2 into rear-seat entertainment system

PS3 Motion Controller launching in March?

by Thomas Ricker posted Sep 22nd 2009 at 8:35AM

Is your name "harborneb?" It is? Then you might be out of a job. That's the name attributed to the author of a Microsoft Word document sitting on SEGA America's official FTP site at this very moment. The .doc file resides in SEGA's otherwise benign "news" directory. Now, it's very possible that the document could have been uploaded in jest as an Internet prank. But assuming it's real, then these meeting minutes between SEGA and Sony on August 5th reveal quite a few tantalizing details. Chiefly, that Sony will be launching its PS3 motion controller in Japan in March of 2010, Spring elsewhere. There's also discussion of PlayStation 2 emulation on the PS3 with a note that "SCEA wants to sell all PS2 titles on PSN (GTA Vice City/Sonic/etc)." Want more? Then hit up the read link and download the document yourself. Else, you'll just have to hope for news from the Tokyo Game Show kicking off Thursday.

Update: The document has been pulled. We've added the full text after the break.

[Via Gamesindustry.biz, thanks DarKlar]

Read [Warning: FTP link]

Continue reading PS3 Motion Controller launching in March?

Video: Retractible wireless Rock Band / Guitar Hero controller perfect for the five-button shredder on the go

by Ross Miller posted Aug 31st 2009 at 9:53PM

Guitar Hero and Rock Band's plastic axes aren't exactly behemoths in their own right, but if you need something even tinier, little-known game accessories company NEXiLUX looks to have a more portable solution in the works. The video for its mini guitar isn't the clearest, but from we can see, the body is about the same size as the retracted neck, which expands from behind the touch-sensitive pads to reveal the infamous quintet of colored buttons. D-pad, navigation buttons, whammy bar, and pickup selection have all survived the compression, and to make each unit as universal as possible, there's a switch on the bottom for choosing between either Guitar Hero for Wii or Rock Band for Wii, PlayStation 2, and PS3. Both black and white models are seen here, but there's no mention either in-video or on the company's website of price or release date. See it for yourself after the break.

[Thanks, Floyd]

Continue reading Video: Retractible wireless Rock Band / Guitar Hero controller perfect for the five-button shredder on the go

Sony: PlayStation 2 compatibility 'is not coming back' to PS3

by Ross Miller posted Aug 20th 2009 at 9:49PM

Cling to that Cell-based PlayStation 2 emulator patent all you want, but Sony director of hardware marketing John Koller has some disparaging words for those wanting Shadow the Colossus to one day work one the latest hardware. PS2 backwards compatibility "is not coming back, so let me put that on the table," he told Ars Technica, soon after reaffirming, "that won't be returning." Apparently people have been buying the PS3 not for PS2 titles but for the newest games and Blu-ray movies -- and given PS2's continued dominance in sales, presumably to play those last-gen games, we don't doubt it. Seeing such a feature standard in all other consoles out there, including the first two iterations of this one, we can't help but feel burned. Still, it was less than two months ago when Sony's mantra was no PS3 price cuts, and funny enough, that's more or less what happened. So if Koller wants to go back on his word and offer PS2 compatibility further down the line, hey, we'll forgive him.

[Via Joystiq]

Logitech's $300 G27 racing wheel gives sidelined DUI possessors a taste of the road

by Darren Murph posted Aug 17th 2009 at 4:00AM

Eager to get back on the track, but not so eager to ease up on the sauce? Fret not, our continually inebriated friends, as Logitech has just the answer for your awfully depressing road woes. The long-awaited successor to the original G25 racing wheel is finally on the scenes, as the G27 brings along real metal, real leather and a real taste of driving that can likely only be mimicked whilst seated in some sort of $30k+ sportster. The wheel is designed to function with Sony's PS2 and PS3 as well as Windows-based PCs, and aside from the built-in force feedback mechanism, you'll also find a pair of stainless steel shifter paddles, RPM / shift indicator lights and a clutch that fully supports heel-and-toe downshifting. Is all that realism worth $299.99? Judge with your wallet come September.

Continue reading Logitech's $300 G27 racing wheel gives sidelined DUI possessors a taste of the road

Video: Katamari controller hack for PS2

by Joseph L. Flatley posted May 25th 2009 at 2:39PM

What better way to remember all of those people who died when the moon and the stars were destroyed by the King of All Cosmos than a Memorial Day game of Katamari? Rather than continue to half-ass it with her PlayStation controller, hackster and NYC Resistor member Kellbot has put together a real life spherical controller, utilizing such items as a large mirror ball (sadly, the Yoga ball proved too pliable to roll on the ball bearings), a mouse, a gutted PS2 controller, a digital pot, and -- of course -- the world famous Arduino. Interested in building your own? Hit that read link to get all the details, but not before you peep the video after the break.

[Via Hack A Day]

Continue reading Video: Katamari controller hack for PS2

Qtv launches console IPTV platform on the PlayStation.... 2

by Richard Lawler posted Apr 21st 2009 at 7:22AM

In one of the more unexpected developments from NAB 2009, Qtv is pushing its streaming media player platform for consoles. Not an altogether radical idea we know, but what's different here is a plan to launch first on the PlayStation 2 and move to newer hardware later. From the makers of the Qcast technology behind the GameShark Media Player, Qtv includes YouTube and access to streaming video from other sources, plus pictures, music and video (DivX, h.264, XviD & more) from USB devices or networked computers. The PS2 may not be the first HD set-top box we thought of, it does have the highest installed base. The Qtv player launches later this year and will be available on Mac and PC as well for "less than $50," although thanks to the free 30-day trial the hardest part may be remembering where we left our PS2s.

Sony PlayStation 2 just $99.99 starting tomorrow

by Thomas Ricker posted Mar 31st 2009 at 7:36AM

We're really hoping that this isn't Sony's global announcement. Nevertheless, starting tomorrow April 1st, the PlayStation 2 will be available for less than $100 (down from $129.99), exactly as rumored. Hoozah?

[Thanks, Ris]

Sony: 'no plans' for a PS3 price cut

by Ross Miller posted Mar 30th 2009 at 4:27PM

That PlayStation 3 price drop rumored to be coming tomorrow? Not happening, according to Sony. In a statement given to Joystiq, SCEA public relations manager Al De Leon says, "we do not have plans for a PS3 price drop, and any rumors to that effect are false and are the result of speculation." Although we wouldn't put it past the company to deny it up until the second before an official announcement, we seriously doubt Sony would announce any sort of price cut on the day it's most likely to get drowned out by fake PSP2 mockups. No word on that speculated $100 PS2, but we wouldn't get our hopes up here, either.

Global Sony announcement rumored for tomorrow, unicorns practically a lock

by Darren Murph posted Mar 30th 2009 at 9:04AM

Take it for what it's worth, but Smarthouse has it on authority that Sony Computer Entertainment is gearing up to make a worldwide announcement tomorrow, and believe it or not, it could involve the PlayStation 3. Analysts (and patient consumers) have been anticipating a PS3 price drop ever since, oh, December 26th of last year, but we've seen absolutely zero evidence to make us believe that one is coming within the next 24 hours. And as Joystiq points out, each Sony region sets its own PS3 price independently. At any rate, we reckon a joint PS2 / PS3 price slashing could be on the table, but we'd highly recommend not getting your hopes up too high. Who knows -- we could be getting all worked up over a new firmware that unlocks HD DVD support.

[Via Joystiq]

Sony's PlayStation 2 rumored to hit $99.99 in April

by Darren Murph posted Mar 29th 2009 at 10:31PM

We've nothing to go on but a good man's word, but we're hearing that the permanent retail price of Sony's aged PlayStation 2 console will soon fall below the magical $100 mark. And really, it'd be about time. If you'll recall, Sony last adjusted the price of the PS2 in (surprise!) April of 2006, and if this here tip proves true, the company will select April of 2009 to push the MSRP down to $99.99. The image above comes from a generally trustworthy Kmart pricing system, and while we're certain you'd all love a PS3 price drop to follow suit, we've no reason to believe that one is close enough to touch.

Update: As a couple of tipsters and commenters have pointed out, that screen's most likely from a K-Mart Remote Management Unit (RMU) screen. That'd make EVT SP "Event Special" -- or in other words, a sale price for the listed days of April 5 to April 11.

PlayStation-induced palm lesions identified by Swiss scientists

by Ross Miller posted Feb 24th 2009 at 7:38PM

It's no Wiiitis, but Swiss scientists have ID'd a new skin disorder they believe came from prolonged gaming sessions. Dubbed "PlayStation palmar hidradentitis," the condition is marked by painful lumps that appear on the palms. This Dr. House diagnosis came from a 12-year old girl who visited Geneva hospital with hand lesions allegedly from hours-long gaming marathon, and that she fully recovered after a ten-day PlayStation hiatus. While being careful not to discredit the findings, Sony spokesman David Wilson chimed in to say they had never heard of a case like this, despite hundreds of millions consoles sold, and as with any leisure activity, "there are possible consequences of not following common sense, health advice and guidelines." Hey, at least she didn't break her arm.

Sony sells its 50 millionth PlayStation 2 in North America

by Darren Murph posted Jan 14th 2009 at 8:31PM

Joining the all-important 50 million club today is Sony, which has just recently moved its 50 millionth PlayStation 2 game console here in North America. For those with short-term memories, the PS2 hit the scene in the year 2000, well before the iPod, Windows XP and America's current president took their rightful places. NPD numbers estimate that around 43 million of these 50 million units were sold here in the US of A, and if you're really looking for some staggering numbers, get a load of this: In November 2008, 206,000 PS2s were moved in America, while just 172,000 more PS3s were sold in the same window. Talk about longevity / sluggish adoption, respectively.

Update: We meant 172,000, not 1,720,000.

dreamGEAR unveils Warbeast guitar controller, Quad Dock controller chargers

by Ross Miller posted Jan 3rd 2009 at 12:33AM

The perfect complement to ION's Drum Rocker kit, dreamGEAR has unveiled the WarBeast wireless guitar controller for PlayStation 3 and PS2. It's compatible with Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and Rock Revolution games and features a removable faceplate for customization and removable neck and headstock for easier transport. Officially licensed by B.C. Rich, the company is touting this axe as the first and only full-sized guitar controller on the market -- although we bet Starpex and maybe even Gene Simmons would beg to differ. It's now available on the company's website for $130, though if you can't afford that Rock n' Roll lifestyle, Amazon's got it for $90. They've also got a new Quad Dock Xbox 360 controller charger and some refreshed versions of their PS3, Wii lineup, which aren't out yet -- according to Electronista they'll go for around $30 or $40.

[Via Electronista]

Read - dreamGEAR WarBeast product page
Read - Amazon WarBeast product page