PSTwo this October
 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr..._id=1000629780

Sony celebrates anniversary with downsized PStwo

By John Gaudiosi
Although Sony is keeping quiet, video game analysts and retailers expect the market-leading console manufacturer to ship a new unit to mark the fourth anniversary of Sony's best-selling video game system Oct. 26. The PStwo, as the console will be called, is physically 30% smaller than its popular PlayStation 2 sibling and is expected to cost $149.

The move is significant enough that industry insiders believe Take-Two Interactive pushed back the release of "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" from Oct. 19 until the same day PStwo goes on sale.

"Sony has not commented publicly about the device but has already applied for the copyright of PStwo," American Technology Research video game analyst P.J. McNealy said. McNealy added that the new device will include built-in online capabilities, just like the current PS2.

There have been PS2 hardware shortages throughout the summer, and analysts suspect Sony deliberately has been bleeding retail shelves dry to make the switch.

Despite the competitive price point, retailers and video game publishers have been asking overtly for another price cut on both the existing PS2 and Microsoft's Xbox to help game sales during the crucial fourth-quarter period, which represents more than 50% of annual game sales.

McNealy said that even without a price point drop to $129, the new form factor alone for PStwo would increase sales for Sony at a crucial time. "A new box and console design will make the system fresh," he said.

He also noted that Oct. 26 is just weeks before Microsoft's "Halo 2" ships to retail. By combining "San Andreas" with a new console form factor, he said, Sony has a one-two punch.

According to early estimations for August data from the NPD Group, Sony sold about 212,000 PS2s last month. That's 27% below PS2 sales a year ago at a higher price point ($179 vs. $149). Microsoft sold about 217,000 Xboxes last month, which is up 50% from sales a year ago and gave the hardware maker the No. 1 position. The PS2 shortages have helped Microsoft distance itself as the clear second-place runner in the current video game wars, ahead of Nintendo's GameCube, which retails for just $99.

The summer is traditionally a slow period for the game industry, but the hardware price cuts before the E3 video game industry convention and an assortment of big game releases throughout the year have helped keep momentum going. The upcoming fall release schedule boasts a large number of big game franchises, which should help the game industry finish the year strong.

The new PStwo, whenever it launches, will eventually be part of a price-reduction program. Sony has stated its long-term strategy to turn PS2 into a 10-year console, which it will support long after the third PlayStation console ships. (Nothing has been announced, but PlayStation 3 is expected to bow in fall 2006.) And PStwo looks like the second phase of that strategy.

Sony has had great success with PSone, the similarly smaller version of the first PlayStation console, which continues to move hardware at its $49 price point. Several publishers, including Electronic Arts, Atari, Take-Two and Sony, continue to release new games for the 9-year-old console.

Re: PSTwo this October
 

Cool. I wish I could trade in.

Re: PSTwo this October
 

if I could find a friend to buy my current PS2 off of me, I would consider it.

Re: PSTwo this October
 

Whats the point?....Im content........although i might buy it....just to say i have it...


*Evil laugh*

Re: PSTwo this October
 

This is enticing seeing as how my current PS2 is crapping out.

Re: PSTwo this October
 

I can't wait for a picture. I bet the Gamecube will be downsized also. Small enough to carry in a purse.

Re: PSTwo this October
 

Ok, just one question... do you own a purse? Just curious? :D

Re: PSTwo this October
 

That's a new site for "gaming" news..

Re: PSTwo this October
 

Cool.

Though I won't buy it till it hits 99.99, maybe not even then.

Me Wanty Rtype Final, The Gradius games, and the Ace Combat games.

Re: PSTwo this October
 

I love the Ace Combat series. Those are the only games that my dad and I play together besides when we go head to head in NHL games.

Re: PSTwo this October
 

I only ever owned AC2. I've probably beaten that game 5 or 6 times.

Re: PSTwo this October
 

Ive only played the newest one once at Dylans house, it was alright if your into plane sims liek that.

Which I am.

I ownd one fo the bestest oldest plane sims for the PC....Wait for it......Sabre Ace. Until it got scrathed and planes no longer took off. :(

Re: PSTwo this October
 

Well this is obviously for NEW PS2 buyers.

Also from what I understand it will feature a built broadband adapter as standard.

Probably to compliment the realease of such online title as Killzone, Gran Turismo 4, Ratchet & Clank : Up Ur Arsenal etc.

I'll pick oneup, and use my old PS2 simply for imported games... while this might be my online machine.

Re: PSTwo this October
 

Hopefully this variation of the PS2 won't be as prone to breaking down in 6 months-1 year as the original is :p

But it sounds cool. Doubt I'll get it but it''ll probably look nice.

Re: PSTwo this October
 

So i was looking on the EBgames website today... They say if i trade in my PS2 i get $100 credit? and $10 for each game?

new ps2 is only $150
im thinkin i might go into my local EB and ask about doing this. Because id love to get the new ps2, and i know i have 5 games that i will never touch. especially the older versions of sports games when i have the latest versions of them.

Re: PSTwo this October
 

are you serious, Null? $100?

I would bite on that like a perfectly exectuted play-action fake. (for all your football lovers out there)

Re: PSTwo this October
 

Yup, thats what the website claims, expires 10/30/04 though


http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/ads/shops/instoretradein/


so imma go have a chat witht them this weekend and see what its all bout.

Re: PSTwo this October
 

i thought for sure november 4th or something first week november was the date for this puppy coming out....

Re: PSTwo this October
 

"Some Games Excluded" basicly translates to "Old Sports Titles." They might take 2004 editions but beyond that my guess is you're out of luck.

Re: PSTwo this October
 

no, actually it depends on the quanity they have.

I know people who have given them years old versions of sports games. it all depends on if they have em or not. Your right tho that since people dont buy older versions, they're more likely to have em. but it all depends.

Re: PSTwo this October
 

[ U P D A T E ]

well i just make a very informative trip down to EBgames...

the guy there, (who is the manager of this EB store) said, they will give me $100 for my working PS2, and $50 for ANY 5 games.
he said not only is this $20 more then what they normally pay for PS2's, (normal trade in is $80) but excluded games are VALID! he looked it up in the books and the email he got to make sure, and in his own words said, "this means you can give us crappy old sports games that are worth $2 and we'll give you $10 for each"


so to this i say HELL YEA! i'll be giving him, NHL 2001, NHL 2002, NHL 2004, ESPN NHL 2k4 and WWF Smackdown + my PS2 for a nice new sleek compact PStwo. :)

Re: PSTwo this October
 

that is awesome...I REALLY hope Canadian EBs have the same offer. I wouldnt mind getting rid of Madden 2004, NCAA Football 2004, Ratchet and Clank (1st one, beat it twice), Gran Turismo 3 and probably Amplitude.

Re: PSTwo this October
 

Thiink we would get $15 per game since we are in Canada? haha, that would be sweet.

Re: PSTwo this October
 

probably...but if the exchange rate was right, it would be closer to $12.75 per game...the CDN dollar is on the rise

Re: PSTwo this October
 

Well, done and done.

i figured i better jump on this before they change thier minds. lol

They take the PS2, check it with 4 different types of discs, then with the 5 games gave me my 150 credit, new ps2 is paid off. :)

the people there laugh and shake thier heads taken my old hockey games, said they cant believe they actually offer this deal. he said i gave him like $87 worth of merchendise and am getting $150 in exchange. hehehehe


Now i just wait, PS2'less untill the new one comes out. (good thing i have no new games coming out till then. lol)

Re: PSTwo this October
 

At least your EB's is nice enough to follow the rules or whatever. :p I know the one here would probably just say "Well, it does say any game but the thing on the paper said Excluding some titles so I'll just exclude those sports games".

But congrats on the soon to be new PStwo.

Re: PSTwo this October
 

well, they looked it up. aparently an email got sent to all the EB's saying to accept all games. *Shrugs*


Anywho, i gotta pay the tax when i goto pick it up which is like $8, but if i can find my damn CD to my network adapter, they'll give me $10 for that.

and i KNOW i had that damn cd sitting here on my computer desk. WHERE IS IT?!? *goes back to searching*

Re: PSTwo this October
 

We've got this thing listed as coming out on the 15'th of this month over at my Gamestop (through the computer network).

Re: PSTwo this October
 

That deal is tempting... 50 bucks for a broken PS2? I have a PS2 that only plays DVD-based media... But I already promised to just give it to one of my friends because I'm a nice guy :p

Re: PSTwo this October
 

lol. well they're very picky about what they accept. They check it to make sure it works with PS2 DVD games, PS2 CD ROM games, DVD Movies, and PS1 games.

i've never had one problem with that PS2, so i was very confident about that stuff. my only worry was my controller i gave em.
I lost an online hockey game i felt i shoulda won, i hit the post in OT, next time down the ice he scores on a weak goal.... I threw the controller down, and it kinda fell open and a screw snaped off. i took it apart and fixed the analog stick that had been jared out of place, but one of the wires going to the rumble section was broke off, but i put it together anyway, and its worked fine, just always had a very loud rattle when you shook it.
They didnt even try my controller , they used thier own. lol. the controller worked tho so i doubt they'd of noticed, i just dont think the rumble would work and it rattles. Ah well tho, thier problem now :p

Re: PSTwo this October
 

Haha, way to **** them over, null.

Re: PSTwo this October
 

Eh, further down the page it said they'd give 50 bucks for any broken PS2... Which seems even more outrageous than 100 for a working one...

Re: PSTwo this October
 

really?... I didnt even see that. interesting.

Re: PSTwo this October
 

Just wanted to let everybody know that I was working today and we got the new PSTwo's in. They're fricking tiny. About as thin as two game cases, almost as wide one way and about 2 & 1/2 inches larger the long way. I just couldn't get over it. I kept flipping it over and lifting it and comparing it to the old one.

A huge improvement in the size category.

Re: PSTwo this October
 

I feel like grabbing my working PS2 along with my busted PS2 and a few games and trading them in for this bad boy.

Maybe I'll go today...

Re: PSTwo this October
 

better hurry, my friend went to do the deal i did, by trading in his ps2 and games, And they had to put him on the 2nd shipment of 'PStwo's' later this month, the first shipment sold out