Playstation......2 Good for Competitors (Sony Playstation 2)

Member Name: Gendu

Product:	Sony Playstation 2
Date:	12/01/04 (778 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great Games, Excellent value

Disadvantages: Slight lack of features, Not the most advanced

INTRO

This is Sony?s most popular console of all time. The Playstation 2. So why does something less advanced then a game cube or XBOX manage to do so well in comparison? For a company that never delved into the console market before the release of the Playstation, it seems somewhat surprising in a certain way. Well this review will take a look at this marvellous console and I will attempt to explain why it is so popular and its strong and weak points in my understanding. Being a PS2 owner, I feel I can give a valid and honest opinion. So?game on!

HISTORY

If there?s one thing that is vitally important in the console market, it?s definitely timing. The Playstation was Sony?s first ever console and it hit the market at a time when buyers were eager for something new. Being the most advanced console at the time and having a nice range of games it was an obvious choice for new buyers. The fact that Sony is still selling its original creation is testimony to its popularity.
Then Nintendo launched the N64. Its attempt to upstage the playstation was not, however too brilliantly received. It was perhaps too soon after playstation and too late to outdo Sony. However, it didn?t do too badly and sold at a fair rate.
A while later, Sega produced their last ever console. The Dreamcast. This console was and still is a masterpiece. Terribly underrated. Infact, it is hardly any less advanced then a PlayStation 2 and started out with some great games. Even today, this puts the PS1 to shame in my opinion. Great shame. However, timing is the key and in the rhythm of the console market, Sega had lost the beat. With poor sales, the company were finished with consoles and concentrated on their real forte; games.
Now, a while later, we had three new consoles coming onto the market. Needless to say a lot of buying was going to take place and this would be a real test for winners and losers. Firstly, Sony were bringing out a predecessor to its Plays
tation; the aptly named PlayStation 2. However, Nintendo hadn?t been brushed aside like Sega and were bringing out The Gamecube. Then there was Microsoft delving into the market for the first time with their oversized and overpowering XBOX.

THE BATTLE

The contenders were set and now it was down to buyers to decide a winner. Almost instantly this became clear. It was the PlayStation 2. In actual fact, Nintendo got to laugh hardest as the Gameboy Advance sold more consoles then any other in Europe, but I will concentrate on the larger consoles.
But why did the PlayStation 2 fare so well? Firstly, both the XBOX and Game Cube were more advanced; especially the XBOX. To be fair, 128 bit isn't bad for the PS2 but the XBOX conquered on speed, graphics and sound as did the Gamecube. While Playstation 2 owners were forking out 20 quid a time for a memory card, XBOX owners could enjoy their consoles disk space to save games and probably wouldn?t need to bother with memory cards for about 5 years.
The PlayStation 2 couldn?t win on size either. The GameCube took that victory, being the smallest of the lot. But then buyers are not always logical and the PlayStation 2 had reasons to do better then the others.

THE MAGIC OF PS2

For a start, the original PlayStation was a hit. So therefore it was no surprise that when its decessor was set to come out, buyers were eager to fork out for the new console. All their old games would be compatible and the Playstation can really boast a great library. Also, with the Playstation 2 set to do so well, software companies were only too pleased to produce games for it and it really has to be stated that the Playstation 2 has the most extensive and best library of games. It was this and its strong family popularity that won it customers over its competitors.

USING YOUR PS2

Having owned a PS2 for some time now, I feel I can comment on what it is like to use. The controllers are e
xcellent ? very easy to use and this may have been a let down on the other consoles ? people particularly didn?t seem to like the XBOX controllers which were described to be shaped like huge burgers. But the PS2 controllers feel very natural and easy to use. Also, the PS2 can play DVD (not that this is exclusive to the PS2 of course) but is still a valuable and worthwhile asset.
Looks wise, the PlayStation 2 is nothing amazing in my opinion but looks nice enough. There are 2 colours you can choose from ? black and silver. I have the silver version. On the front, to the right are the 2 main buttons ? reset and open disk drive. The button to switch it on and off is round to the back on the left.
I did not find the manual at all helpful. It was very vague about how it should be installed and having looked at it, I decided to work it out on my own. This didn?t prove overly difficult but was a little annoying as it took me about 15 minutes before I?d figured it all out (and managed to disconnect our digital TV in the mean time). So the manual, regretfully is about as helpful as an umbrella under water.
Another objection is having to pay for £20 memory cards. Sure they can store a lot of games but it does seem a bit cheeky to make you pay for the console and then pay for storage for games. Also loading times can be rather annoying. It seems you only play a small section of a game and then you have time to drink a cup of tea while waiting for the next. This can often put me off playing for longer sessions, which in a sense is probably quite good for me.

THE WINNER

However, the PS2 does represent good value. The price has gone down over time but compared to other consoles it has always been very reasonable. So yes, the PS2 has its nuances and it cant win on every aspect against competitors but its clear that it has won the console battle and I wouldn?t be without mine. Well done Sony!

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