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The Playstation 2 (PS2), a new and improved version of the most successful console of all time, will be launched in Ireland on 24 November.
PS2 is powered by a 300MHz 128bit processor, has 32Mb of main memory and a 150MHz graphics chip with 4Mb of VRAM. PS2 games run off a 4xDVD ROM drive. The machine offers a graphics DRAM bus bandwidth of 49GB per second.
"It's a bit like the difference between a 486 and a Pentium III. Gamers will be amazed by the graphics of the new system," Terry Kavanagh, publisher of the Official Irish PlayStation Magazine, told ElectricNews.Net.
"The processing power and graphics ability of the machine has been improved considerably. Its flexibility means that it will allow it to do things like connect to the Net in the future. That said, we won't see the very best of the console for a while to come as it will take developers some time to get to grips with the system. We're only seeing games taking full advantage of the original PlayStation now, five years after launch. Its DVD capability is also a major plus," claimed Kavanagh.
There is huge interest in the PS2 in Ireland, which is number one in console sales per capita world-wide.
"Everyone seems to want one," Kavanagh said. "PS2's main weak point at the moment is supply - there simply won't be enough consoles to meet the demand."
Irish company, games-physics specialists Havok, have developed the first Games Development Kit specifically for Sony's PS2.
"The power of the PS2 allows more pixels to be pushed through than ever before and heightens the effect of physics in game play. It is a big part of what Sony calls the Emotion Engine," Paul Hayes, Global Communications Director, Havok, told ElectricNews.Net.
"We've been working on the earliest version of the PS2 development kit, just like the real one but with a lot more wires sticking out, for over a year now to integrate our technology to the platform. Computer game consoles are on their way to converging with TV's traditional role and the arrival of the PS2 brings us a lot further down that road," said Dr. Steven Collins, CTO, Havok.
Havok is working with a number of leading developers in its efforts to bring out the next generation of its games on the PS2 platform.
PS2 will retail at IEP379 (inc. VAT).
http://www.havok.com/
http://www.playstation.com/news/ps2.asp
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