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| Games,
Richard Young,
20 January 1999 |
Rating: F4
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As part of Sony’s marketing strategy surrounding the imminent and eagerly anticipated arrival of the Playstation 2, the boxy grey slab that was the original Playstation has been repackaged as a smaller, streamlined unit with a sexy white casing, not unlike a funky bar of soap with sockets. "But why?" must be the question on most peoples lips. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? And who is going to be interested in the old technology when the mighty PS2 is almost with us, and will be able to play the entire back catalogue of Playstation games anyway?
Well, in reality this is actually a cunning move on Sony’s part to further raise awareness of their presence in the console gaming market, while expanding their user base to those who perhaps never owned a games machine before. Considering that the first run of PS2’s to hit these shores have been spoken for due to that strange pre-ordering policy and that customers won’t be able to buy one "off the shelf" until well into next year, then the PSOne looks like an even more attractive package for gaming newbies. Technological advances over the last 5 years means that the original Playstation circuitry can now be squeezed into a smaller space, hence the PSOne clocking in at around one third of the size of it’s predecessor. The original dual shock controller remains the same and is, to my mind, still the most ergonomic and perfectly designed joypad ever.
Cuteness and rounded edges are not the only changes that have taken place, though. Sony of Japan has promised a number of 21st Century add-ons, most notably a small, flip-up LCD screen that you can attach to the main unit, which means you can play almost anywhere. Well, anywhere with a power outlet, that is. While the PSOne might appear to be more portable, it is not really competing with the likes of the GameBoy just yet, although a battery pack isn’t being ruled out as a future peripheral. But at least with the promised AC car adaptor, Sony are proposing an intriguing new way of keeping the kids quiet on long car journeys. Internet networking via mobile phone WAP technology is also planned, which can be seen as a slightly more ambitious move for Sony. On the one hand they are including a feature that would make perfect sense for a truly portable machine, yet ignoring the fact that 99% of users will most likely plonk the PSOne under their tv, and leave it there.
As we enter 2001, the Dreamcast and the Playstation 2, the two heavyweights of the console world, will be stepping on the stage trying to get the attention of the assembled crowd of young gameheads. It may be that nobody will notice Auntie Vera and Cousin Tony quietly slipping out with little PSOnes under their arms, smiling happily.
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