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PS2: PlayStation 2 FAQ
New information on anti-aliasing, flickering, confirmed PS2 launch
titles, and video CDs.
You want to know everything there is to know about Sony's next game
system? Here's everything that's currently known about it. No rumors.
Just facts. Enjoy.
What's the new system called?
PlayStation 2. Or for short, PS2.
What are the official release dates?
US and Canada: Thursday, October 26, 2000
England and Europe: Friday, November 24, 2000
Australia: Thursday, November 30, 2000
Japan: Saturday, March 4, 2000.
How much does the system cost?
Sony has announced the official prices for the PS2 for all major
territories.
US and Canada:
$299.99 (the same price as PlayStation when it launched in September
1995)
England: £299 (English pounds)
France: ƒ2,990 (French francs)
German: 869 dm (German deutsch marks)
Australia: $749 (Australian dollars)
Japan: ¥39,800 (Japanese yen)
Will it be backward compatible with all older PlayStation games?
Yes, the PlayStation 2 is able to play original PlayStation games.
Because the system's I/O (input/output) processor is essentially the
core (main processor) of the original PlayStation, the system will use
this processor to insure backward compatibility with all existing
PlayStation games. Sony has continued to institute the territorial
lockout to make sure that only US PlayStation 2s play original US
PlayStation games.
Answers to questions as to whether or not the PlayStation 2 will
"enhance" original games with effects like a high-resolution
mode and texture filtering has been answered. Sony has actually changed
its earlier stance, and the game's will indeed be enhanced or altered,
depending on the game. Also, depending on the game itself, original
PlayStation games may also be slightly altered speed and playability,
too.
Will the current PlayStation be able to play new PlayStation 2
games?
Absolutely not! PlayStation 2 games will be written specifically for
the PlayStation 2 hardware, and the current PlayStation will not
recognize the instructions on a PlayStation 2 game disc. The Playstation
2 games are on a DVD disk.
Will it use existing PlayStation peripherals, like controllers and
memory cards?
Yes, for the most part. While the PlayStation 2 will have its own
specific controllers, memory cards and peripherals, all original
PlayStation memory cards, controllers -- even the PocketStation -- will
work on the PlayStation 2. This will insure 100% backward-compatibility.
However, we have tested the PlayStation Multitap on the PlayStation 2
and it does not work.
The three officially announced peripherals are the new PS2 Analog
Dual Shock controller, the 8-MB Memory Card, and the PS2 Multiap. Also,
North America and Europe jas seem a change in the architecture of the
PS2, with a big dock in the back of the system that fits a Hard Disc
Drive (HDD). SCEA has announced that the HDD will arrive sometime in
2001, and will enable consumers to download games, music, and movies
onto their PlayStation2.
Does the North American PS2 differ from the Japanese, and what
does it matter?
The North American PS2 was physically altered to enable Sony to plug a
Hard Disc Drive (HDD) into the system's rear section. This was done to
enable players to eventually buy a separate HDD, for downloading movies,
games, music, and other data. The PCMCIA card slot has been removed, and
is now part and parcel with the new HDD, which still enables Internet
access.
The new system configuration helps Sony get past the nagging DVD
copyright problems that has plagued the early version of the Japanese
PS2. The New North American version has DVD drivers built into the
hardware itself, instead of using the software drivers placed on the
Memory Cards themselves. This will hopefully prevent copying from DVD to
other media, and solves data corruption problems on the PS2 Memory
Cards, too.
Can you play video CDs on your PlayStation 2?
No. You cannot play video CDs on the PlayStation 2. Just music CDs,
PlayStation CDs, PlayStation 2 CDs, and DVDs, and video (movie) DVDs.
(That's all...)
What's anti-aliasing? Can the PlayStation 2 do anti-aliasing?
Anti-aliasing is a graphics procedure designed to eliminate a
stair-stepping effect, known as jaggies, occurring at low resolutions in
games on all systems (even Dreamcast and Dolphin). Eliminating the
jaggies usually works by blurring pixels at edges of lines to make the
difference between two color areas less dramatic.
The PlayStation 2 has several built-in procedures for eliminating
aliasing. However, many developers have found that accessing the PS2's
primary anti-aliasing procedure slows down the movement and the
framerate of the game profoundly, rendering it almost useless, and
detracting from the game's level of detail. Several developers have
found ways to counter balance aliasing, though not all by technical
means. Clever design helps to eliminate aliasing. Choosing lower
contrast outlines for characters (i.e. less black on white and the
reverse) is one way. Sony has documented several alternative ways for
developers to eliminate aliasing for developers, as well.
Why do some games flicker? Can the PlayStation 2 eliminate
flickering?
Tied in to aliasing and anti-aliasing is the problem of flickering. In
short, early PlayStation 2 games flickered and had no aliasing, and it
showed, and it hurt. By bringing games up to a higher resolution
640-480, many developers can eliminate flickering, and also reduce the
harsh look of anti-aliased games in one.
What hardware is available for the PS2?
These are the four officially announced SCEA peripherals. There are
several companies, such as Mad Catz, Interact, Nyko, Nuby, and others
that are developing everything from remote controllers, steering wheels,
and Mem Cards for the PS2.
PS2 Analog controller (DUAL SHOCK 2) [SCPH-10010] -
PS2 Memory Card (8MB) [SCPH-11020] -
PS2 Mutitap (four slots for both controllers and memory cards)
PS Hard Drive (HDD) (No official US price or release date yet)
Expect cables, stands, and more to be announced later this year
(2000).
Japanese peripherals
Analog controller (DUAL SHOCK 2) [SCPH-10010]
"PlayStation2" Memory Card (8MB) [SCPH-11020]
AV Cable (integrated audio/video) [SCPH-10030]
"PlayStation2" Vertical Stand [SCPH-10040]
AC Power Code [SCPH-10050]
S-Video Cable [SCPH-10060]
RFU Adapter [SCPH-10070]
AV Adapter
[SCPH-10080]
"PlayStation2" Multitap [SCPH-10090]
"PlayStation2" Component AV Cable
"PlayStation2" Horizontal Stand
[SCPH-10110]
"Playstation 2" Hard Drive (HDD)
Hardware that's coming soon
AV Multi Cable [SCPH-10120]
What are the unofficially announced peripherals?
One item that's been unofficially confirmed is a Headset and
Voice-Recognition system, which Sony won't speak about yet.
Here are almost all of the 3rd party companies (in the brackets) but
I might have missed a few. The games are in the Bold.
FantaVision (SCEI, Puzzle)
Dynasty Warriors 2 (Koei, Action)
ESPN X-Games Snowboarding (Konami, Sports)
Gauntlet: Dark Legacy (Midway, Action)
Silent Scope (Konami, Shooter)
Madden NFL 2001 (EA, Sports)
SSX (EA, Sports)
FIFA 2001 MLS (EA, Sports)
Kessen (EA, Adventure)
X Squad (EA, Action)
Swing Away (Paradise Golf in Japan) (EA, Sports)
Theme Park World (EA, sim)
Street Fighter EX3 (Capcom, Fighting)
Tekken Tag Tournament (Namco, fighting)
Ridge Racer V (Namco, Racing)
Summoner (THQ, RPG)
Star Wars: Starfighter (LucasArts, Action-Shooter)
Unreal Tournament (Infogrames, First-Person Shooter)
Evergrace (Agetec, RPG)
Armored Core 2 (Agetec, Action)
Eternal Ring (Agetec, RPG)
TimeSplitters (Eidos, First-Person Shooter)
Fusion GT (Hresvelgr in Japan) (Crave, Racing)
Smuggler's Run (Rockstar, Racing-Adventure)
Midnight Club (Rockstar, Racing)
What was the official game lineup in Japan?
In Japan the official launch lineup consisted of 12 games, ranging from
RPGs to racers to fighting games and strategies. The lineup was:
- Ridge Racer V (Racing Namco)
- Eternal Ring (Adventure, From Software)
- Kesson (Strategic sim, KOEI)
- Popolocrois 3 ("Romantic anime," Sony)
- Unison (Dance action and sim, Tecmo)
- Drum Mania (Action, Konami)
- Den Sen Electric Lines (Action, Sony)
- A-Train (Sim, Artdink)
- Street Fighter EX3 (Fighter, Capcom)
- Morita Shogi (Strategy, Yuki Enterprise)
- Kakinoki Shogi (Strategy, Ascii Entertainment)
- Doukyu Billiards 2 (Simulation, Ask)
- Stepping Selection (Dancing Arcade, Jaleco)
What about online games? What has Sony said about online games for
PlayStation 2?
While SCEA hasn't provided concrete games for us to write about, the
company is definitely working on online PS2 games for the future. Sony
bought Verant Entertactive, which created Everquest, and has brought it
under the its wing. Former 989 President Kelly Flock runs it Sony Online
Entertainment.
- Star Trek Conquest Online
- Final Fantasy X
- Final Fantasy XI
- Nobunaga's Ambition
How many controller ports does the system have?
Surprisingly, there are two controller ports on the system. That's
right, just two. Again, Sony announced a multitap for PS2, which will
enable four players to join in on one game. Also, expect online options
to play a big part of Sony's future.
What are the official specs of the system?
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| CPU: 128 Bit "Emotion Engine"
System Clock: 300 MHz System Memory: 32 MB
Direct Rambus Memory Bus Bandwidth: 3.2 GB per second
Co-Processor: FPU (Floating Point Multiply
Accumulator x 1, Floating Point Divider x 1) Vector
Units: VU0 and VU1 (Floating Point Multiply Accumulator
x 9, Floating Point Divider x 1) Floating Point
Performance: 6.2 GFLOPS 3D CG Geometric
Transformation: 66 million Polygons Per Second Compressed
Image Decoder: MPEG2
Graphics: "Graphics Synthesizer"
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In real-world numbers, how many polygons can the PlayStation 2
handle on screen?
Since a 3D object is constructed of pieces (known as polygons), the
number of polygons per second a system can process indicates how
detailed the 3D graphics can be, and how smoothly they can animate.
Officially, the maximum number the system can process is 75 million
polygons per second. But this number doesn't take into account texture
maps (images wrapped onto the polygon set), filtering (making the
textures look clean, natural, and unpixelated), and lighting (giving
the object a more 3D look with realistic shadows and light effects).
With all this into place, the PlayStation 2 can process 20 million
polygons per second. Again, this number will be affected by in-game
physics, character artificial intelligence, audio, and other
processor-intensive effects. I'll take a conservative estimate in saying initial games will push around eight to ten million polygons
per second - and believe me when we say that this number is still no
slouch.
What kind of effects is the PlayStation 2 capable of?
Obviously the system will be capable of mip-mapping, bi-linear
filtering, anti-aliasing, texture-correction, and Z-buffering.
Sony has also touted that the system will handle Bezier surfacing,
a technique that decides how many polygons are needed to make an
object have smoother surfacing. Bezier surfacing also assists in
telling the object to use as many or as few polygons as the system can
handle at that processing moment. Developers can easily insert
Bezier-surfaced CG models into the PlayStation 2 and the system will
be able to render the object in real-time.
The PlayStation will also have techniques to create flowing hair
and cloth for added realism.
How does the PlayStation 2's power compare to other systems,
including the Dreamcast, N64, and the original PlayStation?
Here's the answer, in a nutshell.
Polygon Power
- PlayStation 2: Around 20 million polygons per second
- Project Dolphin: "As fast as our friends at Sony
have," said a wry Sony Rep.
- Dreamcast: Around 3 million polygons per second
- Nintendo 64: Around 150,000 polygons per second
- PlayStation: Around 360,000 polygons per second (lacks
comparable effects)
Main Clock Speed
- PlayStation 2: 300MHz (294.912 to be exact)
- Project Dolphin: 400MHz
- Dreamcast: 200MHz
- Nintendo 64: 93.75MHz
- PlayStation: 33.86MHz
Memory
- PlayStation 2: 32MB Direct Rambus RAM
- Project Dolphin: Unannounced, but comparable to
PlayStation 2
- Dreamcast: 16MB (plus 8MB Video RAM, 2MB Sound RAM)
- Nintendo 64: 4MB (+parity) Rambus D-RAM (expandable to
8MB)
- PlayStation: 2MB (plus 1MB Video RAM, 512kb Sound RAM)
Memory Bus Bandwidth
- PlayStation 2: 3.2 GB/s (Gigabytes per second)
- Project Dolphin: Not announced yet
- Dreamcast: N/A
- Nintendo 64: 500 MB/s (Megabytes per second) or about
0.5 GB/s
- PlayStation: 132 MB/s (Megabytes per second)
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Will it use CDs or DVDs?
The PlayStation2 has a DVD drive that is capable of reading both
CD-formatted (650 megabytes) discs as well as DVD-formatted discs (4.7
gigabytes). Most of the initial games will be straight CD games,
however, as time progresses, more and more games will be produced on
DVD. The first DVD game is by Koei, entitled Kessen.
Sony announced that it has developed a specially designed spindle
that can read both DVDs and CDs from the same laser. Normal DVD
readers have two sets of lasers -- one to read CDs, and one to read
the finer pits of a DVD. This measure of combining the laser
functionality will reduce the cost of the PlayStation 2's
manufacturing in the long run.
What do the different colored discs mean?
There are three colored discs.
Blue = CD-ROM
Silver = DVD
Black = Original PlayStation disc
What's the speed on the drive? Will there be load times?
CD-ROM = 24X speed
DVD-ROM = 4X speed
As with any disc drive, there will be load times, but rest assured,
load times are far less likely to surpass PlayStation's current 15-30
second load times.
Will it play DVD movies?
Sony has said that, right out of the box, the PlayStation 2 will
indeed have the ability to play DVD movies. Sony has official
plans to release a hard drive-like peripheral in the year 2001 to
coincide with its broader e-commerce scheme. This will enable players
to buy games, or perhaps update games, as well as movies, and music
online. The system has MPEG2 capabilities, too.
Will it have a modem?
Sony has officially stated it will not launch the machine with a
built-in modem, like the Dreamcast. The PS2 was created to use one,
but Sony wants to roll out its online plans in 2001. Sony will enable
gamers to choose from USB, IEEE 1394 (identified as "i-Link"
by Sony) and PCMCIA PC card interfaces, with a modem slot. This
enables gamers to customize their preference of connectivity, whether
its narrowband (like the Dreamcast) or broadband, which is what Sony
is encouraging.
What about multiplayer games? Will there be online multiplayer
games?
Sony has officially announced that a new PS2 multitap will ship at
launch, which means at least four-player support. No currently
announced games have multiplayer capabilities for more than four
players. Sony will announce a more comprehensive online strategy later
on in 2000, and may announce multiplayer online gaming then.
What developers and publishers have announced that they will
release games for the PlayStation 2? And what games have been
announced?
Sony officially announced these companies and games in Japan. The
list is sure to grow, especially from companies in North America and
Europe.
Official Japan Publishers/Developers
Acclaim Japan Ltd.
Arc Systems Works Co Ltd
Artdink Corporation
Aruze Corp
Ascii Corp
- Flower Sun and Rain
- Panic Surfing
Ask Co Ltd
Asmik Ace Entertainment
Astroll Co Ltd
Athena Co Ltd
Atlus Co Ltd
Bandai Co Ltd
Banpresto Co Ltd
Bullet-Proof Software
Capcom Co Ltd
- Onimusha
- Street Fighter EX 3
- Maximo
- The Next Resident Evil
Chun Soft Co Ltd
Compile Corp
Data East Corp
Dazz Co Ltd
Ecseco Development Ltd
Eidos Interactive KK
- Next Generation Tomb Raider
- Project Eden
- Herdy Gerdy
Electronic Arts-Square KK
Enix Corp
- BBD 2000
- Bust A Move 3
- Exotica
- Fighting QTs
- Sonnette
- Star Ocean 3
Entertainment Software Publishing
Escot Corp
From Software
- Armored Core 2
- Eternal Ring
Fujikic, Inc
Gaga Communications
Genki Co Ltd.
- Jade Cocoon 2 Story of the Tamamayu
Gust Co Ltd
Hakuhodo Inc.
Hands On Entertainment Inc
Heartbeat Inc.
Hect Co Ltd
Hudson Soft Co Ltd
- Bloody Roar 3
- Bomberman 2001
I4 Corp
- AI Igo 2001
- AI Mahjong 2001
- AI Shogi 2001
Idea Factory Co Ltd
Imagineer Co Ltd
Irem Software Engineering
Jaleco Ltd
Jorudan Co Ltd
Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co Ltd
Kaga Tech Co Ltd
Kodansha Ltd
KOEI Co Ltd.
- Kessen
- Mahjong Taikai III
- Shin-Sangokumusou
- Soldnerschild
Konami Co Ltd
- Drum Mania
- Gradius III and IV
- Jikkyou Pawafuru PuroYakyu 7
- Jikkyou World Soccer 2000
- Mahjong Yaroze
- Reiselied
- The Next Metal Gear (Konami)
Locus Co
M2 TO Inc
Magical Company
- Magical Sports Catch Bass Club
- Magical Sports Koshien2000
- Magical Sports ProGolfer
- Mainichi Communications Inc.
- Todai Shogi Shinkenbisha Dojyo
Media Factory
Media Works Inc
Mitsui & Co Ltd
Namco Limited
- 500 GP
- New Ridge Racer
- Tekken Tag Tournament
Nihon Syscom Co Ltd
Nippon Inchi Software Inc
Openbook9003 Inc
Pioneer Ldc
Riverhillsoft Inc
Sammy Corporation
Seta Corporation
- ide Yohsuke No Majan Kazoku 2
- Perfect Golf
Shoeisha Co Ltd
Shogakukan Production Co Ltd
SNK Corp
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc
- Boku To Maoh (The King and I)
- Dark Cloud
- Den-Sen, Fantavision
- GT (Gran Turismo) 2000
- IQ Remix
- Popolocrois III
- Splash Dive
Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc.
- L’Arc-en-Ciel (TBC)
- Tenchu 2
Spike Co Ltd.
Square Co Ltd.
Starfish Inc
Success Corporation
Sun Corporation
- Shanghai 5
- Street Mahjong Trance Majin 2
- Sunrise Interactive
T&E Soft Inc
Taito Corporation
Takara Co Ltd
Tecmo Ltd
Titus Japan KK
- Roadsters Trophy 2000
- Robocop
Tokuma Shoten Co Ltd
Tomy Company Ltd
Tonkinhouse
TYO Productions
Ubi Soft KK
UEP Systems Inc
Victor Interactive Software Inc
Video System Co Ltd
VR-1 Japan
Warashi Inc.
Woopee Camp
Winky Soft Co Ltd
Xing Inc.
- Fighting Illusion
- K-1 Grandprix
Yuki Enterprise Inc.
North American Support
989 Studios
7 Studios
Acclaim Entertainment Inc
Activision Inc
Agetec Inc
American Softworks Corp
AndNow (Virtual Ocean, Nooks and Crannies)
Atlus USA Inc
Bungie Software
Capcom Entertainment
Cerny Games
Cube
Crave Entertainment
Digital Anvil
Dreamworks Interactive LLC
Eidos Interactive
Electronic Arts
Enix Corp
Flesh & Wire (Running With Scissors)
Fox Interactive
GT Interactive
Oddworld Inhabitants (Hand of Odd, Munch's Oddysee)
Hasbro Interactive
Humongous Entertainment
Incredible technologies
Infogrames Entertainment
Insomniac Games
Interplay Entertainment
Konami of America
LucasArts Entertainment
Midway Home Entertainment (Spy Hunter)
Mindscape
Namco Hometek
Naughty Dog
Neversoft
Psygnosis
Red Storm Entertainment
Rage Software
Shiny Entertainment
Sierra Online (Professional Bullrider)
Square Electronic Arts
Stormfront Studios
Sunsoft
Surreal
Take-Two Interactive/Rockstar
TerraGlyph Interactive
The 3DO Company
THQ
Titus
Ubi Soft
Universal Interactive
Working Designs
European Support
3DO Europe Ltd
Acclaim Entertainment (Europe)
Activision UK Ltd
Argonaut Software
Criterion (Trickstyle 2)
Codemasters Software
Core Design
Disney Interactive
Eden Studios
Eidos Plc
Electronic Arts Ltd
Eurocom Developments Ltd
GTI Software Europe
Hasbro Interactive Ltd
Infrogrames Entertainment
Kalisto Entertainment
Konami of Europe
Lego Media International
Lionhead Studios
Rage Software (Untitled Game)
Reflections
Revolution
Square Europe Ltd
Take-2 Interactive Software Europe Ltd
THQ International
Travelers’ Takes UK
Ubi Soft Entertainment
Virgin Interactive Entertainment Europe
What about games? What games will be made for the
PlayStation 2?
Plenty of developers are hard at work on PlayStation 2
software.
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