Sony talk freely of the PlayStation 3

News on Sony's plans for the next incarnation of the PlayStation

Posted by Staff
Following the launch of the PlayStation 2, Sony has mentioned the console’s successor on several occasions. Now Ken Kutaragi, the father of the PlayStation empire has gone on record to highlight the company’s plans for the future. But what about the present?

If you remember, the PlayStation 2 was going to be a fully online, hard drive enabled piece of kit with the Emotion Engine able to turn its attention to pretty much every electronic device in your home. "We are seeking a way for PlayStation 2 to be used as the home gateway. We will work on commercialisation or will ask someone to work on commercialisation [of such kit]" These comments came from a Sony spokesperson at the CEATEC electronics show in Tokyo. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Ken Kutaragi, Head of Sony Computer Entertainment said: "The PlayStation 2 should be opened to the outside world. We hope that all of our partners will start thinking about using our technology."

It would appear that these plans have been put on the back burner somewhat. In a recent press conference, Kutaragi highlighted the PlayStation 3 as the console that would, one day, rule your house. By merging content from all its other divisions, Sony hopes to provide music and film for your home via the PlayStation 3. Using a games platform as a universal multimedia hub is not a new idea. Doing it well is revolutionary. The Phillips CD-I, Amiga CDTV and the Panasonic 3DO all tried and failed to become the ultimate “not-quite a hi-fi separate” lounge accessory. Microsoft has recently gone on record to state that the Xbox would not carry DVD support as standard as the company “…intends to avoid the mistakes made by some of our competitors, and concentrate on building the ultimate gaming platform.”
Companies:

Comments

Posting of new comments is now locked for this page.