If you are wondering what you should ask Santa for this Christmas,(and you’ve been a good boy or girl)we here at Dead On The Web suggest pestering the bearded one for a Sony Playstation 2.This home entertainment console is much more than a simple video game machine. While it does do what you only dreamed your Atari was capable of in terms of graphics, sound and playability, it’s the extra features that have us jockeying for position on old St. Nicks nice list.

Not only will the PS2 be the most highly anticipated and powerful game machine in the history of the home entertainment industry, but the system will also operate as A fully functional Web browser, a music C.D. player, and (here’s the kicker) right out of the box, this machine will be capable of playing DVD format disks.  The system will be packaged with a demo/utility disk that will contain the software used to enable the PS2 to decode DVD format disks. It is this feature that has literally slowed down the pace at witch DVD players are being sold. And don’t think that Sony sneaking in a web browser into a few million homes has gone unnoticed by Uberdork Bill Gates. Microsoft (rumored to be a description of his genitals),is currently developing a machine of their own, tentatively  titled the “X Box”. Original, huh?

 Anyone who has ever followed the home video gaming industry knows that a system is only as good as the games that are available. Remember TurboGrapix and 3DO? Pure muscle and processing power does not a machine make. Programmability, competition, as well as numerous legal issues all are contributing factors to the success of any game system. In this area the outlook for the PS2’s future is particularly rosey. Sony already has on board the best software publishers in the world, including Electronic Arts, Capcom, Square, Konami, and many more. Word has it that programmers are drooling over the machines depth and programmability. Although only the surface has been scratched as far as what PS2’s capabilities are, the results so far have been jaw dropping. At the Japanese debut in February, Tekken Tag Tournament, Gran Turismo 2, and a handful of other titles wowed the somewhat jaded Japanese faithful with just a taste of what Sony’s powerful 128-bit “Emotion Engine” can do.

Click images for more screen shots of each game:

Tekken Tag Tournament

The power of the PS2 will allow for real time manipulation of Toy Story-quality graphics, as well as digital surround sound audio. Full orchestras, rock, techno, hip hop, and punk rock bands have already begun chipping in to make these games sonically as well as visually an art form of their own. If you think I am being a tad dramatic, it may interest you to know that Titanic director James Cameron is currently involved in an underwater action/adventure game similar to “The Abyss”.                        

                Lastly, the PS2 is backward compatible, meaning that all old Playstation games and peripherals can be used on the system. PS2 will also speed up load times on these old games as well as smoothing out some of the graphics. When you factor in the DVD player, the web browser, and the CD player, you’re practically getting the meat and potatoes of the machine for free. Expect the PS2 to arrive in America around October (in time for Christmas) at an asking price around $350.00. This will include the actual system, one analog controller (pressure sensitive buttons), all the necessary cable hook ups, the demo/utility disk, and one 8 MB memory card(250 times faster than the old cards!).

                All in all I think that this system will revolutionize home entertainment (excluding sex, of course), and for the first time in years, I’m actually concerned whether or not I’m on that old farts naughty or nice list. 

                Oh yeah, fuck Dreamcast!

Jimmy "Doom" Satler