And the issue is whether or not the PSX2 is really going to be a gaming console. Personally, I think it will be capable of topping all of the PCs currently out there, however, the fact that it is produced by Sony Computer Entertainment (And if it's actually really called the PlayStation 2, is it?) people's minds will instantly draw a link to the first PlayStation, which was, without a doubt, a gaming console -- and thus, by common logic, a toy. If they gave the PSX2 a name that in no way revealed its link to the PlayStation gaming console, and marketed it as a PC, the PlayStation 2 might make it as a high-end computer -- but then they would risk losing a hefty portion of the console gaming market, the casual gamers, who would barely be aware the thing was a good gaming device as they don't really spend all that much time checking out the ins and outs before buying -- a lot of my friends have just asked me "Which should I buy, PlayStation or N64? You know this stuff." It seems like Sony cannot conquer both markets very well
by marketing the same device to both groups.
Sony has a Good Thing(tm) going here. What they should do is release the PlayStation 2 gaming console and use the Emotion Engine to power seperate personal computer products, perhaps pulling talent away from their in-house game developers (I've never really played an in-house Sony game I liked anyway, it would be no big loss) to develop applications and such for the system -- maybe even make it Linux-based, but that's a long shot. :) Of course, by the time they got all of this done, their Emotion Engine chip would probably be pretty average in terms of CPU balls.
So I have no clue what I'm talking about.
You know, I think I'd prefer it if they kept in the console business and didn't take a stupid risk trying to topple Wintel, just so the console gamers would get the ultra-badass games the console could produce. Granted, it may have seemed stupid to try to tackle Nintendo years ago, and look where they are -- they all but own the Japanese gaming market, and they've got a good hunk of the other markets. Still, I'm skeptical.
--Slack
