Video Game Console News

Sony of America yesterday officially announced October 26 as the release date for the American premier of the Playstation 2. The system will retail at $299, approximately $100 less than the Japanese retail cost when the system debuted in Japan. Games are scheduled to retail at $49 and perhiperals, including the 8MB memory card, four-player multitap, and Dual Shock 2 controller will retail in the neighborhood of $34 each. The system will include an expansion bay in back of the console, in which you’ll be able to insert a 3.5 inch hard drive and network adaptor. The system will also eliminate the Japanese DVD driver memory card, instead making an upgradable DVD playback system a part of the machine’s hardware. As a result, like the original Playstation, the system will include one dual shock 2 controler but no memory card. Sony anticipates having 1 million Playstation 2 units available at the time of launch, and 3 milion units on the market by the the end of the company’s fiscal year in March 2001.

Nintendo has released early information on their upcoming Gameboy Advance hand-held system. The Gameboy Advance will feature a 32 bit processor and an integrated cellular phone modem system which will allow users to download game software, play multiplayer games, send E-mail, and chat on the internet. The system will also feature a new digital camera accessory (not the existing Game Boy Camera) that will allow players to capture photos as well as see the faces of competing players during multiplayer games. The system, though, will not be equiped with a backlit screen for night-time play. Japanese release is scheduled for August with an American launch due sometime next year.

Source: Video Games.com