Customer Rating: 
Summary: Good System
Comment: Ps2 is a good system. It has good games and is really fun. It costs too much!!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: I tried and I tried.........................................
Comment: and I must bow my head in embarrassment for the PS2. Like every true gamer out there, you have high expectations when something new comes on the market, and I was disappointed when the PS2 came out. I'm not only a game freak, gamer for short, I'm also a movie buff.When I received my PS2 the first thing I tried out was the DVD player. I was really baffled on why the quality was so [poor] on my TV. I initially thought it was just my TV, so I took it over to my parents, same thing happened. Then as I was driving over to my cousins, I was praying and had my fingers crossed hoping the same thing would not happen, but guess what, it did.
This is when I sent my PS2 back and got another PS2, just in case the first PS2 was a bad one. Nope, the DVD was [poor] in both of them. I don't play the game "3 strikes your out" I play the game "2 strikes your out." My friends, who have regular DVD players, said almost the same thing, "The PS2 DVD player is a DISGUSTINGLY UNPLEASANT sight to see," and worthless if you already have a DVD player.
This is when I got my XBOX, my expectation were not high at all from my previous experiences with the PS2. I got the remote controller for it and gave it a shot. To my surprise, the graphics were well above and beyond what I expected, razor-sharp to be exact, better than most my friends DVD players.
The joys of owning a XBOX just kept piling up. The first joy was the game quality. I played SSX Tricky and Madden 2002 for both consoles. The quality was better for XBOX, by far. Not only that, you can get a system link cable to hook up your XBOX to your buddies XBOX's, the load times are faster (load times was a huge difference when I played SSX Tricky and Madden 2002), and a 8GB Hard Drive, common people, this should give it away that XBOX is better, we all know computer games are the best.
Now I'll trying to pile everything I wrote in a side by side survey with an explanation.
DVD PLAYER - XBOX - Granted you have to buy the remote for it, this makes up for the memory cards you need to buy with the PS2, (hint, hint, you don't memory cards for the XBOX).
GAME QUALITY - XBOX - I'm not just blowing smoke, I have tried the same games for both consoles and have noticed big differences.
PROCESSOR - XBOX - I think this category is a little unfair. Let me see, XBOX's 733MHz Intel Main Processor and 233MHz Graphics Processor or PS2's 128-bit Emotion Engine Processor, hmmm, tough decision.
8GB HARD DRIVE - XBOX - Wait, I think this category is a little unfair also, PS2 doesn't have a hard drive.
CONTROLLERS - XBOX - We all hear rumors that the controllers are too big, key word "rumors." Your hands have to be very small, I mean very small, for the controller to be too big. I have a 6 year old cousin who handles the controller just fine.
MULTIPLAYER - XBOX - You can have up to 4 players on a single XBOX, then you can hook up multiple XBOX's with a system link cable. Lets use the game Halo as an example, you can play with up to 16 players on 4 XBOXs! I also forgot to mention a couple things, you can play over the internet and the best computer game ever will soon be available for the XBOX, UNREAL CHAMPIONSHIP, 32 people will be able to play at once, insane. Coming out in the first or second quarter.
"Infogrames intends to mix the gameplay in Unreal II with the more successful aspects of Unreal Tournament--forging them into a single console-based multiplayer online battle game." - GameSpot.com
FANCY CONSOLE POSITIONING - PS2 - Yes, I give this to the PS2, but who cares if your console can sit vertically or horizontally, isin't it about the games.
Bill Gates became the richest man in the world for one reason, HE IS ALWAYS THINKING AHEAD![...].
Customer Rating:
Summary: Can't do much worse
Comment: This is a very poorly designed console. The dvd player skips constantly, the system has several bottle necks and several developers have said that it was too definately to program for and have left to program on the much more user and developer friendly microsoft x box and nintendo gamecube. Also there have been several problems with manufacturing that sony still hasn't fixed: out of the five people i know with a ps2, fours stopped working due to hardware defects and some have ruined game disks but sony's customer service charged three of them around a hundred dollars each to have the problems fixed. This console also requires several additional add ons such as an controller slot expander (...) for four player games, a modem (...) for online games, and a harddrive (...) before it can even come close to the features and it still wont have have hdtv support, dolby digital surround sound and graphics capability that the new microsoft xbox offers right out of the box for same price. It has some great games already out but improved versions of them are coming out for the xbox and it can't match the future lineup or graphics of games that xbox and game cube offer.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Not worth buying anymore
Comment: Aside from Gran Turismo 3 and Twisted Metal Black, all of Playstation 2's killer franchises are going over to XBOX. Plus, XBOX has a total of 40 1st and 2nd party studios making exclusive games for it, along with massive 3rd party support that eclipses even PS2's support. If you are looking for a console this christmas, look to the XBOX for superior graphics, better DVD playback, high definition gaming, builtin broadband adapter for internet gaming, 4 ports without the need for a multitap, hard drive for saving games instead of memory cards and for storing your own personal game soundtracks on, and realtime DD5.1 all for the same price as a PS2! In other words, the smart buy is XBOX.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Solid System, Okay Games
Comment: Everyone seems to be comparing the Dreamcast with the PS2 and making some legitimate gripes. However, I ask this of people... if the PS2 came out before the Dreamcast, would you be making the same gripes? If the PS2 came out over a year ago, I'm sure they would have the full capabilities that Sega presents and then some. Also, many complain about no internet connection, etc... The PS2 is capable. What Sony has not done is sell the components to make it a realization. It's all a marketing ploy so they can build up hype and sales. Give the PS2 a year, and it will surpass the Dreamcast in gameplay, selection, and capability.
I personally found the PS2 attractive because of its backward compatibility and the ability to play DVD's. I will say that the games are quite good for being such a young system. Also, the DVD playing is sufficient. Although the controls are awkward because you have to use the analog controllers, it still suffices as a DVD player. There is a third party remote, but I don't trust third party equipment. I'll wait for something better. As some have said, the vent is quite loud at times. The hum will be annoying at first esp. if you place it on a hard surface, but it's something you'll get used to.
Should you get the PS2? Yes. Should you get it now? No. The price will definitely go down with time, and it'll be more affordable then. Also, there will be more games later this year. Also, for those who don't have a DVD player, this system will keep you entertained two-fold. If you're going to compare it to the Dreamcast, ask yourself where the PS2 will be in equal time. You can't compare a 5-year-old to a new born and automatically say that the 5-year-old will be smarter in the long run just because it can read and the newborn can't.
5 stars for the system. 3-4 stars for the game. These are okay games for the PS2. EA Sports has produced great sports games, but these fall a little short of their other games like Madden, NCAA Football, SSX, and NBA Street. Now, THAT would be a solid package. The graphics with these games are of course better than anything on the original PS, but there's no dynasty mode or added features that make these games worth playing over and over again. Also, these games are getting a bit dated. (NBA Live 2002 will be out in a few months.) If I were you, I'd hold off on this bundle and just pick up a PS2 and get the games I listed above.
