PS2 Network Adaptor
Sony makes it easy to tackle an unseen foe.
By Ann Donahue -- Video Business, 9/25/2002
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| It took our reviewer just 15 minutes to set up the PlayStation 2 Network Adaptor and start playing online. |
SEPT. 24 | The Green Bay Packers played the San Francisco 49ers to a 0-0 tie last week.
What, did Brett Favre have an off day? Well, given the fact that I was controlling him, I'd say he did pretty well overall. He only got sacked once.
That's the recap of my initial foray into online gaming using the PlayStation 2 Network Adaptor and the included demo game of Electronic Arts' Madden NFL 2003. Sony should be commended for the ease of use of the product; it took less than 15 minutes to set up the adapter and start playing.
Included in the Network Adaptor kit is an instruction book. You can toss it aside. Pop the adaptor out of the box, install it in the back of the PS2 and plug in a phone cord.
An included installation CD allows the player to proceed through setting up a connection with her Internet Service Provider and verifying her identity. All the connection information is stored on the PS2 memory card and will be accessed automatically any time the player goes online for a game.
The installation CD also includes several demo games to give you a taste of online play, notably a version of the best-selling Madden. Once the game is started up, the player selects a username (I picked Brett Favree, as in how Ben Stiller pronounced it in There's Something About Mary), then enters a playing room based on their skill level.
Once I was in the "Rookie" room and looking for West Coast counterparts, "Cpt. Tone Loc" immediately challenged me to a game. Each player is given a stat sheet of their own, including won-loss record, what speed Internet connection is being used and the percentage of times the player disconnects (either on purpose or inadvertently.)
After I accepted, the gameplay was as seamless as though Tone Loc and I were sitting in the same room--all the more amazing since we were both connecting via a dial-up modem. We opted for short, 1-minute quarters (we're rookies, after all) and had a great time knocking each other around with the realistic play that Madden is known for. The game lasted for about 25 plays, or 20 minutes.
Two quibbles: It's excessively hard to chat with potential opponents in the waiting rooms without a USB keyboard also plugged into the PS2. And it's amazing how foolish you feel when you yell, "How dare you blitz Brett Favre, you (expletive)" when you're sitting in a room by yourself. n --Ann Donahue
Supply makes for tougher game
Sony intends to ship 400,000 PlayStation 2 Network Adaptors priced at $39.99 by the end of the year, making the accessory a hot commodity among the 11 million plus PS2 owners in North America.
Sony declined repeated requests to release sales numbers on the adapter or on the number of preorders since the device hit retail on Aug. 27, but signs of scarcity are evident online.
E-commerce site EBGames.com, the online entity of Electronics Boutique, shows the adapter as back-ordered. Amazon.com says the adapter will ship in one to two business days, but those who are selling it second-hand on the Web site are commanding a price of up to $70 for it to ship immediately.
"It is selling well," said a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart. "We expect to get more in store next month. We're very pleased."
Representatives from EB and Amazon did not return calls seeking comment.
In addition, videogame boards are buzzing about alternate adapters that can be plugged into the PS2 to access the online network. Non-Sony branded USB adapters retail for about half the price and are readily available. Sony has said that it will only "officially" support its own adapter.
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