- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
Posted by: Vel
Technology has evolved, they might be able to do more with less, I'm not saying it does, I'm saying I don't know, but it could...
Its about technology, and the PS2 hasn't got it where it counts in hardware, you can do so much in software but only as much as you can use with the hardware at you're disposal. Look at a GPU. The PS2 has severe problems handling textures, namely as it only has 32MB of texture memory to a XB with 64MB, but the XB is also caching them more efficiently due to being able to pull them quickly off a hard disk, not fumbling around on a slow optical drive.
An XB under its skin is a P3 (modified Taulatin) 733MHz dedicated for one thing, general processing and handling the AI (that obiliterates a PS2's CPU). Its also got a dedicated Dolby decoder for sound processing (256 channel sound compared to a PS2's 48), a PS2 has to take time from the CPU to get it to handle sound. But, the biggest thing is that it has a modifed nVidia GF3 Ti500, modified as it is able to run most of the feature set from a GF4....all stuck on a nForce motherboard, running a modified version of Windows2000 kernal. Yes a XB under that black case is a PC, and no one in there right mind would ever even attempt to claim a PC doesnt bury a PS2 in capability or performance.
Posted by: welshwizard
im a megga ps2 fan and i admit it was under powerd ond they dealy droped the ball by not puting a hard drive and modem on it but the final fantasy games rock so does gran turismo, and lets not forget the best game in the world ever (hold on to you'r hats now) grand theft auto: vice city, so lets not slag of the ps2 when the xbox has not done anything special and if it has done its out on the ps2 a few weeks later anyway (see splinter cell)
But as Welsh says, its about games. Its always about games. Hardware helps massively, but games make the machines. Look at GTA, Sony hatched up a deal to get that on the PS2 first, soon as the contract ended the PC and XB got it, nothing innovative, just company incentives. Its nothing about deving it, its down to Sony stopping it coming to XB. Look at Microprose (*sniffle* RIP), and GP4, 2 weeks before release on the XB, Sony buy the company, and sack all the staff. Code vanishes off to some "new" Sony racing game and no one ever see's this great racer on the XB. Now, Sonys little incentives are over, lets look at the next game in the GTA series..ohh, PC first (no surprise) followed by...all consoles together....and which one looks, and sounds the best? yep....XBox.
Ok, with Splinter Cell the XB got it first, no doubt due to some nice incentives. But look at the differances in the game from XB to PS2...ewww the PS2 one is vile. It can't handle shadows well at all. Even PS2 die hards are moaning over how bad Pandora Tomorrow was on it. And as for SC3, they aint even going to bother with a PS2 version as it wouldnt come close to being able to handle the graphics...heck its pushing the XB to the limits.
I'll give Sony one thing though, Gran Tourismo, its a great game...technically not as advanced at PGR but its does have a fantastic feel too it. Looking at things to come though, the XB is getting Doom3...the PS2 gets? urmm...nope can't run that :P
I could go on for days on a rant of why Kill Zone will never, ever look anything like Halo2...heck its running on hardware which can't even graphically match Halo1!!! Anyhow, this all goes back to some minor older fights from when the PS2 wasn't even out....but putting it in brief, you can't put a pint into a teaspoon...it just wont fit. Just like the elements of cutting edge new games, won't fit on a PS2.