Why the PS2 Will Not Kill the Dreamcast
Written By: Joe Rolfe

With just under three weeks to go until Sony launches the PlayStation 2 in Japan, the hot debate circulating around the gaming industry is how well the machine will do, and what it's existence means to "the rest of us". Lately, Sony has been throwing around huge numbers as to how many units they are planning to sell (just recently, there was a comment from Sony that they planned to manufacture and sell 500,000 units per month). And while that number seems absurd in this writers opinion, many fans out there believe this and are thinking that Sony's little box of wonders will turn out to be the End-All-Be-All of machines.

But what's this you say?

"I just got a Dreamcast a few months ago! Now this machine [the PlayStation 2] is supposed to kill it off, and I'm screwed!"

Well, I hate to disappoint all you little Sony fan-boys, but it 'aint gonna happen.

But first, let's take a look as to what Sony has going for it heading to it's North-American launch (this is for the current state of the North American market; things may change dramatically within the following months:

· The strongest 1st and 3rd party support around - Practically EVERY company is developing something for the PS2

· System specs to die for- No other machine on the planet, PC or Dreamcast, can touch the sheer gaming possibilities that the PS2 has. And until Nintendo makes its announcement on the specs of the Dolphin, you won't find any prettier games than on PlayStation 2.

· Huge launch lineup - When the North American date roles around, Sony will be ready with tons, and I mean tons, of games, so that there will be a title there for any gamer's taste.

· Backward compatibility - This is a HUGE advantage for consumers who can't shell out the dough to buy the accessories. Controllers, games, and memory cards designed for the original PlayStation; they will all work with your new PS2*.

*Note: Recently, Sony announced that a few older PSX games might not be fully compatible with the PlayStation 2. I'll touch down on that subject at a later date when more info is revealed.

Read About the PS2's Cons-->