JeffTadashi « Any usability for musicians? »
Published on 06/12/12 at 12:14The Sony Playstation 2 is one of the greatest home game consoles ever made, with over 150 millions units sold. Originally released in March of 2000, they are still used quite heavily today, even with it's successor, the Playstation 3, being available for a few years now. The newer consoles, such as Nintendo Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360 (With Kinect as well), and the Sony Playstation 3, have evolved into more than just gaming, and you can use them for other purposes, such as for music listening, music production, and much more. But does the older Playstation 2 have any uses beyond gaming? That is what I want to know.
Nowadays, I used my Playstation 2 for one use only: Dance Dance Revolution. Believe it or not, I get inspired by some of the music on the games, and how the interaction between the music and the steps are created. It is interesting to see what elements of the music are translated into dance steps, and what elements are not. It gives me some perspective on what normal people hear in music, and what rhythms and beats they notice, and what details they may not. Of course, this experience is not unique to Playstation 2 in any way, as Dance Dance Revolution games have been released for many consoles, including Xbox, Xbox360, Wii, Gamecube, and more. They are even available on computers, and with the right equipment, you can simply hook up a laptop to your TV, download some Dance Dance Revolution games and songs, and play it the same way.
But overall, there is little in the Playstation 2 beyond it's game roots. It wasn't until the next generation of consoles, did the home game console become a hub for entertainment and media, as opposed to just a box that plays games. The Playstation 2 does have an optional network adapter, but it works mainly with other games. This is unlike the Xbox360 or Playstation 3, which have integrated wifi, and function heavily on internet connectivity. It would be wise to stick with those consoles for your music production and music entertainment purposes.
Nowadays, I used my Playstation 2 for one use only: Dance Dance Revolution. Believe it or not, I get inspired by some of the music on the games, and how the interaction between the music and the steps are created. It is interesting to see what elements of the music are translated into dance steps, and what elements are not. It gives me some perspective on what normal people hear in music, and what rhythms and beats they notice, and what details they may not. Of course, this experience is not unique to Playstation 2 in any way, as Dance Dance Revolution games have been released for many consoles, including Xbox, Xbox360, Wii, Gamecube, and more. They are even available on computers, and with the right equipment, you can simply hook up a laptop to your TV, download some Dance Dance Revolution games and songs, and play it the same way.
But overall, there is little in the Playstation 2 beyond it's game roots. It wasn't until the next generation of consoles, did the home game console become a hub for entertainment and media, as opposed to just a box that plays games. The Playstation 2 does have an optional network adapter, but it works mainly with other games. This is unlike the Xbox360 or Playstation 3, which have integrated wifi, and function heavily on internet connectivity. It would be wise to stick with those consoles for your music production and music entertainment purposes.