Playstation Update

As you all likely know, Microsoft’s XBox 360 is being released next month. The Playstation 2 is no spring chicken, by console standards. In fact, it’s pretty much the oldest thing out there. Certainly the oldest thing out there in its price range. You can get a new Nintendo Game Cube for less than $100 now. Used ones of course are much less. Sony’s already done the “look, I repackaged the system in a sexier and tinier box” trick, so what’s the plan for the holidays?

Microsoft told analysts that they are forecasting selling between 4.5 and 5.5 million XBox 360’s between its release next month and the middle of next year. Probably a good chunk of those they’re planning on selling before Christmas. Sony isn’t one to stand by and lose market share, even in the short run. True, even the “cheap” XBox 360 will cost $299, twice the current asking price for a PS2. The pimped out XBox will go for $399. Still, the PS2 has been holding steady at $149 MSRP for about a year and a half now, so many expect a price cut to boost sales for the holidays.

No official word from Sony yet on any of this, so stay tuned if you’re holding out for a $99 PS2. Maybe I need a second PS2. Maybe I need one for each room in the house…

Details from CNN.com

Burnout Revenge is the latest in this action racing series. As always, the focus of the game is on the absolutely beautiful crashes. This sequel manages to keep what was good about the previous games, and add a few things to make it even better. Everything is faster, which is always a good thing in this genre.

Any car going the same direction as you are can be turned into a weapon. This is known as checking. If you hit one just right, you can send it into the oppostie lane, hopefully into an opponent, taking him down. You can also send checked traffic flying off behind your car, creating obstacles for other racers.

Even more interesting perhaps than the whole checking thing are the new track layouts. There are many more choices to make in running a track now. There are shortcuts, and various alternate routes that allow you to fly down on top of another car for a stunning vertical takedown. When playing online, these shortcuts can also server as hiding places.

As with previous incarnations of the game, loading screens tend to appear too frequently, although in crash mode loading time is at least made a bit more entertaining with a “rewind time” sort of feature.

Official EA Site
Review from GameSpot.com