Sony to launch fourth version of PS2 by Diwali

259w ago - Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) will be launching the fourth version of PlayStation 2 (PS2) by Diwali this year. This will simultaneously be released in the European and Indian markets, said SCE country manager (PlayStation) Atindriya Bose to ET.

The higher-end version promises to be slimer, sleeker and more suave in its looks. There will be no more external AC adapters, all of which will be in-built and the product price will also be the same as the earlier version (Rs 6,990).

SCE India will also be launching the playstation network for their PlayStation 3 in India, which will allow gamers to download free games and also buy them online. This portal is already available in the US and Europe.

"The PlayStation Network is ready for India. It is only the integration of the payment gateway that needs to be done." said Mr Bose. We shall launch it by the end of this fiscal, he added.

Sony PlayStation, over the last 13 years, has evolved as every gamers aspiration. It has its own cult following and to grow this base, SCE wants to market PS2 as gaming console for novices of all age groups and class.

"PS2 is an entry-level console, which helps first timers to enter the gaming zone," said Mr Bose. While PS3 failed to make as great an impact as PS2, SCE wants to tap the BRIC markets with PS2.

It has a 120-million installed base, worldwide, with 3,40,000 of these being in India alone. "We feel PS2 has the potential to penetrate further into the Indian and Russian markets. Console gaming is in its nascent stage in India. These are untapped markets and are new to the gaming world, hence we have no plans to phase out PS2 anytime soon," he added.

Asked if this would affect the market for PS3, Mr Bose said that would not be the case. "We do not market it as a PS2 or PS3. It is the experience of the PS that we market. PS3 is for the next generation. People who are first timers in the gaming market want to pick up PS2 and experience that, before upgrading to PS3," he said.