Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Jetsetter: The PlayStation 2 will never die! Sony’s console survives abroad

By

It was easier back in the day with arcades. An arcade was an actual room you walked into, and each video game was a large box you stood in front of, and declaring your dibs on that machine was as simple as putting a coin against the screen. It didn’t matter if you were in Japan, Singapore, France, or Rhode Island. People got it, and playing was easy. Not anymore! Now you fire up a game of Anarchy Reigns online and everyone’s just yelling at each other in an amalgam of different languages. Try playing Diablo 3 on Korean servers if you want to get screamed at in Mandarin! The world is vast, and the world of gaming even more so. That’s why you have Jetsetter to guide you.

Welcome back to Jetsetter, Digital Trends’ weekly column looking at all those video games populating the world outside of the United States. Import games, Czech developers, the latest Icelandic MMOs; we are your one-stop shop for a look inside what’s happening beyond the world’s biggest gaming market. This week, we cover the good news at Czech developer Bohemia Interactive and check in on Capcom Europe, but first: The PlayStation 2 lives!

Recommended Videos

* PlayStation 2 stays on Indian store shelves until late 2013.

Related

You cannot kill the PlayStation 2! Sony confirmed at the beginning of January that it had halted production of the PlayStation 2 worldwide, but the market for the intrepid console isn’t dead quite yet. Speaking with MCV, Sony confirmed that it will keep the PlayStation 2 on store shelves in India until Diwali. Diwali – or the Festival of Lights if you’re feeling literal – is one of the most important Hindu and Jainism festivals of the year. It is also one of the biggest gift giving seasons in India, hence Sony’s desire to keep its workhorse alive for one last holiday season. The question is: Will Electronic Arts put out yet another annual release of FIFA for the PlayStation 2 in India? It did for FIFA 13! Go PlayStation 2, GO!

Image used with permission by copyright holder

* ArmA 3 developers return home after months in Greek prison.

“Now I finally believe we are free,” said a weary, ecstatic Martin Pezlar to reporters after returning home to the Czech Republic, “When we were still in Greece, anything could happen. We would like to spend the next days with our families and relax, because we didn’t sleep much after release from jail.” Jetsetter has covered the plight of Pezlar and his co-worker Ivan Buchta regularly since September. The Czech nationals are members of the ArmA 3 development team at Bohemia Interactive. They were arrested while on vacation in Greece in September and accused of espionage. Just this week, the two were granted bail and released. “If I ever take some pictures on vacation, for sure it’s not going to be in Greece,” said Pezlar. The two will still have to return to Greece to face trial, sometime before March 2014.

* Capcom Europe steals away Konami Europe executive.

No more Solid Snake for Kunio Neo. From here on out, it’s all Leon S. Kennedy. The former head of Konami Europe has left the company for a post at another Japanese company’s European headquarters. Neo is now Capcom Europe’s COO. He has actually spent the last twelve years with Konami, working on the European releases of games like Silent Hill 2, Metal Gear Solid 3, and many others.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Anthony John Agnello
Anthony John Agnello
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Anthony John Agnello is a writer living in New York. He works as the Community Manager of Joystiq.com and his writing has…
PlayStation 6: release date speculation, price, specs, and more
sony reveals customizable ps5 dualsense edge controller front and back

In a recent quote, Sony Senior Vice President Naomi Matsuoka said: "Looking ahead, PS5 will enter the latter stage of its life cycle." Many in the industry took that to mean that we may be hearing about the next PlayStation console sooner rather than later.

Considering Sony has yet to break its naming convention, it feels safe to assume whatever future home console we get will be called the PlayStation 6. But not only has the name not been officially confirmed, but neither has the idea of a next-generation PlayStation console or even a PS5 Pro. It's almost a guarantee, but technically nothing is set in stone. Rumors and potential leaks have already started stirring up excitement, so let's see what the future of PlayStation may look like according to the rumors.
Release date speculation

Read more
PlayStation has a secret weapon up its sleeve: the Hero Project
Three colorful PS5s float together in a line.

The video game industry is changing. As financial growth stagnates, companies like PlayStation have experimented with ways to adapt as markets and trends change. Where it was once able to rely on its first-party blockbusters to build and maintain an audience, it is looking more likely that it will need to invest in new strategies to prepare for the ways the industry is shifting. We see this with a bigger push into live-service and mobile games, but there's another initiative that isn't going to pay dividends in the near future but could set the groundwork for future success: the Hero Project.

Sony's Hero Project isn't a widely publicized or highlighted initiative -- even by PlayStation. Still, it's something every PlayStation owner should be aware of. It has the potential to be its secret weapon in the long run.
The world needs heroes
PlayStation's Hero Project is currently in its fourth iteration. Beginning in 2016, it kicked off with three rounds of the China Hero Project and has currently expanded to include the India Hero Project. The goal of these initiatives is to allow game developers from said countries to pitch their games directly to a special PlayStation committee. If accepted, Sony will then offer the team support with finances, technologies, marketing, and occasionally publishing.

Read more
PlayStation trophies are finally coming to PC with new overlay
The PC version of Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut.

Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut is arriving on PC on May 16, and it's coming with a new PlayStation overlay. This will allow PC players to log in or create a PlayStation account and access many features found on the console, including earning trophies.

Announced via the PlayStation Blog, Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut's PC release will be the first PlayStation game that implements the PlayStation overlay feature. This optional screen can be accessed through an in-game menu or keyboard shortcut to view your existing friends list, trophies, settings, and profile. This will be the first game in which PC players can earn PlayStation Trophies in addition to Steam and Epic Games Achievements.

Read more