Lost Ps2 peripheral : GameTrak

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nObCJFLvqrQ

 

Gametrak is a brand of 3-dimensional game control systems based on position tracking, designed for home video game platforms such as video game consoles and personal computers. The first Gametrak was invented in 2000 by Elliott Myers.

Gametrak uses a patented mechanical system for tracking position of physical elements in three-dimensional space in real time. The base unit features two identical mechanisms, each of which can determine the three-dimensional coordinates of an associated element relative to the mechanism. Each mechanism contains a retracting cable reel and a small tubular guide arm from which the cable passes out. The guide arm is articulated in a ball joint such that the arm and ball follow the angle at which the cable extends from the mechanism.

HDD vs SSD

Hard disk / Solid state drives

Hard Disk Drives:

A hard disk drive is mechanism that controls the positioning, reading, and writing of the hard disk.The hard disk drive uses the largest amount of data storage in a PC.The most common ways to connect the hard disk to a computer are IDE and SCSI. Many disk drives usually improve their performance through a technique called caching.The hard disk drive and the hard disk are not the same thing but they are grouped together so either term is sometimes used to refer to the whole unit.The hard disk drive is the most common storage device used nowadays. Hard disk drives are sometimes called Winchester drives,Winchester was the name of one of the first popular hard disk drive technologies developed by IBM in 1973.

Solid State Drives:

Solid state drives are based on the hard disk concept however are widely more efficient for the majority of uses. Most solid states utilise Nand-based flash memory which retain data even when power is not supplied. Unlike hard disks which use a magnetic reader , solid state drives use semiconductors and have no mechanical parts, which makes them virtually silent in operation. This also means that solid state drives can load and save data much faster than the traditional hard disk while maintaining a fair reliability aspect.

Use In Gaming Industry:

Storage devices ( HDD and SSD ) are used in current gaming systems. When speaking about consoles (PS3, PS4, Xbox360, XboxOne) and computer systems , The storage device is used to:

• Store game data (This is when part of the game is installed on the system)
• Store save files (These files contain the progression within a specific game)
• Storage and playback of music and video/photo files.

The most popular storage device is the HDD due to its high capacity and relatively cheap cost. On the other hand, the SSD is preferred when it comes to performance and reliability, but lacks the high storage capacity and is more expensive than HDDs.

Other Uses:

• Any type of computer system
• Media players/recorders
• Movie Industry
• Music Industry
• Mobile Devices

The Effect Of Storage Devices In Games:

The storage device won’t really affect the gameplay, but will affect the amount of time it takes to “load” a level or anything in the game.

Below is an example of an SSD vs an HDD when loading the game: Call of duty: modern warfare 3

In this case, the SSD loaded the level before the HDD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxv1LTbjNDA#t=29

Ps2 and Ps3 console comparison

Sony PlayStation 2:

The PS2 was the second console created by “Sony Computer Entertainment” in the year 2000 and is also the best-selling video game console in history, having sold 155 million units worldwide. The PS2 is a sixth-generation console and its competitors were the Xbox and Nintendo GameCube (which had similar specs). In 2004 Sony release a slimmer version of the PS2 which also had an IEEE 1394 port (Ethernet) to play online games.

The native PS2 resolution ranges from 480i to 480p which can display on SDTV or HDTV (standard definition and high definition). The PS2 also has a main menu which can be accessed by leaving the optical tray empty to access memory cards and define system settings.

 

Specifications:

·         Media: supports CD and DVD. Can also play DVD videos and music from optical media.

·         CPU: “Emotion Engine” clocked at 294.912 MHz (launch), 299 MHz (newer models)

·         Memory: 32MB of Direct RAMBUS or RDRAM

·         Storage: PlayStation2 Memory Card 8MB and PlayStation (1) memory Card (1Mb) and 40GB hard drive (add-on)

·         Display: Composite, SCART, Component video, S-Video

·         GPU: “Graphics Synthesiser” clocked at 147.456 MHz

·         Controller input: DualShock2, DualShock and EyeToy

·         Connectivity: USB port and IEEE 1394 Ethernet port

Sony PlayStation 3:

The PS3 was the third console created by “Sony Computer Entertainment” in 2006. The first PS3 had a 60GB HDD and was backward compatible with PS2 and PS1 games. A Slim model was released in 2009 and a super slim model was released in 2012. Its direct competitors were Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii. PS3 games came on a Blu-ray disk.

The PS3 featured its own operating Graphical user Interface called XrossMediaBar (XMB). Through the XMB, the user can store/view music, pictures and video files as well as play games. The PS3 also has an internet browser and an online community called “PlayStation Network” with which one can register and be able to play games online as well as purchasing and downloading various media and/or games from the PlayStation Store.

The PS3 can handle resolutions from SD 480i to 1080p Full HD and 3D. Apart from the increase power and performance of this system, a significant change from the PS2 is that the controllers were now wirelessly connected to the system via Bluetooth (supports up to 7 devices at once).

 

 

Specifications:

·         Media: Blu-ray disk, CD, DVD, PS1 game disks and PS2 game disks (only 1^st and 2^nd generation models)

·         Operating System: XrossMediaBar

·         CPU: 3.2 GHz Cell Broadband Engine with 1 PPE & 7 SPE’s

·         Memory: 256MB system and 256MB video

·         Storage: 2.5” SATA HDD from 20GB to 500GB depending on model (upgradable)

·         Display: Composite, SCART, Component video, HDMI

·         GPU: “Reality Synthesiser” clocked at 550 MHz

·         Controller input: DualShock3, Sixaxis, DualShock4, PSEye

·         Connectivity: USB ports, IEEE 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Wired Ethernet port

 

PS2 vs. PS3 Hardware and Game comparison:

The games I chose are Killzone (PS2) and Killzone 2 (PS3).

In the above pictures we can clearly see the difference with regards to graphics. On the PS2, there couldn’t be all that smoke and multitude of characters shown in the PS3 picture. Also, with regards to the weapon, the PS2 Killzone didn’t have too much detail and had rough edges. The same weapon presented in Killzone 2 is much more polished and its “round” parts are actually rounded well. Apart from that, the model textures on the ps3 are much more detailed and reflective. All these differences are due to the difference in hardware of the two systems. The PS2 and PS3 are six years apart and thus great improvements were made from the PS2 to the PS3.