Was the PS2 "Emotion Engine" over hyped?

Sony launched the PlayStation PS2 in 2000 to massive hype and promises. One promise was the brand-new Emotion Engine ( EE ) , the main SoC that powered the PS2. Developed in conjunction with Sony and Toshiba. It was the next generation of processor after the PS1. But the Emotion Engine was more than just a CPU. It housed other additional co-processors known as Vector Units and also came with powerful DMA Controller that could move data around the bus very quickly. However, was this all worth it? The Xbox, GameCube and in some scenarios, Dreamcast showed off many games that easily match the power and performance of the PS2 and in many cases, exceeded it. In today's episode we deep dive and take a closer look at the Emotion Engine and its use cases. After a slow start, developers got the very best from the chip and developed some unique and interesting post processing effects that really showed off the power of the PlayStation 2 hardware. Please Enjoy!

Sources/Credits:

►    • VUniverse  
►    • PlayStation 2 - TGS 99 - Tech Demo Promo Reel  
►    • PlayStation 2 [PS2] Original Tech Demo Pre...  
►    • Shadow of the Colossus - Fur breakdown  
►    • PS2 vector unit demonstration Using only 1...  
►    • Evolution of PlayStation: PlayStation 2  
► https://docencia.ac.upc.edu/ETSETB/SE...

Timestamps:

00:00 - 01:02 - Introduction
01:03 - 02:46 - What is the Emotion Engine (EE)?
02:47 - 04:33 - A slow start
04:34 - 06:48 - Developer adaptation to the EE
06:49 - 07:32 - VU1 Realtime Demos
07:33 - 08:47 - Silent Hill 2
08:48 - 09:54 - Silent Hill 3
09:55 - 10:51 - God of War 2
10:52 - 12:17 - Games with no Loading
12:18 - 13:24 - Metal Gear Solid 2
13:25 - 15:26 - Shadow of the Colossus
15:27 - 16:54 - Conclusion
16:55 - 17:14 - Outro

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