Closed trials begin this week on the PS2 broadband network and will continue into the next year. These will be followed by limited public trials on the Telewest network early in the first quarter of 2002.
Naiwan Shah, director of business development at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, said: "The Telewest PS2 broadband service will lead the way in connecting PS2 consumers on powerful broadband networks."
The service is expected to come in plug-and-play format with multiplayer gaming, downloading of game demos and other content such as news and reviews.
Tom Cotter, head of games at Telewest Broadband, said: "The Telewest Broadband PlayStation2 network will, for the first time, establish protocols for networked games, making the development of these titles much more straightforward.
"Telewest Broadband is investing heavily in the PS2 service -- this will be multiplayer gaming and broadband access integrated like never before."
The companies say they will unveil more details of the PS2 network early next year.
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