Without a doubt, MP3 has become one of the popular buzzwords in the world of technology. In a short amount of time, MP3s have become a focal point on the Internet, moving from IRC-based trades to the raison d'etre of Napster. Now it looks as though the MP3 format is finally ready to extend its reach past computers and dedicated portable players and make an unexpected leap into the realm of video games.

Thinking about it, though, the move isn't such an incredible stretch. Sony has sold 21 million PlayStation consoles in North America alone, and Sega's competing Dreamcast console has already sold over two million units, in only eight months! Seeing a huge installed user base, peripheral manufacturers decided to take advantage of the situation and introduce MP3 devices to the console market.

PlayStation

The PSX Amp plugs into the back of your PlayStation, and voila! MP3 Central!

One of the first, and most popular, MP3 devices to enter the realm of video game consoles is the PSX Amp. Once plugged into the back of a Sony PlayStation, the PSX Amp allows users to play CDs of MP3s using their gaming machine. A single CD, when filled to capacity, will allow users to listen to 11 hours of near-CD-quality music.

The PSX Amp's screen-based interface seems to take its visual cues from Nullsoft's Winamp MP3 player, offering users the ability to create and save playlists and change the "skin," or look, of the player. Songs can be selected using the PlayStation control pad or an optional wallet-sized remote control.

Game Boy and NeoGeo Pocket

The Portable Gamer's Delight.

Palo Alto's SongBoy, meanwhile, is aiming its MP3 add-ons at gamers who prefer Nintendo's Game Boy and SNK's NeoGeo Pocket. Both of these gaming consoles are handheld and thus can be used as portable MP3 players.

The SongBoy attaches to both devices through the slot where normally the game would be inserted, and it already features all necessary controls: play, stop, fast-forward, rewind, and volume control. A digital menu will also be displayed on the screens of the Game Boy and NeoGeo Pocket.

16Mb and 32Mb memory cards will also be available, allowing users to play songs with the device.

The SongBoy is expected to ship within the next few months, and will be sold for under $80.

Dreamcast

The next generation of MP3 Players?

Perhaps the most exciting entry into the MP3 and video game console arena is the upcoming Dreamcast MP3 player. Few details have been confirmed on the add-on, but it may take the form of the Dreamcast memory card, the Visual Memory Unit (VMU). The VMU already features a small LCD display, a directional pad, and two buttons, which makes it an ideal model for an MP3 player. The prototype model shown at this spring's Tokyo Game Show was an elongated VMU, with a headphone jack on the top of the unit.

The Dreamcast MP3 player will reportedly feature 64MB of memory and will retail for $100. Sega will be revealing additional information on the Dreamcast MP3 player at this spring's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).

Dreamcast Browser
In addition to the VMU-like MP3 player, the Dreamcast can play MP3s through the use of a new version of the Dreamcast Web browser, developed by Planetweb.

Unfortunately, since a storage drive doesn't currently exist for the Dreamcast (a ZIP drive is in the works), users can't use the Web browser for anything else while playing their MP3s. Those who want to surf the Web and listen to music at the same time will be out of luck.

Planetweb notes that MP3 listeners won't have to wait for the Dreamcast to decompress the MP3 file. Like a PC, The Dreamcast, with some help from the Planetweb browser, can play an MP3 as soon as it's downloaded to the unit's RAM.

Version 2.0 of the Planetweb Dreamcast browser will be ready by this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).

Roundup
Clearly there is an emerging market for MP3 players in the home entertainment center. Whether it takes the shape of a DVD/MP3 player, a set-top MP3 player, or an add-on to your favorite video game console, chances are you'll soon have a device in your home theater that can play MP3s.

SOUND OFF:
Do you think MP3 compatible devices have gone too far, or are they just starting to hit their mark? Let us know!

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