GAMERS on Sony’s PlayStation 2 can now battle each other on-line with the release Tuesday of adapters that connect faraway players over the Internet. The service is designed to expand the community of PlayStation 2 gamers beyond friends playing together on the same console, said Kaz Hirai, president of Sony Computer Entertainment America. “If you know you’re good, instead of beating up your friends all the time you can go out into the network and compete with others who are just as cocky as you are,” he joked. Amid fierce competition between three major console manufacturers, Sony is first to roll out its on-line service. Microsoft’s Xbox plans to launch its own version in November. Although Nintendo’s GameCube has the capability for Internet connectivity, the company has no immediate plan to connect users on-line. The PlayStation 2 service is compatible with high-speed cable and Digital Subscriber Line service, as well as slower dial-up connections. Players are directed by the network to play against others with similar levels of connectivity, Hirai said. Only “SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs” is limited strictly to broadband, he said, which enables players to speak to each other during the game by the accompanying headsets that plug into the system. (SD-Agencies)