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"PS2 is in trouble!"

Companies which devoted three quarters of last years work to the PS2 have failed to make any profit what so ever, in some cases companies which launched a game at the release of the PS2 failed to even make there money back, this is happening for many releases for the PS2. Sony are doing nothing about it, they don't help developers,as they see it that if the companies want to release a game they can.... and its not their fault the game doesn't sell.

You want an example... Capcom or Konami, yeap either of those companies. Two years ago they had there eyes on a large profit when delevoping for the PS2, they saw it as a new gold mine, but now they have become aware of many problems. If we take the case of the Japanese sales figures we can see what they are conernced about.

Millions of PS2's have been sold in Japan, and Sony are dancing around their maple tree with joy, but although the console may be selling well in Japan, the same can't be said for the games. Statistics show that only one in three buyers of a PS2 have brought an official PS2 game, most customers are happy to play there old PS games and enjoy them while watching DVD's.

Companies are losing money, so they are focusing a lot more on other consoles now, many games which were PS2 exclusive titles are moving to the opposition and in some cases abandoning the PS2 all together.

Turbonutter, if you were a company, say 'Turbonut'. Would you continue to develop for a console that was making you no real profit, your game may be good, but when twenty games a week are being released it just doesn't stand out from the crowd. Your company has invested £10,000 into the promotion, only to be swamped by the oppostions $1,000,000 for MGS2 in America. Would you get out while you had the chance? I think so.

Sony are loving it at the moment, things are looking rosier than ever for them, but don't you like the word 'them', for they are not offering any support to the companies and developers around them, which are losing money because of Sony.

Customers are enjoying the games they are buying, thats fine by them as they wait for the same game they have been waiting for, for over two years. (worrying).

Here comes a large prediction. I reckon MGS2 will become a game that will be released on more than one console (shock horror). Konami have no actual agreement for who they release the game and as Konami are preferring to develop new games for the other consoles why shouldn't they make more money by releasing it on others!

The gamers like you and I who own a PS2 are quite happy with lots of games and genres to choose from, but this is a problem.

Do You See?
Thanks
er-no

Please let me know your feelings, this is not to defame the PS2, but I am actually worried about the black boxes future!

er-no:
>in some cases abandoning the PS2 all together.

Which companies are deciding to abandon PS2 because of lack of profit on games?? Give examples... if poss. I can't think of any....

How can the developers comlain that the games arent selling. Poeple are getting over the £300 outlay, people are buying DVDs, there arent enough PS2s in the country, Its not even a year old. Stats are showing that the PS2 is way ahead of the PS1 at the same time of its life.

I'm sure 3DO are gutted cos Army men isnt selling, but thats because its rubbish. but SSX allready has a sequel on the way, because they could afford it, because it sold, because it was a great game.

By the time X-BO(llo)X and Nintendo get their boxes on the shelves, there will be a massive game catalogue for the PS2, including the PS2-only GT3, The Getaway, and many others. GT3 alone will sell a lot pf PS2s, then some other games will sell too.

MGS is converted for the PC, but that diddnt stop it bieng one of the best games for the PS1, and the PC one was out years after the PS1 version. By the time it gets to the X-Box all the PS2 owners will have finished it and moved on.

PS2 is not in trouble at all. People are just paranoid that because not everyone has one yet, its going to fail. When the titles that we have been waiting for finally come out, like GT3, the PS2 will be established as a hardcore machine long before the release of the other boxes. Add that to all the HDD and online stuff, its going to be here a while.

(Id be interested in that website about the RGB stuff....)

It takes time for a console(or any other product for that matter) to show its full potential.
I own both a PS1 and PS2 and i remember when the PS1 was released the choice of games wasn't too great. In time the PS2 will show its full potential and have great games to play on it. Its unfair to say its crap just after it has been released. Give the developers a chance to make decent games for it first. when you say the PS2 is in trouble i have to say I disagree strongly. There are alot of promising titles due for release on the PS2 many which will be exclusive to just the PS2.

When the X-box and Gamecube are released things should improve. We should see better games to fight the competition. Sony are good at this, it is games that make a good console great and hopefully soon people will realise just how great this one can get.

There may be some owners who are disapointed with the DVD playback(mine is great) but if you want to fix this then let me know( i know a site which tells you how to make your PS2 output a RGB signal when playing DVD's).

er-no wrote:
> beanz wrote:

i'm attracted to the ps2
> because of the
> games.....

>...what games?

There are loads of decent games for the PS2 er-no, and you know it.

beanz wrote:
> it seems really odd how people will shell out 300 quid just to play
> their old ps1 games (and i've heard that the ps2 doesn't actually
> improve it that much compared to say bleem)


In one of my launch magazine it said Sony didn't want to improve the PSone graphics to the standard of bleem and conectix because it would shatter the sales of the PS1, but it also said Sony could very easily give owners this bleem type software on a simple memory card or download.

Texture mapping aint bad though, tomb raider is awful without it.

er-no wrote:
> beanz wrote:

i'm attracted to the ps2
> because of the
> games.....

...what games?


ssx, tekken tag, zone of the enders....blah blah blah...you should know which are the good games....

beanz wrote:

i'm attracted to the ps2
> because of the games.....

...what games?

I think we are slightly missing the point about the PS2 and DVDs in Japan. After the launch of the PS2 sales of DVDs in Japan rose dramatically as people prefered to buy them instead of the mediocre range of launch games that were available. This is why the games developers announced losses and it is kind of Sony's fault as they prefer a massive range of titles compared to Nintendo's fairly strict quality control imposed upon games for their consoles. Anyway the PS2 should come good soon, hopefully before the other consoles arrive.

it seems really odd how people will shell out 300 quid just to play their old ps1 games (and i've heard that the ps2 doesn't actually improve it that much compared to say bleem) and watch dvds when you can get a better dvd player for less...

i'm attracted to the ps2 because of the games.....

SonicRav wrote:
> u know, there are more PS2 sales thn PS2 games sales in
> japan

Read the third paragraph of the original post Sonic...

:)