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"Is the PS2 honestly that bad?"

When sony anounced that they were releasing the PS2 I thought that it would be the best thing since the SNES and could not wait to get one. But now that that it's here it seems to be quality starved and most of the games that I have played have poor gameplay or are sequels to popular PS1 games. Which is a good idea in theory but in reality these games are more or less the same but with improved graphics eg Tekken Tag, Ridge Racer and GT3. I just want to know if it realy is that bad, your opinions please.

Only non biased gamers post. (No phrases like PS2 is great because nintendo/microsoft suck)

Ummm, Ant, the GameCube isn't more powerful than the PS2.

Just clearing that up.

When you say “is the PS2 bad?” what aspects are you looking at? The games? Price? What?

The PS2 is the most powerful console out today so I hardly think it will be bad. The games that are out at the moment are of a very high quality but people were expecting better. Yes, the PS2 had a rocky start but with titles such as Red Faction and GT3 out people are starting to like, or even love the PS2.

The PS2 is totally different to any Nintendo console because of the style of games so I don’t think it is fair to compare it too much with the GAMECUBE.

The PS2 is a very powerful machine which is capable of playing some glorious 128 Bit games. I think that most people who want to buy a PS2 are put off by one thing, and this also crossed my mind. The PS3. Yes, even before the PS2 was released people were already talking about the PS3 and to be quite honest I was outraged by it. I was going to spend some very hard earned cash on a games console which was promised to be the future of gaming for a long time, but with all the talk about the PS3 I was beginning to get worried. I got even more worried when Sony started to show of the power of the soon-to-be PS3. 16 times the power PS2, capable of rendering photo-realistic models and textures, that’s what the PS3 has to offer. Sounds very lovely, don’t it? Not to me because I know that Sony’s time is going to be put into the PS3, not the PS2. Before they even think about making a PS3 they really need to put the PS2 on tracks because quite frankly, the PS2 is a bit of a flop at the moment.
Oh, saying it was a flop is a little harsh then. It does have some great games, but are they really, REALLY great? No, the graphics are good but we were promised so much more. The emotion engine sounded great, offering gaming a whole New World. All we have got is little more than some grass swaying in TTT. Coming back to all the talk of the PS3… it’s not all bad because soon after the PSX was released, Sony started working on the PS2 so it just goes to show that the PS2 will have a long future ahead of it. Sony are not silly though, they know that if they release the PS3 too soon people will be very annoyed and maybe not even buy another Sony console again.

So, assuming the PS2 has a bright future ahead of it, what will it have to offer us? Well, we are all excited about the talks of the new HDD, Internet access and soon online gaming. I know that the Dreamcast already features online gaming but Sony have waited patently for new technology to come so we can play brilliant online gaming with low ping rate etc. As soon as the Internet is released for the PS2 the things you will be able to do will be endless. I think most people are looking forward to online gaming more, but downloading MP3’s, maybe games, sending and receiving E-Mails will still be very exciting.

What Sony should try and to now is make all their promises come true. We need games that offer us so much more than just shooting people, racing a car against other cars and the like. With today’s technology we could so, so much more.

The PS2 really lacks quality games. Sure, SSX is a really, exceptional game but we can not keep using that as an excuse as to why PS2 is so great. I was quite shocked that SSX was going to be released on the Gamecube and the X-Box. With SSX being the best PS2 game, I think this is another issue that needs to be fixed. I am not talking about the issue of SSX going on different consoles, but I think Sony need to persuade game companies to make PS2 exclusive games for it. This will certainly increase the user base for it, wouldn’t it? Maybe this is why people whom previously owned a N64 are going to buy a Gamecube instead of a PS2. The PS2 doesn’t have many quality exclusive titles. Many people are delighted with the fact that the Gamecube has some fantastic titles that will never be made on any other console. Take Mario for instance. This is a game that I personally think people think of when they hear the words “Nintendo” Mario always features in a game with the launch of a console. This maybe is a point that the PS2 can not win.

With the issue of people buying a PS2 and not many games- I really do think that people are so broke because of the price of the console (costing a whooping £300) therefor not being able to afford many games. I don’t see what is wrong with people just playing DVD’s and PS2 games on it, afteral that is why the console is so expensive, so the customer has a right to use this features as this is what their hard earned money has gone to. The PS2 is not even classed as a games console, instead it is known as a home entertainment system, so people are obviously going to be playing other things on it than just games.

Sony should have though about the matter of companies loosing money harder. They know that there are going to be dozens of people who are just going to be buying a PS2 just for its DVD player.

Then again, maybe it’s the game companies’ fault. Maybe they should have sensed trouble with the PS2. No, on second thoughts that wouldn’t be fair for the PS2. It is a really powerful console, which is loved by thousands. It hasn’t even been out a year in the UK, so I wish people would just give it some time. Sony need to correct a few issues with the PS2. First being advertisement. I think that if they scrap the “3’rd place” advert, and make one that shows of some quality games rather than a headless duck, people will be more excited about it. Fair enough that the “3rd place” got people talking about it, and that is what Sony planned, but I think they were talking about it for the wrong reasons. So maybe it is just the little things that Sony have to get right that could make the PS2 appeal to more people.

For people who are in two minds in getting a PS2 or not… don’t decide this year. The simple reason that the PS2 has not yet shown off what it is capable of. I am not saying you should wait 5 years for this to happen, but just not until this year is over.

I think it will be wrong of me to say that the PS2 is going to be far better than the competition because I don’t know it for a fact and you may find yourself liking the Gamecube more than the PS2.

One of the best game producers for the PS2 is Konami. The game company Konami has made it quite clear that they are making a metal gear solid for the X-Box and also for the Gamecube. And this is a very good move for them because they can find out which console they are going to make the most profit out of. This is where the problem for the PS2 comes on, because as we all know, it has been a slow start for the PS2 and the userbase is still a little low. With not many people owning a PS2 yet, they will obviously not buy MGS2, but with the Gamecube looking so promising, maybe people will buy the Gamecube instead. This will possibly mean that the game will not sell as well on the PS2 and then Konami will be thinking “should we part PS2?”.

Maybe I will be proved wrong and MGS2 selling the best on the PS2, and I really hope it does, as I don’t think people will love the PS2 as much without Konami making games for it.

People are saying that the Ps2 games are unoriginal and are mostly sequels. This is not true. Take Zone Of The Enders, Red Faction, SSX, Timesplitters, Shadow Of Memories, Extermination, Summoner, Ominusha, Devil May Cry, Crazy Taxi… that’s 10 already. Yes there are a few sequels on the PS2 but that’s no bad thing.

Finally, the price of the PS2. It was £300 at launch and this is stupidly high. The main argument with the price being so high is that it has a DVD player. Is this the way forward for the future of gaming? What is the world coming to though? People buying a GAMES console and not buy a single game on it. This is true for the PS2 because it is proven that people have bought PS2 to play films on, and that’s it. I’m not sure on weather company’s are making their consoles DVD compatible just to be able to sell more units or to increase the price, but what I do know is that it’s damaging the gaming world.

So, no the Ps2 is not bad infact it is really good!

One final thing from me in this topic:

Why did I get a PS2?? Because the games for it appealed to ME.

Do Mario games appeal to me? No. Do Zelda games appeal to me? No.

Does MGS2 appeal to me? Yes. Does Smackdown 2 appeal to me? Yes.

Why is this?? Well, it's partly because the first ever console I got was a PSX, which unlike the N64, didn't specialise in cartoonie platformers (that is not a dig, just telling the truth.)

It's also just down to taste, I guess. While Mario and Donkey Kong appeal to some, Solid Snake and games such as GT3 appeal to others.

I remember going over to Darkness' house to play on the N64. I enjoyed it there, as Darkness is a good mate and we both love games, but you end up thinking to yourself, "I much prefer the PSX games."
Darkness felt the same way round my house I expect, but now he has a PS2-I don't feel like that anymore!

So people who say, "Ah, but the GameCube's specs are better and Nintendo are more experienced, that means the games will be better than on PS2!"
That my be true...for that person. This person may feel as though the games Nintendo create are better than what the PS2 has to offer.

But for me, I much prefer what the PS2 has to offer, which I'm sure people such as Wookie, Turbonutter, ssxpro and Bonus will agree with.

I guess I'm contradicting what I've said before in these forums, and I expect I will in the future. {:) Although, I expect we all do at some point. I mean-what are we all doing here on this topic arguing about which console best for?

Ah well, the FOG works in mysterious ways. As does my stomach-which means time for a snack.

Thanks for reading, Ant.

Meka_Dragon wrote:
2) Somebody wrote: You can't expect good
> titles right away. I ask, why not?

What I actually said was you can't expect LOTS of BRILLIANT titles out straight away.

I actually created a topic about this on the PS2 Forum, stating my views.

What if their were too many great games?? I wouldn't be able to buy them all!

And there were some good games released early on-SSX, DOA2, TTT (in my opinion,) Smugglers Run and a couple of F1 games.

Well, you Nintys can keep banging on about how god and fantastic the GameCube WILL be, and I'll jut go and PLAY on my PlayStation 2 while you waste your breath.

In the UK the PS2 came out in November 2000.

And no - I didn't use ny SNES for cutting cheese. I used it for gaming!!! Some quality classic gaming at that!

People arguing that the PS2 is rubbish compared to existing consoles and other (not yet existing) consoles have absolutly no base for arguement except personal bias.

You can't argue with numbers, and the Sony is the most successful console manufacturer on the market at the moment. The owners can't ALL be stupid.
It's not like Sony monopolised the market either. They had to fight into a market owned by Sega and Ninty. I was nintendo through and through, until I found myself with a super nintendo that was unable to cut the cheese any longer. I saw Ridge Racer on the PS, and compared to Top Gear on the SNES, it's probably 1000% better.
The step up was so big, that I couldn't wait to see if rumours of a new nintendo machine were true. The PS was like owning an arcade machine, as opposed to SNES games, which were very rough arcade conversions.
Yes, there then came the dreamcast - a step up in hardware, some good software, but nowhere near a big enough leap to warrant a new machine purchase.
Yes, there was N64 - a step up in hardware, some good software, but an even smaller leap to warrant a new purchase.
The software for these 2 machines is obviously good. I envied some of the releases (zelda, PD, Goldeneye, Bass Fishing etc.). But there were always PS titles being released that would ease my envy - The FF series being my favourite.
(Note that I am comparing the PS1 here, not the PS2)
People could wait with their PS1s, because the competition wasn't demonstating a big enough leap in gaming.

The PS2 is a PS1 with nobs on. Still enough to be better than the competition, and with enough extras to warrant an immediate purchase. DVD games / player, and a promising and mysterious future .
You can argue that the stats of other pipe-line consoles blow the PS2 away. But as Mr B. Gates will tell you, hardware has NOTHING to do with the success of a console. The quality of a console (therefore success) is measured by software. So arguing a case for the gamecube or x-box is futile. Yes the movies I've seen are good, but only as good as MGS2 or GT3. + some of them have been fake.

In conclusion, argue all you like - I'm the one enjoying quality film and game entertainment. Playing and looking forward to playing some of the best and most anticipated games the industry has to offer.

Turbonutter wrote:
The GC is 2 years late (again) so, we shall wait and
> see.

Late, as in after the PS2 launch?

As the PS2 was launched in March 2000 in Japan, and the GCN will be released in Sept 2001, that's only 18 months.

In the USE the PS2 was launched in Oct 2000. The GCN will be released in Nov 2001 - that's 13 months.

How about here in the UK?

The PS2 was launched in Nov 2001, the GCN will be launched between Feb and May, again, that's a maximum of only 18 months.....

Everyone know that the N64 lost to the PlayStation, because it came far too late. Sure, the specs were better but Ninty took a very non-plussed attitude to the whole thing.

Round 2 should be interesting, as the console's graphical power are virtually identical. The GC is 2 years late (again) so, we shall wait and see.