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This is a serious post, because I'm getting tired of hearing from people who are waiting for the "next" best thing. Granted, most people who frequent this board are aware of why we shouldn't do this, and yet we always end up in these long discussions about why the GameCube is better than the Dreamcast etc. When I picked up my beloved Dreamcast last year, I knew the PS2 would come out in a year's time and bury it with its superlative graphics, excellent launch games and finely-tuned hype machine. But I decided that I couldn't very well wait forever, and I'd been bored of the PSOne for a long time, so I took the initiative and made the leap to the next-generation of consoles.
And I'm so glad I did! To think if I'd skipped Dreamcast, not only would I have missed out on some of the finest games I've ever played, I also would have been twiddling my thumbs for over a year, only to be confronted now by shattered expectations. The PS2 has clearly not delivered, it's no secret. To say it "sucks" and then go PS2 bashing is lame. So I won't. Especially since I know it's not true. The hardware inside the PS2 is amazing (not as amazing as Sony said, but then who's to say Microsoft's XBox is amazing as they say?). The fact of the matter, however, is that the PS2 has yet to deliver any games which haven't been done better on Dreamcast - and yes, I'm even talking graphics-wise. In light of this, there seems little reason to pay such extortionate prices for the PS2 unless you really like the launch games.
Some people will no doubt decide that if they can't get ahold of a PS2 now, they'll just have to wait for one or wait for a Game Cube (good luck! :) or XBox. Dumb idea if you ask me, because no one will know how good these systems are until they have arrived.
Rather than missing out on so many triple-A titles, my advice is to pick up a DC and enjoy Christmas in style. Heck, it only cost £170 for a Dreamcast and 6 games from this site last time I looked! That's the best Dreamcast deal I've seen anywhere, and is considerably better than wasting your money on a DVD player which cannot output its video signal through an RGB cable and has no games of any consequence.
I'm not saying don't get a PS2 ever, just not yet. It would be a crime not to buy a Dreamcast now (if cashflow permits of course) - all the conditions are right. By the time any great games come on PS2, Sony will have lowered the price substantially, so you can buy their wonderbox *then* if you feel so inclined - it may even be cheaper this way in the long run, and you end up with two killer consoles and twice as many great games!
I hope some PS2 fan who reads this agrees at least partly with what I have said. It seems plain and simple to me why you shouldn't buy a PS2 at this early stage of the game. There are far better things to spend your money on this Christmas, even if it's something which isn't next-gen, like some new games for your PSOne, or the last of the great N64 games (Zelda!).
Sorry about the length, by the way. I got slightly carried away.
And I'm so glad I did! To think if I'd skipped Dreamcast, not only would I have missed out on some of the finest games I've ever played, I also would have been twiddling my thumbs for over a year, only to be confronted now by shattered expectations. The PS2 has clearly not delivered, it's no secret. To say it "sucks" and then go PS2 bashing is lame. So I won't. Especially since I know it's not true. The hardware inside the PS2 is amazing (not as amazing as Sony said, but then who's to say Microsoft's XBox is amazing as they say?). The fact of the matter, however, is that the PS2 has yet to deliver any games which haven't been done better on Dreamcast - and yes, I'm even talking graphics-wise. In light of this, there seems little reason to pay such extortionate prices for the PS2 unless you really like the launch games.
Some people will no doubt decide that if they can't get ahold of a PS2 now, they'll just have to wait for one or wait for a Game Cube (good luck! :) or XBox. Dumb idea if you ask me, because no one will know how good these systems are until they have arrived.
Rather than missing out on so many triple-A titles, my advice is to pick up a DC and enjoy Christmas in style. Heck, it only cost £170 for a Dreamcast and 6 games from this site last time I looked! That's the best Dreamcast deal I've seen anywhere, and is considerably better than wasting your money on a DVD player which cannot output its video signal through an RGB cable and has no games of any consequence.
I'm not saying don't get a PS2 ever, just not yet. It would be a crime not to buy a Dreamcast now (if cashflow permits of course) - all the conditions are right. By the time any great games come on PS2, Sony will have lowered the price substantially, so you can buy their wonderbox *then* if you feel so inclined - it may even be cheaper this way in the long run, and you end up with two killer consoles and twice as many great games!
I hope some PS2 fan who reads this agrees at least partly with what I have said. It seems plain and simple to me why you shouldn't buy a PS2 at this early stage of the game. There are far better things to spend your money on this Christmas, even if it's something which isn't next-gen, like some new games for your PSOne, or the last of the great N64 games (Zelda!).
Sorry about the length, by the way. I got slightly carried away.
A noble speech, WookieMonster! (That sounded much less strange in my head!)
In case I have come across a bit negative about PS2, I just want to make it clear that I bear no grudge against the system. I sometimes feel a bit negative towards Sony because they use their money in a monopolistic (is that a word?) manner, but I guess Sega and Nintendo would do it too if they could afford it. And I own a PSX, so it's hard not to feel thankful for cool games like Twisted Metal 2 (but not 1, 3 or 4, mind!).
Anyway, obviously my personal preference of the current bunch is the Dreamcast, but if I had no next-gen console at present then this would be a very trying Christmas, because it's a difficult choice between the great readily available games of the Dreamcast and the immense potential of the PS2 (plus a couple of good ones now). And then there's XBox and GameCube, but as I said I don't think it's worth waiting that long and missing out on so much.
I suppose the never-ending cycle of console wars does give us something to talk about, though :) Think how boring it would be if everyone loved [insert your favourite console manufacturer here].
In case I have come across a bit negative about PS2, I just want to make it clear that I bear no grudge against the system. I sometimes feel a bit negative towards Sony because they use their money in a monopolistic (is that a word?) manner, but I guess Sega and Nintendo would do it too if they could afford it. And I own a PSX, so it's hard not to feel thankful for cool games like Twisted Metal 2 (but not 1, 3 or 4, mind!).
Anyway, obviously my personal preference of the current bunch is the Dreamcast, but if I had no next-gen console at present then this would be a very trying Christmas, because it's a difficult choice between the great readily available games of the Dreamcast and the immense potential of the PS2 (plus a couple of good ones now). And then there's XBox and GameCube, but as I said I don't think it's worth waiting that long and missing out on so much.
I suppose the never-ending cycle of console wars does give us something to talk about, though :) Think how boring it would be if everyone loved [insert your favourite console manufacturer here].
I have a PS2, and I do agree with you. I readily admit, I was in a similar position to you, but I decided to wait - for reasons I explained in the PS2 forums, and won't go into again here unless asked to.
I'm happy with my PS2, and the games I got. It's true that there are no totally outstanding games available at launch (with the possible exception of SSX), but games are very much a matter of personal taste and preference.
I have no quarrel with anyone who owns, or wants to buy, a Dreamcast. If that's what they want, what business is it of mine?
Like you, I'm sick of the constant posts on these forums on topics such as "PS2 v Dreamcast v GameCube v Xbox - who will win?" - the pros and cons of all the systems have been argued time and time again, and it's annoying when a newbie comes on here and starts it all over again without reading previous posts; there's no real excuse - the old topics are usually easily identifiable, as they're ALWAYS TYPED IN CAPITALS!
If any of these people really sat down and thought about it, if any of the 'Big 4' consoles should win outright, then gamers everywhere will be the losers. We would be left with a situation where you have a choice of one machine (which is no choice at all), and we would all be forced to live with whatever tosh the victorious company wanted to force upon us - much like the current PC Operating System market.
There's nothing wrong with PS2. There's nothing wrong with Dreamcast. And it's very likely there'll be nothing wrong with GameCube or X-Box either. Whether you buy it at launch, or wait six months to a year for the price to drop, your choice of console should be based purely on the games that *you* want to play.
Never mind what the hype says, never mind what the gaming press say, and certainly ignore what your mates say. It's *your* money you'll be spending (or in some cases, your parents money), so - unless you or your parents are particularly well-off - you need to make the right choice for *you*. Otherwise, you're very likely to be disappointed.
I'm happy with my PS2, and the games I got. It's true that there are no totally outstanding games available at launch (with the possible exception of SSX), but games are very much a matter of personal taste and preference.
I have no quarrel with anyone who owns, or wants to buy, a Dreamcast. If that's what they want, what business is it of mine?
Like you, I'm sick of the constant posts on these forums on topics such as "PS2 v Dreamcast v GameCube v Xbox - who will win?" - the pros and cons of all the systems have been argued time and time again, and it's annoying when a newbie comes on here and starts it all over again without reading previous posts; there's no real excuse - the old topics are usually easily identifiable, as they're ALWAYS TYPED IN CAPITALS!
If any of these people really sat down and thought about it, if any of the 'Big 4' consoles should win outright, then gamers everywhere will be the losers. We would be left with a situation where you have a choice of one machine (which is no choice at all), and we would all be forced to live with whatever tosh the victorious company wanted to force upon us - much like the current PC Operating System market.
There's nothing wrong with PS2. There's nothing wrong with Dreamcast. And it's very likely there'll be nothing wrong with GameCube or X-Box either. Whether you buy it at launch, or wait six months to a year for the price to drop, your choice of console should be based purely on the games that *you* want to play.
Never mind what the hype says, never mind what the gaming press say, and certainly ignore what your mates say. It's *your* money you'll be spending (or in some cases, your parents money), so - unless you or your parents are particularly well-off - you need to make the right choice for *you*. Otherwise, you're very likely to be disappointed.
This is a serious post, because I'm getting tired of hearing from people who are waiting for the "next" best thing. Granted, most people who frequent this board are aware of why we shouldn't do this, and yet we always end up in these long discussions about why the GameCube is better than the Dreamcast etc. When I picked up my beloved Dreamcast last year, I knew the PS2 would come out in a year's time and bury it with its superlative graphics, excellent launch games and finely-tuned hype machine. But I decided that I couldn't very well wait forever, and I'd been bored of the PSOne for a long time, so I took the initiative and made the leap to the next-generation of consoles.
And I'm so glad I did! To think if I'd skipped Dreamcast, not only would I have missed out on some of the finest games I've ever played, I also would have been twiddling my thumbs for over a year, only to be confronted now by shattered expectations. The PS2 has clearly not delivered, it's no secret. To say it "sucks" and then go PS2 bashing is lame. So I won't. Especially since I know it's not true. The hardware inside the PS2 is amazing (not as amazing as Sony said, but then who's to say Microsoft's XBox is amazing as they say?). The fact of the matter, however, is that the PS2 has yet to deliver any games which haven't been done better on Dreamcast - and yes, I'm even talking graphics-wise. In light of this, there seems little reason to pay such extortionate prices for the PS2 unless you really like the launch games.
Some people will no doubt decide that if they can't get ahold of a PS2 now, they'll just have to wait for one or wait for a Game Cube (good luck! :) or XBox. Dumb idea if you ask me, because no one will know how good these systems are until they have arrived.
Rather than missing out on so many triple-A titles, my advice is to pick up a DC and enjoy Christmas in style. Heck, it only cost £170 for a Dreamcast and 6 games from this site last time I looked! That's the best Dreamcast deal I've seen anywhere, and is considerably better than wasting your money on a DVD player which cannot output its video signal through an RGB cable and has no games of any consequence.
I'm not saying don't get a PS2 ever, just not yet. It would be a crime not to buy a Dreamcast now (if cashflow permits of course) - all the conditions are right. By the time any great games come on PS2, Sony will have lowered the price substantially, so you can buy their wonderbox *then* if you feel so inclined - it may even be cheaper this way in the long run, and you end up with two killer consoles and twice as many great games!
I hope some PS2 fan who reads this agrees at least partly with what I have said. It seems plain and simple to me why you shouldn't buy a PS2 at this early stage of the game. There are far better things to spend your money on this Christmas, even if it's something which isn't next-gen, like some new games for your PSOne, or the last of the great N64 games (Zelda!).
Sorry about the length, by the way. I got slightly carried away.
And I'm so glad I did! To think if I'd skipped Dreamcast, not only would I have missed out on some of the finest games I've ever played, I also would have been twiddling my thumbs for over a year, only to be confronted now by shattered expectations. The PS2 has clearly not delivered, it's no secret. To say it "sucks" and then go PS2 bashing is lame. So I won't. Especially since I know it's not true. The hardware inside the PS2 is amazing (not as amazing as Sony said, but then who's to say Microsoft's XBox is amazing as they say?). The fact of the matter, however, is that the PS2 has yet to deliver any games which haven't been done better on Dreamcast - and yes, I'm even talking graphics-wise. In light of this, there seems little reason to pay such extortionate prices for the PS2 unless you really like the launch games.
Some people will no doubt decide that if they can't get ahold of a PS2 now, they'll just have to wait for one or wait for a Game Cube (good luck! :) or XBox. Dumb idea if you ask me, because no one will know how good these systems are until they have arrived.
Rather than missing out on so many triple-A titles, my advice is to pick up a DC and enjoy Christmas in style. Heck, it only cost £170 for a Dreamcast and 6 games from this site last time I looked! That's the best Dreamcast deal I've seen anywhere, and is considerably better than wasting your money on a DVD player which cannot output its video signal through an RGB cable and has no games of any consequence.
I'm not saying don't get a PS2 ever, just not yet. It would be a crime not to buy a Dreamcast now (if cashflow permits of course) - all the conditions are right. By the time any great games come on PS2, Sony will have lowered the price substantially, so you can buy their wonderbox *then* if you feel so inclined - it may even be cheaper this way in the long run, and you end up with two killer consoles and twice as many great games!
I hope some PS2 fan who reads this agrees at least partly with what I have said. It seems plain and simple to me why you shouldn't buy a PS2 at this early stage of the game. There are far better things to spend your money on this Christmas, even if it's something which isn't next-gen, like some new games for your PSOne, or the last of the great N64 games (Zelda!).
Sorry about the length, by the way. I got slightly carried away.