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"Two's company..."

Let's forget all of this 'which console will be the best' for a minute and look at it from a different angle. The Dreamcast almost certainly won't be around as a format when the XBox and GameCube are up and running (safely assuming neither falls flat on it's face). This leaves three to choose from, but will the console market support three different formats?

Look back at the Saturn, PS and N64 (released in that order). The Saturn came and kicked out the Megadrive and the PS kicked out the SNES (alright I admit that's not strictly accurate but you get the idea).

Then along comes the N64 and effectively hammers one of, if not the, final nail into the Saturns coffin, accelerating it's downfall. To paraphrase a popular expression of today it was 'goodbye' to the weakest link.

Next up is the Dreamcast. Goodbye N64. Although it seems to be having one of the longest swan song periods of them all.

The PlayStation 2 comes along and, in succeeding the PS1 (not killing it though, thanks to backwards compatibility) and defeating the Dreamcast, leaves us with only one healthy system.

The XBox (assuming this is actually released first and, knowing Nintendo, it will be) will come along and clear up the leftovers, leaving out two system market again. When it comes to the GameCube it may not be so clear as to which two will survive. In its history, the games market has never allowed more than two systems to dominate at any one time. Why should this change now. Of 'The Big Three' there is only room for two.

To finish the post title, two's company, three's a crowd - who's likely to be the weakest link? Remember, it's votes that count, not how many answers they get right or wrong.

I know which one I'd like to be voted off.

Well, despite positive comments from people early on, this original post didn't win me a game.

Can't say I'm complaining though. I won less than a fortnight ago so I wasn't expecting (or intentively trying for) another and besides I've just found out I'm onto my second filmaday win for a post I forgot I'd even made - it's quite a good one though if I do say so myself.

That brings my tally to 3 games and 2 films since May last year. Who says I don't stick around?

New Jimmy wrote:
> Speaking about Arcades, why are they so darn expensive here
> particularly for the new games.

A new arcade machine can cost quite a hefty machine to buy. Sega Rally Touring Car machines sold for around £25,000 per seat, and that was several years ago, I dread to think what they might cost now.

-IB

golden rhino wrote:
> ask anyone they own 70% or the arcade market. Ever been to sega park
> in London. 4 storys high with over 1000 machines in. I think they
> are doing okay

SegaWorld in the Trocadero Centre no longer exists, it is just the Trocadero centre now.

Sega weren't making enough money on it...

Speaking about Arcades, why are they so darn expensive here particularly for the new games. I have a friend in America an he says the price of most arcade games over there is a Quarter in most places (about 16pence). Over here most of the arcades we go to regularly ask 50p or £1 for a credit.
Its just disgraceful, I mean Ild play the arcade game if they only cost 20p a go but a £1 a go is way to much. What do you think???

On Sega well I think theyll survive and maybe even be more successful a year or two from now, the Dreamcast sales havent been the best ever, but people can be proud of the console and Sega(As the N64 didnt sell well but had great games).

Sega will survive because they make great games.

I'm reasonably sure that Sega was involved with Atari at some time. Atari had some of the valuable patents for things like getting a signal from a console to a TV.

My impression is that Sega have quite a lot of technical rights (I'm not talking about games or game names).

Perhaps or the first time in it's history the games market will be large enough to accommodate three dominant formats.

However with so many publishers swapping between developing formats who knows what 'exclusive' titles you'll end up getting on the system you choose.

tony wrote:
> One thing which does stand in Sega's favour is the patents they own.
> They bought Atari some time ago (I think).

Infogrames now own Atari. There has been some talk of a new Atari console, but it isn't going to happen. They'll just use all of the old Atari licences to develop games that appeal to the classic gamer.

Anywho, back to the subject in hand.

I don't think it'll come down to the "There can be only two" (almost Highlander) scenario that you predict SK, as I think that Nintendo are fighting in a different arena this time.

Almost everything that they're saying regarding thisconsole is different to the stance they took with the N64.

They boasted about the stats, saying it would be the greatest console for some time to come, but they didn't try to attract developers, they just thought they'd flock to their wonder-console. it never happened.

With the GameCube Nintendo have not boasted about the stats, in fact they're being rather modest about it. There attracting developers with lower licensing costs, and making the console very developer friendly. They're saying "It's all about the games" and they aren't trying to compete with the entertainment units that Sony and Microsoft are bringing us.

I think this means that Nintendo will sit quite happily in this niche of their own, it'll be a great console for families, and if it doesn't initially ship well Nintendo won't worry, they'll be making a killing from the Gameboy + Advance.

Sony and Microsoft will battle for the attention of the 'toys for the boys' market, normally 15-30 year olds (and rising).

I can see Sony being the successor here, mainly down to the popularity of the Playstation brand. Also a 1 year head start will mean that there are plenty of games available.

I'm sure Microsoft will keep on plugging away at it, and making sales, but i don't think that it'll be huge.

Anyway, that's just my view.

ask anyone they own 70% or the arcade market. Ever been to sega park in London. 4 storys high with over 1000 machines in. I think they are doing okay

My impression is that they are losing bucket loads on their arcades and arcade machines. Not sure though.

What you must consider is that sega are not going anywhere. Sega owns 70% of the arcade business and therefore are making alot of money with the naomi 2 and all.