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Most people will know the history of add ons. Sega's 32X and Mega CD were made to exploit their lucrative 16bit console even though the industry was screaming for 32bit, and Nintendo's 64DD would allow extras for games and the ability to surf the net. All of these failed horribly.
So why, oh why are Sony trying to make people buy a modem and Hard drive add on to the PS2?
What my above examples have proved is that if a feature doesn't come with a console then games won't support it. If games don't support it, then gamers won't buy it, and so the cycle continues. Basically, if it ain't in the box when you buy the console it won't take off.
However, has the industry changed enough to make sure that Sony's add ons don't flop? After all, both of these things are aimed at internet gaming, which is seen by many to be the way into the future.
Not only that, but already it appears that Sony have some big-name games coming out that will support the modem- Final Fantasy 11 being the biggest.
But what about the hard drive? What will it actually do? It could save upgrades for games- but if people don't buy it then there won't be any games supporting it. It could save things from the internet... but why would people want to buy a whole new unit to do this?
Personally, I am still in the mind that manufacturers have to either provide features in the console when you buy it, OR make upgrades cheap and necissary for people to buy them.
The N64 expansion pack was bundled with games, and even required for some big titles. It was cheap, no hassel, and took off very well. Likewise, I can see the Xbox's cheap upgrade to allow it to play DVDs taking off big time- after all, for £30 you erradicate the need for a DVD player.
However, with the PS2 upgrades, things are different. The hard drive really does have no appeal to any non-hardcore gamers- it's simply too costly to warrant buying. The modem will probably take off in limitted numbers, but how many games developers will really support it to make casual gamers buy what is a fairly pricey piece of kit?
Sonnic
So why, oh why are Sony trying to make people buy a modem and Hard drive add on to the PS2?
What my above examples have proved is that if a feature doesn't come with a console then games won't support it. If games don't support it, then gamers won't buy it, and so the cycle continues. Basically, if it ain't in the box when you buy the console it won't take off.
However, has the industry changed enough to make sure that Sony's add ons don't flop? After all, both of these things are aimed at internet gaming, which is seen by many to be the way into the future.
Not only that, but already it appears that Sony have some big-name games coming out that will support the modem- Final Fantasy 11 being the biggest.
But what about the hard drive? What will it actually do? It could save upgrades for games- but if people don't buy it then there won't be any games supporting it. It could save things from the internet... but why would people want to buy a whole new unit to do this?
Personally, I am still in the mind that manufacturers have to either provide features in the console when you buy it, OR make upgrades cheap and necissary for people to buy them.
The N64 expansion pack was bundled with games, and even required for some big titles. It was cheap, no hassel, and took off very well. Likewise, I can see the Xbox's cheap upgrade to allow it to play DVDs taking off big time- after all, for £30 you erradicate the need for a DVD player.
However, with the PS2 upgrades, things are different. The hard drive really does have no appeal to any non-hardcore gamers- it's simply too costly to warrant buying. The modem will probably take off in limitted numbers, but how many games developers will really support it to make casual gamers buy what is a fairly pricey piece of kit?
Sonnic
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They are 4Meg.
I'm assuming thats 4 Megabytes...
I'm assuming thats 4 Megabytes...
Strafex wrote:
> I think that the new GC cards are 256K.
really?!
I gotta check that one out...
> I think that the new GC cards are 256K.
really?!
I gotta check that one out...
If the SD adapter is eventually released it will be VERY expensive... The current price for a 128Mb SD card is about $90.. i ver much doubt people will be willing to spend £70 on a memory card for the GC and seeing that the GC seems to be aimed at a younger audience parents will not pay for a memory card for their children's GameCubes after spending around £250 already buying the thing.. am i right or not?
I think that the new GC cards are 256K.
I know that third party ones are bigger and cheaper but not so reliable.
Still, aren't Panasonic's SD memory cards meant to be about 64Mb?
That would be plenty of storage.
I know that third party ones are bigger and cheaper but not so reliable.
Still, aren't Panasonic's SD memory cards meant to be about 64Mb?
That would be plenty of storage.
Strafex wrote:
> The official Nintendo memory card is 256K.
===SONICRAV---> wrote:
> Srafex... I didn't realise GC mem cards were that small!
He was talking about the N64 memory card. Official one cost £15-£20 for 256k. While you could get 1MB 3rd party ones for less than £10.
> The official Nintendo memory card is 256K.
===SONICRAV---> wrote:
> Srafex... I didn't realise GC mem cards were that small!
He was talking about the N64 memory card. Official one cost £15-£20 for 256k. While you could get 1MB 3rd party ones for less than £10.
Ah, but I recon that in 5 years time, when the next gen are released, it will be just as DVD Rs are taking off- just as this time around the PS2 and Xbox (and panasonic cube) play DVDs just at the time that DVDs are becoming v. big.
Sonic
Sonic
===SONICRAV---> wrote:
HHAY, nice idea about CD-Rs... problem is that you can only copy data
> onto them once- even CD-RWs can only copy data onto them 2/3 times. BUT, seeing
> as games are now using DVDs on the PS2 and Xbox, I suppose it would be feasible
> to do this on the next gen consoles. However, by then I expect that the HDD
> would be standard in games anyway, and manufacturers wouldn't want to stick a
> DVD writer in for more cost.
Although, saying that, it would meen that when
> DVDs replace Video tape then people would have no need to buy a DVD-R and a
> console in the way people have a VCR and a console- you'd have the perfect set
> top box! Which is a cool idea!
Sonic
Sonic,
my idea would be a good one but it would only haen in a perfect world..
why should the 'big three' waste their money on perfect set top boxes?
i mean gamers who already have a DVD-R (by the time the next consoles are out ther'll be a lot) wont bother buying these perfect set top boxes and pay extra for the features which they already have paid out £300 to get seperatly..
good idea though..
HHAY, nice idea about CD-Rs... problem is that you can only copy data
> onto them once- even CD-RWs can only copy data onto them 2/3 times. BUT, seeing
> as games are now using DVDs on the PS2 and Xbox, I suppose it would be feasible
> to do this on the next gen consoles. However, by then I expect that the HDD
> would be standard in games anyway, and manufacturers wouldn't want to stick a
> DVD writer in for more cost.
Although, saying that, it would meen that when
> DVDs replace Video tape then people would have no need to buy a DVD-R and a
> console in the way people have a VCR and a console- you'd have the perfect set
> top box! Which is a cool idea!
Sonic
Sonic,
my idea would be a good one but it would only haen in a perfect world..
why should the 'big three' waste their money on perfect set top boxes?
i mean gamers who already have a DVD-R (by the time the next consoles are out ther'll be a lot) wont bother buying these perfect set top boxes and pay extra for the features which they already have paid out £300 to get seperatly..
good idea though..
Srafex... I didn't realise GC mem cards were that small! Anyway, I'll stick to my guns on this one- most casual gamers will be happy (although annoyed) buying lots of memory cards. After all, casual gamers don't get through games that quickly. Oh, and lots of people trade games and delete the excess memory from the card.
However, to ask for one bit payment at once probably won't appeal so much. Would a casual gamer, who may only buy a new game every few months, spend £50 on an add-on, or £60 on a new game and memory card?
HHAY, nice idea about CD-Rs... problem is that you can only copy data onto them once- even CD-RWs can only copy data onto them 2/3 times. BUT, seeing as games are now using DVDs on the PS2 and Xbox, I suppose it would be feasible to do this on the next gen consoles. However, by then I expect that the HDD would be standard in games anyway, and manufacturers wouldn't want to stick a DVD writer in for more cost.
Although, saying that, it would meen that when DVDs replace Video tape then people would have no need to buy a DVD-R and a console in the way people have a VCR and a console- you'd have the perfect set top box! Which is a cool idea!
Sonic
However, to ask for one bit payment at once probably won't appeal so much. Would a casual gamer, who may only buy a new game every few months, spend £50 on an add-on, or £60 on a new game and memory card?
HHAY, nice idea about CD-Rs... problem is that you can only copy data onto them once- even CD-RWs can only copy data onto them 2/3 times. BUT, seeing as games are now using DVDs on the PS2 and Xbox, I suppose it would be feasible to do this on the next gen consoles. However, by then I expect that the HDD would be standard in games anyway, and manufacturers wouldn't want to stick a DVD writer in for more cost.
Although, saying that, it would meen that when DVDs replace Video tape then people would have no need to buy a DVD-R and a console in the way people have a VCR and a console- you'd have the perfect set top box! Which is a cool idea!
Sonic
ON the N64 the games could be saved on cartridges couldnt they?
Why dont Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo take a hint and include a CD-R device for their next consoles... wouldnt it be much easier if games were saved on CDs than memory cards....
The big three may be unhappy because memry cards will not be sold but this will be so practical if games were saved on CDs...
Would this technology be able to be developed or will it be too expensive and not money making enough for the 'big three'
Why dont Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo take a hint and include a CD-R device for their next consoles... wouldnt it be much easier if games were saved on CDs than memory cards....
The big three may be unhappy because memry cards will not be sold but this will be so practical if games were saved on CDs...
Would this technology be able to be developed or will it be too expensive and not money making enough for the 'big three'
The official Nintendo memory card is 256K.
Enough for 3-4 games (some games take up the whole card!!)
I know there are some bigger third party ones but they can't be trusted in general.
The whole point of the creation station would be to put the Hardrive in lots of homes giving that sort of idea a user base to devellop for.
That should explain what I'm getting at.
Enough for 3-4 games (some games take up the whole card!!)
I know there are some bigger third party ones but they can't be trusted in general.
The whole point of the creation station would be to put the Hardrive in lots of homes giving that sort of idea a user base to devellop for.
That should explain what I'm getting at.
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