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A winner, and a loser. Since the earliest days of the industry there has always been a winner and a loser in the never-ending console wars. While many would argue on who actually won the earliest showdowns in the days of the Odyssey, Intellivision, Coleco, and the old Atari systems most would tend to agree on the victor of the later wars. Of course, even in the more recent times such as the 16-bit generation people still speculate on who truly won, Super Nintendo or Sega Genesis. As we enter what is truly the start of the next-generation, we, as the consumer, come up with expectations and try to figure out just who's going to win. Be it by fact or fabrication views are always formed.
Sony PlayStation 2
As the successor to the immensely popular PlayStation system it's clear that the PS2's most obvious advantage is brand recognition; what better way to show off the heir to the PlayStation's thrown and give it instant market appeal than to let the new system carry the original's name. The PlayStation 2 has certainly established itself has a hot piece of gaming gear.
Sony's online delay is something that could, in the long run, hurt the PlayStation 2 the most. At the moment, online console gaming is still in it's early stages with some players still being a had hesitant about the whole process; however, this won't be so forever. With the Xbox already being online compliant and gamers playing amazing titles like Halo the online fever is spreading quickly and if Sony doesn't catch it they might run into some serious issues a few years down the line.
Even with all the good and the bad, the fact of the matter still remains; PlayStation 2 achieved extremely high numbers during the Xbox and GameCube launch. The system has also managed to continue to dominate sales charts from groups such as the NPD, the European Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), and the Video Software Dealers Association. But, does this really mean the system has the advantage?
Nintendo GameCube
A system for kids. A cliched line thrown around all too often when gamers against the GameCube start talking about the system. Like many Nintendo systems the GameCube had it's fair share of names, some of which, were names fans gave it. Names such Nintendo 2000, N642, and Dolphin are just some of the names the system was given before it's official name was announced at Space World.
Nowadays, the number of exclusive titles on consoles is dwindling at an alarming pace. What would have separated consoles five years ago, titles, doesn't cut it anymore. Both the GameCube and Xbox suffer from this problem actually. With many of the titles being ported to other systems or having the best titles going multi-platform it's really quite hard to decide what's the best deal. It's this that could hurt the GameCube in a big way in the future.
In the end it's clear that while Nintendo might not have as easy a time as Sony they do have an amazing system. With bright colorful games, a key demographic that the competition isn't touching, great marketing, and low price Nintendo is in a very promising position. But, does the GameCube really have the advantage?
Microsoft X-Box
It was back in the early days, back in the time that Dreamcast was known as Kitana, PlayStation 2 was nothing but a demo of Gran Turismo 3 running on a CGI workstation. The Nuon was thought of as a console, Indrema was just a sentence in the back of a game magazine, and GameCube was Nintendo 2000. This was when the first bits of information concerning the mystery system from Microsoft first saw the light of day.
The user-base problem might not seem so big as the Dreamcast had five million more users than PS2 when the PS2 launched, but Sony, unlike Sega, used more effective marketing methods and has far more developer support than the Dreamcast had. The issue continues to spread in that PlayStation 2 and GameCube are the top two consoles in Japan, both of which are far cheaper than the Xbox which directly ties into the whole recession that has effected each of the systems.
But, the question of if the market is big enough to support all three isn't the issue, now is it? No, it certainly is not. The Xbox has had a slightly easier time than GameCube and PlayStation 2, when comparing launches, and it is the most powerful system of the three but some of the more weary consumers seem to want to hold Microsoft's name against them. Fortunately, the number is far lower than what some would want others to think. But, does Xbox have the advantage in this console war? The Winner
Conclusion
Is there a winner here? Yes. Was it the PlayStation 2? No. Was it the GameCube? No. So, it must be the Xbox, right? No. It's us gamers. As cliched as it might sound to some we are the only true winners this time around. Exclusive titles not being in such high abundance gives us gamers a choice and forces companies to think of new and innovative ways to bring one version more money which leads us to a better gameplay experience. Xbox's ability to go online right now forces Sony and Nintendo to work harder and we win again. The price of the GameCube and PS2 in more area's of the world forces Microsoft to lower the Xbox price faster to compete, we win again. If things were ever so simple that it could all be summarized, it would really all come back to the fact that with competition, we, the consumer, always come out on top.
So, enjoy this generation because, this time, it's our time to shine.
Sony PlayStation 2
As the successor to the immensely popular PlayStation system it's clear that the PS2's most obvious advantage is brand recognition; what better way to show off the heir to the PlayStation's thrown and give it instant market appeal than to let the new system carry the original's name. The PlayStation 2 has certainly established itself has a hot piece of gaming gear.
Sony's online delay is something that could, in the long run, hurt the PlayStation 2 the most. At the moment, online console gaming is still in it's early stages with some players still being a had hesitant about the whole process; however, this won't be so forever. With the Xbox already being online compliant and gamers playing amazing titles like Halo the online fever is spreading quickly and if Sony doesn't catch it they might run into some serious issues a few years down the line.
Even with all the good and the bad, the fact of the matter still remains; PlayStation 2 achieved extremely high numbers during the Xbox and GameCube launch. The system has also managed to continue to dominate sales charts from groups such as the NPD, the European Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), and the Video Software Dealers Association. But, does this really mean the system has the advantage?
Nintendo GameCube
A system for kids. A cliched line thrown around all too often when gamers against the GameCube start talking about the system. Like many Nintendo systems the GameCube had it's fair share of names, some of which, were names fans gave it. Names such Nintendo 2000, N642, and Dolphin are just some of the names the system was given before it's official name was announced at Space World.
Nowadays, the number of exclusive titles on consoles is dwindling at an alarming pace. What would have separated consoles five years ago, titles, doesn't cut it anymore. Both the GameCube and Xbox suffer from this problem actually. With many of the titles being ported to other systems or having the best titles going multi-platform it's really quite hard to decide what's the best deal. It's this that could hurt the GameCube in a big way in the future.
In the end it's clear that while Nintendo might not have as easy a time as Sony they do have an amazing system. With bright colorful games, a key demographic that the competition isn't touching, great marketing, and low price Nintendo is in a very promising position. But, does the GameCube really have the advantage?
Microsoft X-Box
It was back in the early days, back in the time that Dreamcast was known as Kitana, PlayStation 2 was nothing but a demo of Gran Turismo 3 running on a CGI workstation. The Nuon was thought of as a console, Indrema was just a sentence in the back of a game magazine, and GameCube was Nintendo 2000. This was when the first bits of information concerning the mystery system from Microsoft first saw the light of day.
The user-base problem might not seem so big as the Dreamcast had five million more users than PS2 when the PS2 launched, but Sony, unlike Sega, used more effective marketing methods and has far more developer support than the Dreamcast had. The issue continues to spread in that PlayStation 2 and GameCube are the top two consoles in Japan, both of which are far cheaper than the Xbox which directly ties into the whole recession that has effected each of the systems.
But, the question of if the market is big enough to support all three isn't the issue, now is it? No, it certainly is not. The Xbox has had a slightly easier time than GameCube and PlayStation 2, when comparing launches, and it is the most powerful system of the three but some of the more weary consumers seem to want to hold Microsoft's name against them. Fortunately, the number is far lower than what some would want others to think. But, does Xbox have the advantage in this console war? The Winner
Conclusion
Is there a winner here? Yes. Was it the PlayStation 2? No. Was it the GameCube? No. So, it must be the Xbox, right? No. It's us gamers. As cliched as it might sound to some we are the only true winners this time around. Exclusive titles not being in such high abundance gives us gamers a choice and forces companies to think of new and innovative ways to bring one version more money which leads us to a better gameplay experience. Xbox's ability to go online right now forces Sony and Nintendo to work harder and we win again. The price of the GameCube and PS2 in more area's of the world forces Microsoft to lower the Xbox price faster to compete, we win again. If things were ever so simple that it could all be summarized, it would really all come back to the fact that with competition, we, the consumer, always come out on top.
So, enjoy this generation because, this time, it's our time to shine.
a direct copy or... altered by one word?...
*cough*
http://sony.gamerweb.com/features/gengamer.asp
http://sony.gamerweb.com/features/gengamer.asp
A winner, and a loser. Since the earliest days of the industry there has always been a winner and a loser in the never-ending console wars. While many would argue on who actually won the earliest showdowns in the days of the Odyssey, Intellivision, Coleco, and the old Atari systems most would tend to agree on the victor of the later wars. Of course, even in the more recent times such as the 16-bit generation people still speculate on who truly won, Super Nintendo or Sega Genesis. As we enter what is truly the start of the next-generation, we, as the consumer, come up with expectations and try to figure out just who's going to win. Be it by fact or fabrication views are always formed.
Sony PlayStation 2
As the successor to the immensely popular PlayStation system it's clear that the PS2's most obvious advantage is brand recognition; what better way to show off the heir to the PlayStation's thrown and give it instant market appeal than to let the new system carry the original's name. The PlayStation 2 has certainly established itself has a hot piece of gaming gear.
Sony's online delay is something that could, in the long run, hurt the PlayStation 2 the most. At the moment, online console gaming is still in it's early stages with some players still being a had hesitant about the whole process; however, this won't be so forever. With the Xbox already being online compliant and gamers playing amazing titles like Halo the online fever is spreading quickly and if Sony doesn't catch it they might run into some serious issues a few years down the line.
Even with all the good and the bad, the fact of the matter still remains; PlayStation 2 achieved extremely high numbers during the Xbox and GameCube launch. The system has also managed to continue to dominate sales charts from groups such as the NPD, the European Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), and the Video Software Dealers Association. But, does this really mean the system has the advantage?
Nintendo GameCube
A system for kids. A cliched line thrown around all too often when gamers against the GameCube start talking about the system. Like many Nintendo systems the GameCube had it's fair share of names, some of which, were names fans gave it. Names such Nintendo 2000, N642, and Dolphin are just some of the names the system was given before it's official name was announced at Space World.
Nowadays, the number of exclusive titles on consoles is dwindling at an alarming pace. What would have separated consoles five years ago, titles, doesn't cut it anymore. Both the GameCube and Xbox suffer from this problem actually. With many of the titles being ported to other systems or having the best titles going multi-platform it's really quite hard to decide what's the best deal. It's this that could hurt the GameCube in a big way in the future.
In the end it's clear that while Nintendo might not have as easy a time as Sony they do have an amazing system. With bright colorful games, a key demographic that the competition isn't touching, great marketing, and low price Nintendo is in a very promising position. But, does the GameCube really have the advantage?
Microsoft X-Box
It was back in the early days, back in the time that Dreamcast was known as Kitana, PlayStation 2 was nothing but a demo of Gran Turismo 3 running on a CGI workstation. The Nuon was thought of as a console, Indrema was just a sentence in the back of a game magazine, and GameCube was Nintendo 2000. This was when the first bits of information concerning the mystery system from Microsoft first saw the light of day.
The user-base problem might not seem so big as the Dreamcast had five million more users than PS2 when the PS2 launched, but Sony, unlike Sega, used more effective marketing methods and has far more developer support than the Dreamcast had. The issue continues to spread in that PlayStation 2 and GameCube are the top two consoles in Japan, both of which are far cheaper than the Xbox which directly ties into the whole recession that has effected each of the systems.
But, the question of if the market is big enough to support all three isn't the issue, now is it? No, it certainly is not. The Xbox has had a slightly easier time than GameCube and PlayStation 2, when comparing launches, and it is the most powerful system of the three but some of the more weary consumers seem to want to hold Microsoft's name against them. Fortunately, the number is far lower than what some would want others to think. But, does Xbox have the advantage in this console war? The Winner
Conclusion
Is there a winner here? Yes. Was it the PlayStation 2? No. Was it the GameCube? No. So, it must be the Xbox, right? No. It's us gamers. As cliched as it might sound to some we are the only true winners this time around. Exclusive titles not being in such high abundance gives us gamers a choice and forces companies to think of new and innovative ways to bring one version more money which leads us to a better gameplay experience. Xbox's ability to go online right now forces Sony and Nintendo to work harder and we win again. The price of the GameCube and PS2 in more area's of the world forces Microsoft to lower the Xbox price faster to compete, we win again. If things were ever so simple that it could all be summarized, it would really all come back to the fact that with competition, we, the consumer, always come out on top.
So, enjoy this generation because, this time, it's our time to shine.
Sony PlayStation 2
As the successor to the immensely popular PlayStation system it's clear that the PS2's most obvious advantage is brand recognition; what better way to show off the heir to the PlayStation's thrown and give it instant market appeal than to let the new system carry the original's name. The PlayStation 2 has certainly established itself has a hot piece of gaming gear.
Sony's online delay is something that could, in the long run, hurt the PlayStation 2 the most. At the moment, online console gaming is still in it's early stages with some players still being a had hesitant about the whole process; however, this won't be so forever. With the Xbox already being online compliant and gamers playing amazing titles like Halo the online fever is spreading quickly and if Sony doesn't catch it they might run into some serious issues a few years down the line.
Even with all the good and the bad, the fact of the matter still remains; PlayStation 2 achieved extremely high numbers during the Xbox and GameCube launch. The system has also managed to continue to dominate sales charts from groups such as the NPD, the European Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), and the Video Software Dealers Association. But, does this really mean the system has the advantage?
Nintendo GameCube
A system for kids. A cliched line thrown around all too often when gamers against the GameCube start talking about the system. Like many Nintendo systems the GameCube had it's fair share of names, some of which, were names fans gave it. Names such Nintendo 2000, N642, and Dolphin are just some of the names the system was given before it's official name was announced at Space World.
Nowadays, the number of exclusive titles on consoles is dwindling at an alarming pace. What would have separated consoles five years ago, titles, doesn't cut it anymore. Both the GameCube and Xbox suffer from this problem actually. With many of the titles being ported to other systems or having the best titles going multi-platform it's really quite hard to decide what's the best deal. It's this that could hurt the GameCube in a big way in the future.
In the end it's clear that while Nintendo might not have as easy a time as Sony they do have an amazing system. With bright colorful games, a key demographic that the competition isn't touching, great marketing, and low price Nintendo is in a very promising position. But, does the GameCube really have the advantage?
Microsoft X-Box
It was back in the early days, back in the time that Dreamcast was known as Kitana, PlayStation 2 was nothing but a demo of Gran Turismo 3 running on a CGI workstation. The Nuon was thought of as a console, Indrema was just a sentence in the back of a game magazine, and GameCube was Nintendo 2000. This was when the first bits of information concerning the mystery system from Microsoft first saw the light of day.
The user-base problem might not seem so big as the Dreamcast had five million more users than PS2 when the PS2 launched, but Sony, unlike Sega, used more effective marketing methods and has far more developer support than the Dreamcast had. The issue continues to spread in that PlayStation 2 and GameCube are the top two consoles in Japan, both of which are far cheaper than the Xbox which directly ties into the whole recession that has effected each of the systems.
But, the question of if the market is big enough to support all three isn't the issue, now is it? No, it certainly is not. The Xbox has had a slightly easier time than GameCube and PlayStation 2, when comparing launches, and it is the most powerful system of the three but some of the more weary consumers seem to want to hold Microsoft's name against them. Fortunately, the number is far lower than what some would want others to think. But, does Xbox have the advantage in this console war? The Winner
Conclusion
Is there a winner here? Yes. Was it the PlayStation 2? No. Was it the GameCube? No. So, it must be the Xbox, right? No. It's us gamers. As cliched as it might sound to some we are the only true winners this time around. Exclusive titles not being in such high abundance gives us gamers a choice and forces companies to think of new and innovative ways to bring one version more money which leads us to a better gameplay experience. Xbox's ability to go online right now forces Sony and Nintendo to work harder and we win again. The price of the GameCube and PS2 in more area's of the world forces Microsoft to lower the Xbox price faster to compete, we win again. If things were ever so simple that it could all be summarized, it would really all come back to the fact that with competition, we, the consumer, always come out on top.
So, enjoy this generation because, this time, it's our time to shine.