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For what seems like an eternity the PS2 has dominated the console war. The best selling games, the biggest fan base, it seemed that Sony had the console industry at their fingertips. Recently, however, it seems that the PS2 dam could crack soon..
First point:
The line-up of games at the moment is poor. We have very bad titles like Kingsfield. But the majority is very average, not more than that. Also, originality seems to be fading, with very few games being released that don't have a number after them. For every The Project Zero, we have Need For Speed, Hitman 2, Onimusha 2, Mat hoffman's 2... and you get the picture.
Second point:
Not really a whole point, more of an add-on for the second one. Reveiw scores are going down. Not since the (now) old V-Rally 3 has a game got 90% in Play. The last high score a game got was Aggressive Inline's 88%. Even the promising Toca Race Driver only managed a still respectable 83%. A lot of games are getting 85's, but remember back about 7/8 issues when 2/3 games got a high mark, and back in the PSone's prime scores falling below 60% were oddities.
Third point:
Nothing really gets me going about PS2 anymore. I look at my games and sigh. Among them: Toca, Final Fantasy, Tekken, Pro Evolution Soccer, Metal Gear - all these games blew me away on PSone but now I just look at them and wince. I recently got Red Faction, and it is brilliant. But one game out of just under 20 that I have exciting me - surely by this stage in the console world we should have more than that?
Fourth point:
Gamecube and XBox have a (I hate to admit) good release selection, especially the former console. With Mario and Zelda, Perfect Dark and Metroid, Starfox and a lot more to compete with a lot of games on PS2 that don't look that promising.
Fifth point:
I honestly can't see The Getaway being good at all. In fact GTA Vice City, Red Faction 2, Timesplitters 2 and maybe (just maybe) Pro Evo 2 are the only games I can see being actually great games. I think all the other games (Or should that be sequels?) look good but not great. Even The Getaway doesn't strike me as a game that will sell out and take magazines by storm etc.
So, these are my points. They are all (I think) good ones. Never a man to bias to one side of the argument though, so here is the stuff PS2 fans want to hear.
First point:
The Thing and Project Zero are excellent. Originality will dry up, but using ideas that have worked well before but adding to them can't be all that bad an idea.
Second point:
Maybe the reviewers now have higher standards after what has been. We've seen class games, so games that are great but just can't compare to the excellence doesn't matter. Buy all the excellence and you should be set for life anyway.
Third point:
At my age it's hard to get excited about anything without needing two back operations and a liver transplant. The games I have aren't that bad, to be honest each has supplied many hours of fun.
Fourth point:
I was moaning about sequels, but all of the mentioned Gamecube releases were sequels. Maybe we are just doing what everyone else is doing.
And who knows, the last game I truly thought would be promising was WWF Smackdown so maybe i've grown out of getting excited over games. Then again, there is Breath Of Fire V..
Fifth point:
Read the last 3 lines of the last point.
I have also mentioned that sequels aren't all that bad and that I do often get under-excited.
Well, this is the argument: The first 5 are against the PS2, the latter 5 for it. Make of them what you will. I think they balance well, but maybe the balance could tip...
First point:
The line-up of games at the moment is poor. We have very bad titles like Kingsfield. But the majority is very average, not more than that. Also, originality seems to be fading, with very few games being released that don't have a number after them. For every The Project Zero, we have Need For Speed, Hitman 2, Onimusha 2, Mat hoffman's 2... and you get the picture.
Second point:
Not really a whole point, more of an add-on for the second one. Reveiw scores are going down. Not since the (now) old V-Rally 3 has a game got 90% in Play. The last high score a game got was Aggressive Inline's 88%. Even the promising Toca Race Driver only managed a still respectable 83%. A lot of games are getting 85's, but remember back about 7/8 issues when 2/3 games got a high mark, and back in the PSone's prime scores falling below 60% were oddities.
Third point:
Nothing really gets me going about PS2 anymore. I look at my games and sigh. Among them: Toca, Final Fantasy, Tekken, Pro Evolution Soccer, Metal Gear - all these games blew me away on PSone but now I just look at them and wince. I recently got Red Faction, and it is brilliant. But one game out of just under 20 that I have exciting me - surely by this stage in the console world we should have more than that?
Fourth point:
Gamecube and XBox have a (I hate to admit) good release selection, especially the former console. With Mario and Zelda, Perfect Dark and Metroid, Starfox and a lot more to compete with a lot of games on PS2 that don't look that promising.
Fifth point:
I honestly can't see The Getaway being good at all. In fact GTA Vice City, Red Faction 2, Timesplitters 2 and maybe (just maybe) Pro Evo 2 are the only games I can see being actually great games. I think all the other games (Or should that be sequels?) look good but not great. Even The Getaway doesn't strike me as a game that will sell out and take magazines by storm etc.
So, these are my points. They are all (I think) good ones. Never a man to bias to one side of the argument though, so here is the stuff PS2 fans want to hear.
First point:
The Thing and Project Zero are excellent. Originality will dry up, but using ideas that have worked well before but adding to them can't be all that bad an idea.
Second point:
Maybe the reviewers now have higher standards after what has been. We've seen class games, so games that are great but just can't compare to the excellence doesn't matter. Buy all the excellence and you should be set for life anyway.
Third point:
At my age it's hard to get excited about anything without needing two back operations and a liver transplant. The games I have aren't that bad, to be honest each has supplied many hours of fun.
Fourth point:
I was moaning about sequels, but all of the mentioned Gamecube releases were sequels. Maybe we are just doing what everyone else is doing.
And who knows, the last game I truly thought would be promising was WWF Smackdown so maybe i've grown out of getting excited over games. Then again, there is Breath Of Fire V..
Fifth point:
Read the last 3 lines of the last point.
I have also mentioned that sequels aren't all that bad and that I do often get under-excited.
Well, this is the argument: The first 5 are against the PS2, the latter 5 for it. Make of them what you will. I think they balance well, but maybe the balance could tip...
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**waves a PS2 standard barer**
I must admit the line-up does have a lot fo quality in it, but none of it really gets me going. I will buy half of them and enjoy all that I buy, but in days gone by I used to buy magazines when I saw the name of the game on the mag cover. Now I just wait.
Well, I'll probably end up cursing every game that isn't Ape Escape 2 or near perfect :-)
Well, I'll probably end up cursing every game that isn't Ape Escape 2 or near perfect :-)
Badgerman wrote:
> you like C:DS, you have bad taste, go spank yourself.
>
>
Which is why within 2 days it was sold for 35 pounds :-)
> you like C:DS, you have bad taste, go spank yourself.
>
>
Which is why within 2 days it was sold for 35 pounds :-)
American Sales figures for May this year:
PS2 - 520,000 (Up from 315,200 in April)
X-Box - 230,000 (Up from 151,800 in April)
GC - 112,300 (Up from 82,000 in April)
American Sales figures at BayArea.com for June this year:
"Microsoft sold 265,000 Xbox consoles in June -- barely outpacing Nintendo, which sold 213,000 GameCube systems in the same period. The industry's bigfoot, Sony, was the biggest beneficiary of the price drop, moving 697,000 PlayStation 2s in a single month -- more than GameCube and Xbox combined."
And in Japan:
"Sales continue to be minimal in Japan, with the latest figures from research firm Dengeki showing year-to-date Xbox sales there at about 236,000, compared with 2.08 million PlayStation 2 units."
Some other interesting news:
"Over forty million units shipped over the lifetime of the system to date – a milestone reached only four and a half months after the 30 million mark was passed."
"Ten million consoles in 18 weeks is a huge achievement for Sony, doubly so since both the GameCube and Xbox are now on the market – and neither of them has clocked up those kind of figures, despite their more powerful hardware."
(Note this is shipments not actual sales, but the article went on to say that it was totally expected that all those consoles would be sold by the Christmas, meaning the 40m mark would be reached very soon)
Anyway, enough stats. A lot of the time there are going to be inaccuracies, but I could drag up a thousand different websites telling a very similar story:
- The PS2 had a head start and so already had a large user base.
- Since the release of the "competition" the console has continually outsold its rivals, increasing its lead.
Even if the other two begin to get on level terms on monthly sales, it still won`t be enough to even get close to Sony, so no, the PS2 is not about to crack.
PS2 - 520,000 (Up from 315,200 in April)
X-Box - 230,000 (Up from 151,800 in April)
GC - 112,300 (Up from 82,000 in April)
American Sales figures at BayArea.com for June this year:
"Microsoft sold 265,000 Xbox consoles in June -- barely outpacing Nintendo, which sold 213,000 GameCube systems in the same period. The industry's bigfoot, Sony, was the biggest beneficiary of the price drop, moving 697,000 PlayStation 2s in a single month -- more than GameCube and Xbox combined."
And in Japan:
"Sales continue to be minimal in Japan, with the latest figures from research firm Dengeki showing year-to-date Xbox sales there at about 236,000, compared with 2.08 million PlayStation 2 units."
Some other interesting news:
"Over forty million units shipped over the lifetime of the system to date – a milestone reached only four and a half months after the 30 million mark was passed."
"Ten million consoles in 18 weeks is a huge achievement for Sony, doubly so since both the GameCube and Xbox are now on the market – and neither of them has clocked up those kind of figures, despite their more powerful hardware."
(Note this is shipments not actual sales, but the article went on to say that it was totally expected that all those consoles would be sold by the Christmas, meaning the 40m mark would be reached very soon)
Anyway, enough stats. A lot of the time there are going to be inaccuracies, but I could drag up a thousand different websites telling a very similar story:
- The PS2 had a head start and so already had a large user base.
- Since the release of the "competition" the console has continually outsold its rivals, increasing its lead.
Even if the other two begin to get on level terms on monthly sales, it still won`t be enough to even get close to Sony, so no, the PS2 is not about to crack.
Although some might think that PS2 is failing I,on the otherhand think that it is at one of it's high points. GTA: Vice City is said to be over three times bigger, longer and graphically better. Also other games like Lara croft-Angel of Darkness and The Getaway will both hopfully be amazing games aswell.
Despite the fact I frequently complain about Sony, they're still the #1 in the industry and have the largest installed use base. Summer has been a dull time but we've actually had a fair few decent exclusive and multiformat titles - Medal Of Honour Frontline being the best for me.
The real problem has been that Nintendo and Microsoft chose this dull time to launch their consoles, which both unarguably launched with titles that, in many cases, graphically outshine many PS2 games. Many have also been very fun to play - Rogue Leader, Super Smash Bros Melee, Waverace, Halo, PGR e.t.c. Both companies used the industy's traditional lull to their advantage, - loads of PS2 owners, lacking any massive amount of titles, will have also looked at the new consoles, and many, like me, will have bought one as well - for the games alone.
Now comes the crucial time - having grown their user base Nintendo and Microsoft can damage Sony this Christmas in two ways;
Console sales - initial sales have forced market competition meaning all three have dropped significantly.
Software sales - the key area here is those gamers who have a PS2 and another console, their spending/presents will be split and the company that gets those sales needs the best games. Look at it like this; I have a PS2 and a GC, Timesplitters 2 is out on both, on the same day, but if the GC one looks better then I'll buy that one, and not the Sony one. A Win for Nintendo there. Exclusive titles will also decide the christmas winner, who can get the best exclusives ? Nintendo has some strong players - Mario, Starfox, Eternal Darkness, Resident Evil, whilst Sony line up GTA Vice, Kingdom Hearts, The Getaway and Tomb Raider, Microsoft are doing similar. Gameplay and marketing will decide who wins the exclusives battle this Christmas.
To be fair, Sony are, I feel, risking a lot on the online venture, as are Microsoft. Nintendo have the sense to stay out and concentrate on games. Both the other two will pour massive amounts of money into online ventures and I'm sure most of us know the chance of a venture making a profit on the internet don't we ? Plus, against the Xbox, Sony will be slaughtered in any online versus without another serious price drop from Sony, or a chance away from broadband only (this would give Sony a vital edge, despite limits on gaming).
Both have, I think, failed to realise the whole challenge of online gaming is getting people online first, not how they get online (connection).
~~Belldandy~~
The real problem has been that Nintendo and Microsoft chose this dull time to launch their consoles, which both unarguably launched with titles that, in many cases, graphically outshine many PS2 games. Many have also been very fun to play - Rogue Leader, Super Smash Bros Melee, Waverace, Halo, PGR e.t.c. Both companies used the industy's traditional lull to their advantage, - loads of PS2 owners, lacking any massive amount of titles, will have also looked at the new consoles, and many, like me, will have bought one as well - for the games alone.
Now comes the crucial time - having grown their user base Nintendo and Microsoft can damage Sony this Christmas in two ways;
Console sales - initial sales have forced market competition meaning all three have dropped significantly.
Software sales - the key area here is those gamers who have a PS2 and another console, their spending/presents will be split and the company that gets those sales needs the best games. Look at it like this; I have a PS2 and a GC, Timesplitters 2 is out on both, on the same day, but if the GC one looks better then I'll buy that one, and not the Sony one. A Win for Nintendo there. Exclusive titles will also decide the christmas winner, who can get the best exclusives ? Nintendo has some strong players - Mario, Starfox, Eternal Darkness, Resident Evil, whilst Sony line up GTA Vice, Kingdom Hearts, The Getaway and Tomb Raider, Microsoft are doing similar. Gameplay and marketing will decide who wins the exclusives battle this Christmas.
To be fair, Sony are, I feel, risking a lot on the online venture, as are Microsoft. Nintendo have the sense to stay out and concentrate on games. Both the other two will pour massive amounts of money into online ventures and I'm sure most of us know the chance of a venture making a profit on the internet don't we ? Plus, against the Xbox, Sony will be slaughtered in any online versus without another serious price drop from Sony, or a chance away from broadband only (this would give Sony a vital edge, despite limits on gaming).
Both have, I think, failed to realise the whole challenge of online gaming is getting people online first, not how they get online (connection).
~~Belldandy~~
Whoever told you that doesn't know what they're talking about!
The single-player game was lacking, sure - but for me it's still the best multiplayer FPS available - at least until TS2.
The single-player game was lacking, sure - but for me it's still the best multiplayer FPS available - at least until TS2.
WòókieeMøn§†€® wrote:
> Surely the 'true' sequel to Goldeneye was the original TimeSplitters,
> then? :-)
Nah, cos that sucked :P
It dont even deserve to be on the same page as Goldeneye :P Although i never played the game myself. I'm just going on what i heard around here :)
> Surely the 'true' sequel to Goldeneye was the original TimeSplitters,
> then? :-)
Nah, cos that sucked :P
It dont even deserve to be on the same page as Goldeneye :P Although i never played the game myself. I'm just going on what i heard around here :)
Surely the 'true' sequel to Goldeneye was the original TimeSplitters, then? :-)
Personally I think a PS2 is worth it just for Pro evolution soccer. heh, but thats just me. I still play the game regulary with my bro a year after release :) Cant wait for PES2!
As for xbox, well, personally, i havnt heard of half of these games coming out. I think the problem lies in that. A lot of new franchises which people dont associate with straight away. Well, thats my theory anyway :p
I think the GameCube will have a very rosy christmas. The "true" sequel to goldeneye will come back to its home in the form of timesplitters 2 :) Mario looks better than ever in Sunshine. And starfox looks like da s**t! Resident Evil should already be shifting a few Cubes, and theres Eternal Darkness to look forward too for all those people which prefer the more mature title.
As for xbox, well, personally, i havnt heard of half of these games coming out. I think the problem lies in that. A lot of new franchises which people dont associate with straight away. Well, thats my theory anyway :p
I think the GameCube will have a very rosy christmas. The "true" sequel to goldeneye will come back to its home in the form of timesplitters 2 :) Mario looks better than ever in Sunshine. And starfox looks like da s**t! Resident Evil should already be shifting a few Cubes, and theres Eternal Darkness to look forward too for all those people which prefer the more mature title.
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