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"Set-top boxes?"

Heard this one before... first the 3DO, then the failed M2. Now the PS2. But this time it's meant to be different. Using the more popular DVD format, with the ability to play movies, and having great games, the PS2 is meant to be the definative next-gen console. So why then have others not followed? Microsoft announced that the standard Xbox will not play DVD movies, and that function will require an upgrade, with a similar story surrounding the Gamecube. Sega have even got the DVDreamcast bundle. But none come with DVD film playback as standard.

Simple fact simple fact is that gamers buy consoles for one thing- games! Sega, Nintendo and Microsoft seem to have realised that- offering DVD playback at an extra cost. Sony on the other hand have other objectives. The PS2 is meant to mark Sony's entrance as the premier living room "owner". But will this succeeed. The simple fact is that Sony seems to have put too much on DVDs and extras and not enough on games. Whereas Sega and Nintendo will always focus 100% on games, Sony's idea of ruling the household may be one of its biggest mistakes. By doing this, they have just ended up mixing an average console (let's face it- considering it has come out a year after the DC, it's not the revolution that it should have been) with an average DVD player. Meanwhile, Sega and Nintendo will habve consoles with great games, while Panasonic and co will have great DVD players.

Ok, so the PS2 will have good games in the future. However, with there have been so many programming problems (jaggies, inability to play some PSone games), that the console has quite simply not been thought out as well as it should have been. Sony's only comfort is that so many companies have invested so much in the PS2 that they can't turn back now.

SonicRav

One real big problem with the PS2 is trying to sell games on it. Take a regular Final Fantasy game. The latest one (9), needed 1.6 million copies to be sold just to make even! The best selling Ps2 games sell a fraction of that... I think the max in Japan is 800,000 (TTT) and outside Japan I doubt there'd be enough demand to make the huge profits square makes on PSone games.

SonicRav

Oh, and Mario Kart. It will appear.

Yaaaay! RugRats! Yippeee! I'm gettin' a Gamecube!

Might be your browser, Grix, they are all looking fine to me.

Ah. They're back.

Anyway, only messing around, don't worry Ant, I won't hate you, just making mai point.

Anyway, here are some games.


Luigi's Mansion, or some Mario game. Or both.
Wave Race
Kobe Bryant Basketball
Thunder Rally
Metroid
Resident Evil 0
Madden 2001
SSX: Special Edition
FIFA 2001
Eternal Darkness
Perfect Dark 2
Tetris ?
Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2
Too Human
1080 2
Dinosaur Planet
Retro Football
Retro First-Person Shooter
Retro RPG
Thornado
Zelda
Banjo Three. Ie.
Some Pokemon game.
And that other game. Ultimate Play The Game's one.
THQ's Wrestling game.
And Rugrats. *Shudder*

Anyway. Those are the ones that will be around one day, many at launch. Zelda won't be launched, and neither will the Banjo, or Play The Game one.

Err. Why have all the messages gone?

The PS2 may be harder, but I'm pretty sure the developers will get used to it. We'll just have to wait and see.

Also, I completely disagree with what you said about the new PS2 games not carrying the console.
I have looked at the release dates and there are LOADS, most of them look very good, and not all of them sequels.

And then, you've got the REALLY big games. GT3 or MGS2 for instance. Some people are getting the PS2 just for MGS2, and MGS2 is nearly half the reason I'm getting a PS2.

Anyway, however much fun it is, I can't see the point of arguing with a good friend over "which console will be best", so I'm going to leave it at that.

PS- Sony did c**k up the lauch, AND THE ADVERTS ARE RUBBISH!! I mean, a man with a duck's head?? What games am I going to be playing soon??
Perhaps it'll be, "Feeding The Ducks" and "Feeding The Ducks: The Duck's Revenge", or "Feeding The Ducks 3: The Ducks With The Body Of A Man"!!!!

No offence to my beloved Sony though.

Which party?

First, second, third? All?

Square: The Bouncer, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XI.
Eidos: Tomb Raider Chronicles
Konami: Death Resolution
Namco: Assassin
SCEE: Tank Attack
CodeMasters: TOCA World Tour
Electronic Arts: FIFA 2002

That's just off the top of my head. Each game in its own right would be worth buying the PS2 for.

Name that many games for the Gamecube and I'll post you a chocolate medal.

LOL! Nice!

Nice to see you back in action Ant, it's been a while since we argued.

Humm. In comparision, the PS2 is harder to program for than the Gamecube. That at least is known from those that have done both.

Proof of this comes from the ease that the *demos* were made. They are quite advanced for something that was done in a few days. The star wars one, and Rebirth especially.

What else did you say...

Oh yeah, profit wise, the release of PS1 games are short term benefits. If they had spent their resourses and money on the PS2 delivery instead of the PS1, then surely there would have been less of a buggered up release, which, face it, it was.

The Japanese certainly have different tastes to us, but surely what you are saying contradicts itself?

"No one likes the most powerful console their is because they can find better graphics elsewhere."

I am not Japanese, and I for one certainly expected better from the release of the system. I know many who agree with me.

I think the lack of really decent games for the moment is the biggest crime, and also, people are getting scared that there will not be any more decent games coming, apart from the ones announced, which again, are not enough to carry to console, never mind beat off the competition, and certainly not enough to get the...

(BREATH!)

Oh yeah. *Breathes*

Thanks.

Anyway. The launch has gone now. It's the actually future of the machine you should be worried about.