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Games Entertainment

PS2 Demand Will Not Be Met 136

Posted by CmdrTaco from the thats-what-we-figured dept.
oMaT writes: "An article @ CNN states that Sony is having problems purchasing as many of some components as they need. They state that the projected 1m units to be shipped on Oct 26 will actually be more like 500,000. They also hope to have the demand met after the holiday season... Jan-Feb. Bummer." I've heard that if you want to pre-order one, you better pay in advance, as it isn't looking good. Personally, I'm just gonna play the new Zelda, and wait and see what happens with the PS2.
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PS2 Demand Will Not Be Met More

PS2 Demand Will Not Be Met

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  • This is a totally manufactured event. Cabbage patch frenzy. Every kid and geek from age 3 to 35 is going to stampede for these things. "Scarcity" allows price gouging...and creates a swarming panic to buy since "you've gotta get the last one!" So...I'll be putting nails in my Louisville slugger for that trip to Toys R Us in October. Heh heh...
  • Seriously, I've always thought console gaming was overrated; until I played Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Now with the new one on the way, the N64 in my house should keep me busy for another month. Heck, maybe we should all re-live our youth. download MAME from www.mame.net and get all the ROMs you want from www.mame.dk - Man, it takes me back to when gaming was all about the game and not just fancy graphics and surround sound. I lost 2 hours last night just playing all those different versions of Pac-Man (Ms and Jr., too!)
  • How much is the PS2 expected to cost(at retail, not inflated price)?
    And how is development going? I just remember all this jazz about developers were having troubles making use of its power, and that it's game wouldn't even look much better than Dreamcast for a couple cycles of development.
    And since Dreamcast is backwards compatible with PSX through Bleem...I'm not yet seeing any reason to buy a PS2.
    I hope they have some good first-party games planned...why pay 300-400$ for a gaming system worse than my PC?
  • I'm not buying the whole parts shortage excuse. How long has Sony been gearing up for an American PS2 release? At least over a year now? And they're just now learning they can't make their original shipping estimates, a month from release?

    I think this really is a cheap ploy to drum up hype for the system. Limiting the supply in October will result in a lot of disappointed people who couldn't get the console. Then, around December 1, you suddenly announce your shipping a new batch, and bam, they fly out the doors right before Christmas.
  • Quake.

    That one word changed the video game market forever. Where did it begin? The PC.

    From setting new multiplayer standards to giving the infrastructure for the 3d hardware accelerator market to be built upon.

    LK
  • 4 years ago I played my first linked PSX game. Wipeout, I was hooked. I loved that game, but night has nearly fallen over the day of the console, let is go in peace.

    LK
  • BTW, M$ has already released Metal Gear Solid for Windows... I've got my copy - looks quite nice. Although they took out force-feedback!

    I haven't seen the X-Box's controller, but that could be a big part of getting one - if the controller is good and offers decent force-feedback, has the buttons nicely placed, and gets the general feel right, that'll be cool. If not...

    Doesn't really matter, MGS's main strength was the story. The graphics were OK, but the combination of the gameplay and the story just put the thing over the top. Hell, MGS created a new "editor's award" for Electronic Gaming Monthly, since it was the first game to receive all 10s, the highest score possible. They came up with a "platinum" award for that. Only other game to do that was Zelda64, which, IMHO, wasn't anywhere near as good as MGS was.

    Remains to be seen - the X-Box still seems a bit vaporous - when I can actually see the unit and controllers, maybe I'll be more interested. 'Course, I'd like to know the price-tag too. But it doesn't really matter - the reason Sony won the last console-war battle was because they out-marketted everyone else. MS isn't used to actually marketting their software anymore, so they could still blow the X-box. Time will tell... (Actually, I'll bet by the time the X-Box is released, my PC will be faster, have more memory, better sound, and better graphics than the X-Box anyway so it won't really matter... Besides, the X-Box will be limited to a TV, which my PC isn't. MGS Windows looks a lot nicer and sounds better than MGS PSX did.)

    Bottom line is the MGS was an experience, so it shouldn't really matter which console runs it. I dunno, the X-box doesn't really impress me - yet - so I can't say for certain.

  • Another benefit of console over computer...to play a great console game, like Soul Calibur on Dreamcast, it's $200 for the system, $50 for the game. To play something like Q3A on a computer, it's $50 for the game, plus about $2000 for the computer to run that. One is a hell of a lot more cost effective than the other.
  • The consumer 3d accelerator market was born because of Quake. I'm not talking about SGI or UN*X workstations, I'm talking about home PCs.

    How many people had home networks prior to Quake and it's progeny?

    How many clones and genuine improvements have there been to the gameplay model that was first put forth in quake?
  • The "limitation" is a good thing. Because of the lack of variables such as different versions of video cards/OSes/drivers/periferals/kitchen sink you can generally play console games out of the box. And the troubleshooting guides will never offer "reinstalling windows" as a possible solution to lack of sound.

    Now, granted, consoles may not be as cost-efficient compared to PCs today as much as they were five years ago, but if someone is looking for a great looking game with not an overly elaborate amount of depth and zero hassle, consoles are still the way to go.

  • Well Konami (the maker of MGS) seems to be a major partner of Microsoft.

    Also Square might be making Xbox games. The next Oddysee game will also be out for Xbox.

    I know it sucks, but the Xbox looks like it might steal the show. That will probably mean developers will use DirectX more and more, and OpenGL less and less.
  • <Oliver Stone hat>

    This is purely manufactured PR put on by Sony in order to whip the public into a frenzy over its latest and greatest box. Its a perfect announcement because it a) rallies the people who might be interested to go out and try to preorder a machine asap (like they have a chance in hell) and b) provides great free advertising.

    I think Sega did this last year with the Dreamcast, too. Can anyone confirm that?

    Has anyone noticed any advertising for this machine yet aside from the endless hype on any number of web sites (including this one)? Right, you haven't. Cause their isn't any. Kinda strange for a major, major product launch that is going to happen in a month.

    </hat>
    As for "killer apps" for the PS2, launch games usually suck. Hard. Look at the Dreamcast launch. Out of 18 games there were maybe 4 good ones (NFL2k, Soul Calibur, Sonic, and ....). Sure there will be 26 launch titles, including madden, but I'd be really surprised if more than 6-7 of them were REALLY good. But MGS2 and GT2000 will make the system worth owning.

    Thank god I ordered mine the day that ebworld.com preorders went up.

    Pete
  • The one and only reason to buy a PS2.GRAN TURISMO 2000
    The killer game of the century!
    How about the new Metal Gear (going to be 1st on the PS2), the new Abe's oddysey (I can't remember the actual name.
    Of the launch titles, DOA2 (if you haven't already played the DC version, Summoner (looks really awesome, I think it was the first with Anti-Aliased graphics), Armored Core 2, Ridge Racer V, Unreal Tournament (Even more colored lights), Kessen, and Silent Scope.

    This launch blows every other launch away. The only game worth buying for the Dreamcast was Soul Calibur.

    Nintendo 64? Mario 64. (maybe pilotwings)

    PSX 1? I think that launch blew goats, Ridge Racer 1 and tekken 1. ( I never liked Tekken )

    PSX2 will rock the house, if you are waiting for the XBox because it will be better, all you are doing is depriving yourself of GREAT games. Just so you know, I DON'T have a PSX2 reserved and probably won't geet one until next year. I'll probably go get one when GT2000 comes out. That's the killer game to me. When it comes to killer games, every one has their own favorite, and the one that will make them buy a system. For some it's mario, zelda, Street Fighter 2, Final Fantasy, and for even some, it's Tetris.

    Why would you not want to buy it? It's going to havve some great games regardless of how "amazing" the XBox or Nintendo GameCube (or whatever it's called) will be. If you're on a budget and can only buy one the the 3 new systems coming up then I say, work harder! (oh yeah, you want the box so you don't have to work harder, my bad )

    Launch Title list from IGN [ign.com]

  • We used to use opportunites like this to make some good sales. When PlayStation demand was high and there was low supply, we could typically pre-sell them and have the money in the bank for a week or two before the product showed up and they picked it up.

    For some reason, this is also when we sold a higher percentage of accessories, too...

    Also, the more pre-orders that we could get, the more that we had access too in the long run.

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • What can I get for MY PS/2? (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    I have an old PS/2 model 25, but I thought IBM made them, not Sony....

    Does this mean I can get a lot of money for it on eBay?

    ;-)

  • If they did do it "to drive demand" than they are complete jack-asses because according to voodooextreme.. "Shares of Sony stock plummeted some 14% today as a result of the cut back, with many top game companies quickly following suit. You can read more at CBS Market Watch and WRE who reports that the loss is due to key componet shortages." Way to go SONY!
  • Uh...yeah. Do you have any idea how many heads I turn when I cruise down the street with the top down in my little miata?? Quite a few...

    They're far from the fastest things on the road (124bhp, ~2100lbs), but that's not what they're about. They're all about style and fun. Just like the old MG B's and Midgets, but 1000x more reliable.

    Anyway, back on-topic, the game that I can't wait for is Gran Turismo 2000. The first two have kicked much ass and this one looks to be no different.
  • As others have mentioned, two of the known "killer games" at launch are SSX (a snowboard game which is supposed to be incredible) and DOA2:Hardcore (with some anti-aliasing, but again really great effects and lots of areas to play in).

    I've also pre-ordered TimeSpiltters, made by the same team that did Goldeneye. That should be pretty good, though we'll not know if it's killer until it's out...

    Also, Summoner is supposed to be a fantastic RPG.
  • And stability, actually. After a few hours battling Win98 over some issue, or configuring Samba for a few hours to get it just the way I like it, I find it very soothing to go down and use something that just turns on and works without my intervention.

  • Killer Game? (Score:3)

    by djKing ( 1970 ) on Thursday September 28, 2000 @07:08AM (#747373) Homepage Journal
    Is there a killer game for the PS2?

    When I got my super nes, the first 15 games available all sucked. It wasn't till Street Fighter II came out that I felt the machine lived up to the hype. (About 6 months later)

    I've heard that none of the PS2 Games on the market in Japan are killer games. Is this true?

    -Peace
    Dave
  • I HAVE driven old MGs and Triumphs (B, Midget, TR-3, TR-4). I used to have a '78 MG Midget.

    Would I prefer an MG over the Miata?

    Yes. I think that they're alot more fun and better looking. There's oodles more character in the old Brit roadsters than the Miata.

    BUT, I found a great deal ($2000 under book w/3yr bumper to bumper warranty) on a car that hasn't had ONE - NOT ONE - problem since I bought it used almost 2 years ago. I can't say the same about the Midget or my friends' British roadsters. They weren't falling apart or anything, but they're track record (re: reliability) wasn't near as good.

    As far as the girls, I've had a few in the Miata (not at the same time, obviously) when a B, Midget, TR-3, etc passes by. I usually let out a "oo-oo, I want one." Without fail, they always answer "Why? What's that?" The fact is, they don't know the "Brit iron" - they do know the Miata.

    All things said and done, I still want to buy a B within the next five years...
  • This is just hype to drive demand, and if they sell out their initial runs, they will magically find a few hundred thousand more.

    But hey, we're gullible, if Sony says by now, we may run out by December why shouldn't we believe them.

    Though a small part of me hopes this is true, the part of me that feels for the geeks that complain that they can't find a MOTAS. Maybe if they don't spend them Christmas holiday in a PS2 induced trance, they might get out and meet a few chicks. And no, you won't impress many chicks with a new gaming console, try a Miata instead.
  • Hey, I hope it didn't sound like I was dissing the Dreamcast. I've got one and I love it. The quality games that are out (Taxi, NFL, Soul Calibur, DOA2 Tony Hawk, Gt, ...) are awesome. However the games that suck, well they really suck. I'm just excited to get another system and access to more games.

    Oh yea, I've got an n64, Saturn and PSX too so I'm not biased there either

    Pete
  • two of my friends at work both pre-ordered units from EBWorld [ebworld.com]. they got emails this week saying that people that had not pre-ordered prior to July 1, 2000 would not be receiving their units on the Oct 26th release date.

    Looking bad beating that weekend sales record during the Japanese release.

  • >And the troubleshooting guides will never offer >"reinstalling windows" as a possible solution to >lack of sound. Maybe for the X-Box...
  • So PlayStation2 will be the (Talking Elmo|Furby) of this holiday season...

    As long as we don't have to hear about it day after day in the media.....

  • This arguement doesn't make sense. Holding back supply would be stupid on Sony's part, and I'm sure it realizes it. If they held back supply, Sony wouldn't be the one charging $1500 per unit. It would be the jackasses who got lucky enough to buy one and resell.

    This should be a -1 troll. Jackass.

  • Console systems were only good when most people couldn't afford a computer. $100-200 for a console was better than $3000-$4000 for a computer.

    Now that we've got sub $1000 PCs, I don't see the point in spending so much money for an obviously limited console.

    LK

  • Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (Score:3)

    by _xeno_ ( 155264 ) on Thursday September 28, 2000 @07:09AM (#747382) Homepage Journal
    Basically, that's the reason I'll be getting one. If you haven't seen the trailer, GO! Two places the came up immediately on a Google search [google.com] were ps2.ign.com [ign.com] and ZDNe t.c om [zdnet.com], so go and download the trailer.

    One look at that and you'll know one of the major reasons people will be purchasing PS2s... (Backwards compatibility and Final Fantasy X are the other reasons for me...)

  • Damnit.. Hit post, not preview....

    >And the troubleshooting guides will never offer
    >"reinstalling windows" as a possible
    >solution to lack of sound.

    Well, maybe for the X-Box

  • 8*) (Score:1)

    by Shotgun ( 30919 )
    I will always love, honor and respect my high school wrestling coach for the greatest wisdom ever imparted to me:

    "If that is the worst problem you ever have, you will be a lucky person."

  • Are you trying to say that F-Zero was boring?

    OHhhhhhh I hate that.

    F-Zero is the only game still worth playing for the SNES. Long after you've beaten and gotten every item and uncovered every bug in FF3, F-Zero changles you more. Enticing you on to the Master difficulity. It was the last great 2-d racing game. (Yes I know it was 2.5-d with the mode 7 effects and all but it was really 2-d)

    SOme may argue that Super Mario Kart racing was better, since it allowed you to race VS people.
    But I call them fools. I never liked the style of SMK, F-Zero was the bomb. I'll still play the OLD F-Zero rather then the new one.

  • It's just too bad that they gave Solid Snake a mullet in the new game.
  • Hmm.. I tried to pre-order one the other day and was told that most pre-orders in my area are sold out already - this decrease in numbers doesn't help. If you want one, you'll probably have to get up early and wait in a long line at a store without pre-orders (like Best Buy).

    I've been wanting to get one for 1) the DVD player 2) metal gear solid 2 and 3) final fantasies. But now I've heard so many negative things (good games are hard to develop, hasn't been overwhelmingly popular in japan, etc.) that it's beginning to sound like the buzz that surrounded the N64 when that came out, and we saw what happened to that - limited success.

    I guess now I'm hedging my bets on Nintendo. Like CmdrTaco, I'll play the new Zelda for now, maybe get a DVD player, and wait for the what looks like the superior GameCube. Is it time for Nintendo and Sony to switch places?
  • fyi, that's not pre-rendered.
  • Dream cast will statisfy me once this long awaited title is made available!! aaaaagagah!
  • Metroid.

    two words:
    final fantasy

    three words:
    daikatana

    Ok, I'm not good at this...
    --
    Peace,
    Lord Omlette
    ICQ# 77863057
  • I would like to say I'm sorry about the PS2's delay, but I'm really not. I never liked Sony's strangle-hold on the console market. Yeah, yeah, I know that Nintendo had that for quite awhile, and that the Game Boy is still the handheld to beat, but I don't know why Sony had such a hold. People are like, "Oh but it has a ton of games." Well, alot of them are grainy, and lacking a plot. (No offense intended to the people who work at the companys) Hopefully, with the Dreamcast, Gamecube, and PS2, (I left X-box out, because that's a joke, right? [end sarcasm] )it will balance again, because competition is good for the gamers, as more quality games will be made, and prices will drop.

  • Well thats great except...MGS2 isnt due out for another year and a half, FFX is 3rd quarter 2k1 and FFXI hasnt even started development yet.
  • It's been said before but you should look for:
    Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
    Gran Turismo 2000
    Dynasty Warriors 2 (launch title)
    SSX (Launch)
    Madden (Launch)

    Regarding the SNES initial games, what about f-zero. f-zero was one of the first titles to use much hyped "z-function" or whatever the hell they called it. Basically it let the system rotate the background and foreground based on what direction the car was facing. Whatever, it was really cool back in the day. Super Starwars was pretty badass too.

    Pete
  • And you're prolly one of the people that thinks a Honda Civic DX with an 8" tip is a "real car." Uh-huh. That 18 second turd flies, man. My last car was a modded Turbo AWD Eagle Talon that pulled mid 13's in the 1/4. I never lost a race to Vette on the road...

    I bought the Miata because I like rag-top roadsters, not because I'm "too poor."
  • As far as I'm aware, Sony loses money on the hardware and makes money on the software... they need as many machines out there as possible to avoid losing money.
  • In fact consoles are just horrible for most multiple player games. I tried to play a few, but got sick of looking at my window which was a 1/4 of the screen. Even on a 27" TV this is small and the low resolution does not help this any.

    Yeah, but could you play Tony Hawk or Mario Kart with friends who were at your house on your computer? Which probably has a smaller screen than your TV? And which is probably no where near your couch?

    The best multiplayer experience I have in my own home is console multiplayer. I consider it way more fun to sit on my couch and play Mario Kart 64 with a few friends, yelling at them when they shoot me, cackling madly and talking trash when I win, then playing with anonymous internet opponents. (LAN parties or LAN gaming places are a lot of fun, but I don't have the room or time for that sort of thing at home.) I play multiplayer FPS maybe a few times a month now, whereas I used to play every night. Not enough time anymore. However, I do play Tony Hawk against my friends 3-4 times a week. I don't think the PC will replace console gaming or vice versa. They are two different animals, that do different things well.

    Josh Sisk
  • Some of them probably are saying that. Whatever. I've gotten more than one attractive FEMALE date getting in / out of that car.

    FYI, I see WAY more middle-aged men (usually w/ wife in the passenger seat) driving Miatas than I do chicks. I normally see between 6 and 12 Miatas a day (I drive over 50 miles each way to / from work).
  • Actually, in the world of video games this is THE MOST effective marketing technique. You get the stories on the evening news showing parents lined up out the door to get one of the few PS2's... you see a story about some guy who paid $1,200 for one at an auction... it creates hype, excitement.

    Nintendo did this beautifully with the N64 in 1996; it became THE HOT TOY that holiday season (actually second, next to the even-harder-to-find Tickle-Me-Elmo's) for one reason and one reason only: limited supply (see the law of Supply and Demand for details). Ten years earlier, when all the buzz was about some game called Zelda that everyone was excited about, they announced a chip shortage that would limit supply. The people standing in line for the post-shortage supply were legion.

    By the way, it later turned out Nintendo invented the chip shortage story. Yes, it does work. Don't be surprised when Nintendo does the same thing with GameCube, and MS does it again with X-Box.
  • I thought chicks disliked Trans-Ams and Camaros (Corvettes probably go in that list, too) because they are driven by greasy guys with molester mustaches who think that low-end power and drag-racing from stoplights are coooool.

    Any chick worth her salt would forget that cute wittle carry-car for an M3, or a 5-series, or pretty much ANY Porsche... It's about class. Miata comes close, but it's got nothing on a 911 Turbo...

    --

  • Look. A month ago, Japan raised its primary lending interest rate from 0% to 0.5% (out of national egoism, more than any other reason, but that's another post altogether). This makes it more expensive to obtain the loans necessary to finance large manufacturing operations, so it's entirely natural that Sony should feel the pinch when it comes to getting these machines out the door. It's as simple as Sony not building another plant in time. That's all.

    Cheers,
    Froid
  • And on Oct25 some guy says Ready,Set,Go, and on the 26th, 500,000 units are ready to ship?

    They've probably go 2,000,000 sitting in a warehouse already. Like the Kernel said, "Never give them too much." (or something like that, I never was a big Elvis fan).

  • GT2000 is supposed to be availible at the PS2 launch. I've had my PS2 reserved since April and GT2000 reserved since they announced the date in July.
  • hahaha.. If Sony created the shortage than they really have some investor relations problems.. according to voodoo extreme, "Shares of Sony stock plummeted some 14% today as a result of the cut back, with many top game companies quickly following suit. You can read more at CBS Market Watch and WRE who reports that the loss is due to key componet shortages." That sound like something a company would do ON PURPOSE?!?
  • I don't need a PS2. :)
    --
    Peace,
    Lord Omlette
    ICQ# 77863057
  • I think this has been discussed, er, once or twice before.

    I prefer PSX games cos i get to stick a disk in and it works, and the games (generally) dont crash.

    Other people have the money, time and patience to install a game and get it working with their hardware and their 400 dollar gfx cards etc and can put up with that horrible jerkyness you get with graphics on the pc (yes, i know its in a higher resolution and colour depth, i just dont really care ).

    *Most* people who buy and play games agree with me, and buy games for consoles, and not pcs.
  • Will neither of these places have a preorder plan don't expect there to be any of these out on the floor for more than a few seconds as most toy scalpers are heavily connected at both WalMart and Target. There contacts will inform them of a new box before bringing it out onto the floor to make sure they can buy them up and sell them for the above mentioned crazy markups.

    At some local stores the inside contact is actually a manager so the stuff just comes into the store and then leaves again through the loading dock. If this sounds like a conspiracy check out the boards frequented by toy collectors (Hot Wheels, Beanie Babies, etc...)

    kc.
  • Playstation 2 Launch titles on dailyradar.com [dailyradar.com]

    Looks pretty decent to me, personally I'm looking forward to Silpheed, Summoner, and DOA2: Hardcore.

    paulb

  • Hey, if I could justify laying down $60K for a used Carrera4 - I would. ;-)
  • The PS2 employs a "small cache, high bandwidth" design. This is much different than the large cache, low bandwidth design of more traditional systems, and it requires a different approach to developing software because of this architecture.

    For example, I've read that other developers are discovering that the best way to use the vector units is not to load code to them and let them churn, but rather to stream new code to them constantly since the bus between the VU's and the CPU is 2560 bits wide!

    I'm guessing that the video architecture on the device might require a similar approach - i.e., stream data into the VRAM (from main mem) in realtime rather than keeping a static set of textures around.

    paulb
  • Do you mean MOTOS? Member of the Opposite Sex?

    I drive an Integra. At the last autocross I was at, I figured MIATA means "Masculinity Isn't All That Anyway"

    =steve
  • An update to this story can be found here [slashdot.org]. Very, uh, informative.
  • He said that if they didn't sell through their entire allotment on the first day, they would be put to the end of the list for new machines.

    Vermifax
  • The Toy's R Us by me is taking orders based on a $399 price tag, last I checked. I pre-ordered mine at Kay-Bee for $360 6 months ago, but I've seen it advertised for $299 from some mail-order places.

    And yes, they do have some good games scheduled for release at launch and some more good ones scheduled for Nov / Dec.
  • yeah, and we really couldn't make Cabbage Patch dolls fast enough either. That's why they cost so much.

    I fully expect stupid people to pay $1500 for these things on eBay.

    - A.P.

    --
    * CmdrTaco is an idiot.

  • This exact same thing happened when N64 came out..."not enough to meet demand", then right before Christmas they were suddenly able to produce more. Hmmmm....
  • How about the fact that you can play PlayStation 1 games and DVD's from blockbuster on them. Why do you single out Blockbuster? There isn't some kind of restriction on what DVDs it will play is there?

    --
    EFF Member #11254

  • Anybody know where I can pre-order one of these things from here in Canada?
  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • Howbout that for the price of a psx2, you can buy a dreamcast and have enough money left over to get a dvd that actually has a remote and some real functionality. BTW the psx1 compatablity is nowhere close to 100% and is not enhanced visually in anyway... Oh wait i forgot most of the dreamcast games have to suck since most are actually innovative rather than sequels.
  • I have to agree. When I saw that old TV commercial for the original Legend of Zelda, I just had to get myself a NES. Too bad my parents had the strange idea that video game consoles were "evil." (Yet I could play any game I wanted on my C64. Strange) I think they were actually trying to keep the TV to themselves.

    In any case, one of my friends got one, and I was over there every minute I could be, playing on that damn thing. :) I loved the original NES.

    Later, when I got a SNES, I just couldn't find anything too exciting for it. Street Fighter wasn't too terribly exciting for me (I'm more of an adventure or strategy game player myself) and the Zelda for the SNES wasn't even exciting (I never really played it much until once when I was bored, and I got crazy with the emulators). Sure, I played SMW and beat just about every single area there was. (Was there more than 100? Somebody let me know. Heh)

    In any case, the graphics were surely better on the SNES, but the NES was way more fun. (Maybe it was just because I was younger back then? Oh well)

    I haven't really liked consoles since. The only game I like for the N64 is Zelda (figures) and the Final Fantasy series for the PSX/PS2 are good, but those usually show up in PC version these days... so there's not an incentive for me to purchase a new console. So, it doen't really bother me that they can't order new parts.

    If a friend of mine gets one, I'll probably go play it. Since with the PSX, I always enjoy a good game of Tekken 3. Anyway, I'll shut up now.
  • Some quick Math here

    Playstation 1: $100 Playstation 2: $300
    Xtra Controller: $20 Xtra Controller:$35
    Memory Card: $20 Memory Card: $35
    28 Games @$30: $840 12 games@$50: $600
    Total: $980 Total: $970

    Reasonable PC*: $800
    4 games @$50: $200
    Total: $1000

    If I just wanted to play games I know which one I wouldn't be picking. Open your mind. Consoles are good for more than you think.

    *(This is really low for a game PC)
  • Baloney (bolonga). The bacwards compatability is lik 95% and there is (though mainly texture smoothing) some enhancements to some games (Metal Gear Solid being one of them). Will PS2 live up to the hype? Who knows, but it could, and a lot of the japanese launch games have been retweaked to take advantage of the hardware anti-aliasing that Volition figured out.

    psxndc

    btw, DC ($150) + one game ($50) = good DVD player for $100? Please.

  • Re:Let consoles die a quick painless death. (Score:3)

    by Malc ( 1751 ) on Thursday September 28, 2000 @07:46AM (#747423)
    I want a console because it's more social than a computer. The console will go in the living room where I can sit round with my friends and have a laugh with them, in comfort. I don't want a computer in my living room, and I don't have enough money to set up another room with the social features for playing games on my computer.
  • I'm not so sure - I don't know what goes in the guts of a consoles, but from what was said about Cell Phones and MP3 players, there have been widespread shortages for D/A chips and DSP chips. A Playstation would have to have some kind of D/A converter, just to create an analog video signal. I find it hard to believe that Sony makes their own general purpose chips, since the economy of scale would suggest that it would be cheaper to use off the shelf chips used by a variety of manufacturers, so, no, if Sony uses any third party chips, I don't think they can dictate how many PS2s get made.
  • And no, you won't impress many chicks with a new gaming console, try a Miata instead.

    Don't worry guys, there are girls out there who are impressed by a new gaming console. My wife has eight console systems connected to the television right now, has two handheld systems, had her pre-ordered PS2 paid off months ago, and is eyeing the Dreamcast now that it is gaining some RPGs. In fact, one of her favorite Valentine's Day gifts was Zelda64 the console on which to play it. They're out there guys, and for the record, they're not too fond of Miatas.

  • They're far from the fastest things on the road (124bhp, ~2100lbs), but that's not what they're about. They're all about style and fun. Just like the old MG B's and Midgets, but 1000x more reliable.

    Like he said: A miata? C'mon.

    psxndc

  • I love how people post anonymously with nothing decent to say. Want to give examples? Reasons? Or can I just conclude based on my experiences that you couldn't afford the game and got upset watching someone else play it? Come on - flames are fair game, but put your name to it or back it up with something! Where, oh where, are the good trolls? The ones who really stir the shit up? That is the most pathetic, worthless excuse for a flame I've ever read. Come on, you can do better!

    Wow, now this really is flamebait!

  • never played Rock and Roll racing, but played all the Top Gears (I,II&3000) and Top Gear 3000 rocked! I'm not sure I've ever been as fustrated as when turbo jumping a fule pad. (worst thing you could do in TG 3000)

    It was the secret bonus system/upgrades and the great head to head play that kept you coming back.

    Haven't had that much fun since EA's Racing Destruction set for the C64.

    -Peace
    Dave

  • PS/2 is the latest and greatest from IBM! noone has licensed it, and it will soon use OS/2! This is the product that will return IBM to market dominance! It uses lots of exclamation points, too!

    oh, wait; no slash . . . :)
  • I saw the title and immediatly thought why would anyone want to get an IBM PS/2 now?
  • me and a large tekken fanbase ( www.tekkenzaibatsu.com [tekkenzaibatsu.com]) have been waiting for Tekken Tag Tournament for a while now.. that's why I will buy one, if the price goes down... yeah, Metal Gear Solid 2 is also supposed to be really awesome.

  • PS2 (Score:1)

    by nigelb0 ( 234670 )
    If people are really after a PS2 that much, so much so that they need to have one in the first week, maybe they should have dished out that bit extra for a Japanese version. I live in the UK, it won't be released over here until the end of November. If I end up getting one it won't be until the new year. I agree about the Zelda comment, the N64 still has a little life in it yet.
  • If you ever get bored, download an SNES emulator and some ROMS and have some fun... you will discover that it was the best console ever.

    I don't think it compare to the original NES. Sure, the SNES is better, but it's an evolutionary leap better than the NES. The first time I saw a NES game (Zelda?), I was floored. I just couldn't believe it, and I knew I had to have one. Man, I whined for months about that to my parents, mowed what seemed like a million lawns, harassed neighbours to let me wash their cars- I didn't care, I had to have it.

    Josh Sisk
  • I really dont understand I have friends doing the same preording a console for a single game that isnt even due out until Sept of 2001...and after the inevitable delays probably 1st quarter 2k2.
  • DAMNIT! I just did a quick search and found a release date of 1/1/2001 from granturismo2000.com and 1/17/2001 from toysrus.com...

    Why do they have to tease me like this??? :-(
  • Ridge Racer V will be a launch title though and listed as PSMs (sorry, in the mag, no link) Top 5 must have PS2 games (others were SSX, Tekken Tag, Summoner, and Dead or Alive Hardcore).

    psxndc

  • Dont you need to have electricity first?
  • The killer game for the PS2 so far is the DVD player. Apparently they've caused a real surge in demand for DVD video discs in Japan due to this being an affordable DVD player (and somewhat able to play out-of-region discs). Until the PS2, there was no ultra-cheapie DVD player like we have in the USA with the Apex, Oritron, etc. players.

    PS2 games are selling in Japan in a lot less quantity (in terms of the ratio of games sold to machines sold) than Sony would like. And since modern game systems are sold very close to cost (being the razor handles), and all the profit is made in manufacturing the games (the razor blades: proprietary format, monopolistic manufacturer, or why else would we have triple-edge razor blades after all these years? fresh patents!), this is not a good thing for Sony.

    Since DVD has already become well entrenched in the USA, and we already have plenty of cheap crappy (and hackable) DVD players, we don't need the PS2 to for that.

    Nintendo got it right when they decided not to pay the $20 per unit licensing fee to the DVD consortium for the N^3. Why confuse customers with a half-assed DVD player when you can concentrate on making a good game system without strange hard-to-program hardware? (Anyone remember the Atari Jaguar? Like the PS2, it also had "wierd" hardware that was difficult to write code that could use it to the maximum potential.)

    About the only thing you can rely on is playing most (but not all) PS1 games, so the customer droids won't mindlessly sell them off all their old PS1 stuff simply because they can't comprehend the idea of owning more than one game system at a time. And if they're playing used games... then Sony doesn't get to sell new blades! The difference is real razor blades wear out, but CD-ROMs don't.

    Personally, I think most of the PS2 sales are going to be blindly on the hype of being the hottest latest thing. Little Johnny wants it because all the hype makes it sound like the most shining golden heaven thing in his current world. Little Johnny's consumerism-brainwashed mother will do everything she can to get one so her son won't grow up with a horrible inferiority complex just because he didn't get some stupid game system on its release date and then grow up to knock off liquor stores and go to jail.

  • I was one of those mac owners. I remember buying marathon and installing the 4 floppys. It still wasn't as huge a leap forward as quake was.

    Single player Marathon was second to none in its day, but the extensability of Quake made it the king of multi player.

    LK

  • Comment removed (Score:3)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Thursday September 28, 2000 @07:12AM (#747448)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • Is there a killer game for the PS2?

    Yes:

    Metal Gear Solid 2: The Sons of Liberty.

    Plus, Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy XI, the next Oddysee game, etc, etc.

  • What is Sony's aim with the PS2? To be THE platform of this generation of consoles as the PS was to the N64, Saturn generation. To achieve this aim it needs to sell lots of machines and convince the good developers to get titles out for it. If Sony could meet (as I personally am sure they would have been able to) the full demand for PS2 for Christmas then there will be a very saturated market instantly. If they cannot meet the initial demand they get publicity for this (demand outstrips supply), then they get people interested in seeing the PS2 and all the games that have been released (people buy more games because they actually have a PS2 to play them on) so that when the stocks start to come back in they will be more likely to sell more games with each unit (if I'd been waiting 2 months watching my mates playing their PS2 I'd be a lot less likely to buy it with only 1 game). End result they have a publicity boost (just to be sure everyone knows about it), followed by constant sales stream with an initial unnatural boost of games sales (where the real money is and what the developers want to see). The only downsides are that they have to wait a bit longer for some money on the hardware (the units they didn't sell before Christmas) and that their main resellers can't have the same Christmas boom but Sony wouldn't care about this because all they want is year round strong sales of games.

    "PS2, not just for Christmas"

  • READ THE ARTICLE!

    It says the following at the end:


    After the 500,000 units available at the U.S. launch date, Sony estimated it would be able to supply 100,000 units per week to the U.S. market.
    . . . . . . .

    The company anticipated shipping 1.3 million PlayStation2 units in North America through the winter holiday season. It said it would have 26 software titles available at launch time, rather than an originally expected 15 titles.


    So, by Xmas, there will be just as many units as originally planned and nearly twice as many titles.

  • I will agree that this is all part of Sony's marketing hype to make the PS2 seem like it was molded from a single piece of gold but we all have to remember back to the original playstation. Back when the original playstation came out in the states the first generation model had a very easy way to bypass the region lockout. "Swaptrick" was what it was called. After this first batch of around 2 million units was produced (serial number on the swaptrick playstation's was U58XXXX-XXXX) Sony caught on to this swap trick and they disabled it for future versions. This certain playstation was a hot item before a modification chip was developed. Since this was around 94-95 when internet was just starting out it was hard to find one of these playstations so import shops were selling it with a $100 markup. So what I think sony is trying to avoid here is having a widly released first generation in America. Cause you know how much Americans love their piracy and illegal importing!
    After someone eventually cracks the protection scheme allowing for playing of imports (something that sony doesnt like) which will inevitably be within a month or two. They will change the system to close the security hole. SO HURRY AND BUY A FIRST GEN PLAYSTATION AND MARK UP THE PRICE!
  • The PS2 uses Rambus (kinda figures, Sony embraces new, unproven technology like a straitjacket on a psychopath). Does the Rambus boycott factor into this at all?

  • Mind you, who finds the timing of this just a little suspect? A couple of months before the solstice-oriented holiday rush, people are told "oops, we're going to be short some units". (Implied: "better buy early".)

    Just a thought, but I'll be watching to see if there's a miraculous appearance of components just in time to meet the end-of-year demand.

    -TBHiX-

  • Cabbage Patch Dolls (Score:4)

    by mayonaise ( 29272 ) on Thursday September 28, 2000 @07:15AM (#747474)
    The same story [dailyradar.com] at the Daily Radar mentions that this could be like the Cabbage Patch Dolls situation. It could be a smart marketing ploy to peak demand quickly, and continue it when it turns out that there isn't a shortage.

    I'm don't buy that theory though, although i'm not dismissing it either. There is some sort of an electronics parts shortage, so that could very well affect Sony's production. I'm not a manufacturing engineer-type person, but i would've thought that Sony would have secured the amount of parts they needed to meet their desired output.

    In any case, I'm guessing this will peak the demand for them - pre-orders will be flying out of the door. I, being a poor college student, will hold out until the price lowers. Justin

  • Is this a surprise? (Score:4)

    by bfree ( 113420 ) on Thursday September 28, 2000 @07:16AM (#747477)

    Every console release I have ever seen (at least of consoles people want) has always had these stories before their release. Here in Ireland we always get REALLY screwed as the UK is always short and anything around ends up there first.

    Imagine Sony had all the PS2's required to satisfy the Christmas demand, there would be no mystique or charging over to your friends to see his. This is all about fueling demand for the PS2 and ensuring no-one bitches about the initial price-point. Once the Christmas rush is gone (with the stories of how Joe Schmoe payed $1500 for a PS2 for little Joey), we will still see stories of the first PS2's arriving and then a bit later about how the shortage still isn't quite over and all the time Sony will be rubbing their hands with glee as the false demand will ultimately allow them sell more devices.

    Bottom Line: I don't believe for a minute that Sony could have any problems producing the numbers they would like to have, they have a lot of money and have had plenty of time to prepare themselves.

  • Well at least this playstation [fossettchallenge.com] will meet it's delivery date [therace.org].

    -- Greg

  • I got a call last Saturday morning from Electronic Boutique. I had preordered, and they told me that Sony wasn't going to make demand. They told me that to guarantee my PS2, I would have to go down there and pay in full. So, duh, that's what I did. I'm like #20 on their list. They were originally expecting about 400... I hope they can handle 20.

    As for Killer Apps, I think GT2000 will be really nice (although not in time for release), and there are a bunch of other nice ones.

    A supliment to the CNet article is found at Daily Radar [dailyradar.com].


  • You do realize that getting a Dreamcast would cost me roughly half of what I paid for my video card?


    --

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