Did SONY really win the console war?

[jkam]

I realize that Sony has sold the most consoles but is this because people have bought 2 to 3 consoles due to breakage? I was just thinking about his today....thoughts?

[AdamInPlaidum]

Um...yes, they definitely won this generation. However, it wasn't a convincing enough victory to shoe them in for next generation. I think there is still a fight to be had.

[willardhaven]

I kind of agree... My friend has purchased 4 ps2s (one japanese) 3 due to DREs. I recently told him about the repairs, but he's lazy like me.

I think you have a point, I wonder what the sales would have been like if PS2s were as reliable as Gamecubes.

[MaxBiaggi3]

it wasn't a convincing enough victory to shoe them in for next generation.

This generation and last generation together make for a fairly convincing shoe in next time. The hype man cometh. . .

[_heretic]

it wasn't a convincing enough victory to shoe them in for next generation.

This generation and last generation together make for a fairly convincing shoe in next time. The hype man cometh. . .

I don't think they will dominate just because their last two consoles beat everyone else. Just look at where Nintendo was with the NES and SNES. They pretty much assumed they would be at the top of the video game market with the N64, but the Playstation gave them a lot of competition, even though it was Sony's first game console.

Ultimately, these "console wars" are up in the air right now. There is no real way of saying who will win.

[delahappy]

I had a ps2 but wen i bought a box I sold the ps2. I now have 3 boxes and would never consider going back to the ps2.

[AdamInPlaidum]

it wasn't a convincing enough victory to shoe them in for next generation.

This generation and last generation together make for a fairly convincing shoe in next time. The hype man cometh. . .

I don't think they will dominate just because their last two consoles beat everyone else. Just look at where Nintendo was with the NES and SNES. They pretty much assumed they would be at the top of the video game market with the N64, but the Playstation gave them a lot of competition, even though it was Sony's first game console.

Ultimately, these "console wars" are up in the air right now. There is no real way of saying who will win.

Personally, the only reason I don't think Sony isn't a shoe-in is because the Xbox has very much become the "cool" console. And with it supposedly coming a year earlier, I think Sony and Nintendo are both going to have to work hard to get people to buy theirs. This upcoming generation certainly looks like it is going to have the most difference between the consoles that there has ever been.

[cthcky33]

i dont see why people buy new ones when sony will fix the one they have for free

[Senaz28]

I don't think they will dominate just because their last two consoles beat everyone else. Just look at where Nintendo was with the NES and SNES. They pretty much assumed they would be at the top of the video game market with the N64, but the Playstation gave them a lot of competition, even though it was Sony's first game console.

Ultimately, these "console wars" are up in the air right now. There is no real way of saying who will win.

He who spends the most in advertising usually is the victor. The big 3 GC, PS2, and XBOX offer practically the same capablities minus the hardware differences. So yeah, it's definitely up in the air to me.

[BustaUppa]

I think this is the first generation to truly support THREE consoles at once. I'm really curious to see if anyone chokes in the next round. I hope no one does because then the market can continue to flourish.

And of course there will be a fresh battle between portables... some interesting times are ahead!

[Indiana]

Sony most definately holds the largest share of the market today. Next generation is going to require them to work much harder since Microsoft is going to launch first. Sony will have to deliver a system with the same or better capabilities since it is going to be released a year later.

[opportunity777]

The thing is that from one gen to the next it could all change, although I can't point to any specific examples where once the mighty have fallen that they actually rise up again to be #1.

It's hard to get back to the top when you fell from the #1 spot. Just ask people at Sega & Nintendo.

[SEGA128DC]

Well, Sony can't stay on top forever?...:-s

[Senaz28]

And with it supposedly coming a year earlier, I think Sony and Nintendo are both going to have to work hard to get people to buy theirs. This upcoming generation certainly looks like it is going to have the most difference between the consoles that there has ever been.

Wishful thinking. Sony and Nintendo will just follow suit by copying the success. You know everytime I pass the GC games and see them in the same size dvd cases as PS2 and XBOX I can only see the marketing ploy hard at work. Everybody, Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, and whoever else comes along wants a piece of the pie which happens to be in your wallet.

[phatbunbao]

i think the next gen consoles are gonna be extremely different from each other but from the looks of things nintendo is moving in the wrong direction the gamecube right now is too kid oriented and online capability went to shit they wuld have to have a gyrating sex hole or sumthing to get the adults back in

[evilmax17]

Yeah, I think they won this and last generations with the ps 1/2. That's not to discount the other systems, but Sony is definately in a different class than the others.

I hope they get derailed next gen.

[jkam]

i dont see why people buy new ones when sony will fix the one they have for free'

I think most people did this because as the PS2 got older it got more hardware revisions. Maybe they hoped it would last longer in the long run.

[willardhaven]

The only reason I don't want Xbox to win the next war is because the Xbox doesn't cater to my tastes... I prefer the platform/rpg/wacky/horro/adventure/strategy games that are abundant on PS2, and less so on GC.

Xbox is a great system, it's just not for me. Maybe I'm not into "adult" gaming.

[cdeener]

You can't really say that the war is over.

[RaekwonThaChef]

I had a ps2 but wen i bought a box I sold the ps2. I now have 3 boxes and would never consider going back to the ps2.

excellent avatar.

"...earth people; New York to California. Earth people, I was born on Jupiter..."

[Snake2715]

I realize that Sony has sold the most consoles but is this because people have bought 2 to 3 consoles due to breakage? I was just thinking about his today....thoughts?

Even if we took your example and divided the number of world wide PS2's (around 80 million) it would be 20 million sold.

Look at Cube and Xbox at 18 million and 20 million respectibly. Some of those systems have also broken, many more xboxes than cube but Sony is still in the lead.

YOu can tell just by software numbers alone.

[phatbunbao]

my brother has a secondhand store that sells mostly electronics and the only system that come in for repairs are playstatons and he has a mountain of them in the back room but he also cant get gamecubes to sell so he never keeps them in inventory

[jkam]

I realize that Sony has sold the most consoles but is this because people have bought 2 to 3 consoles due to breakage? I was just thinking about his today....thoughts?

Even if we took your example and divided the number of world wide PS2's (around 80 million) it would be 20 million sold.

Look at Cube and Xbox at 18 million and 20 million respectibly. Some of those systems have also broken, many more xboxes than cube but Sony is still in the lead.

YOu can tell just by software numbers alone.

I'm not doubting the lead I just doubt the actual numbers. As for the software sales I think that is mainly because the games become so cheap after awhile as compared to gamecube games.

[Alpha2]

the cheapness of the games is al up the the publisher, if they think they'll make more money and sell more units at a lower price they do it.

Games are the dominant figure to look at, developers see more cash in the PS2 and ultimately thats all you need to win the war.

Trying to put the blame on broken systems is a weak argument espcially since Sony fixes systems now, and even before that you had to be a special person to actually want to drop another 250 on a new system just because the one you have dosent work. If Mr. Moneybags wants to buy a whole new system I say let him.

[omegaweapon7]

what people dont realize is the game market is involving at insane rates, market size have atleast tripled since SNES times.

If games ever reach "dvd" market level, then 3 or 4 systems can be easily supported.

But yea, Sony won this round, mainly because of RPGs, Nintendo just don't learn...one or two games isnt going to pull any rpg fans away from ps2

[Alpha2]

Nintendo doesnt have the 3rd party muscle to out di the PS2's numbers in RPGs.

[Xtreme331]

Well i don't know how many people you know bought 2 or 3 consoles, but i know TONS of PS2 owners and not a single one of them has ever bought more than one. i do know because i've asked. Most of their problems were easily corrected with a simple fix.

As far as Sony dominating the next generation.... I don't know about that. I mean i love my ps2, but i also love my xbox and its a close call which one is better. the xbox generally has better graphics, but the ps2 arguably has better games. i don't own a 'cube, but with RE4, i am considering getting one.... sigh....

I think that EA games is going to buy out Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft and produce its own console, which will suck, but will totally dominate the market! :D God we can only hope not!

[PHaLaNX GTR]

If this was true, PS2 hardware to software "tie ratio" would suffer. But it doesn't. The PS2 tie-ratio is always higher than both competing systems. Google it, and see for yourself.

I'm also one of many people that has never had to replace or repair my PS2 since I got it (January after NA launch). I also don't know anybody who had to do either, neither.

Ever thought that maybe this notion is possibly a false one?

[XboxMaster]

I realize that Sony has sold the most consoles but is this because people have bought 2 to 3 consoles due to breakage? I was just thinking about his today....thoughts?


Holy fucking shit...I've never thought of that. Thanks for the best Xbox fanboy defense one can ask for. OMG! Now I know Xbox is definitely better. :D


/raises flame shield

[camoor]

i think the next gen consoles are gonna be extremely different from each other but from the looks of things nintendo is moving in the wrong direction the gamecube right now is too kid oriented and online capability went to shit they wuld have to have a gyrating sex hole or sumthing to get the adults back in

:rofl:


Super Mario Adventure 666 - finally you get the Princess!!!

Will there be multiplayer support...

[Alpha2]

Lan Orgy?



Also if the PS2 breakdowns affected extra units sold in a signifigant enough manner than so would the XB's Thompson drive fiasco Which means Sony still wins because they had the worse break down issue!

OH SNAP!

(I'm sure you can see how either way it's kinda a really lame argumen.)

[Pure Apathy]

I think Sony was winning all the way up until about year ago. I think the Xbox is starting to lead now.

*edit*
About the Sony consoles breaking, I've had a second generation PS2 since they first came out and have had no problems with it at all. I also have a fliptop mod on it.

[alongx]

It was said by I believe Larry Probst thatalthough this generation Sony clearly won, next generation it will be a close fight between Sony and MS, and he wasn't sure who'd exactly end up on top.

[Draccius]

Regardless of who "won," I think the clear victor is Microsoft in the long haul. When they came onto the scene they were a laughing stock and now look at them.

Nintendo got complacent in the handheld market and that will be an interesting, and VERY much needed, fight between them and Sony; but I think Sony is dropping the ball a bit against Microsoft.

I just hope Nintendo can get some third party development going for it or else I could see them going the way of Sega on the consoles, all the while keeping the Gameboy as its only system. It would be wrong to not have a Sega or Nintendo home console.

[dpatel]

If this was true, PS2 hardware to software "tie ratio" would suffer. But it doesn't. The PS2 tie-ratio is always higher than both competing systems. Google it, and see for yourself.

I'm also one of many people that has never had to replace or repair my PS2 since I got it (January after NA launch). I also don't know anybody who had to do either, neither.

Ever thought that maybe this notion is possibly a false one?

I agree. I have a few friends with Ps2's that have shown little problems. The reason it seems alot worse than it really is, is because the people with the problems try to make themselves heard. Normally people wouldn't say things like "OMG! MY ps2 is working perfectly!!", you only hear people complaining about "WTH is a DRE?!?" and "WHY can't I play teh blue disks". That's the same with all systems. It seems a lot worse than it really is due to the fact that people who are not having any problems have no need to comment on it. Also, there are many more PS2 owners than GC and xbox so the number of faulty ps2 COULD be about the same ratio as other systems, but the actual numbers would be much higher (just speculation, I have nothing to back it).

On topic: It was extremely smart of MS to be released first this time around. That is what gave sony a huge head start. Also MS isn't a new-comer this next gen so they will have the millions of xbox fans backing them up along with Halo 3(whever that is supposed to be released).

Sony and Nintendo are going to have a tougher time this gen. I can't wait to see how it turns out. I think Sony has enough ps2 fans to support the ps3. The main complaint with ps2 was that it's hardware was inferior. This will be opposite in the next gen so it'll be interesting to see if the graphic whores stay with xbox or jump to the next powerful machine.

I'm also realy wondering how "revolutionary" nintendo will be. If they do drastically change their console. It will either be hit or miss. I think they need it though. They should also try to stop straying too far away from the norm and try to get more 3rd party developers. Even though their 1st party games are fun, they aren't going to keep them alive forever.

[ItsTrueItsTrue92]

The only reason people bought Xbox is because it has better graphics and Halo. In the next generation, Sony will most likely have the best graphics (since they're coming out last), and will have the support of all the PS2 owners.

[PhrostByte]

I'm a PlayStation fanboy. Loved the PS1, loved the PS2. I've had 3 PS2's... I had a 30001R, a 50001, and the new one... 90001 (?). I sold my 30001R and all my games on ebay cuz I needed money (I miss Rez :(). But then, about a year later I bought another PS2. Recently, because of you wonderful CAGs and Cheapy's wonderful site, I traded my PS2 in for a PStwo, basically for free.

I've never had a problem with any Sony console... They've all treated me exceptionally well. However, this may be because I'm not an idiot with my hardware. I don't use the PStwo as a hockey puck or anything.

Anyway, I'm going to buy a PS3 most likely. The Xbox and GameCube both only have a few exclusive titles I'd be even remotely interested in. (Halo, Panzer Dragoon, Cubivore, Animal Crossing). While the PS2, on the other hand... has many.

[smellhasreturned]

Sony won this battle

but they havent won the war

[zionoverfire]

Sony won however the xbox has done a very nice job setting Microsoft up for the next round. It has in a very short amount of time created a strong base with the Halo series and the sucess of xbox live.

[dracula]

i am not going to purchase a new console for a long time(2007 or 2008 probably), i will wait for the new systems to drop in price and for the games to be cheap.
As for who won the console war? sony is definitely making the most money, look at all the 3rd party support they get, they get money from all the licensing fees.

[Dante Devil]

I happen to own all three systems, and my favorite is the XBox. The reason why I like it more than my PS2, is Xbox Live. This will be the factor (online) that will determine the winner in the next-gen console war.

I happen to think Sony won the current console war. The reasons I believe so are:
1. Its launch was successful.
2. It launched several months ahead of the others.
3. Popularity of PS1.
4. Backwards compatability.
5. Large library of games. It has a hell of a lot more RPGs than Xbox and GC combined.

These are just my opinions.

[Hereticked]

All this talk of hardware is ridiculous. As gaming hardware becomes more advanced, how "powerful" the system is will matter less and less.

The only thing that determines who wins a console war is who sells the most games. Who has the biggest/best selection and the most exclusive titles. The console industry doesn't even really make money off the sale of hardware units, they usually sell consoles at a loss and make their money on games.

From this generation, I own 83 PS2 games, 16 Dreamcast games, 14 Xbox and 10 Gamecube. And it should be noted that I'm very picky about what I buy. I don't just buy games because they're cheap or because they got a 7.0 or higher in the reviews. I know what I like and I plan my purchases carefully.

So did Sony win? Yes, in a landslide.


P.S. For the record, I bought my PS2 on launch day (Oct 26th 2000) and it still runs fine. If it had broken down by now though, I'd gladly have bought a second or even third PS2 unit. Why? Again.... THE GAMES.

[DesertEagleXIX]

An article in the LA Times today said Spiderman 2 couldn't help Sony. Business were down 5%, partially because of sagging video game sales.

Microsoft on the otherhand sold 6.2 million copies of Halo 2, and made $300 million on that game, helping them be in the black two years ahead of schedule.

[zombieman]

I believe that Sony has won the wars for this gen. I find it strange, my Xbox has already broken down, but my Playstation, with all the abuse I give it, is still running fine. Out of the four, I would say with my personal experience, Xbox, Dreamcast, Gamecube, then Playstation. I don't purchase a PS2 game unless I really have to. I feel that PS2 games have this inferrior quality when stacked against an Xbox or cube game. I can not explain it but I can just feel if a game is running on a PS2 or another system. or something like that. I was wrong about how this whole gen would turn out. At the beginning, I believed that the Xbox would suck and that the PS2 would win and the Cube would be second. At the end of it, I believe that MS has the best gaming experience to offer. Xbox Live is what really got me into the whole Xbox swing of things. Next gen I feel will belong to MS and the Xbox. They had done some realy great things to push the future of gaming and what it will take in the next ten years to win at it. Not only that but the $$ to back it up as well.

[dpatel]

An article in the LA Times today said Spiderman 2 couldn't help Sony. Business were down 5%, partially because of sagging video game sales.

Microsoft on the otherhand sold 6.2 million copies of Halo 2, and made $300 million on that game, helping them be in the black two years ahead of schedule.

You are comparing Spider-man 2 sales on ps2 to Halo 2 sales on xbox? Or just ps2 game sales in general. If business was down %5, how do you know what it went down to? You are comparing a percentage to number of sales.

[Hereticked]

An article in the LA Times today said Spiderman 2 couldn't help Sony. Business were down 5%, partially because of sagging video game sales.

Microsoft on the otherhand sold 6.2 million copies of Halo 2, and made $300 million on that game, helping them be in the black two years ahead of schedule.

Don't take reports on gaming from the mainstream media too seriously, they usually don't have a clue what they're talking about.

Even on Microsofts best week last year, Sony still occupied 6 slots of the top 10 :

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/charts.php?tag=int_us

[captaincold]

I personally base a system on how well the games sell not how many systems.

They have this HUGE installed base of systems but ALOT of well known and great games don't sell like they should.

I don't know the exact numbers but i think it's in the 30+ Million Usa Ps2's sold.

Imagine if the Xbox had 30+ millions systems when Halo 2 game out!!!!

[dpatel]

I personally base a system on how well the games sell not how many systems.

They have this HUGE installed base of systems but ALOT of well known and great games don't sell like they should.

I don't know the exact numbers but i think it's in the 30+ Million Usa Ps2's sold.

Imagine if the Xbox had 30+ millions systems when Halo 2 game out!!!!

Halo. Halo. Halo. Halo. Halo.

Part of the reason Halo sells so well is because it has little to compete with. When Halo 2 was released the only big name exclusive title it was competing with has KOTOR 2 (I think).

I do think Halo is a great game but I think it is overrated at times. People think it is 'teh 1337' because of how much it sold. Well when you look at the other xbox games it isn't as surprising why halo 2 sold better than most AAA titles that are on ps2 or GC. I think it would've sold less if Halo had been released on ps2 (lets just pretend that ps2 could handle it and no changes were made), just because ps2 had more variety of games for Fall 04 .

[Plumberboy]

I guess the real question is how you define victory. I know Nintendo got me to open my wallet much more often than SONY or Microsoft. My personal preference for the three consoles is GameCube, Xbox, and a distant third the PS2.

PS2 obviously dominates in regard to third party support and the volume sold, Xbox is the most powerful console, and while I know my opinion is in the minority, Nintendo continues to offer the most polished and most captivating software for my gaming interests.

So while the general public has thrown their support behind the PS2, the GameCube remains my platform of choice for this generation.

Looking to the future I believe Microsoft will be the overall victor in the next generation. Despite this belief there will be a spot reserved on the top shelf of my entertainment center for Nintendo's next console. As dpatel said above, depending upon how "revolutionary" Nintendo's next console is, it could be hit or miss. Either way, since it will be the only place to play the next Mario, Zelda, Metroid, etc., I will own it. The real battle for my gaming dollar will be between Microsoft and SONY for the right to sit on the shelf below Nintendo's next console.

With all that said, by most measurements, the PS2 easily won this battle. Even with multiple PS2s sold due to defects, you only need to look to software sales to know SONY has far more consoles in use than either Microsoft or Nintendo.

[Alpha2]

People seem to forget that the DC released first and had a lead time over the PS2.. we all know how THAT ended.


I think Sony's going to attempt the samething this time, wait for the others to release and then pound people with some snappy visual presentation that seems to run cirlces around the competition.

[dpatel]

People seem to forget that the DC released first and had a lead time over the PS2.. we all know how THAT ended.


I think Sony's going to attempt the samething this time, wait for the others to release and then pound people with some snappy visual presentation that seems to run cirlces around the competition.

DC seems to be the exception. It should've done well. It had probably the greatest launch titles, it was affordable (starting $199 while ps2 was $299), some of the greatest games even today.

Problems:
No DVD player (which was huge at the time), no enough marketing (sony easily beat them in marketing despite having a crappy launch), and the memory of the Sega Saturn. People were expecting the DC to be as bad as the saturn.

[postaboy]

I don't own a xbox/ or a cube. Why should I, I alreadly own a hardcore gaming rigs. I have Halo for PC, so yeah, their no need for me to own a xbox.

I got my PS2 on launch day (Oct 26th 2000). I play it through my high school years. After High School, I stop playing PS2 for about 1 years and half cause I got hooked on counter-strike. My mom and dad use my ps2 to watch dvd. I spend every money I got on my pc (over $2,000 on parts). After I quit cs due to poor grades, clan broke up) I came back to my Playstation 2 and right now, my PS2 still work fine. Im trying to catch up on all the rpg games I miss.

[DesertEagleXIX]

An article in the LA Times today said Spiderman 2 couldn't help Sony. Business were down 5%, partially because of sagging video game sales.

Microsoft on the otherhand sold 6.2 million copies of Halo 2, and made $300 million on that game, helping them be in the black two years ahead of schedule.

You are comparing Spider-man 2 sales on ps2 to Halo 2 sales on xbox? Or just ps2 game sales in general. If business was down %5, how do you know what it went down to? You are comparing a percentage to number of sales.

They were two artiicles side by side. One, was was about the general health on Sony (Not too good, the Spiderman movie couldn't help) and Microsoft's success with Halo2.

[ValkyrieVF-1S]

An article in the LA Times today said Spiderman 2 couldn't help Sony. Business were down 5%, partially because of sagging video game sales.

Microsoft on the otherhand sold 6.2 million copies of Halo 2, and made $300 million on that game, helping them be in the black two years ahead of schedule.

You are comparing Spider-man 2 sales on ps2 to Halo 2 sales on xbox? Or just ps2 game sales in general. If business was down %5, how do you know what it went down to? You are comparing a percentage to number of sales.

They were two artiicles side by side. One, was was about the general health on Sony (Not too good, the Spiderman movie couldn't help) and Microsoft's success with Halo2.

It also said that sales for the xbox is most likely going to be slow for the next couple of months or something like that. Then again I assume all the consoles are going to slow down, especially if xbox2 comes out at the end of the year.

[Pancake Rabbit]

yes...yes they did

[ProbesInRobes]

yes

[ElwoodCuse]

The Xbox numbers you are hearing lately are all carefully massaged by Microsoft's PR. Yes, the Xbox moved ahead of the PS2--in single-month sales, they will never beat Sony in this generation in terms of overall numbers. That's long been decided. Also, that "Xbox making profits thanks to Halo 2" is also short-term. They are making money lately, but over the life of the project the Xbox has still lost money. But, Microsoft can easily eat that loss and be happy because they certainly got their foot in the door.

[PHaLaNX GTR]

Well, the fact that Sony is having issues keeping PS2 available for purchase makes Xbox sales the winner by default for the last few months. Did Sony ever say why there is such a shortage? I'm surprised that it has gone on for this long.

[Alpha2]

One theory is that Sony is keeping the numbers low on the PStwo so that there arnt so many old units on the shelves when the PS3 hits but if that's not happening untill well into 2006 it seems a bit premature to me.

It's likely their plants are either very slow with all the retooling theve been doing in the last year or two for building PS3 and the PSP or there are other markets that they feel are more important to supply (probably due to haveing low distribution of the previous versions of the system).

[lordxixor101]

There are several ways to look at this.

From pure sales standpoint: Sony all the way. I also hate this argument. Most people haven't bought 3-4 consoles. Most haven't bought more than 1. This was an argument floated out there by that guy from Capcom, and it's stuck. But, I haven't seen any evidence of this. Just look at game sales. With the exception of Halo 2, most of the biggest sellers are on the PS2. This is clear evidence that Sony has the lead in consoles out there. If that argument was valid, then why aren't there more Cube and Xbox games near the top.

But, the best way to look at this is, who are the losers this generation? My thoguht, no one. Xbox has made tremendous strides this generation. Gamecube hung in there. Nintendo is losing market share each generation, but they are still strong. I don't see them dying out anytime soon.

[epobirs]

One theory is that Sony is keeping the numbers low on the PStwo so that there arnt so many old units on the shelves when the PS3 hits but if that's not happening untill well into 2006 it seems a bit premature to me.

It's likely their plants are either very slow with all the retooling theve been doing in the last year or two for building PS3 and the PSP or there are other markets that they feel are more important to supply (probably due to haveing low distribution of the previous versions of the system).

Mostly it was poor timing on Sony's part. For most of the year the supply situation is fine. They're doing a good job of keeping inventory levels low. Their shipments for the 3rd quarter of 2004 were half a million units higher than the previous 3rd quart in 2003. What exacerbated things was waiting too long to bring out the new model. This meant letting the stock drain out on the old model with the holidays approaching so they had a greater spike in demand than if they'd had a steady supply all along. By the second week of January all of the retailers in my region appeared to have ample supplies of PStwo.

I don't think there is anyone in the world who has opted to forever forego getting a PStwo due to a period of a few months when it was harder to find. Sony expects the PStwo to continue to sell well after the PS3 hits since it should drop to the long anticipated sub-$100 pricing that brings it within reach of many more markets. A lot of the ongoing PSone action is in the third world.

[epobirs]

The only reason I don't want Xbox to win the next war is because the Xbox doesn't cater to my tastes... I prefer the platform/rpg/wacky/horro/adventure/strategy games that are abundant on PS2, and less so on GC.

Xbox is a great system, it's just not for me. Maybe I'm not into "adult" gaming.

Publishers are going to follow the numbers. If Xbox becomes the dominant installed base then that is where the diversity of genres will appear.

[omicron]

Publishers are going to follow the numbers. If Xbox becomes the dominant installed base then that is where the diversity of genres will appear.

Well, it all depends on the games released in Japanese and their userbase. If they release 1000 PS3 games with diverse genres then more publishers would produce games for that system based solely on userbase, which in turn, means more games to choose from to translate to other markets.

[GuilewasNK]

Yes.

[epobirs]

Publishers are going to follow the numbers. If Xbox becomes the dominant installed base then that is where the diversity of genres will appear.

Well, it all depends on the games released in Japanese and their userbase. If they release 1000 PS3 games with diverse genres then more publishers would produce games for that system based solely on userbase, which in turn, means more games to choose from to translate to other markets.

Companies like Capcom are not going to follow a console company ina death spiral. They jumped from Nintendo to Sony when Sony offered them better conditions for publishing and increasingly abandoned Sega as the numbers kept going Sony's way.

The Sega Megadrive was an also-ran in Japan. It struggled against the PC Engine and then was trounced by the Super Famicom. It was only because of high sales in the US and Europe that the Sega Genesis, as we know it, was well supported. If you look at the import choices for the SNES and Genesis it quickly becomes apparent that there are vastly more Nintendo games that never had a US release than there are Sega 16-bit titles with no US version. A publisher could do well in Japan on the Nintendo and leave US publishing to licensees. Doing a Japan only game on the Sega was a risky venture and thus a rarer occurrance.

It all comes down to the numbers. If a future Xbox has the kind of numerical advantage the PS2 enjoys now the Japanese publishers will quickly get over their xenophobia.

[Dante Devil]

I realize that Sony has sold the most consoles but is this because people have bought 2 to 3 consoles due to breakage? I was just thinking about his today....thoughts?

Sounds like someone has issues. I've had my ps2 since launch. Not one problem. Not one stutter. PS2 is number one because it played DVDs right out of the box. Has the ability to play online (not as good as Xbox Live though). Has a tremendous library of games (number of RPGs on GC and Xbox are pitiful). Number of exclusive titles (Metal Gear Solid, Devil May Cry, Jak, Onimiusha, etc.)

[Alpha2]

I've said it once when the XB first came out and I'll say it again, and I'll say it again: No system has ever won the console war here without winning it in japan. That may be slowly changing but it wont have actually changed for a long time.

The xenophobia is something they've been cultivating for hundreds of years. M$ will have to work at being a lot friendlier to asian territories next gen.

[howlinmad]

I guess it depends on who you ask.
Sony failed to completely dominate, which is what they thought they would do from the start, in which case they failed and lost.

It's clear they are ahead of XBox and GCN, they have a head start in launch, and name. I know quite a few who have PS2, XBox, and GCN. Several of them are leaning more towards the XBox now....and they were once bigger on Sony than MS. Eventually, you just get sick of their crap.

The next gen is going to be very interesting. I can't wait to see how the three do and what they offer.

Nintendo has had it's niche market, and done very well with it IMHO. Personally I'd like to see them keep their stance on building a game console first and last, and not give in to the "it does a little bit of everything" way of thinking.

[whoknows]

PS2 has easily won the console war this generation.
I own all 3 systems and really fail to see my need to own an Xbox, Halo 2 is boring to me unless I'm playing at a LAN party, which I don't need my xbox for, and 6 out of 8 of my games are also on PC, and soon my PC will be able to run just about anything, so I will probably be selling my Xbox soon.

My GC has been giving me DRE's when I play RE2 or REmake but that seems to be it, which angers me since I mainly have a GC because of RE games, but I still love it because the other games on it and the new Zelda that will be coming out, and of course RE4.

My PS2 hasnt gotten any DRE's yet and I have had it for almost 3 years and play it most due to it has the most games I want on it (KZ, ZOE, MGS, etc etc).

I will probably be getting the PS3 because I am guessing it will have awesome 3rd party support again. As for Xbox 2 or whatever they want to call it it leaves the question of who is going to buy it. Xbox sold well because Halo and best graphics, Xbox 2 will only have Halo and will probably not be the most powerful system, so will people that care about graphics most stay with the Xbox? M$ still has a lot of work to do, and with the rumors of them making different versions of the Xbox doesnt make it look good to me.

I hope Nintendo also does well, because all the 1st party games they have on it, and they hopefully will keep it just a gaming console so more people can afford it and play games on it, not DVD's, and all the other crap they are putting on the PS3 and the Xbox 2. But as of now PS3 will be what I am getting first followed by the next Nintendo console.

[Dante Devil]

No system has ever won the console war here without winning it in japan.

I really have to agree with you on this point.

[Mook Williams]

it wasn't a convincing enough victory to shoe them in for next generation.

This generation and last generation together make for a fairly convincing shoe in next time. The hype man cometh. . .

I don't think they will dominate just because their last two consoles beat everyone else. Just look at where Nintendo was with the NES and SNES. They pretty much assumed they would be at the top of the video game market with the N64, but the Playstation gave them a lot of competition, even though it was Sony's first game console.

Ultimately, these "console wars" are up in the air right now. There is no real way of saying who will win.


Actually, the Genesis narrowly won its generation vs. the SNES. The SNES sales figures only surged ahead after that generation was over, and the Saturn and Playstation were released (Nintendo was stalling on the N64, and instead releasing Donkey Kong Country for the aged SNES).

So, Sony is the first company to win back-to-back generations. That is impressive. This generation was dominated by Sony . . . millions and millions of units ahead of second place.

[marmilin]

All this talk of hardware is ridiculous. As gaming hardware becomes more advanced, how "powerful" the system is will matter less and less.

The only thing that determines who wins a console war is who sells the most games. Who has the biggest/best selection and the most exclusive titles. The console industry doesn't even really make money off the sale of hardware units, they usually sell consoles at a loss and make their money on games.

From this generation, I own 83 PS2 games, 16 Dreamcast games, 14 Xbox and 10 Gamecube. And it should be noted that I'm very picky about what I buy. I don't just buy games because they're cheap or because they got a 7.0 or higher in the reviews. I know what I like and I plan my purchases carefully.

So did Sony win? Yes, in a landslide.


P.S. For the record, I bought my PS2 on launch day (Oct 26th 2000) and it still runs fine. If it had broken down by now though, I'd gladly have bought a second or even third PS2 unit. Why? Again.... THE GAMES.

Said all i could ever say in a nutshell.

Sony isn't the greatest company on earth, hell lets face it the PSP news of square button and knowing it etc they are Devils. I am more towards sony not because of fanboyism or anything like that just the games that are exclusive to sony are mostly great. Not all naturally, some are downright junk but Sony runs the biggest RPG Selection of the 3 and they have the biggest support from 3rd party software.

Now i will say that Gamecube has its ups in originality of games and such, but it only goes so far. It is too few to get the console sold to the masses. I sadly was hoping Xbox would be big, but i bought my Xbox around the day of Ninja Gaiden Release and I have lets say 16ish games now. Had well over 30, Xbox to me doesn't suit my flavor.

It has its potential of being great, but lack of RPG's and other sorts of games I play steers me towards Sony / Nintendo.

For next gen i'm probably not buying Xbox 2, PS3, or Nintendo Revolution or whatever until a year or so in. I have a backlog of games from hell to play as it is, and i really don't need to lay down 300+ on a system i won't get use out of.

That and as with all launch titles there is maybe 2 choice titles for the first year, then about a year - year and a half more choice start pouring in. Buying on launch to me is just a waste, not to mention launch consoles usually are riddled with problems.

Oh and btw, friend's uncle has a Launch PS2 and is still in great working condition. Runs perfectly fine, fast everything. If you base what you read off the net of negatives, compared to the amount sold you're going to assume the system is generally bad.

Granted PS2 repair threads are common, but thats just it, who is going to constantly say "My ps2 runs pristine!" all the time. People will post for help with their problems much less how great their system has been running. Just my opinions.