Was using a DVD in the PS2 a mistake?

[electrictroy]

Should Sony have stuck with the smaller (and most importantly cheaper) CDs..... like Sega did?

troy

[PsyClerk]

Obviously not. Being able to use the PS2 as a DVD player back when the system launched was an important selling point (especially during the early months when PS2 software was lean). Plus so many games now need that extra space a DVD provides.

[bowmanarmy]

No, PS2 did good so they can fit a lot more on each disc.

[mkg12]

is this a joke question? Cause i don't see how using DVD's would be a mistake. If anything it seemed like a pretty good choice. They helped push the DVD format in Japan when it first came out. Just like they want to do with blueray now.

[gamemasterjd]

no no and no. Without expanding to DVD and eventually Blu-ray(300gb discs), the Playstation would have collapsed. Not upgrading would have limited the games to small environments and lower graphics. THe avg CD could only hold 700mb, while Dvd's can hold up to 8gbs. Thats a 10x+ difference. Also, if they had stuck with Cd's they would have to put them out in multiple editions. Imagine having to switch out discs like from FF7. Ultimately, if they did not upgrade Sony would have lost all sorts of consumers.

[Scahom1]

What everybody else said. How would you like FFX to be a 10 disc set? Plus I can't imagine DVD's costing a hell of a lot more then CD's cost, at least to companies like Sony.

[epobirs]

It was a different set of conditions for Sony than Sega faced. For starters, the cost of the drive mechanism was a good deal lower when Sony started PS2 production. Sony is one of the contributors to the patent pool and specifications that define the DVD standard. They had everything to gain from promoting DVD both as a video format and a software delivery medium.

The PS2 could have slogged along with CDs. Quite a few PS2 games are on CD. (It's indicated on the game package.) But it would have meant having several discs on many titles. On something like a Final Fantasy it wouldn't be too bad since the prgoression is pretty linear and once you're done with a disc you won't need to switch back to it. But a lot of other large games would get into a lot of shuffling without a hard drive. GT4 is a good example. According to HDLoader it's 6 GB. The GTAs would also run into disc shuffling.

So it wasn't make or break but the time was right to switch formats. DVd was already well established with prices coming down steadily but lagging behind the US for rate of adoption in Japan. Making DVD playback a standard PS2 feature soon fixed that.

[Rozz]

I think Sony should have made a cartridge based system instead. ;-)

[Kaijufan]

no no and no. Without expanding to DVD and eventually Blu-ray(300gb discs), the Playstation would have collapsed. .
A duel layer single sided blu-ray disk is only 54 GB.

[AlbinoNinja]

uhh... I was gonna post my opinion... but the... OP's... avatar... sidetracked... me

[Apossum]

Should Sony have suck with the smaller (and most importantly cheaper) CDs..... like Sega did?

troy


Oh yeah! Definitely! In fact, if i had it my way, it would've used cassettes instead.

[y2jrevolution]

Should Sony have suck with the smaller (and most importantly cheaper) CDs..... like Sega did?

troy

They should have suck?

[62t]

The cost difference between a CD and DVD is about $.30~40, so it wont be much of a saving. Also the PS2 can have CD for smaller games.

[cheezhead430]

the ps2 can still use CDs but nobody does cuz then they would need four or five for one game which would suck

[zewone]

Next your going to be saying they should have used cartridges. :roll:

[javeryh]

Sony should have invented a different storage medium that is neither cartridge nor disc based - like sandwiches or something. Then one dude would say "FFX can fit on only 3 slices of ham." And someone else could respond and say "don't be such a ham fanboy - everyone knows roast beef holds just as much info." And then the first guy could say "yeah, but that's without the rye bread and spicy mustard." Think about it. The world would be a better place.

[jlarlee]

Its the only way I could convince the wife to drop $300 on it. it is also the main reason Sony was the first to get my gaming dollars this generation. It is such a one-sided argument that I can't even play devil's advocate and argue your side of it.

[epobirs]

Sony should have invented a different storage medium that is neither cartridge nor disc based - like sandwiches or something. Then one dude would say "FFX can fit on only 3 slices of ham." And someone else could respond and say "don't be such a ham fanboy - everyone knows roast beef holds just as much info." And then the first guy could say "yeah, but that's without the rye bread and spicy mustard." Think about it. The world would be a better place.

The new panini format is so much more effective. It's going to take over everything, just you wait and see.

[jkam]

Sony should have invented a different storage medium that is neither cartridge nor disc based - like sandwiches or something. Then one dude would say "FFX can fit on only 3 slices of ham." And someone else could respond and say "don't be such a ham fanboy - everyone knows roast beef holds just as much info." And then the first guy could say "yeah, but that's without the rye bread and spicy mustard." Think about it. The world would be a better place.

MMMmmmmmmm sandwhiches.....I guess saves could be stored in the mustard or mayo.

DVD in the PS2 was a good move. No questions there. The better question is will Sony be able to pull it off again with the PS3 and Blu-Ray.