Which console do you *regret* buying?

DS I bought the day it came out played Mairo 64 DS then just played GBA games .. Got a PSP and never looked back.. I went and traded in my DS got a GBA SP and play that more than I did my DS.. I may get it again after a price drop and if some more games come out that I want ...

Other than that PS2 I dont regret but I play it the least and if I could have GT4 for the Xbox I would sell it ..
 
[quote name='electrictroy']You have a good point, but DVD wasn't that expensive in 1999. No more expensive than a *proprietary, non-standard, expensive* 1 gig CD-drive. That GD-CD probably wasn't cheap.

Plus, by choosing CDs, it also made it easier for pirates to rip & distribute.



A January 2002 Newsweek article I saved, comparing the DC/PS2/Cube/Box to one another. It lists stats, and it shows that DC was the #1 console at that time - 5 million versus the PS2 - 2 million.



You may be right. I don't know Sega's financial condition. I wonder why Nintendo seems able to market Cubes at ~$100 below the competition, and yet still have billions of dollars in cash reserves???

troy[/QUOTE]

The GD-ROM was just a minor variation on CD-ROM that took advantage of manufacturing improvements that had become standard since the first audio drive standard was created almost twenty years earlier. Those improvements made it possible to packa the tracks much closer together but be readable with an off the shelf CD-ROM mechanism. The secret sauce was in custom coding of the controller chip, which was an otherwise standard item.
http://mozcom.com/~sknkwrks/gdcontroller.html

Magnetic versions of this sort of trick had been applied in floppy drive for a long time before this was done by Sega. (I've never heard whether it was conceived inhouse or presented to them by an outside vendor.) This delivered a lot of extra capacity and hoped for piracy protection at almost no added cost.

The article you reference has some flaws. It treats the PS1 as no longer being a factor even though it was still moving a lot of new software and still growing both as the PSone and via the backward compatibility of the PS2. At the same time most retailers had eliminated nearly all software from earlier Sega platforms from their inventory. FFVII was still generating manufacturing royalties for Sony while Sega's third party library from earlier machines was no longer in the picture.

Nintendo has had a few thin quarters here and there when they were using up a lot of capital to bring new products to market, especially new platforms. But they always had a respectable cashflow situation from at least one source. For instance, during the transition from N64 to Gamecube they had the portable market effectively to themselves with Pokemon as a license to print money. Years earlier, the NES was still enjoying healthy software sales when the SNES launched.

By comparison, after many months with no active platform, Sega launched Dreamcast after many quarters of red ink and deeply in debt. Looking back, although they enjoyed strong loyalty from their fan base, Sega's period of healthy finances in the console business was short lived. They had a few years during the 16-bit era and that was pretty much it. Everything before and after was mostly struggle and some brief periods of near success.
 
[quote name='electrictroy']

You may be right. I don't know Sega's financial condition. I wonder why Nintendo seems able to market Cubes at ~$100 below the competition, and yet still have billions of dollars in cash reserves???

troy[/QUOTE]

The Gamecube sells for less because it costs a lot less to make. Many elements that Sony and Microsoft chose to pursue in their designs are not a factor in the GameCube. Where Sony saw fir to start bundling their modem/NIC add-on and later integrate it into the revised PS2, Nintendo still treats their support for such on the GameCube as an unloved orphan. LAN play on Mario Kart: DD may have sold more broadband adapters than any of the few online games for the GC. Nintendo had no secondary applications in mind when designing the GameCube and this shows in the lack unnecessary bits in the system.

The PS2 started life with DVD playback, which meant a greater investment in the system ROM, support for connections to home theater hardware (although the games benefit from this also), and the cost of the DVD playback license. (Since Sony is part of the licensing organization and in the DVD movie business the cost was reasonable for them.) Sony also chose to have a number of largely ignored features such as USB ports and originally a i-Link/FireWire port. Both of these required host controllers on the I/O chip and added a fair chunk of cost. There is also the second IDE channel for connecting a hard drive. This feature saw so little adoption it has been abandoned in the latest model, just as the FireWire port was lost from an earlier revision. (The host controller is still there in the chip but unconnected tot he outside world.)

The Xbox had a lot of cost tied to the short time frame in which it was developed. Being able to exploit their PC gaming expertise and codebase was the only thing that made it possible to produce a viable product in so short a time. It also meant doing things very differently than if they'd had time for a completely new design. Worse, not owning the chipset meant paying higher margins to Nvidia and not having the freedom to shop foundries for a better deal. And using an Intel CPU means paying for lots of features they don't use. The pared down and customized PowerPC CPU in the GameCube is far more cost effective.

The expense issue was anothe Dreamcast problem. The majority of the design was cost effective but the inclusion of the modem was a major mistake. It was a prime instance of the madness of the dot.bomb era. Offering it as an add-on would have been preferable since it would have been less of a loss and easier to downplay once it became apparent an online push for consoles was premature. It also would have saved a small fortune if Sega had stayed out of the ISP business.
 
I really don't regret any system purchases I've made because I generally think before I buy. I've come close to getting an xbox on several occasions but I know that there's only 2 or 3 exclusive games that interest me. The flashier graphics are nice but I can live with the PS2 quality graphics for multi-platform games.

I definitely don't regret buying my PSP but the jury is still out on that one. I'm in love with Lumines and HSG but 2 games is hardly enough to justify a system purchase (unless it's September of 1996 and that game is Mario 64). I thought E3 would be the unveiling of a billion PSP games but ... not so much. Oh well, I'll wait and see...
 
[quote name='electrictroy']



You may be right. I don't know Sega's financial condition. I wonder why Nintendo seems able to market Cubes at ~$100 below the competition, and yet still have billions of dollars in cash reserves???

troy[/QUOTE]

There is also a factor that Nintendo makes enough money off Hand helds (see GB GBC GBA) and there games that they can take a hit on the console I seem to rember reading some were when nintendo droped to 100.00 that there were taking hit on the cube but that money that make off just handhelds can keep them going for a long time..
 
It's very interesting to read through this thread and see some people who love the Xbox and regret their cube while others are the exact opposite.

Also interesting to see how so many people regret a current gen system purchase the most.

(I've already made a post earlier in this thread giving my answer to this question - N64)

I have an Xbox currently and my take is there isn't much reason to get a PS2 when you already have an Xbox (or especially vice versa) as a 2nd system I'd probably get a Gamecube for Nintendo's 1st party games, but the draw isn't large enough for me to spend much money on that.
 
The only system I regret buying was my GBA. I bought it to play FF:CC and Zelda 4 swords on my GC. I never use it much at all.
 
Gamecube and DS. I didn't regret my Gameboy SP as much because It was actually fun at some points with the castlevania games. The original gameboy Advance was a major dissapointment because you couldn't see the screen. the DS I sold but lost a good amount of money. The gamecube was especially dissapointing in the long run after super smash bros.
 
I'd have to say the 32X was the worst. I played the heck out of Star Wars 32x which was sweet but other than that it was a waste. I guess I thought more games would come out.

Right now the PSP is another. I got it with game store credit so I paid nothing for it really (THANKS TRU\EB) but I'm not sure I needed it. It is a beautiful system but it does feel very much a been there done that sort of thing. I'm actually trying to decide if I should dump it now or hold out for awhile.
 
[quote name='Zoglog']I didn't regret my Gameboy SP. The original gameboy Advance was a major dissapointment because you couldn't see the screen. [/QUOTE]I think it's interesting how people refer to GBA and GBA-SP as though they are different consoles.

They aren't really. They are the SAME console, just repackaged (like the PS was repackaged as PSone & PS2 became the Slim-PS2).

troy
 
I regret buying an Xbox. There were a couple of fun games on it, but most of them I could get cross-platform or on PC. Not to mention the damn thing crapped out on me.
 
i regret buying ps2 , no good exclusives and what exclusives they havew they put out a rehash every year wich a tiny upgrade ps2 might as well be made by EA
 
[quote name='electrictroy']I think it's interesting how people refer to GBA and GBA-SP as though they are different consoles.

They aren't really. They are the SAME console, just repackaged (like the PS was repackaged as PSone & PS2 became the Slim-PS2).

troy[/QUOTE]

They are the same console but it is completely understandable that someone would regret a GBA purchase but not a GBASP one due to the crappy GBA screen.
 
[quote name='javeryh']They are the same console but it is completely understandable that someone would regret a GBA purchase but not a GBASP one due to the crappy GBA screen.[/QUOTE]

That describes me exactly. I bought a GBA a couple months before the GBASP was announced. I've always regretted my GBA since I don't use it that much. But I really regret not waiting and getting an SP.

I also regret purchasing Golden Sun as my first GBA game. I don't know what all the reviewers were smoking, but that game is plain mediocre. There is nothing all that great about it, and after I bought it, I never understood why it got such good reviews.

On the other hand, FFTA has been in my GBA for 6 months now, and I still haven't finished it. It might be the last GBA game I ever play.
 
[quote name='javeryh']They are the same console but it is completely understandable that someone would regret a GBA purchase but not a GBASP one due to the crappy GBA screen.[/QUOTE] So they like the GBA, they just hate the screen. (Same way I like the N64, but hate the cartridge format.)



BTW, I made a mistake - I shouldn't call the GBA a console. It's a portable. I've never owned a portable. Simply put, I don't have time for "on the go" gaming. When I'm away from home, I'm busy with (a) work (b) shopping or (c) driving.

And when I'm at home, I'm not going to play a cheap portable. I'll boot up my full-sized consoles.

troy
 
Hmm, I would have to say the PS1, although I bought a lot of PS1 games, I bought the darn thing late in it's lifetime, two years later the PS2 came out and it was backward compatible, I should have waited and put the $130 toward the PS2. Another system I thought I could have saved on was the Sega CD. Although it did have some awesome games like an arcade perfect Final Fight, my favorite hockey game of all time NHL 94, and cult hit Snatcher. There just wasn't enough support for the poor thing. I think it would have faired better if an arcade perfect Street Fighter II came out for the system.
 
I've loved every system that I've ever owned.

Nintendo (Contra & Tecmo Bowl, plus my first console ever)
Sega +32x (NHL 93 and Madden 96, two of the best sports games of all time)
PSX (Final Fantasy VII, my introduction to RPGs, and a big jump in graphical quality)_
PS2 (Maddens and NCAA footballs, great)
DC (DOA and Soul Caliber, plus some other good fighting games and the NFL/NBA 2K series)
Gameboy (My only handheld device, Tetris was enough)

All of them provided different great moments in my gaming career. And I'm sure the PS3 will be added to this list whenever I get that.
 
Either N64 or GBA SP. The N64 I only played Mario 64 and a couple of rented games, and that was about it. I got it at launch too. :cry:

The GBA SP...I like it and everything, but I don't know why I bought a portable system when I have never had the urge to play a game when I wasn't home. Also it makes my hands cramp a bit (I have small hands too) even though it's much better than the original GBA. I'm glad I didn't pay full price for this, I used part of a gift card. When I think about it, I think I did the same thing with the GBC. I'll never learn.

I bought a Gamecube for Animal Crossing and ended up spending hundreds of hours on other games instead, like MK: DD, ToS, and Baten Kaitos. My PS2 is definetly my favorite system though, despite ToS being probably being my favorite game from this generation.

I'm surprised to see many PSP owners regretting their purchase, glad I never had the money to get one anyway.
 
Definitely an Xbox. It was basically DOA and Wal-Mart wouldn't take it back. But then again, I didn't waste money on a PSP either...
 
[quote name='MadFlava']Hmm, I would have to say the PS1, although I bought a lot of PS1 games, I bought the darn thing late in it's lifetime, two years later the PS2 came out and it was backward compatible, I should have waited and put the $130 toward the PS2. Another system I thought I could have saved on was the Sega CD. Although it did have some awesome games like an arcade perfect Final Fight, my favorite hockey game of all time NHL 94, and cult hit Snatcher. There just wasn't enough support for the poor thing. I think it would have faired better if an arcade perfect Street Fighter II came out for the system.[/QUOTE]

I've seen this sort of argument before but it's never made any sense. Why does the backward compatibility of the PS2 invalidate all of the use you got from the PS1 over two years? How much would you have spent to rent one for the amount of time you spent playing? Didn't you get your money's worth on that basis? Also, you had the option of selling the PS1 to reduce the cost of the PS2 while still having access to all of the software, or using it in a nother location or even making it a gift to someone less able to afford games.
 
I think the point MadFlava is trying to make, is that he should have done, what I did:

- Wait 1 year for the PS2 & its backwards-compatibility.
- Save $130.

I never played a PS1 game until 2001 (when I got the PS2). And you know what? They're old, but they're still fun. And I've got an extra $130 in my pocket.

I think that was MadFlava's point.

troy
 
I regret nothing!

But the system that gets the least amount of love is my PSP. I only have Metal Gear Acid and Untold legends. Basically it's just my flashy iPod!
 
The only one I can think of is the orginal GBA. Never could get good lighting solution and I was too cheap to upgrade to the SP. I assumed maybe I just wasn't a handheld person. (Had an Atari Lynx back in the day but ended up selling it.)

However, I now have a DS and absolutely love it. I play the thing all the time, so now I am a handheld fan. Even got a second one for my wife.
 
I am a sad retarded colletor so I don't regret any purchases. I regret stuff I passed up like the

virtual boy I saw at T'R'US for 15 bucks .

Passing up

panzer dragoon saga (current value 300$) I saw at ebgames for 30$ when it came out.

letting a girl borrow my snes with FF3 because she was crying.

(her mom still has it argghh..)

Oh wait I just remembered heh . I bought a gamecube for 250$ a week before it came out.

Now just wish I had sprung for the Q version with dvd player . It was neat.

I've been pretty good about passing up stuff I knew would be around.

paid 0$ for my ps2 it was one of those disc error models with free lifewarranty .

Someone gave it to me cause they didn't know any better.

OH WAIT BIG ONE ... THAT GOD &%% PS2 FFXI harddrive combo. SOB's I HATED FFXI...
 
everything nintendo (except SNES and NES)...im talkin my gameboy, gameboy color, n64 and gamecube (my advance saw some action :D!), i mean..everything was too kiddy for me on those systems, BUT i do have 2 admit , when they announced a good game, it was seriously worth the wait (RE4..umm..super smash bros melee..and uhh..wow thats all i can think of), but seriously,didnt like the systems too much :whistle2:\, not just cus of the games, but...i dont kno, just didnt like it
 
I really don't regret any of my system purchases. Looking back on it now, there are a couple of systems I bought new that I wish I would have waited for another price drop on. I'm sure I would have gotten roughly the same amount of play out of them a little later for $50 less. :cry:
 
I don't regret any of my system purchases, but I regret selling my GameCube rather than my PS2. PS2 just isn't my favorite this gen. Out of my DC, XBox, GameCube (when I had one) and PC, it probably gets played the least.
 
I sort of regret buying the n64, but only because of the odd timing in my case. I picked up a used one in 2003, because I didn't see myself getting a GameCube any time soon. I picked up a bunch of games including MarioKart, Smash Brothers, and Dr. Mario 64. Then a couple months later they dropped the price of the GameCube and bundled it with the the Zelda Collection, and at that point I couldn't resist buying it. So with games like SSB Melee and MK-DD (and, later on, the version of Dr. Mario in Nintendo Puzzle Collection) now available to me, it sort of made my recent n64 purchases obsolete.

It's still a good system though, and a lot of games still make it worth having IMO. But due to the unfortunate timing it's the closest I've come to "regretting" a console purchase.
 
My XBox - its only purpose is to be a DDR machine. But it does that really, really well.
I'm hoping Ninja Gaiden Black makes it a little more worthwhile, because Halo / KOTOR / GTA / Project Gotham Racing / Crimson Skies did not ring my bell at all. On the other hand: Burnout 3 was my best pal for a while.
 
[quote name='SpottedNigel']PSP...after the initial WOW factor with the screen and the graphics, the feeling of "Been there, done that" takes over in full force.[/QUOTE]

I don't regret buying mine, but I hear you. The only game that I have that truly interests me is Lumines, and even that gets old relatively quickly.
 
For us (my brother and I), it's definitely the PSP... we have 4 games for it: Wipeout, Twisted Metal, MG Acid, and Lumines- Lumines is the only game we've played for more than 10 hours... combined!

Other regrets:
Gameboy Color - To this day, I only have 5 games on it (I think)
Xbox - There were few standout and/or truely original games on it, most of the games were built on hype, and not on quality (Fable, Sudeki, etc.)
 
[quote name='Vinny']For us (my brother and I), it's definitely the PSP... we have 4 games for it: Wipeout, Twisted Metal, MG Acid, and Lumines- Lumines is the only game we've played for more than 10 hours... combined!

Other regrets:
Gameboy Color - To this day, I only have 5 games on it (I think)
Xbox - There were few standout and/or truely original games on it, most of the games were built on hype, and not on quality (Fable, Sudeki, etc.)[/QUOTE]

Exactly the same here! I have a Gameboy Color and I only have 5 games (zelda ages, super mario dx, game&watch, and other junk). I remember how the gameboy color got replaced by GBA which really ticked me off! I thought GBC would be staying for at least 4 yrs. Though I haven't gotten my xbox yet... Still waiting for it everyday like a wife waiting for her hubby to come home :D.
 
Magnovox CD-I. I spent so much money on this with the movie decoder and tried to like it. With the exeption of a few games, it sucked...
 
I imported a GBA when it first came out in Japan. I ended up selling it a couple months later. Besides that I find pretty good use out off all the systems I buy.
 
Well I would have said DS because it was impulse buy but now that I've tried the demo of Nintendogs and with Mario Kart on the horizon, I definetly take that back.

I'd say perhaps Genesis, yeah I know that goes back quite a while but it really just isn't as good as Super Nintendo.
 
PS2. I have absolutely no idea why I bought it (outside of getting a good deal on it). I already owned an XBox and quickly realized anything I wanted to play was on both systems with the XBox version being better. Fortunately was able to sell it right away to my younger brother, so no harm done.

Sega Saturn. For Christmas I could have asked for a PS1 or Saturn. My school of thought was "Sega won't fuck up AGAIN like they did with the Sega CD and 32X." Oops. Speaking of which:

Sega CD. After my "HOLY CRAP" reaction to seeing full motion video in a game wore off, I was enthralled with all of maybe 2 games for the system. Well, and Silpheed since it was the first console game I heard THE S-WORD in.

I'm always tempted to include Dreamcast here since Sega pulled the plug on it and left their supporters feeling like morons for supporting them still after all their previous screw-ups. Still, even though it had a short lifespan, it had the coolest lineup of games for any system I've ever owned.
 
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