The EA online strategy debate thread (1 Viewer)

[Robin Banks]

Did anyone notice that Sony stated a 98% profit loss last quarter! The PS2 is now losing money!!

In my opinion, the PS2 is dead. The last game that I bought for the PS2 was GTA Vice City when it came out. How long ago was that?! Everything I buy now is for the XBox.

EA and Sony need to wake up! There is no way that I will pay a fee just to play one company's games. Flat fee across the board or no money from me!!

Peace!

 

[BrianB]

Sony officials acknowledge that fiscal 2002 profits were partly a fluke, bolstered by the blockbuster movie "Spider-Man".... Profits in the video game sector, which had been Sony's star division with hefty profits until recently, slid 31.6 per cent to ¥ 1.8 billion from ¥ 2.6 billion, while sales edged down 18.2 per cent to ¥ 125.2 billion from ¥ 153 billion.

Yeah. The PS2 is losing money.

 

[Romier S]

In my opinion, the PS2 is dead

I've got 53 million reasons its not.

 

[Keith Frederick]

I think more appropriate wording would have been, "The PS2 is dead to me," which is what he meant. I don't own a PS2, so it has always been dead to me. But I'm finding this sentiment more an more lately. More than anything, the better Xbox does, the more honest Sony will have to be, and the more supportive EA will have to be. Both of which would be best for us all.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

The PS2 has already been successful enough that it doesn't matter if sales slump for 2 months.

And to be honest, when FFXI, or FFXII (if people are too wary of XI in America) comes out, then Sony will be rolling in the dough. It's games like the FFs that made the PlayStation brand.

 

[Calvin Watts III]

And to be honest, when FFXI, or FFXII (if people are too wary of XI in America) comes out, then Sony will be rolling in the dough.

Yeah, maybe if they give away the hard drive. Otherwise - it's not gonna sell as well as you think. FF or no FF. (unless the hard drive is really cheap - $50 or less).

 

[JamesH]

I don't think the PS2 is dead yet. It's the only system with the install base to support niche games like Pengel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and Gitaroo Man.


However, I do see it lagging in terms of AAA games. The last REALLY good PS2 game I can remember buying is Guilty Gear XX(or did Amplitude come out after?). Xenosaga was supposed to be HUGE, especially for an obsessive Xenogears fan like me, but it was an absolute flop. There hasn't been anything compelling on PS2 this year, whereas Xbox has two games I'd put in my top 20 all time(panzer, KOTOR). I don't really like the PS2's upcoming lineup either. Metal Gear, Silent Hill, and a decent amount of solid supporting games just don't cut it for me anymore.

Between now and Christmas, I estimate I'll get 6-7 PS2 games. I estimate I'll get close to 20 Xbox games, although to be fair, a few of them will also be on PS2. I guess the PS2 could be looking a bit deadish, but then again, I don't see excellent but limited appeal games like Gradius V or Dynasty Tactics 2 coming to the Xbox.

 

[Damien]

I try not to have a bias for any console, but if you strictly talk about 2003 and PS2 dead, I have to say what rock are you under. Amplitude, Dark Cloud 2, Zone of the Enders 2, guilty gear xx, ape escape 2, and ncaa 2004 are very solid titles. None of them overall can stand up to the AAA status of KOTOR and WW, but they do exist. Every system has flops as well(brute force, wario world...ok games by great companies), it just isn't only ps2.

 

[paul h]

This thread seems to have wandered a little off track.. saying the PS2 is dead is ridiculous, its still consistently selling approx 50,000 units a week in japan alone. The new Castlevania game itself is worth having a PS2 for

As far as EA are concerned they're in the business of making money and they don't want to share any with Microsoft. Seems pretty straight forward to me.

 

[JamesH]

What does Sony selling systems halfway across the world have to do with the long standing software drought? Sales mean nothing to me, I want GAMES.

Amplitude, Dark Cloud 2, Zone of the Enders 2, guilty gear xx, ape escape 2, and ncaa 2004 are very solid titles. None of them overall can stand up to the AAA status of KOTOR and WW, but they do exist

Considering that we're already 7 months into the year, that's a pretty paltry lineup for the big bad market leader. I'm not saying those games are bad, as GGXX is my favorite fighter, I like amplitude, and I intend to get ape escape and ZOE when they drop in price, but they're not enough.

When I(and possibly the others but you'll have to ask them), refer to the PS2 as being a bit on the dead side, I don't mean dead as in no longer a viable system, I mean dead as in it's currently sitting in the corner collecting dust and will continue to do so in the forseeable future.

 

[Damien]

Considering that we're already 7 months into the year, that's a pretty paltry lineup for the big bad market leader.

Well as far as exclusive(non dc/pc ports), the other 2 aren't any better.

 

[paul h]

Ok fair enough but no way is it just the PS2 that has lacked blockbusting titles.. apart from Zelda and KOTOR which is taking up most people's social life at the moment what other console exclusive AAA titles have been released on any console in the past few months?