Xbox vs PS2 - the online battle! (1 Viewer)

[Woo Jae]

Err--- My ps2 adapter has both broad and "narrow" band connections on it. Mind you, since I have broadband, I use that connection, but I don't see why the PAL Network adapter would be different.

Sorry that your region seems to get the shaft in game releases though - since almost the C64.

 

[JoshF]

But I sincerely hope no one is trying to make Sony out as the victim here. There finally getting a taste of there own medicine by a company that has the resources and the pockets to stay in the game for the long run.

Agreed, and what's really interesting is that both Sony and Microsoft tend to take others' ideas and make them better rather than come up with their own designs. The big, sad irony is that companies like Sony and Microsoft are beating the industry's innovators and creative godfathers Sega and Nintendo.

In the end, though, all this competition is assuring us that the next generation of hardware is going to rock and my addiction will continue well on into middle age.

 

[Romier S]

Sony Computer Entertainment UK has today announced that during the month spanning Thanksgiving and Christmas, the PlayStation 2 broke all of the sell-through records in its history for both hardware and software in Japan, North America, and Europe.
After the summer of 2002, SCE increased its monthly production of PS2 consoles to over three million units and sold no less than 6.5 million units in the peak selling season of 2002, compared to five million during the same period in 2001. In the UK, PS2 sales increased by an impressive 12% in 2002, officially making it the biggest year for Sony Computer Entertainment since the PlayStation debuted in 1995.
"Considering 2002 was also the first year that two new competitive formats launched against PS2, we take great pride in the fact that not only have we seen this increase in sales but also are on track to exceed our own sales forecasts," said Ray Maguire, managing director of Sony Computer Entertainment UK. "Along with phenomenal sales of hardware, GTA: Vice City and The Getaway--both PlayStation 2 exclusives--became the fastest selling video games in the history of the industry and both dominated the charts for the Christmas period." Maguire continued, "It is remarkable to think that in just over two years we are half way to achieving what PlayStation did in seven years."

The PS2 is a MONSTER of a success.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I personally like seeing the competition between the 2

IMO, competition is stuff like low prices and must-have exclusive titles, not badmouthing one console about things that matter very little to it's purpose.

 

[Bill Griffith]

My statements concerning the Apple and sony releation were touched upon in your response(And my statement was purely opinion based, since it had to do with the future, and nothing happening right now)

First how can you agree or disagree if you don't understand something.

My statement stemed form the idea that apple in many ways, in the begining and maybe even today (Not sure since I don't follow apple any more) had a far superior design and program base than the one Microsoft was peddling. Yet microsoft ended up dominating the market. the statement had nothing to do with present figures on market share or hardware revenue. It mearly has to do with the fact that microsoft has deeper (way deeper) pockets than Sony does. And if history is any sort of sign, the ability to dominate in a market even if there competitor has a superior product. The fact that sony has a greater market share (IMO) will only last so long, especially if Microsoft continues to plan ahead slightly better than the competition.

Granted the analogy might have been confusing, but I'm an engineer, I knew what I ment, so I didn't explain it well enough :b .

I only got hooked into broadband 1 year ago. But alot of my friends already had it. There were jokes and all sort of Dark age comments. I thought they were all funny, because I wanted Broadband I just 1 couldn't aford it, and then when I could get it, it wasn't available. I still thought all the jokes were funny though. So to all yall complaining about being made fun of because you still have Dial Up, get used to it. Its not your fault so don't take it personally.

 

[Edan W]

Part of the problem may lie in the fact that it is too comfortable for them. There are plenty of instances in business where companies with overwhelming market shares in specific industries eventually became non-factors because they got complacent.

In fact I can think of a great example from my own experience. The company I work for had been *the* dominant player in a particular industry for over a decade now with over 70% of the market share in that segment. We had such a lucrative, comfortable position that after awhile we discounted our competitors, even potentially formidable ones. Well we're going to have to kiss most of that market share goodbye this year because one of those discounted competitors has developed a better product and is currently in the process of taking all our business.

I'm not saying that this is necessarily going to happen to Sony and I'm not saying that there is any current statistical evidence pointing to their ultimate demise in the console business. But, they obviously have some formidable competition and they had better stay on their toes and remain aggressive if they want to keep their industry leading position. The fact that they have 60% of the market now is great but it isn't any guarantee for the future.

 

[JoshF]

Edan, I don't think anyone is going to disagree with that, myself included.

However, the subtext of your message seems to be that Sony isn't doing what they could or should to maintain that dominance. All sources indicate that their lead is in fact growing and that they *are* "staying on their toes and remaining aggressive."

I'd be heartily surprised if the guys at Sony were chillin' with their feet on their desks in a complacent, victorious ball scratch.

I'd be even more surprised if they came up with some Xbox-bashing ad.

But, hey - the gaming world is all about surprises, right? Whoda thunk we'd be discussing Sony and Microsoft videogame consoles 10 years ago with Sega and Nintendo nowhere to be found in the discourse?

 

[Iain Lambert]

Err--- My ps2 adapter has both broad and "narrow" band connections on it

Thanks for confirming that. I had been told that Sony were going to drop the dialup option, to ensure that they didn't get complaints from the "those HPWs slow the game down" league. I really hope that have come to their senses over this, as I'd quite like to have the option of taking my PS2 online.

Mind you, having once tried it with the DC, only to get berated by a bunch of 12-year-olds for not understanding their chants of "ASL? ASL?" at us, I'm in no hurry to do it again.

 

[Andy Sheets]

Part of the problem may lie in the fact that it is too comfortable for them. There are plenty of instances in business where companies with overwhelming market shares in specific industries eventually became non-factors because they got complacent.

Well, hasn't this happened in the gaming industry since it began? Whoever's on top has always screwed up in a big way and fallen. Sony deserves credit for being the first company to "win" two console generations in a row

 

[Bill Griffith]

Whats the difference or ease of upgrade in both the PS2 and the Xbox.

To move to the next level, whatever that might be, is it going to be as simple as putting in a disk/download that unlocks or inserts some program that allows the console to upgrade. Or is it going to be the same old same old, time to go spend another $200 - $300 to get the next better system.

Which system will go farther, until the company ultimatly has to release a new console.

 

[JoshF]

Bill:

I wish it were that easy (regarding upgrades). Consoles are pretty much planned-obsolescence hardware. They tend of have an average of a 5-year lifespan and are replaced by something with better hardware. People are already ruminating about Xbox Next and PS3 on this very forum.

Sony is lucky in that the PSone is still selling pretty well, mostly because of its good price and vast library. Expect to see them handle the PS2 in the same way once the PS3 comes out, backwards-compatibility included.

As far as which system will go farther, that's hard to say. On one hand, the Xbox has better hardware which should keep it technologically relevant longer. On the other hand, the PS2 has a larger userbase who will demand a long life of support and software.

The quirky architecture of the PS2 will also help with its lifespan. As developers tap into more resources on the PS2, games get better looking and sounding. Compare the first generation PS2 titles to the ones coming out now and you'd think they were made for 2 different systems.

Along the same vein, the no-nonsence architecture of the Xbox means that developers aren't going to discover any hidden talents of the Xbox. This also means, however, that it's easier and cheaper to develop for, so you probably won't see many developers abandoning it due to high development costs like they did with the N64.

In the end, though, expect PS2 and Xbox replacements come 2004-2005.

 

[Allen_Appel]

I think the PS1 has gotten a big boost from those portable LCD screens. Man, games look great on those!

I have no intention (and I've said that about a lot of other things I immediately bought) of upgrading my consoles just because they release the nexter-generation. The capabilities of the Xbox are going to be exploitable for some time, just as the PS2 is really starting to show some graphical muscle with The Getaway.

The nexter-generation consoles will all be backwards-compatible, in any case.

 

[Dan B]

The nexter-generation consoles will all be backwards-compatible, in any case.

I disagree. While it could happen, my guess is that it will not.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I disagree. While it could happen, my guess is that it will not

I think you're right. Sony's next console probably will since it helped so much with the PS2, and MS' might because they see how it could help, but Nintendo would most likely only do it through some sort of add-on device. Also, if the next gen of consoles uses Blu-Ray discs, then backwards compatibility will be much mroe difficult to implement.

 

[JoshF]

Morgan: Is the Blue Ray transport incompatible with current CDs and DVDs? I was under the impression that hardware could share the transport and play back all media types.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Blu-Ray uses specially designed discs that aren't the same as CDs or DVDs. Maybe you could buy cases that you could put CDs or DVDs into so that they could be read the same, but the shape and use of Blu-Ray discs is different.

 

[Allen_Appel]

I disagree. While it could happen, my guess is that it will not.

Dan B, why not? It seems to me to be market suicide to do anything different. You buy an Xbox/PS2 for $300, spend a couple of years building a game library at $50 apiece, you've invested thousands of dollars when the nexter-generation console rolls out, and none of your old games work?! I would have to think that the new consoles will at least offer a backwards-compatible drive bay, if they use a different storage medium.

 

[Dan B]

Allen, I don't think it will be cost effecient to include support for PS2 games in the PS3 for example. Games are written for the PS2 hardware, which has a very unique configuration, and most likely to play them on the PS3 Sony would have to include part of the actual PS2 hardware in order to play them on the PS3. It's not like a PC, where you can still play old games with a newer, more powerful PC.
Additionally, if you've got a PS2 with a large library of games...just keep your PS2! You will still be able to play all of your games. I don't see the previous generation's games as a justification for making a new console backwards-compatible.
Having said that, the PS2 was able to play PS1 games & Sony seems to know the market a lot better than anyone including myself so...you never know. My gut tells me no.

 

[Bill Griffith]

If the cost of the new unit is increased drastically by giving it the software to play the last model games then I would prefer they just leave that option off. The companies can always provide for those units with input jacks on the new console. The the PS2 would Piggy back on the PS3, and same for the Xbox.

Question, does the PS2 have a hard drive. How big is it, and can it be used to store other information given the correct programing.

I'm hoping that Microsoft will see the benefits in opening up there system alittle more to allow for the storage of MP3's and maybe even write their games so you can customize your own soundtrack for games from music you've selected and stored on the Box.

 

[Adam Tyner]

...and maybe even write their games so you can customize your own soundtrack for games from music you've selected and stored on the Box.

Several XBox games already do this.