Slashdot Mirror
PS2 Demand Will Not Be Met
oMaT writes: "An article @ CNN states that Sony is having problems purchasing as many of some components as they need. They state that the projected 1m units to be shipped on Oct 26 will actually be more like 500,000. They also hope to have the demand met after the holiday season... Jan-Feb. Bummer." I've heard that if you want to pre-order one, you better pay in advance, as it isn't looking good. Personally, I'm just gonna play the new Zelda, and wait and see what happens with the PS2.
This is a totally manufactured event. Cabbage patch frenzy. Every kid and geek from age 3 to 35 is going to stampede for these things. "Scarcity" allows price gouging...and creates a swarming panic to buy since "you've gotta get the last one!" So...I'll be putting nails in my Louisville slugger for that trip to Toys R Us in October. Heh heh...
Seriously, I've always thought console gaming was overrated; until I played Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Now with the new one on the way, the N64 in my house should keep me busy for another month. Heck, maybe we should all re-live our youth. download MAME from www.mame.net and get all the ROMs you want from www.mame.dk - Man, it takes me back to when gaming was all about the game and not just fancy graphics and surround sound. I lost 2 hours last night just playing all those different versions of Pac-Man (Ms and Jr., too!)
How much is the PS2 expected to cost(at retail, not inflated price)?
And how is development going? I just remember all this jazz about developers were having troubles making use of its power, and that it's game wouldn't even look much better than Dreamcast for a couple cycles of development.
And since Dreamcast is backwards compatible with PSX through Bleem...I'm not yet seeing any reason to buy a PS2.
I hope they have some good first-party games planned...why pay 300-400$ for a gaming system worse than my PC?
I'm not buying the whole parts shortage excuse. How long has Sony been gearing up for an American PS2 release? At least over a year now? And they're just now learning they can't make their original shipping estimates, a month from release?
I think this really is a cheap ploy to drum up hype for the system. Limiting the supply in October will result in a lot of disappointed people who couldn't get the console. Then, around December 1, you suddenly announce your shipping a new batch, and bam, they fly out the doors right before Christmas.
Quake.
That one word changed the video game market forever. Where did it begin? The PC.
From setting new multiplayer standards to giving the infrastructure for the 3d hardware accelerator market to be built upon.
LK
"Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
4 years ago I played my first linked PSX game. Wipeout, I was hooked. I loved that game, but night has nearly fallen over the day of the console, let is go in peace.
LK
"Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
I haven't seen the X-Box's controller, but that could be a big part of getting one - if the controller is good and offers decent force-feedback, has the buttons nicely placed, and gets the general feel right, that'll be cool. If not...
Doesn't really matter, MGS's main strength was the story. The graphics were OK, but the combination of the gameplay and the story just put the thing over the top. Hell, MGS created a new "editor's award" for Electronic Gaming Monthly, since it was the first game to receive all 10s, the highest score possible. They came up with a "platinum" award for that. Only other game to do that was Zelda64, which, IMHO, wasn't anywhere near as good as MGS was.
Remains to be seen - the X-Box still seems a bit vaporous - when I can actually see the unit and controllers, maybe I'll be more interested. 'Course, I'd like to know the price-tag too. But it doesn't really matter - the reason Sony won the last console-war battle was because they out-marketted everyone else. MS isn't used to actually marketting their software anymore, so they could still blow the X-box. Time will tell... (Actually, I'll bet by the time the X-Box is released, my PC will be faster, have more memory, better sound, and better graphics than the X-Box anyway so it won't really matter... Besides, the X-Box will be limited to a TV, which my PC isn't. MGS Windows looks a lot nicer and sounds better than MGS PSX did.)
Bottom line is the MGS was an experience, so it shouldn't really matter which console runs it. I dunno, the X-box doesn't really impress me - yet - so I can't say for certain.
You are in a maze of twisty little relative jumps, all alike.
Another benefit of console over computer...to play a great console game, like Soul Calibur on Dreamcast, it's $200 for the system, $50 for the game. To play something like Q3A on a computer, it's $50 for the game, plus about $2000 for the computer to run that. One is a hell of a lot more cost effective than the other.
Now, granted, consoles may not be as cost-efficient compared to PCs today as much as they were five years ago, but if someone is looking for a great looking game with not an overly elaborate amount of depth and zero hassle, consoles are still the way to go.
Ñ'
Well Konami (the maker of MGS) seems to be a major partner of Microsoft.
Also Square might be making Xbox games. The next Oddysee game will also be out for Xbox.
I know it sucks, but the Xbox looks like it might steal the show. That will probably mean developers will use DirectX more and more, and OpenGL less and less.
This is purely manufactured PR put on by Sony in order to whip the public into a frenzy over its latest and greatest box. Its a perfect announcement because it a) rallies the people who might be interested to go out and try to preorder a machine asap (like they have a chance in hell) and b) provides great free advertising.
I think Sega did this last year with the Dreamcast, too. Can anyone confirm that?
Has anyone noticed any advertising for this machine yet aside from the endless hype on any number of web sites (including this one)? Right, you haven't. Cause their isn't any. Kinda strange for a major, major product launch that is going to happen in a month.
</hat>
As for "killer apps" for the PS2, launch games usually suck. Hard. Look at the Dreamcast launch. Out of 18 games there were maybe 4 good ones (NFL2k, Soul Calibur, Sonic, and
Thank god I ordered mine the day that ebworld.com preorders went up.
Pete
The sole purpose of the Internet is to get porn and bomb making plans into the hands of children.
The killer game of the century!
How about the new Metal Gear (going to be 1st on the PS2), the new Abe's oddysey (I can't remember the actual name.
Of the launch titles, DOA2 (if you haven't already played the DC version, Summoner (looks really awesome, I think it was the first with Anti-Aliased graphics), Armored Core 2, Ridge Racer V, Unreal Tournament (Even more colored lights), Kessen, and Silent Scope.
This launch blows every other launch away. The only game worth buying for the Dreamcast was Soul Calibur.
Nintendo 64? Mario 64. (maybe pilotwings)
PSX 1? I think that launch blew goats, Ridge Racer 1 and tekken 1. ( I never liked Tekken )
PSX2 will rock the house, if you are waiting for the XBox because it will be better, all you are doing is depriving yourself of GREAT games. Just so you know, I DON'T have a PSX2 reserved and probably won't geet one until next year. I'll probably go get one when GT2000 comes out. That's the killer game to me. When it comes to killer games, every one has their own favorite, and the one that will make them buy a system. For some it's mario, zelda, Street Fighter 2, Final Fantasy, and for even some, it's Tetris.
Why would you not want to buy it? It's going to havve some great games regardless of how "amazing" the XBox or Nintendo GameCube (or whatever it's called) will be. If you're on a budget and can only buy one the the 3 new systems coming up then I say, work harder! (oh yeah, you want the box so you don't have to work harder, my bad )
Launch Title list from IGN
We used to use opportunites like this to make some good sales. When PlayStation demand was high and there was low supply, we could typically pre-sell them and have the money in the bank for a week or two before the product showed up and they picked it up.
For some reason, this is also when we sold a higher percentage of accessories, too...
Also, the more pre-orders that we could get, the more that we had access too in the long run.
I'm on a chair.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Does this mean I can get a lot of money for it on eBay?
;-)
If they did do it "to drive demand" than they are complete jack-asses because according to voodooextreme.. "Shares of Sony stock plummeted some 14% today as a result of the cut back, with many top game companies quickly following suit. You can read more at CBS Market Watch and WRE who reports that the loss is due to key componet shortages." Way to go SONY!
Uh...yeah. Do you have any idea how many heads I turn when I cruise down the street with the top down in my little miata?? Quite a few...
They're far from the fastest things on the road (124bhp, ~2100lbs), but that's not what they're about. They're all about style and fun. Just like the old MG B's and Midgets, but 1000x more reliable.
Anyway, back on-topic, the game that I can't wait for is Gran Turismo 2000. The first two have kicked much ass and this one looks to be no different.
As others have mentioned, two of the known "killer games" at launch are SSX (a snowboard game which is supposed to be incredible) and DOA2:Hardcore (with some anti-aliasing, but again really great effects and lots of areas to play in).
I've also pre-ordered TimeSpiltters, made by the same team that did Goldeneye. That should be pretty good, though we'll not know if it's killer until it's out...
Also, Summoner is supposed to be a fantastic RPG.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
And stability, actually. After a few hours battling Win98 over some issue, or configuring Samba for a few hours to get it just the way I like it, I find it very soothing to go down and use something that just turns on and works without my intervention.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Is there a killer game for the PS2?
When I got my super nes, the first 15 games available all sucked. It wasn't till Street Fighter II came out that I felt the machine lived up to the hype. (About 6 months later)
I've heard that none of the PS2 Games on the market in Japan are killer games. Is this true?
-Peace
Dave
Free as in "the Truth shall set you..."
I HAVE driven old MGs and Triumphs (B, Midget, TR-3, TR-4). I used to have a '78 MG Midget.
Would I prefer an MG over the Miata?
Yes. I think that they're alot more fun and better looking. There's oodles more character in the old Brit roadsters than the Miata.
BUT, I found a great deal ($2000 under book w/3yr bumper to bumper warranty) on a car that hasn't had ONE - NOT ONE - problem since I bought it used almost 2 years ago. I can't say the same about the Midget or my friends' British roadsters. They weren't falling apart or anything, but they're track record (re: reliability) wasn't near as good.
As far as the girls, I've had a few in the Miata (not at the same time, obviously) when a B, Midget, TR-3, etc passes by. I usually let out a "oo-oo, I want one." Without fail, they always answer "Why? What's that?" The fact is, they don't know the "Brit iron" - they do know the Miata.
All things said and done, I still want to buy a B within the next five years...
This is just hype to drive demand, and if they sell out their initial runs, they will magically find a few hundred thousand more.
But hey, we're gullible, if Sony says by now, we may run out by December why shouldn't we believe them.
Though a small part of me hopes this is true, the part of me that feels for the geeks that complain that they can't find a MOTAS. Maybe if they don't spend them Christmas holiday in a PS2 induced trance, they might get out and meet a few chicks. And no, you won't impress many chicks with a new gaming console, try a Miata instead.
two of my friends at work both pre-ordered units from EBWorld. they got emails this week saying that people that had not pre-ordered prior to July 1, 2000 would not be receiving their units on the Oct 26th release date.
Looking bad beating that weekend sales record during the Japanese release.
/* Half alive and half dead too, work is for suckers and the sucker is you. - "Half-life" by Local H*/
>And the troubleshooting guides will never offer >"reinstalling windows" as a possible solution to >lack of sound. Maybe for the X-Box...
So PlayStation2 will be the (Talking Elmo|Furby) of this holiday season...
As long as we don't have to hear about it day after day in the media.....
This arguement doesn't make sense. Holding back supply would be stupid on Sony's part, and I'm sure it realizes it. If they held back supply, Sony wouldn't be the one charging $1500 per unit. It would be the jackasses who got lucky enough to buy one and resell.
This should be a -1 troll. Jackass.
Console systems were only good when most people couldn't afford a computer. $100-200 for a console was better than $3000-$4000 for a computer.
Now that we've got sub $1000 PCs, I don't see the point in spending so much money for an obviously limited console.
LK
"Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
One look at that and you'll know one of the major reasons people will be purchasing PS2s... (Backwards compatibility and Final Fantasy X are the other reasons for me...)
You are in a maze of twisty little relative jumps, all alike.
I will always love, honor and respect my high school wrestling coach for the greatest wisdom ever imparted to me:
"If that is the worst problem you ever have, you will be a lucky person."
Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
OHhhhhhh I hate that.
F-Zero is the only game still worth playing for the SNES. Long after you've beaten and gotten every item and uncovered every bug in FF3, F-Zero changles you more. Enticing you on to the Master difficulity. It was the last great 2-d racing game. (Yes I know it was 2.5-d with the mode 7 effects and all but it was really 2-d)
SOme may argue that Super Mario Kart racing was better, since it allowed you to race VS people.
But I call them fools. I never liked the style of SMK, F-Zero was the bomb. I'll still play the OLD F-Zero rather then the new one.
Hmm.. I tried to pre-order one the other day and was told that most pre-orders in my area are sold out already - this decrease in numbers doesn't help. If you want one, you'll probably have to get up early and wait in a long line at a store without pre-orders (like Best Buy).
I've been wanting to get one for 1) the DVD player 2) metal gear solid 2 and 3) final fantasies. But now I've heard so many negative things (good games are hard to develop, hasn't been overwhelmingly popular in japan, etc.) that it's beginning to sound like the buzz that surrounded the N64 when that came out, and we saw what happened to that - limited success.
I guess now I'm hedging my bets on Nintendo. Like CmdrTaco, I'll play the new Zelda for now, maybe get a DVD player, and wait for the what looks like the superior GameCube. Is it time for Nintendo and Sony to switch places?
The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what we share with someone else when we're uncool. -Crowe
Dream cast will statisfy me once this long awaited title is made available!! aaaaagagah!
Juln
Metroid.
two words:
final fantasy
three words:
daikatana
Ok, I'm not good at this...
--
Peace,
Lord Omlette
ICQ# 77863057
[o]_O
I would like to say I'm sorry about the PS2's delay, but I'm really not. I never liked Sony's strangle-hold on the console market. Yeah, yeah, I know that Nintendo had that for quite awhile, and that the Game Boy is still the handheld to beat, but I don't know why Sony had such a hold. People are like, "Oh but it has a ton of games." Well, alot of them are grainy, and lacking a plot. (No offense intended to the people who work at the companys) Hopefully, with the Dreamcast, Gamecube, and PS2, (I left X-box out, because that's a joke, right? [end sarcasm] )it will balance again, because competition is good for the gamers, as more quality games will be made, and prices will drop.
And you're prolly one of the people that thinks a Honda Civic DX with an 8" tip is a "real car." Uh-huh. That 18 second turd flies, man. My last car was a modded Turbo AWD Eagle Talon that pulled mid 13's in the 1/4. I never lost a race to Vette on the road...
I bought the Miata because I like rag-top roadsters, not because I'm "too poor."
As far as I'm aware, Sony loses money on the hardware and makes money on the software... they need as many machines out there as possible to avoid losing money.
sig fault
Some of them probably are saying that. Whatever. I've gotten more than one attractive FEMALE date getting in / out of that car.
FYI, I see WAY more middle-aged men (usually w/ wife in the passenger seat) driving Miatas than I do chicks. I normally see between 6 and 12 Miatas a day (I drive over 50 miles each way to / from work).
Actually, in the world of video games this is THE MOST effective marketing technique. You get the stories on the evening news showing parents lined up out the door to get one of the few PS2's... you see a story about some guy who paid $1,200 for one at an auction... it creates hype, excitement.
Nintendo did this beautifully with the N64 in 1996; it became THE HOT TOY that holiday season (actually second, next to the even-harder-to-find Tickle-Me-Elmo's) for one reason and one reason only: limited supply (see the law of Supply and Demand for details). Ten years earlier, when all the buzz was about some game called Zelda that everyone was excited about, they announced a chip shortage that would limit supply. The people standing in line for the post-shortage supply were legion.
By the way, it later turned out Nintendo invented the chip shortage story. Yes, it does work. Don't be surprised when Nintendo does the same thing with GameCube, and MS does it again with X-Box.
Phallic Symbols in LOTR
Look. A month ago, Japan raised its primary lending interest rate from 0% to 0.5% (out of national egoism, more than any other reason, but that's another post altogether). This makes it more expensive to obtain the loans necessary to finance large manufacturing operations, so it's entirely natural that Sony should feel the pinch when it comes to getting these machines out the door. It's as simple as Sony not building another plant in time. That's all.
Cheers,
Froid
And on Oct25 some guy says Ready,Set,Go, and on the 26th, 500,000 units are ready to ship?
They've probably go 2,000,000 sitting in a warehouse already. Like the Kernel said, "Never give them too much." (or something like that, I never was a big Elvis fan).
Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
hahaha.. If Sony created the shortage than they really have some investor relations problems.. according to voodoo extreme, "Shares of Sony stock plummeted some 14% today as a result of the cut back, with many top game companies quickly following suit. You can read more at CBS Market Watch and WRE who reports that the loss is due to key componet shortages." That sound like something a company would do ON PURPOSE?!?
I don't need a PS2. :)
--
Peace,
Lord Omlette
ICQ# 77863057
[o]_O
Will neither of these places have a preorder plan don't expect there to be any of these out on the floor for more than a few seconds as most toy scalpers are heavily connected at both WalMart and Target. There contacts will inform them of a new box before bringing it out onto the floor to make sure they can buy them up and sell them for the above mentioned crazy markups.
At some local stores the inside contact is actually a manager so the stuff just comes into the store and then leaves again through the loading dock. If this sounds like a conspiracy check out the boards frequented by toy collectors (Hot Wheels, Beanie Babies, etc...)
kc.
kc.
"You'll have to speak up, I'm wearing a towel." - Homer J. Simpson
Looks pretty decent to me, personally I'm looking forward to Silpheed, Summoner, and DOA2: Hardcore.
paulb
Paul Bettner
Game Developer et al
The PS2 employs a "small cache, high bandwidth" design. This is much different than the large cache, low bandwidth design of more traditional systems, and it requires a different approach to developing software because of this architecture.
For example, I've read that other developers are discovering that the best way to use the vector units is not to load code to them and let them churn, but rather to stream new code to them constantly since the bus between the VU's and the CPU is 2560 bits wide!
I'm guessing that the video architecture on the device might require a similar approach - i.e., stream data into the VRAM (from main mem) in realtime rather than keeping a static set of textures around.
paulb
Paul Bettner
Game Developer et al
Do you mean MOTOS? Member of the Opposite Sex?
I drive an Integra. At the last autocross I was at, I figured MIATA means "Masculinity Isn't All That Anyway"
=steve
--- rapper/producer/bachelorette party stripper
An update to this story can be found here. Very, uh, informative.
He said that if they didn't sell through their entire allotment on the first day, they would be put to the end of the list for new machines.
Vermifax
Vermifax
Logout
I fully expect stupid people to pay $1500 for these things on eBay.
- A.P.
--
* CmdrTaco is an idiot.
"Remember when the U.S. had a drug problem, and then we declared a War On Drugs, and now you can't buy drugs anymore?"
This exact same thing happened when N64 came out..."not enough to meet demand", then right before Christmas they were suddenly able to produce more. Hmmmm....
--
EFF Member #11254
Please consider making an automatic monthly recurring donation to the EFF
Anybody know where I can pre-order one of these things from here in Canada?
http://www.penny-a rcade.c om/view.php3?date=2000-09-04&res=l
o/~ Join us now and share the software
I'm not so sure - I don't know what goes in the guts of a consoles, but from what was said about Cell Phones and MP3 players, there have been widespread shortages for D/A chips and DSP chips. A Playstation would have to have some kind of D/A converter, just to create an analog video signal. I find it hard to believe that Sony makes their own general purpose chips, since the economy of scale would suggest that it would be cheaper to use off the shelf chips used by a variety of manufacturers, so, no, if Sony uses any third party chips, I don't think they can dictate how many PS2s get made.
Somebody please, tell this machine I'm not a machine.
Like he said: A miata? C'mon.
psxndc
The emacs religion: to be saved, control excess.
never played Rock and Roll racing, but played all the Top Gears (I,II&3000) and Top Gear 3000 rocked! I'm not sure I've ever been as fustrated as when turbo jumping a fule pad. (worst thing you could do in TG 3000)
It was the secret bonus system/upgrades and the great head to head play that kept you coming back.
Haven't had that much fun since EA's Racing Destruction set for the C64.
-Peace
Dave
Free as in "the Truth shall set you..."
PS/2 is the latest and greatest from IBM! noone has licensed it, and it will soon use OS/2! This is the product that will return IBM to market dominance! It uses lots of exclamation points, too!
:)
oh, wait; no slash . . .
I saw the title and immediatly thought why would anyone want to get an IBM PS/2 now?
If people are really after a PS2 that much, so much so that they need to have one in the first week, maybe they should have dished out that bit extra for a Japanese version. I live in the UK, it won't be released over here until the end of November. If I end up getting one it won't be until the new year. I agree about the Zelda comment, the N64 still has a little life in it yet.
-- Hob - Java Spectrum Emulator
Roll up with more stereotypes: .ad critic.com/content/molson-canadian-no-doot-aboot-i t.html and the follow-up http://www.adcri tic .com/content/molson-canadian-no-doot-eh.html
http://www
But to clarify things a bit: http://www.adcritic.co m/c ontent/molson-canadian-i-am.html
PS2 games are selling in Japan in a lot less quantity (in terms of the ratio of games sold to machines sold) than Sony would like. And since modern game systems are sold very close to cost (being the razor handles), and all the profit is made in manufacturing the games (the razor blades: proprietary format, monopolistic manufacturer, or why else would we have triple-edge razor blades after all these years? fresh patents!), this is not a good thing for Sony.
Since DVD has already become well entrenched in the USA, and we already have plenty of cheap crappy (and hackable) DVD players, we don't need the PS2 to for that.
Nintendo got it right when they decided not to pay the $20 per unit licensing fee to the DVD consortium for the N^3. Why confuse customers with a half-assed DVD player when you can concentrate on making a good game system without strange hard-to-program hardware? (Anyone remember the Atari Jaguar? Like the PS2, it also had "wierd" hardware that was difficult to write code that could use it to the maximum potential.)
About the only thing you can rely on is playing most (but not all) PS1 games, so the customer droids won't mindlessly sell them off all their old PS1 stuff simply because they can't comprehend the idea of owning more than one game system at a time. And if they're playing used games... then Sony doesn't get to sell new blades! The difference is real razor blades wear out, but CD-ROMs don't.
Personally, I think most of the PS2 sales are going to be blindly on the hype of being the hottest latest thing. Little Johnny wants it because all the hype makes it sound like the most shining golden heaven thing in his current world. Little Johnny's consumerism-brainwashed mother will do everything she can to get one so her son won't grow up with a horrible inferiority complex just because he didn't get some stupid game system on its release date and then grow up to knock off liquor stores and go to jail.
--
"Open source is good." - Steve Jobs
"Open source is evil." - Microsoft
because PS2 sucks it only has 4mb ov vid memory.
Eh, you forgot to mention the Dreamcast.
$150
Come play.
Remember "Bring 'em on"? *sigh
I saw this a while ago on ZDNet Gamespot... it's probably good news if you haven't preordered yet.
WalMart and Target have not initiated a preorder campaign for the Sony PlayStation 2. Both retailers will be selling the console, games, and accessories on a first-come, first-served basis. For those who haven't preordered yet, these major department stores may provide the largest supply of PS2 consoles on launch day.
Oh, and we've known about this shortage of parts for some time now... if I'm not mistaken it was discussed here before, but I could be wrong.
-- Dr. Eldarion --
Just the standard region encoding found on the typical DVD player. The Japanese units used software decoders and apparantly were pretty lousy at playing DVD's. i.e. losing audio/video sync. The upcoming crop is using hardware based decoding.
I've heard that if you want to pre-order one, you better pay in advance, as it isn't looking good.
Oh, now there's a glowing example of optimism. Hold on. I'll go get my check book.
--
What is Sony's aim with the PS2? To be THE platform of this generation of consoles as the PS was to the N64, Saturn generation. To achieve this aim it needs to sell lots of machines and convince the good developers to get titles out for it. If Sony could meet (as I personally am sure they would have been able to) the full demand for PS2 for Christmas then there will be a very saturated market instantly. If they cannot meet the initial demand they get publicity for this (demand outstrips supply), then they get people interested in seeing the PS2 and all the games that have been released (people buy more games because they actually have a PS2 to play them on) so that when the stocks start to come back in they will be more likely to sell more games with each unit (if I'd been waiting 2 months watching my mates playing their PS2 I'd be a lot less likely to buy it with only 1 game). End result they have a publicity boost (just to be sure everyone knows about it), followed by constant sales stream with an initial unnatural boost of games sales (where the real money is and what the developers want to see). The only downsides are that they have to wait a bit longer for some money on the hardware (the units they didn't sell before Christmas) and that their main resellers can't have the same Christmas boom but Sony wouldn't care about this because all they want is year round strong sales of games.
"PS2, not just for Christmas"
Never underestimate the dark side of the Source
It says the following at the end:
So, by Xmas, there will be just as many units as originally planned and nearly twice as many titles.
Work for Change & GET PAID!
I will agree that this is all part of Sony's marketing hype to make the PS2 seem like it was molded from a single piece of gold but we all have to remember back to the original playstation. Back when the original playstation came out in the states the first generation model had a very easy way to bypass the region lockout. "Swaptrick" was what it was called. After this first batch of around 2 million units was produced (serial number on the swaptrick playstation's was U58XXXX-XXXX) Sony caught on to this swap trick and they disabled it for future versions. This certain playstation was a hot item before a modification chip was developed. Since this was around 94-95 when internet was just starting out it was hard to find one of these playstations so import shops were selling it with a $100 markup. So what I think sony is trying to avoid here is having a widly released first generation in America. Cause you know how much Americans love their piracy and illegal importing!
After someone eventually cracks the protection scheme allowing for playing of imports (something that sony doesnt like) which will inevitably be within a month or two. They will change the system to close the security hole. SO HURRY AND BUY A FIRST GEN PLAYSTATION AND MARK UP THE PRICE!
drug law enforcement is modern day witch hunting.
I'm so sick of the marketing departments in these companies instilling a false sense of urgency by manipulating people's basic psychology.
If you want to be socially engineered by a large corporation, go ahead and get on that waiting list. BTW, for those of you who have been following the IP debate, don't forget Sony is a major contributor to the MPAA *and* the RIAA.
I'll take the red pill.
--
EFF Member #11254
Please consider making an automatic monthly recurring donation to the EFF
psxndc
The emacs religion: to be saved, control excess.
The PS2 uses Rambus (kinda figures, Sony embraces new, unproven technology like a straitjacket on a psychopath). Does the Rambus boycott factor into this at all?
"Ancillary does not mean you get to rule the world." --U.S. Circuit Judge Harry Edwards, speaking to the FCC's lawyer
All hail Olaf!
-Kriticism
-PARANOIA is fun. D20 is not fun. The Computer says so.
-The Computer
Are you saying that my HP I just bought (as a router box kids) that has "up to 11 MB of video RAM" (its integrated AGP ala Intel) will have better graphics capability than a PS2 because its 11 as opposed to 4? Trust me, I doubt it.
psxndc
The emacs religion: to be saved, control excess.
Why is there a big rush to buy one of these things? Why not wait for the price to come down, the BIOS and hardware to go through a few revisions and for some games to appear?
This will certainly do a great deal to keep the price of the Playstation2 high until after Christmas. The supply problem could actually hurt their software sales some, (less ps2s==less customers) which is where all the profit is at.
--
linkfilter get that fresh links feeling.
Are you on crack my friend? I got my super NES with Zelda...I loved that game! I can still remember the beginning of the game with the music and rain. I thought it was just amazing.
And as for Street Fighter II, I still think the original street fighter was the best of all of them. But that's just my opinion, and many people think I'm an idiot.
-=God Hates Me=-
Mind you, who finds the timing of this just a little suspect? A couple of months before the solstice-oriented holiday rush, people are told "oops, we're going to be short some units". (Implied: "better buy early".)
Just a thought, but I'll be watching to see if there's a miraculous appearance of components just in time to meet the end-of-year demand.
-TBHiX-
I'm don't buy that theory though, although i'm not dismissing it either. There is some sort of an electronics parts shortage, so that could very well affect Sony's production. I'm not a manufacturing engineer-type person, but i would've thought that Sony would have secured the amount of parts they needed to meet their desired output.
In any case, I'm guessing this will peak the demand for them - pre-orders will be flying out of the door. I, being a poor college student, will hold out until the price lowers. Justin
Typical marketing ploy. Think back to when the N64 came out. The boxes were so scare only 1 parent in 20 was able to get his/her hands on one. Then all of a sudden a ton of the machines showed up at the store 1-2 weeks before Christmas. Can you say conspiracy (its spelled marketing).
Every console release I have ever seen (at least of consoles people want) has always had these stories before their release. Here in Ireland we always get REALLY screwed as the UK is always short and anything around ends up there first.
Imagine Sony had all the PS2's required to satisfy the Christmas demand, there would be no mystique or charging over to your friends to see his. This is all about fueling demand for the PS2 and ensuring no-one bitches about the initial price-point. Once the Christmas rush is gone (with the stories of how Joe Schmoe payed $1500 for a PS2 for little Joey), we will still see stories of the first PS2's arriving and then a bit later about how the shortage still isn't quite over and all the time Sony will be rubbing their hands with glee as the false demand will ultimately allow them sell more devices.
Bottom Line: I don't believe for a minute that Sony could have any problems producing the numbers they would like to have, they have a lot of money and have had plenty of time to prepare themselves.
Never underestimate the dark side of the Source
Well at least this playstation will meet it's delivery date.
-- Greg
Slashdot, would a spell-checker for posting be too much to ask? It's not rocket science!
Attention, that is. The moment I'm writing this posted 137 posts have been written reacting to this story. That means 137 times the words PS2, Sony, etc. How's that for free afvertising?
People replying to my sig annoy me. That's why I change it all the time.
As for Killer Apps, I think GT2000 will be really nice (although not in time for release), and there are a bunch of other nice ones.
A supliment to the CNet article is found at Daily Radar.
Because you can't, you won't, and you don't stop...
This has GOT to be a ploy by Sony. What major manufacturer would seriously state that they hope to have more units available "After the holiday season", and miss out on the frenzy?
Not to mention the blow that their stock price should receive. 500K * 200/unit = Boatload of missed revenues.
We'll end up seeing a flood of them in mid -to-late November.
.siglost
Announcing that there are shortages but you can pre-order sounds like a marketing ploy to me.
"Mmmmmm, beer." Homer Simpson