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More PlayStation 3 Predictions

GreyGusMan writes "On the heels of last week's report that the PlayStation 3 would be released by the end of the year, CNN/Money is now reporting that Sony will not release its next console until 2006 - a year later than most of the industry has been predicting up until now. The column points out that PlayStation 2 sales have remained stong for much longer than the PlayStation and the technology Sony has planned will take a long time to create. Meanwhile, the same column mentions that the expected May price cut may be less than expected. Most people were expecting the PS2 to drop to $149, but $179 is now also a possibility."

194 comments

  1. What about true 3D? by electro_mike · · Score: 0

    I really hope they go so far as to include a 3d helmet as a add-on.. The technology has got to be here by now

    1. Re:What about true 3D? by 68K · · Score: 1

      Good point. I had wondered where the whole 'virtual reality' thing had gone. Most of the games I played when it came out 8 or 9 years ago sucked, but with modern tech. surely we can create something decent.

      Does anyone know of any modern virtual reality games out there?

  2. PS2 Prices by Marx_Mrvelous · · Score: 2, Interesting

    It's strange though, since you can find a PS2 for $150 "refurbished" just about anywhere. I imagine a price drop to $180 wouldn't significantly increase sales, but would lower their profits. Of course, maybe they've dropped the manufacturing costs by $20, so they'll just break even.

    Now, if FF X-2 is PS/2 only, I might have to pick one up :)

    --

    Moderation: Put your hand inside the puppet head!
    1. Re:PS2 Prices by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      I don't think FF X-2 is a good reason to pick one up.
      Have been reading nothing but negative feelings on the whole concept. From what has been divulged, the game is a pretty blatant attempt at 'fan service'. If you get off on skimpy clothes and J-pop with only one new character to the three you get for the whole game, more power to you. Supposed to only have about 12 hours of play, give or take a few hours, so the game is VERY short compared to FFX.
      It is sad to see Square slipping so far down the mountain which they once stood at the top of.

    2. Re:PS2 Prices by MeanE · · Score: 1

      Why would you pick up a PS2 for FFX-2 but did not for FFX? Is the sequel that much more enticing then the orginal?

    3. Re:PS2 Prices by Marx_Mrvelous · · Score: 1

      I bought it for FFX, beat it, then sold it. :) Needed the cash (college student)

      --

      Moderation: Put your hand inside the puppet head!
    4. Re:PS2 Prices by karnal · · Score: 1

      FFX?

      I liked FFX, but I'm betting there was only about 12 hours of actual play time in that whole game. Took us about 40 hours to beat the first run through (stayed up for 2 days straight) and a majority of the time we were "playing", I was watching cutscenes.

      Not that they didn't add to the story.... I remember walking around, building up experience etc and walking into the boss fights and totally kicking butt since I was probably way too high up on exp....

      --
      Karnal
    5. Re:PS2 Prices by k-0s · · Score: 1

      Those are all good points. My question is why is everyone so quick to actually WANT to shell out 300 bucks more for a new console? Let PS2 run its course, there is still plenty of power in it that developers haven't even tapped yet. 2006 actually sounds about right for when we'll NEED to upgrade.

    6. Re:PS2 Prices by Lukey+Boy · · Score: 1
      First of all, I really enjoy FFX-2. Got it on the first day and I love it, hell of a lot of fun. It's a very Japanese RPG game and you're right, there's a j-POP theme song - oh no! That didn't hurt the sales of Kingdom Hearts. And it's not as short as the rumors, you can beat it in 10 hours if you really try, or take 100 - it's up to you, just like FFX.

      Secondly, they shipped 1.8 million copies here on the first day and sold an unbelievable 1.2 million copies. If that's slipping down a mountain, I don't know what the hell you'd call a success.

    7. Re:PS2 Prices by MeanE · · Score: 0

      You sold your FFX...nooooooooooooo ;)

    8. Re:PS2 Prices by Marx_Mrvelous · · Score: 1

      nonono.. Sold the PS2, kept the FFX (and memory card. It took me 4 hours to win that d$#@ chocobo race wtih under 0 seconds. I didn't want to lose that ultimate weapon so easily!)

      --

      Moderation: Put your hand inside the puppet head!
    9. Re:PS2 Prices by JabberWokky · · Score: 1
      So in other words, it will last me between six months to a year.

      While I stayed up straight to play the first Final Fantasy, nowadays I play maybe an hour or two a week (and haven't even had a system hooked up in over a year). Even if you play two hours a day (a pretty large amount of time), then you're looking at a month worth of game.

      I'm pretty sure that the games aren't intended to be played marathon style. I'm not saying that it doesn't happen. But I've sat through Neon Genesis Evangelion, the full series and the movies from start to finish, a few times. I'm not going to say that it sucked because it was only a days worth of entertainment.

      --
      Evan

      --
      "$30 for the One True Ring. $10 each additional ring!" -- JRR "Bob" Tolkien
    10. Re:PS2 Prices by Gizzmonic · · Score: 1

      Why isn't Final Fantasy just a DVD? You could easily play it by just clicking up or down on the menu. I predict the next step for Final Fantasy is a DVD, so you don't have waste time walking around and fighting monsters to get to those awesome FMV's!

      --
      (-1, Raw and Uncut is the only way to read)
    11. Re:PS2 Prices by SuGa · · Score: 1

      Right decision ;-) The interactive part wasn't worth the pricing difference to a DVD :-P

    12. Re:PS2 Prices by josephpate · · Score: 1

      No, you're thinking of Xenosaga.

      Either that or Metal Gear Solid: Sons of Liberty.

  3. PS3 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Geez, I just get my PS2 and now I gotta worry about getting a PS3? I think I will just stick to Outwar. It's a cool browser game, here's a link to outwar home http://www.outwar.com/page.php?x=572952

  4. Costs of PS2 is already cheap by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is there something funny with Australia? Last time I looked we bought our Playstation 2 boxes for $250 in our money. Taking our GST out and with currency conversion, that comes to the equivalent of $135US. Is this an old article?

    1. Re:Costs of PS2 is already cheap by archetypeone · · Score: 1

      Well being a New Zealander there's only one answer to that question!

    2. Re:Costs of PS2 is already cheap by ishmaelflood · · Score: 1

      Oz is cheap for hardware, and most consumer electronics. Mind you software costs make up for that. I don't think you can really ignore the GST, that damn tax office is unlikely to recognise a PS2 as a business expense.

  5. Holy Switcheroo Batman! by Gehenna_Gehenna · · Score: 0, Funny

    Didn't "they" say, like 2 weeks ago, that the playstation 3 will be coming out next year?
    Whatever man.
    The PS3 will come out when it's good and finished, probably at or around the same time the successor to the xbox/gamecube is released. Until then I'll be quite happy playing my PS2. Enough vapor already.

    --

    1. Re:Holy Switcheroo Batman! by russx2 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Didn't "they" say, like 2 weeks ago, that the playstation 3 will be coming out next year?

      No, it was just some rumour circling the net as usual. Sony will not under any circumstances release a new console while their existing box (PS2) is selling well.

      As for not releasing a new console until it's good and finished, hmm, I'm not sure. Sony's only real motivation to release a new console sooner rather than later is competition (XBox, gamecube etc). If one of these catches them off guard then you'll be sure to see a new PS... whether it's good and finished or not. Sony can't afford to lost market share.

    2. Re:Holy Switcheroo Batman! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The PS3 will come out when it's good and finished, probably at or around the same time the successor to the xbox/gamecube is released.

      Was anyone else reminded of Duke Nukem Forever upon reading this?

  6. well darn it. by Joe+the+Lesser · · Score: 2, Funny

    Most people were expecting the PS2 to drop to $149, but $179 is now also a possibility.

    Aww gee, I've mowed lawns for Old Man McGregor for the past year or so to earn my own playstation 2, earning $2 bucks per week, finally saving $150. Shucks, can't we make a deal here?

    --
    "I only speak the truth"
    Karma: null(Mostly affected by an unassigned variable)
    1. Re:well darn it. by big_gibbon · · Score: 2, Funny

      Hey! You've cheated Old Man McGregor out of almost $50 somehow!

      Durn theivin' kids . . .

      P

    2. Re:well darn it. by Sgs-Cruz · · Score: 1, Funny
      You could always put on an avant-garde show to raise money... :)

      Best line: And who else but sweet Rosemarie, the golden-haired darling of our gang, should play the part of the slovenly mother-whore who's constantly giving birth to fist-sized maggots?

      --

      Karma: pi (Mostly due to circular reasoning in posts).

  7. Why would they want to? by krugdm · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Hell, why not milk the PS2 for as long as they can? I've got to imagine that as the technology in the PS2 gets cheaper, they'll actually start making money per unit instead of losing it, and as long as people are buying, then more profit for Sony.

    Apparantly it's a winning strategy since people are still buying PSOnes...

    1. Re:Why would they want to? by larien · · Score: 5, Interesting
      If they try to milk it too long, they'll fall behind the technology ladder. Fall too far, you risk losing market share and people will just buy Xbox(2) instead. Game makers will follow and soon PS3 is a dead duck before it's launched.

      As it is, they're already behind Xbox technologically and the only thing keeping PS2 winning is the game selection. If MS buys up enough games companies for Xbox only titles, PS2 will start losing market share heavily.

      *shrug* time will tell, as ever; 3 years is a long time for MS to make Sony an also ran.

    2. Re:Why would they want to? by binaryDigit · · Score: 1

      I've got to imagine that as the technology in the PS2 gets cheaper, they'll actually start making money per unit instead of losing it

      Sony has long since been making a profit on PS2 sales. But, yes, all the more reason for them not to be in a big rush with PS3.

    3. Re:Why would they want to? by renenoel · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Technical Superiority never had anything to do with the Console Wars.

      At almost every stage, Nintendo had the better platform, but because of bonehead licensing, they never really got developers behind them. Also, they always came out with gimpy media: cartridges, mini-DVDs, instead of CDs and regular DVDs.

      X-Box has also struggled with developers, but they clearly had (and still has) the best engine behind the games: it's twice as fast as the PS2. As Nintendo (and briefly, Sega) have shown us is that it's not the faster box that wins.

      Sony wins with letting anyone and their brother develop games (they even sold ones that let you develop games on your own!), and they won by making it easily hackable. When people realized that after dropping a few dollars to (illegally) modify their PS1 or PS2, they could download all of games off the net or copy their friends' games, it took off and never looked back. At any point, if Sony wanted to close up the ability to modchip their machines, I'm sure they could have, but why would they?

      If Microsoft or Nintendo really want to compete, they should worry less about processing power and more about getting people behind them.

    4. Re:Why would they want to? by Swift(void) · · Score: 1
      At any point, if Sony wanted to close up the ability to modchip their machines, I'm sure they could have...

      Actually, they have been trying...

      Lik-Sang Back Online, Minus Modchips and Game Chipping In Limbo
    5. Re:Why would they want to? by Drakin · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I think what renenoel wastrying to infer was that if Sony was really serious about preventing of mod chipping of thier machines, they'd havedeveloped a way to do it on the hardware level, rather than relying on the courts.

    6. Re:Why would they want to? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      PS2 behind Xbox technologically?

      the xbox has an outdated x86 processor and the nForce1 chipset with an updated GPU. nothing to wet your pants about!

      the PS2 however, has loads of custom hardware designed for fast media handling. the hardware refernce manuals can still be considered porn for hw geeks, and toying with the hardware makes that old Amiga feeling come back :)

      the XBox may have more brutal horsepower, but the PS2 is the most technologically advanced - end of story!

      it's just like comparing the Atari ST and Amiga, the Atari ST had more cpu horsepower and progressive scanning, but the Amiga was hw king!

    7. Re:Why would they want to? by pmz · · Score: 1

      it's twice as fast as the PS2

      Really? A cache-crippled Celeron on a PC motherboard?

    8. Re:Why would they want to? by MonkeyDluffy · · Score: 2, Informative
      A cache-crippled Celeron

      Actually, it's a cache crippled P3. While the cache is the same size as the celery, the cache access latency is the same as the P3. The celery's cache access latency is two extra clock cycles longer than a P3, slowing it down. So the X-box processor is slower than a P3 (less cache), but faster than the celery (lower cache latency).

      -MDL

      --
      Happy meals fund terrorism
    9. Re:Why would they want to? by StingRayGun · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      "gimpy media: cartridges, mini-DVDs, instead of CDs and regular DVDs." The N64 carts= no load times. Maybe they just look after players more then developer? "X-Box has also struggled with developers, but they clearly had (and still has) the best engine behind the games" Best engine? Excuse me but have you seen the textures on the GameCube??? Games that can use them, like Tony Hawk and any sports game look way better on GameCube then any other platform. Also, proc speed has almost nothing to do with these games anymore. Nintendo knew that, Sony knew that, the only one who didn?t know that is MS. Also, who do you assume is winning? Nintendo is doing just fine producing the best console games on the market, and only allowing other high quality developers develop games for their console. My main issue with XBOX, which I have played quite a bit, is the hard drive. As soon as you add a hard drive (the most unstable element of any computer) you no longer have a console, you now have a computer. Now that the XBOX is just a computer, why can't I plug in my PC controllers? Why cant I play PC games? Why can't I upgrade my machine? The XBOX possesses all he negative aspects of a PC (too many parts, instability) and all of the negative aspects of consoles (closed system, incompatibility, can't upgrade). To me the choice has always been PS2 or GC. To choose the XBOX would be choosing the worst of both worlds.

    10. Re:Why would they want to? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Please change this post's title to "Buyer's Remorse"

    11. Re:Why would they want to? by poot_rootbeer · · Score: 1

      At almost every stage, Nintendo had the better platform, but because of bonehead licensing, they never really got developers behind them.

      Does the NES ring a bell to anyone anymore?

      The Sega Master System was superior to Nintendo's 8-bit machine technically, but got trounced in the market. Why? Because just about every developer signed an exclusive license to develop for the NES. Sega only had themselves and a handful of third-parties. IOW, for most of the 1980's the exact opposite of your assertion regarding Nintendo was true.

      There was a console market before Playstation, let's not forget that.

    12. Re:Why would they want to? by ziggles · · Score: 1

      Well, it depends on what they want. Clearly Microsoft and Sony just want to gain the most market share. Nintendo is more worried about their bottom line since this is the only market they have. Despite being in a very close competition with Microsoft for 2nd place in the market worldwide, they make MUCH more money in this market than Microsoft does, and if I remember correctly, they even bring in a larger profit than Sony.

      Sony wins the battle for the most market share, but how much does that really matter if you can't afford to stay in the market? *coughmicrosoftcough*

    13. Re:Why would they want to? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not to disagree but modding an XBox is an order of magnitude simpler than modifying a PS2 (with a serious chip). Furthermore, the benefits of modifying the XBox are an order of magnitude greater than the benefits of modifying a PS2.

      As for development, Sony dropped an unknown and unobvious architecture on American developers with no real documentation or examples. Even now that code is abundant, dealing with the architecture is still difficult. If you want to develop software for the Box, grab an XDK and your favorite IDE and go at it. The amount of 3rd party software is large and growing quickly.

      The only thing Sony really did well is that they were first. If it wasn't for PSX name recognition, the PS2 would be a shadow to the XBox.

      This is one time MS did something right. However, now they're buying up developers and forcing their will (online? YOU MUST USE Live!) on them.

    14. Re:Why would they want to? by ibsteveog · · Score: 1

      Sony doesn't lose money on the ps2, and never did, according to good ol' Gord (article here)

    15. Re:Why would they want to? by silkySlim · · Score: 1

      "grab an XDK and your favorite IDE" Yeah, as long as your favorite IDE is VS.Net or VC6. I'm a Lead Programmer on a PS2 project and I have to say that SCE/A/EE have been very helpful with developer support. It's true the Japanese developers get first drops of any new technology and we get the translated second passes. But, in my opinion, there hasn't been anything I wanted to do on the PS2 that didn't have some sample code, some developer that has already done it that I could talk to, or (in rare cases) comprehensive documentation. Perhaps I'm fortunate that the PS2 has matured a bit.

  8. Re:would be nice if... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    UH, there ARE linux development kits and you CAN run linux on the PS2 without modding it. XBOX MY BUTTOCKS!

  9. Ingest with a single crystal of Sodium Chloride... by Ab0rtRetryFail · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As always, I think articles like this should be taken with a grain of salt.

    I think the PS3 is likely anywhere from Christmas 2004 to Christmas 2005. The standard for a LONG TIME has been a 5 year system cycle, and there's nothing to suggest that the next generation will be any different. Whatever Sony is planning is likely not past the drawing board stage, and there's certainly a lot of life left in their Playstation 2 system.

    Don't worry people... you can all enjoy your PS2s for a couple of years to come, at least. :)

  10. Re:would be nice if... by obli · · Score: 1

    uh, ok, I've only heard about linux on xbox so far. I don't really care about consoles anyway...

  11. In topics about the PS3, some things are certain.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    1. The Release date will change.

    2. People will complain about said release date change and blame it on either Sony, Microsoft or CowboyNeal.

    3. SOMEONE will post a link to that 'Ghost of Christmas Future' PS5 story on TheOnion.

  12. to the victors goes the spoils.. by merc_sa · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sony has won the console war and it's now time to ride the gravy train for the next few years
    off the software. The xbox was out late was never got traction, and the gamecube is still
    mainly targetted at kiddies..

    MS is now in the awkward situation of either being content at number 2 or risk further
    alienating its base by releasing the next console too early. Nintendo being in that same leaky
    boat. So whether we like it or not, Sony's domination over this current generation of
    consoles will push out innovation for the next generation at least by an extra year or two.
    It'll be good for sony's bottomline but gamers will have to be happy with what they got for a
    little while...

    Is it just me, or there seems to be a slowdown in major AAA titles in the last year or so for the
    consoles? I would generally buy at least 3 to 4 AAA titles a year, but this year and last year,
    Vice City is the only title I've picked up.. Either I'm getting pickier.. or the picking's
    gotten a lot thinner..

    --
    -- I have enough stupid gadgets to know that I can do without -- http://www.modestneeds.org
    1. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ooooh PS2 rocks, some good games are ratchet and clank (a little easy but niiiice lookin game with no loading) and The Getaway, and as mentioned GTA: Vice City. PS2 game development has come a long way lately and games for it are getting better and better at utilizing the hardware of the PS2. The console rocks, programming good games is a little more difficult, but good lord are there some nice games.

    2. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      ...the gamecube is still mainly targetted at kiddies.

      Yeah whatever....

      Metroid Prime, Eternal Darkness, Baldur's Gate, Blood Omen 2, Crazy Taxi, BMX XXX, BloodRayne, Dead to Rights, Diehard: Vendetta, Hunter: The Reckoning, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Red Faction 2, Resident Evil 0, Resident Evil 1, Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3, Ghost Recon, Turok Evolution, James Bond: Nightfire, James Bond: Agent Under Fire, Medal of Honor, Bloody Roar: Primal Fury, etc., etc., etc...

      Over 42% of their rated games (released or announced) are rated Teen or Mature.

      The GameCube is not primarily targetted at kiddies.

    3. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sony has won the console war and it's now time to ride the gravy train for the next few years
      off the software. The xbox was out late was never got traction, and the gamecube is still
      mainly targetted at kiddies..


      Yeah, well the console war is hardly over...wait until Microsoft buys all the game producers... :)

    4. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      the gamecube is still
      mainly targetted at kiddies


      Keep saying it and it will come true.

      Is it just me, or there seems to be a slowdown in major AAA titles in the last year or so for the consoles? I would generally buy at least 3 to 4 AAA titles a year, but this year and last year, Vice City is the only title I've picked up


      Two words: Metroid Prime.
    5. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Two words: Metroid Prime.

      Three words, Legend of Zelda

    6. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by larien · · Score: 4, Interesting
      Nintendo is dying off in the UK; Dixons (major high street retailer; part of the same group as PC World) have effectively stopped selling it, clearing existing stock only. Argos are heavily discounting and are likely to stop selling RSN.

      They're not out of the game yet, but without a turnaround, they're going to become irrelevant soon.

    7. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by Kragg · · Score: 1

      Wise man once say, a mature rating does not an adult-targetted game make. Baldur's gate and red faction look like the only non-kiddy titles there.
      Course, that said, super monkey ball is fun no matter how old you are.

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    8. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by Omkar · · Score: 1

      Christ, you must be blind. Metroid Prime is not kiddy. Eternal Darkness is the very antithesis of kiddy. The GC has fewer kiddy titles that PS2.

    9. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by Enonu · · Score: 1

      In MK Deadly Alliance, you are able to go on a "Konquest" where you learn the specific moves of each character in a orderly fashion. For Sub Zero, one of the training exercizes was to remove 80 pints of blood from your advesary in less than 30s (I think). Do you really want your eight-year-old playing this? Pay attention to that M-rating.

    10. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by muckdog · · Score: 1

      They have half of those games for the Dreamcast. My friend was bragging about Phantasy Star online for the GC. Oh yeah I paid $10 for the same game and $50 for the console last year. It doesn't look or play any different.

    11. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by Kragg · · Score: 1

      I think you're missing my point - maybe I don't want my 8 year old playing it, but I dont think anybody else would want to play it.

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    12. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by BrerBear · · Score: 2, Informative

      Nintendo hasn't released some of its best titles in the UK yet, so it's suffering there. But in the US, sales in February were up quite a lot (110%) last month. And Zelda has massive preorder numbers: 600,000 already.

    13. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by poot_rootbeer · · Score: 1

      Sony has won the console war and it's now time to ride the gravy train for the next few years
      off the software. The xbox was out late was never got traction, and the gamecube is still
      mainly targetted at kiddies..


      DING DING DING DING DING DING

      CONGRATULATIONS! You're the 1,000,000th person to recite these same old claims about the current state of the console market!!!

      WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP

    14. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by radish · · Score: 1

      Indeed - and there's bargains to be had out there boys and girls! Just yesterday I got:

      2x GameCubes
      2x Memory Cards
      1x Extra Controller
      4x Games (Pikmin, Mario Sunshine and a couple of others)

      for a grand total of £200! (that's about US$310). If I was buying ps2 (I already have one of those) I'd be lucky to get one console and a couple of games for that.

      They've been flying off the shelves of Dixons and Argos, whilst other retailers are still selling the consoles on their own for £130.

      --

      ---- Den ene knappen er powerknapp, den andre er Bender voice knapp "Bite My Shiny Metal Ass"

    15. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by mbourgon · · Score: 0, Troll

      Which is odd, since the Xbox is actually in _third_ place, not second like they'd have you believe. They're behind the gamecube, at this point, by 3-5 million.

      --
      "Sometimes a woman is a kind of religion, she can save your soul & set you free from all your sins" - Bad Examples
    16. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by SuGa · · Score: 1

      IMO Metroid Prime will also help the hardware-sales in Europe. It will also help to convince some people that Nintendo isn't only making games for 10 year olds ;-)

    17. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by devnull17 · · Score: 1

      The turnaround they need could well be the new Zelda game. It's due in a week or so in the U.S., and probably soon in PAL territory. It got rave reviews and should, along with Metroid Prime, breathe some life into the Market for GCN's.

    18. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by ninster · · Score: 0

      There isn't a slowdown on major AAA titles for Nintendo's gamecube. We got Eternal Darkness, Mario Sunshine, Metroid Prime in the past year and Zelda: The Wind Waker coming on Monday in the US. Nintendo strings out the AAA titles so as to not get consumers overwhelmed.

      I also would not call Vice City a AAA title. AAA stands for superb quality and outstanding gameplay. I would call it an A title because it has sold very well thus far.

      Sony shouldn't wait too long to release the PS3 because if they wait, Nintendo and Microsoft will release their next gen systems without Sony to steal some of the thunder away from Sony. This was the case with the PS1 stealing Nintendo and Sega's thunder.

    19. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by ninster · · Score: 0

      To my knowledge, Dixons has alerted Nintendo that they may stop selling it and will see how the discounts are received by the public. If the sells pick up, they may keep selling it.

    20. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The GC has fewer kiddy titles that PS2.

      Agreed. Whatever type of games you're looking for the PS2 has the best range.

    21. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by cmacb · · Score: 1

      Yep yep... it's fun to watch Microsoft occupy the seat normally occupied by its PC software competitors. Sony can afford to wait and see what Microsoft does next. Then counter it with something better and match the new price point.

      Someone said that Sony loses money on every console sold at $200. Not so. They make a few dollars. Only MS is losing money on consoles.

      If MS wants to be a serious player here they need to BUY a hardware company and start doing some "from the ground up" design. MS can buy a lot of influence with all its cash on hand, but Sony has the infrastructure to roll out new boxes without having to coordinate the efforts of other companies. This also allows them to make money where MS loses money for any given level of technology.

      The next offering from Sony is not only likely to one-up whatever MS comes out with, but will most likely double as a home computer for many families. If Microsoft tries to go there they blow their own legs off.

      Think of the Playstation II equipped with the Linux upgrade kit as a very crude prototype of what the Playstation III is likely to be and you will understand the predicament that Microsoft finds intelf in.

      MS persues winning the console wars at it's own peril.

    22. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by Smid · · Score: 1

      " Nintendo is dying off in the UK; Dixons (major high street retailer; part of the same group as PC World) have effectively stopped selling it, clearing existing stock only. Argos are heavily discounting and are likely to stop selling RSN."

      Neither have stated that they are stopping selling the gamecube. They have both discounted the bundles in order to generate sales.

      WH Smiths (largest bookshop, sells consoles) in the UK has rarely ever stocked the Xbox. Make of that what you will.

      Zeldas got the largest pre-orders for any game. Metroid Prime appears this weekend and will no doubt hit the top of the all format chart.

      Some have said the Dixons thing is a disagreement about stock levels of the Gameboy Advance SP. We'll see next week when the SP is in the shops, whether it ends up in Dixons.

      Nintendo seems to have second place in europe, but third in the uk. People distort facts one way or the other to backup whatever side they want to claim is losing.

      Its all usually because their football team is getting relegated to a lower division, their girlfriend has left them, and they need to fight for something....

      Me? I'm going off to pick up two games this weekend. Panzer Dragon and Metroid Prime...

      Predictions? Each console will jostle for position 1) worldwide 2) europe 3) uk for the next year. PS2 market share will slowly decline. Sony will release the PS3 just when the rot sets in.

    23. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by Tetsujin28 · · Score: 1
      In MK Deadly Alliance, you are able to go on a "Konquest" where you learn the specific moves of each character in a orderly fashion. For Sub Zero, one of the training exercizes was to remove 80 pints of blood from your advesary in less than 30s (I think).

      Mario Kart Deadly Alliance? Man, that game has come a long way...

      --
      - - - -
      The real Tetsujin 28 is a giant robot.
    24. Re:to the victors goes the spoils.. by mbourgon · · Score: 1

      Troll my ass! Read the sales numbers.

      --
      "Sometimes a woman is a kind of religion, she can save your soul & set you free from all your sins" - Bad Examples
  13. RTFA by binaryDigit · · Score: 1

    Didn't "they" say, like 2 weeks ago, that the playstation 3 will be coming out next year? Whatever man. The PS3 will come out when it's good and finished, probably at or around the same time the successor to the xbox/gamecube is released. Until then I'll be quite happy playing my PS2. Enough vapor already.

    If you had read the article, the very first paragaphs address the whole "PS3 in 2003" thing. AND they also refer to the timeframe that the next XBox might be released.

  14. They *already* make $$ per unit by Marx_Mrvelous · · Score: 1

    Sony has been making money on hardware asles of the PS2 for quite a long time, now. The only company who's been losign money from hardware is Microsoft.

    --

    Moderation: Put your hand inside the puppet head!
  15. Re:Who cares? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Because Xbox sucks, silly.

  16. Re:would be nice if... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    There's already an offical PS2 linux distro CD you idiot - no need for modding.

  17. hmm by mschoolbus · · Score: 1

    Well obviously they are going to have to do something amazing to keep up with best selling consoles, but I wonder if they are going to try to beat everyone to the start of the 6th generation console. Would they be able to do this and die like the Dreamcast simply because of other companies using that as an example and blow it out of the water with their systems? As much as I don't like them, I bet Microsoft will put a whole lot more effort into xbox2 and make it a killer system, just look at all the gaming companies they have bought over recently...

  18. Re:In topics about the PS3, some things are certai by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You forgot the obligatory vaporware 'DukeNukem Forever' joke. ;)

  19. Competiton by rf0 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Prehaps Sony realises that ATM in terms of installed based and quality of the game library there isn't anything that can touch the PS2. In europe both the X-Box and Gamecube aren't anywhere near as popular. Why should Sony push new hardware onto the market to extend their lead now when there is no need to.

    As other people have said the PS2 unit itself might start making money for sony as production costs fall. Sure I would love to have the PS3 but Sony know the market will wait. Also with any luck the extra time will mean that the new technology will be even more advanced.

    I look forward to the day I can play a photorealistic games rendered in real time.

    Rus

    1. Re:Competiton by binaryDigit · · Score: 5, Interesting

      As other people have said the PS2 unit itself might start making money for sony as production costs fall

      Repeat after me, Sony sells PS2 hardware for a profit already. Have for a while now.

      I look forward to the day I can play a photorealistic games rendered in real time.

      As long as the games don't suck. I look forward to the day when focus comes back to gameplay and not pretty pictures.

    2. Re:Competiton by Jeppe+Salvesen · · Score: 1

      XBox would fare better if Microsoft didn't make it. Technologically, it's superior. However, people see "microsoft" and think "solitaire" and "difficult, crashy computer".

      --

      Stop the brainwash

  20. Why do we need it? by x311 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It might just be me, but I'm completely satisfied with my XBox and PS2. Hell, I still love the Dreamcast. You know why? The games are good and fun. Is releasing a new console going to make the games better? I really can't see the correlation between having a new console out and having better games (except that a new system usually launches with a couple A+ games). I'd be more interested in MS and Sony throwing more money into quality game development instead of working on making a new console that will make the already-pretty-enough graphics a little bit prettier. Graphics and processing power do not make games--innovation does.

    1. Re:Why do we need it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have to agree. The quality of games, as of lately, has been getting worse and worse. I do not find myself playing my PS2 through the night until early morning, anymore. Most of the time I play my PS2 when there is nothing to do and they aren't showing anything good on TV. It could be that I am growing out of the whole gaming thing, but then why do I come back to some of the classic games all the time?

    2. Re:Why do we need it? by devnull17 · · Score: 1

      Systems almost never launch with more than one A+ game. N64 had Mario 64, Dreamcast had Sonic Adventure, GCN had Pikmin (which is a stretch) and XBox had Halo. PS2 had nothing. Launch titles are often irrelevant, as the price of new consoles is often too high to get an enormous user base.

    3. Re:Why do we need it? by startled · · Score: 1

      Pretty enough?

      I've been playing PC and XBox games for the past 6 months, and I finally went back to my PS2 to play a few games. I popped in Jak and Daxter-- oh, man. You know the feeling when you've been thinking about playing your NES games for a long time, and you finally go back and toss in Kid Icarus, and it's nowhere near as nice looking as you remember it? That's what I got with the PS2.

      PS2 games look hideous. GTA3, DMC, MGS2, a couple others are quite nice. But the visuals on your typical PS2 title are wretched. And this does effect the game-- low res, washed out textures hurt the ability to have compelling environments, and to really differentiate one area from another. Everything blends together in a blurry (yet somehow still pointy) mess, and environmental detail goes so low that you can't even think about having real density of things to interact with, because you couldn't even see them.

      Ugh. Maybe it's partly just the PS2 games. DC games still get me excited-- it seems like that platform had more cool, new games in its short lifespan than the PS2 has had to date.

    4. Re:Why do we need it? by hiryuu · · Score: 1

      Amen to that. I just recently picked up an X-Box (long-time Panzer Dragoon fan), and other than plugging it in and firing it up to make sure it worked, I've barely touched it lately. What's been sucking up my time lately? I got pulled into re-playing Spyro the Dragon games on my old Playstation. I didn't care if the PS1 graphics weren't up to par with the taste I got while first testing out the X-Box - I was having fun. I've played plenty of pretty games (PC and console) that sucked rocks - give me a good, fun game that shows its age, and I'll go for hours. Hell, I still fire up SNES games for their fun-to-play value (Super Metroid, Secret of Mana, Starfox, etc.).

      --
      Karma: Excellent, but still won't get you laid.
    5. Re:Why do we need it? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1
      True 3D games (those with an engine capable of handling arbitrary geometry) simply cannot run on the systems of yesterday. Similarly, the games of tomorrow will not run on the systems of today. It seems that the hottest PC games today are first person shooters and micromanagement games, though I haven't looked up the sales figures or anything. First person shooters are simply not possible (at least not a truly interactive and flexible system) on, say, XT-class PCs. Micromanagement games on their current scale really didn't become possible until the 16 bit revolution...

      Innovation may make games, but Graphics and processing power, as you put it, make games possible.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  21. My PS2 aint gonna last till 2006... by matthewg42 · · Score: 0, Troll
    Oh man, my PS2 is creaking with age already. If they want to wait so long, maybe they should have made the PS2 with some better quality components... I think I got one of the duff batch (now recalled), but who keeps receipts for such toys? I should'da listened to my Ma...

    If they are really serious now about waiting that long, we'll could end up with a rushed product after an earlier release of the next MS console. Ho Hum.

    1. Re:My PS2 aint gonna last till 2006... by tx_mgm · · Score: 2

      at least your ps2 still works...
      mine was NOT in the batch that got recalled (according to the nice sony representative i spoke with not so long ago) which means that ill have to ship my console to them for a new laser, which i will have to pay for...and will come out to cost more than a brand new unit. so until they bring it down to a reasonable cost, i'll just go without one.
      oh and by the way, the thing that irritates me the most about the whole situation is that the laser started to go to shit on me less than a year after purchase...want to know how my original NES (bought in 1985) is doing? well, last night i enjoyed a session of gyromite with R.O.B....yes even the FUCKING ROBOT still works as beautifully as the day i bought it!

      --
      Gentlemen...BEHOLD!
      -Dr. Weird
    2. Re:My PS2 aint gonna last till 2006... by kyrre · · Score: 1

      I also have a Playstation2 with optical issues. Where can I find information about the units being recalled? My warranty just went out.

    3. Re:My PS2 aint gonna last till 2006... by tx_mgm · · Score: 1

      sony's site has a number you can call. i would post a link here, but i'm at work and sony's site is blocked, so i wouldnt be able to do anything better than www.sony.com.
      my contempt for the internet filters at my place of work are to be saved for a completely different discussion...

      --
      Gentlemen...BEHOLD!
      -Dr. Weird
    4. Re:My PS2 aint gonna last till 2006... by dalamcd · · Score: 2, Informative
      I would strongly suggest you both check out this. I was having huge problems with my PS2 where DVDs and DVD games would work fine, but PS1 and regular CD games (those with a black/purple background are regular CDs) would come up with a Disk Read Error almost every time. Adjusting the voltage (do it with a friend like it says--would have been next to impossible otherwise) solved it and I've never looked back.
      Do try just cleaning the lens before adjusting the voltage, though.

      dalamcd

      --
      moer liek CELtroid prime!!@1!
    5. Re:My PS2 aint gonna last till 2006... by devnull17 · · Score: 1

      PS2's have a ton of hardware problems. I've seen lasers break on at least three units, and they're also infamous for somehow destroying CD's. Sony, predictably, doesn't care. If competition in the market were a little better, I most likely wouldn't have had to spend $400 getting my console repaired twice.

    6. Re:My PS2 aint gonna last till 2006... by IndependentVik · · Score: 1

      At least they don't block /.

      --
      I'd suggest you don't use Slashdot as your only news source, or you will suffer permanent brain damage.
    7. Re:My PS2 aint gonna last till 2006... by tx_mgm · · Score: 1

      ...DVDs and DVD games would work fine, but PS1 and regular CD games (those with a black/purple background are regular CDs) would come up with a Disk Read Error almost every time

      mine started out the exact opposite. dvd movies and games would get disk read errors while ps1 and regular format games would work fine. and the dvds could be made to work with a little patience in constantly ejecting and re-reading until it worked. that progressively got worse and now it reads absolutely nothing whatsoever no matter what crazy things one may try and attempt to get it to read.
      and yes, ive cleaned the lens. not sure if i want to play with voltages tho. ill read the site when i get home (see previous post about evil internet blocking at work) thanks.

      --
      Gentlemen...BEHOLD!
      -Dr. Weird
    8. Re:My PS2 aint gonna last till 2006... by dalamcd · · Score: 1
      not sure if i want to play with voltages tho.

      Yeah, neither was I. My brother and I eventually just said 'fuck it' and did it anyway.

      It definitely handled our problem with CDs not reading, though. As long as you follow the instructions, you should be fine.

      We ended up using a regular metal screwdriver, btw. (It suggest against that in the FAQ.) We, uh, touched metal to 'ground ourselves' before we did anything with the PS2, though. I have no idea if this has any basis in fact or if we were just kidding ourselves, but in the end we hadn't hurt anything so who knows. Can't hurt. =P

      dalamcd

      --
      moer liek CELtroid prime!!@1!
  22. Re:would be nice if... by cdrudge · · Score: 4, Informative

    Why mod when you can have official support

  23. Good news for everybody by vandenh · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This is very good news. It gives the current consoles time to build some quality titles and gives consumers some breathing space. Sony has a good installed base and MS will be happy with this as well. They can continue to build Live and develop some good franchises. Nintendo might not be so happy but maybe the cUbe will pick up in the future.
    Sony also needs to think about their real online network that they will probably launch with PS3. PS2 hardware was a big mistake so Sony better make sure they have a good platform with good development support and libraries this time.

  24. I wouldn't doubt it by pupdog311 · · Score: 0

    Sony's riding high, why not slack for a bit and make sure the next gen is really ready to go full-blast out of the gate?

    And chris is usually pretty good about not spouting off stuff without really trying to get backup...

  25. they have to wait by NixterAg · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Sony won't pump out the Playstation 3 until they get a better idea of how many people will adopt HDTV, which technology will succeed DVD in the home, and when Microsoft will release a competing product. They can't afford to release a piece of hardware that isn't compatible with what people want. You can't believe how many people use their PS2 (or X-Box) as their primary (if only) DVD player. This is a huge selling point for the consoles and has been a huge boon to the DVD industry. It has, in essence, single handedly killed VHS, as many major retail outlets have already announced plans to phase out VHS sales.

    It's not just about games anymore. Gaming consoles will become the media hub of the future home, not PCs (yes you can argue that gaming machines are specialized PCs but that's not completely accurate), and it's critical that Sony continue with that concept, but it's risky at the same time.

    1. Re:they have to wait by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > It has, in essence, single handedly killed VHS...

      What is this "VHS" thing you speak of?

    2. Re:they have to wait by pmz · · Score: 1

      You can't believe how many people use their PS2 (or X-Box) as their primary (if only) DVD player.

      Yes, the PS2 with the add-on remote is a pretty darn good DVD player. However, one reason it is successful in this multi-role scheme is that the PS2 doesn't come with unanticipated DRM or other crippling roadblocks.

      I say "unanticipated", because it is pretty clear to the public, now, that DVD has that CSS stuff, and that the PS2 games are proprietary. But Sony left it at that. There's no "big brother" modem connection always reporting that were playing nice, for example. Consumers are generally comfortable with this sort of compromise.

    3. Re:they have to wait by poot_rootbeer · · Score: 1

      [Gaming consoles having the capability to play DVDs] has, in essence, single handedly killed VHS

      You don't think that the fact that standalone DVD players have dropped in price from $400 to as low as $50 over the past 5 years has anything to do with it?

    4. Re:they have to wait by kisrael · · Score: 1

      I wonder what % of people use a Console as their main DVD player...the original poster said "I wouldn't believe it" and that might be true, 'cause to me it seems pretty small. I think DVDs made big inroads to the popular market before PS2 was around.

      DVDs look cooler on a shelf and take less room, tend to sell for a low price, let you jump around with scene select, seem less prone to wearing down, often have bonus material, and have great picture especially when pausing. I think all of these have more to do with DVD's stomping over VHS. (Though its funny, recently when I was forced to rent VHS, I had to admit that the picture quality wasn't as bad as I expected.)

      'Course what do I know, I'm a big Nintendo fanboy anyway. I have a PS2, and currently the only game that has really excited me and I can't get for GC is GTA3 and VC.

      --
      SO YOU'RE GOING TO DIE: The Comic for Dealing with Death
    5. Re:they have to wait by NixterAg · · Score: 1

      I think that's definitely helped, but I know literally dozens of people, especially children, who wouldn't have a DVD player if their console didn't play DVDs. Originally it was an added bonus that they didn't intend to use, but with DVDs so widespread they ended up embracing it.

      Mark my words, next generation console gaming will have as much effect on the adoption of HDTV as HDTV content does.

    6. Re:they have to wait by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      FWIW, I think the fact that DVDs are playable in both standalone dvd players and in computers' DVD drives helped a lot. Ditto for music CDs and CD-ROMs.

      I bought a computer in 1998 and got a DVD drive in it. Even though it was probably $200+ and not a great deal, it still encouraged me to buy it, and I went ahead and started buying DVD movies. Then I also got a living room DVD player about a year later and haven't looked back.

  26. The main thing that has kept me away from consoles by Rooked_One · · Score: 1, Redundant
    is the basic lack of a keyboard and mouse. Why in the world would I want to take a step backwards? I personally LIKE computer games way more, as they are customizeable to the extreme!! *best duffman voice* OH YA!

    When was the last time you were using a controller for xbox online and were accused of using an aimbot? Never? Hmmm.... wonder why that is. Now lets see - for me, the last time was probably about a week ago in CS. Nuff said. (and I swear if anyone says i'm a cheator... NARF!)

  27. This makes more sense by i0chondriac · · Score: 1

    I know someone working on the chip. There's no way it could come out this year.

  28. Re:would be nice if... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You can already do that with PS2. Do a google search for HD for PS2 and Linux on PS2 ... and you will see that Linux on PS2 can be easily done. But why would you bother? I understand the whole 'geeky coolness' factor of it, but otherwise why bother. Unless you can actually do something with it other then show your geeky friends, of course. Plus the whole coolness factor wears off anyways after a while and you are stuck with a paper-weight.

  29. Recap by YE · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Now, if you haven't been following the entire brouhaha, here's a brief recap:

    1. Somebody overhears something about chips sampling and makes the utterly ridiculous assumption that PS3 will launch this year.

    2. Gutter media (like The Inquirer) are all over the story.

    3. Gamer sites don't want to be left behind ("Hey, it may be bullshit, but our readers better read bullshit on our pages than on The Inquirer") and quote each other as authorities.

    4. Everyone with a little insight in the console business and general common sense dismisses the story as crap. General consensus is reached.

    5. Mainstream media picks up the story a week after it's all calmed down, e.g. CNN posts an article of three screenfulls of text which says absolutely nothing.

    6. Slashdot editors decide that any mention of the word "Playstation" on CNN is techno-culture, cyberpunkish, and, most of all, worth posting as news.

    7. Slashdot readers ("commenters") wage a bloody flamefest over "my console is 1337er than yours", mentioning "attention to gameplay", "Microsoft world domination" and "games in ye good olden days" many times without giving a clock cycle to think about what they actually mean. But, hey, that's okay, that's Slashdot!
    1. Re:Recap by Tha_Zanthrax · · Score: 1

      you missed one step:

      at some point there will be a duplicate post on /. about it.

  30. This is a _huge_ gamble by Sgs-Cruz · · Score: 2, Insightful
    X-box has extremely short development times (and low costs for the power you get, due to using basically commodity hardware). If Sony waits this long, MS has the capability to release two new boxes in that time (they won't... but they could, theoretically.) The problem is, three years is foreeeever in the world of technological devlopment. Can you imagine if something had been announced in March of 2000? Would you still care about it now?

    I guess what I'm saying is, Cell had better be absolutely revolutionary-stunning-fantastic to actually make people care after that long.

    --

    Karma: pi (Mostly due to circular reasoning in posts).

    1. Re:This is a _huge_ gamble by binaryDigit · · Score: 1

      But what's interesting is that the next xbox is also not expected until a similar time frame. Given its somewhat tepid sales, you would think that M$ would want to make sure they got something out quicker. And if Sony's competitors aren't going to come out with something even more spectacular in the interim, then the 5 year cycle is not as big of a killer as one might think. I don't think cell has to bee that "killer" even after that long. After all, while PS2 was a nice step over PS, it wasen't the world shaking jump that everyone had hoped, but yet it seems to be doing just fine.

    2. Re:This is a _huge_ gamble by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If Sony releases the PS3 early, it would definitely hurt Nintendo but it would hurt MS more. Since the Xbox costs more than the other two it needs to sell more software units to recoup losses, and time on the market is one asset that is of utmost value.

    3. Re:This is a _huge_ gamble by iainl · · Score: 1

      "Can you imagine if something had been announced in March of 2000? Would you still care about it now?"

      --
      "I Know You Are But What Am I?"
    4. Re:This is a _huge_ gamble by iainl · · Score: 1

      oops - I seem to have lost my own text. Anyway, that now makes us two who have forgotten to finish our Duke Nukem gags.

      --
      "I Know You Are But What Am I?"
    5. Re:This is a _huge_ gamble by Junks+Jerzey · · Score: 1

      X-box has extremely short development times

      If by "extremely short" you mean "the same 18 to 30 month cycle that most games take to develop," then I'll agree. It's easier to write a from-scratch renderer for the Xbox, but the other 90% of the game, plus creation of art and levels and scripting, takes the same amount of time. The renderer issue is irrelevant, too, as by now everyone has solid PS2 rendering code to lean on (or is using RenderWare).

    6. Re:This is a _huge_ gamble by drinkypoo · · Score: 1
      X-Box games don't have lower development times than games for other platforms, unless those other platforms are something like the sega saturn which was pretty much unsupported by sega, in spite of the fact that it's a complicated platform with two processors. (Identical SuperH processors, not like the (IIRC) supposedly MIPS-derived "vector units" in the EE.)

      Sony has the problem that they have to sneak their Cell processor into a whole bunch of hardware and somehow con you into hooking it all up. Usually the way to do this is to use commodity cables, like phone cables, which are inexpensive, and come in long run lengths. Using an RJ for a custom bus would be a bad move though, that connector type is used for too much already. I'm hoping companies go ahead and just put 10/100 ethernet on all their hardware in the near future, because few things are friendlier than good old ethernet. (Protocols are another issue.)

      Anyway those Cells are only going to be interesting if you have a bunch of them. Sony's goal is always to sell you a bunch of shit, none of which is fantastic (but all of which is nice. Most Sony hardware, especially the expensive shit, is a joy to use, if not the best quality.) So if they sell you a Cell-powered DVD player, and a Cell-powered game system, maybe they can rope you into getting a TV with a Cell in it, and then hey, maybe a Cell-powered PVR, that could hand some cycles to your game-playing while it's not doing MPEG4 encoding.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  31. 5 years? by snitty · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This five year gap between consoles may be just what nintendo needs to jump in and take over the next generation console market. Previously Sony has had the edge by coming out a year earlier than the others.

    --
    Modular Redundancy--Because 4 out of 5 Nodes agree
    1. Re:5 years? by Daetrin · · Score: 2, Interesting
      As has been discussed before, Nintendo is trying to get their next console out by 2005.

      If Sony actually delays till 2006 and Nintendo actually does make it out by 2005 (when piling hardware release predictions on top of rumors about hardware release predictions, nothing is certain) then it might give Nintendo the chance to gain the same lead Sony has gained in the last two generations. Along with the dinky mini-DVDs and the lack of a second "Z" button on the controllers, their constant lateness has been one of my biggest criticisms about Nintendo.

      --
      This Space Intentionally Left Blank
  32. Re:Who cares? by mezelf · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The X-box vs. PS2 battle will indeed be a tough one, but I don't think that the X-box will knock the Gamecube off the market. They are targetted at completely different audiences. The Gamecube targets the younger children, with games and characters such as Zelda, Super Mario, ... Pretty friendly games, rather non-violent with more or less cartoon-like characters. OK, they have always had other games as well (Metal Gear springs to mind), but Super Mario and Zelda were and are their flagships.

    While both the X-box ans the Playstation (1 or 2) can compete with the gamecube on the second type of games (for the young adults or the older children) and even might dominate the market in that category, they don't seem to have that impact on the youngest amongst the gamers and they don't seem really willing to put enough effort in it.

    So, I think that there is more than enough room for at least 2 consoles, and I favor Nintendo for being one of them. They have the know-how regarding children, they work with some experienced companies on those games, ... What will happen to the other consoles... Only time will tell.

  33. I predict . . . by frankthechicken · · Score: 4, Funny

    I believe Sony and Trevor Bayliss are understood to be forming a partnership, so I predict the next playstation will be completely portable, with completely wireless controllers. Both the console and the controllers will be entirely powered by the power of wind up. The crank to wind up the controller may also be used as a Fishing/Hammer throw/Cycling/Organ grinder simulator, much like the original Sega Fishing rod.

    The actual reason for the delay for the release date is the need to try to decrease the amount of work needed to keep the console operating. Currently the console needs the equivalent of reeling in forty seven Killer Whales per second, or 47 kW/S to generate even simple gouraud shading. Though Mr. Bayliss believes that this may be overcome through some form of "magic".

    1. Re:I predict . . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why don't you go suck a carp, funny boy?

  34. Given the early spec draft of PS3, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    i can tel ya i am impressed.

    This seem to be the realy next big thing in console. Having multi-processors and DSP will build a core and effective game and entertainment power.

    Pas has proved that the power is not enough for entertainement if not adequat to the bare needs (cf. XBox asian flop !)

    Anyway, specs are cool ... but i am waiting for the ealies impl !

    -SLK

    1. Re:Given the early spec draft of PS3, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wha Yu say?

      Pas has proved that the power is not enough for entertainement if not adequat to the bare needs (cf. XBox asian flop !)

      if not adequat
      I think aquaduct is the word you are looking for here

      Pas has proved
      Mmm, perhaps Pez is what you mean

      to the bare needs (cf. XBox asian flop !)
      Right, I'm just lost now, some kind of lack of Japanese erection over an X-box due to the bareness of an aquaduct and the power of Pez.

      It's just too damn deep man.

  35. Re:Ingest with a single crystal of Sodium Chloride by garcia · · Score: 2, Interesting

    but it is definitly not 2006. I didn't get my PS2 until 12/2001 and I was already quite a bit behind...

    2006 will put the PS2 *WAY* behind 2006 graphics and CPU capabilities... While I agree that the games might actually improve (as they did w/the PS1 as the programmers I guess got smarter with what they were able to do w/the machine) they might also degrade as people become uninterested.

    A computer lasts about 2 years... Why would a console last 6?

    Just my worthless .02

  36. GameCube pricing in the UK by WIAKywbfatw · · Score: 1

    Walk into any branch of Dixons (UK's biggest high street electronics retailer) right now and you can buy a GameCube with a free game for only £99. Not only that, but a lot of their GameCube games and accessories seem to be pretty damn cheap too, with games around £25-30, as opposed to PS2 and X-Box titles at £35-40.

    Why? Dixons has a glut of GameCubes and associated products, far more than they would like. Basically, the console hasn't done half as well as Dixons was hoping and it hopes to generate interest in the platform through this sales push. If it fails to attract sufficient interest then there is a real possibility that Dixons will drop the GameCube altogether, which would be the start of the death knell for the GameCube in the UK.

    I was severely tempted by this package when I saw that Metroid Prime was one of the free games that you could get in this £99 deal but have since cooled off - right now, half way through a complete house renovation I can use the money elsewhere and the fewer wasted hours I have playing games the better. It'll be at least May, maybe June or July before I can sit down in my new home with enough free time on my hands to devote to a seriously immersive game like Metroid Prime so I'll hold off until then.

    By the way, Argos is also pushing the GameCube too. I'm not sure what its package entails but I think it's not a million miles away from Dixons is offering.

    --

    "Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
  37. Re:The main thing that has kept me away from conso by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    I know this may sound like crazy techno-babble but they got these keyboards that run off a so called 'universal serial bus'. The name is exotic but the concept is simple. All in all, you gets a keyboard and a mouse on yer PS2

  38. Re:The main thing that has kept me away from conso by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    When was the last time you were using a controller for xbox online and were accused of using an aimbot? Never? Hmmm.... wonder why that is.
    Oooh, I know this one! It's because XBox is much more fun to play online because you know that other people aren't cheating, isn't it!
  39. Good news for Rockstar! by gwappo · · Score: 1, Flamebait
    I would argue that, in large part, the reason the PS/2 has continued selling is because of the recent release of Vice City.

    Because it was a PS/2 exclusive, all those people who only played GTA3 on the PC now had to buy a PS/2 to get to the sequel!

    Example of this would be me, I forced my good brother to buy the PS/2 while I bought the game (two advantages : Reduces my expenses, and the machine is not "near" me so I won't be sucked out of a social life because of Vice City ;-) )

    Obviously, if they expect sales to continue because of upcoming GTA4 (what was it - 2004?), they'll have some tough negotiations with Rockstar ahead of them! Rockstar will be able to demand pretty much full-margin and some additional cash upfront, with Sony recouping that loss through their margin on sales of other games.

    Great stuff for Rockstar, I hope GTA4 will live up to its promise!

    1. Re:Good news for Rockstar! by TheCrimsonUnbeliever · · Score: 1

      Vice City is coming out on the PC mid 2003 - I wait with baited breath

    2. Re:Good news for Rockstar! by phillymjs · · Score: 1

      Because it was a PS/2 exclusive, all those people who only played GTA3 on the PC now had to buy a PS/2 to get to the sequel!

      No, only those people with absolutely no self control and sufficient disposable income.

      The rest of us just hunkered down to wait for the inevitable release of the PC version, which was announced a week or two ago to be May, 2003.

      ~Philly

    3. Re:Good news for Rockstar! by gwappo · · Score: 1
      Hah! well actually what I didn't mention in my post is 'cause, as I mentioned, I don't have the PS/2 *myself*, I'll be buying the game *twice* now!

      That's even better for Rockstar. (assuming a lot of people do it).

  40. Wait a second! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    As it is, they're already behind Xbox technologically


    Not if Nvidia can help it!
  41. My Playstation 3 prediction by DownTheLongRoad · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Saddam will no be playing one.

    1. Re:My Playstation 3 prediction by m1chael · · Score: 1

      but maybe you can play him.

      --
      I know you are psychotic, but please make an effort.
  42. Re:Ingest with a single crystal of Sodium Chloride by ApharmdB · · Score: 5, Insightful

    A computer lasts about 2 years... Why would a console last 6?

    Because the hardware is more focused on a single purpose and because that is a benefit of consoles. Joe Average likes consoles as opposed to computer gaming because it is a single purchase that lasts a much longer time. He is not forced into a constant upgrade cycle to stay current. If Sony, MS, and Nintendo start making new consoles every two years they will alienate a lot of people. Look at what all those "upgrades" did to Sega during the Saturn days.

  43. Re:In topics about the PS3, some things are certai by iainl · · Score: 1

    you forgot

    4) Someone will call the Gamecube a 'kiddie' machine, despite this having nothing to do with the topic

    5) Someone else will take great offense and start listing titles with T or M ratings

    6) Someone will counter with poor US Gamecube sales

    6) Someone else will reply that Microsoft aren't selling many XBoxes in Japan

    When Sony start to see a slowdown in PS2 sales and a competitor actually coming even close to them, they might think about releasing PS3, but not much sooner. Apart from anything, the PS2 is such an arse to code its only in the last year that 3rd parties have started to get the hang of it.

    --
    "I Know You Are But What Am I?"
  44. Re:would be nice if... by JeanBaptiste · · Score: 2, Funny
    ...It could be modded with linux like xbox

    almost... you should have said something like:

    "In other news... Although a prototype PS3 has not even been fully designed much less built, several guys without girlfriends got several linux distros running on it, they then got it to emulate a C64 webserver"
  45. The main thing that has drawn me to consoles by iainl · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "When was the last time you were using a controller for xbox online and were accused of using an aimbot? Never? Hmmm.... wonder why that is."

    err, because the lack of aimbots has meant that you can concentrate on playing games rather than worrying that every person achieving a kill might be cheating? I know I stopped playing CS when it became impossible to have any fun due to all the cheating people; consoles have got me gaming again.

    While I understand your desire to stick with K+M configs for playing first-person games, I also found that I'm got pretty sick of just these, and nothing beats a stick for fighting games, shooting games, platformers, analogue control for driving games etc. Its the right tool for the right job that counts.

    --
    "I Know You Are But What Am I?"
    1. Re:The main thing that has drawn me to consoles by Rooked_One · · Score: 1
      No offense, but you probably aren't very good at CS. I can go play a game basically any time I want, and even though i'm pretty much inactive due to www.natural-selection.org I don't find it hard to find my name on the top of the list. Usually the only people on top of me are clanners. I don't cheat at all, so are you saying that all clanners cheat?

      btw, I'm not a god at CS... I've just played enough to realize all you have to do is tap your mouse button. HEY! I guess all that tapping we did when playing megaman will count! :)

    2. Re:The main thing that has drawn me to consoles by iainl · · Score: 1

      I played a fair bit of CS back in the day (around .6, .65 or so) but I sort of tailed off once the number of people either blatently cheating, accusing you of cheating because you got a single headshot in, or even banning you from a server after you fluked three in a row became too much. Its not that I think you cheat, but that I think some players cheat, its often difficult to tell which ones they are, and because of that even if you're not cheating the moment you do well someone will take offense.

      It may be better now, and you may have found better places to play than me (only having dialup its difficult to get a good game now most CS fans are on broadband), but I just don't find the game fun any more in the way that I do with the best console titles.

      --
      "I Know You Are But What Am I?"
  46. no doubt. by m1chael · · Score: 1

    ps3 'the other place different to the first two places and the place you dont know what is' will be a success. sony has many repeat customers and that is the sole reason why they are ahead of the game (good improvement in hardware over previous console and game base, im sure backwards combatiblity isnt a major thing). but im sure microsoft will try combat this (jack of all trades master of none)and nintendo will have their little niche too (relatively small set of extremely good games).

    --
    I know you are psychotic, but please make an effort.
  47. Re:Ingest with a single crystal of Sodium Chloride by pmz · · Score: 2

    He is not forced into a constant upgrade cycle to stay current.

    It's interesting how a proprietary gaming platform can actually empower the consumer. It seems for PCs, the manufacturers manipulate the consumers so they always have an inferiority complex about their hardware. Console owners don't care too much that their hardware is not bleeding edge any more--they just want more and more games.

  48. You know what would be a blast .. by ciupman · · Score: 1

    Playstation 3 adapted to augmented reality .. imagine playing in real enviroments with virtual photorealistic monsters (i've already seen this done with doom .. but check ou the weight of the computer hanging on the players back, not to talk about the graphics quality). By then PS3 would have the power to do this with less weight.. combined with bluetooth (multiplayer) .... droooolll .. ;D.. that's the way to go for future gaming...

    --
    I fuse with Mercer every single day...
  49. Quick rant by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    1. Please don't call it the PS/2, that's a device interface

    2. Joe Six-pack doesn't care whether or not you can install Linux, or overclock the processor. That is not the way you are going to sell a games machine.

  50. Re:In topics about the PS3, some things are certai by MyGirlFriendsBroken · · Score: 1

    And one of the lauch titles will be:

    7) Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 78 will be one of the titles available at launch.

    --
    If you read a speed reading book, does it take you less time to read the second half?
  51. The PS2 is not easily hackable. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


    Easily hackable is the Dreamcast or Saturn; the DC needs a boot disc, the Saturn can be defeated with a simple disc swap.

    PS2 mod chips are notoriously hard to install; and what's even MORE annoying is that it's actually harder to mod a PS2 to play imports than it is to mod a PS2 to play bootlegs. And many of the mods involve modding your case to do a disk swap; newer games defeat even this.

    All I want to import is Dodonpachi Daioujou and Metal Slug 3... why should it be so expensive to get them to play on a domestic machine.

    1. Re:The PS2 is not easily hackable. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wait until Easter. There's a one-swap bootdisc in testing now.

  52. Personally... by PMAvers · · Score: 1

    My personal holy grail that I wish Sony would come out with is...

    The PS two.

    Think of it like the re-release of the PSX. The new, smaller form factor. Bugs fixed.

    What the PS two would have:
    Smaller form factor.
    NO DVD-movie playback (why in a second).
    The ability to play PS1 and PS2 games.
    The kicker: $100-150 price tag.

    To get it down that low, they'll probably have to cut some other things, but hell, some things are just cruft anyway. Ditching the DVD playback could bring the price down, and could help with those people like myself who already have a better DVD player than what's in the PS2.

    There's really only eight games I want to play on the PS2 (the 4 .hack games, Gungrave, DDRMAX, Frequency, and Amplitude), so the $200 price point has been keeping me away. I know I *could* just get a refurbished one, but if Sony provided a *new* product at that price point... yay for them!

    There's my $0.02...

  53. Re:Ingest with a single crystal of Sodium Chloride by tholomyes · · Score: 1

    I think it's well past the drawing board... I remember reading this in Wired a while ago -- back in May 2001, actually.

    They're using 16 PS2's hooked up in parallel...

    --
    When did the future switch from being a promise to a threat? -C. Palahniuk
  54. hardware pricing lost myths by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ok, pricing hardware at a loss is a new thing. And the only company that's doing now, or has stopped was microsoft.

    Sony doesn't need to undercut their PS2 b/c they have legacy with them; backwards compatibilty of the psone and it's reputation.

    Nintendo doesn't have to do this either b/c of their history in the business. They know the ropes and they know what to do. Plus, everyone knows nintendo.

    Microsoft knows this is a rough business and doesn't like competing consoles exceeding 2. They understand once they get their claws in the market they can profit as much as sony has with their psone. They're willing to take a hit with their xbox in hopes to profit on the second generation.

    Why? MSFT has no base or history in the console biz. The console biz is very different than the PC gaming biz b/c you're selling something that's easily usuable like an appliance.

    Hardware can make some nice profits. But as all gaming giant knows, it's all about the software licensing.

    1. Re:hardware pricing lost myths by Kirby-meister · · Score: 1
      No, it's not a new thing.

      This is how the hardware cycle goes. One, you release it for $300 at a loss, since you've just started production and it costs a lot to get started producing something new.

      As time goes by you get increases in producing efficicency and an increase on output. The PS2 has already moved to a smaller micron process AND moved the Emotion Engine and Graphics Synthesizer onto one chip to reduce prices.

      When you need to, you cut the price of the console to $200, but at this point your factories are producing these things for a LOT less.

      By the end of the console's life, you sell for $100, but by then the thing is so cheap it can be put into your PS3. This is exactly what happened with the PSOne - by the time the PS2 was being planned, the PSOne cores cost Sony about $2-4 to produce and were bringing in $99 a sale. So really, profits come from the console as well as the software licensing.

  55. Re:In topics about the PS3, some things are certai by Kelz · · Score: 1

    Since you either can't count or you have some form of obsessive compulsive disorder....

    8)?
    9)Xbox starts to compete with PS2

  56. Consoles have keyboard and mice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You can get your favorite keyboard and mice for all three consoles. I'm not quite sure if you want to use a keyboard and mouse unless it's a shooter.

    Frankly, I like that they don't. If I wanted to play a shooter, that's what my PCs for. Shooters in consoles seem flat, especially without network play.

    Similarly with PCs, I don't have a controller b/c it seems retarded to use one for shooters. Sometimes I have to calibrate the controllers? Com'n, if I'm gaming, I want to go right to it, and not deal with troubleshooting it. That's why I'm gaming in the first place, "ugh, mem exception error in compiling test.exe, screw this, i've got to kill people".

    I like that my gamecube console can use a wireless controller, wavebird controller, that communicates through radio frequencies. I can game about 60-90 feet away; as if I can see the tv at that point. Least I won't snag the system to the floor from the table.

    I guess that's why I don't have a controller for my PC. Quaking could destroy my pc.

  57. remember by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    remember ps1 took a few years to get a lot of recognition then it exploded..

  58. Re:would be nice if... by flymolo · · Score: 1

    Xbox is a whole lot nicer for linux.
    The ability to use X86 compiled software helps especially for closed source things or things with X86 assembly.
    Compiling stuff for PS2 sucks because some things just won't build with 32M.
    Setting up cross compile chains isn't something I enjoy.

    --
    "Sometimes it's hard to tell the dancer from the dance." --Corwin Of Amber in CoC
  59. PS2 is already media center by specialized_sworks · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I agree completely.

    With a $50 piece of software (Broadq Qcast), and my network adapter, I am able to watch video and listen to mp3s streamed off my desktop. Now I can watch all those movies and tv shows on my big screen tv instead of the computer monitor.

    In fact, I use the PS2 more often with Qcast than with playing games. My TV time is probably now spent 50% watching live tv (mostly sports) and 50% movies or tv shows (no commercials) downloaded using emule.

    Qcast highly recommended for anyone with a PS2.

    -Dubya

  60. um... you're wrong. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    carts = hard to pirate. i don't think load time had anything to do with nintendo's choice to use them.

    also, the hard drive is one of the best parts of the xbox. you don't have to pay a ton of money for flash cards. i fail to see your 'hard drive' = computer logic. what's the point? a console is a something made for playing games. not a computer.

    xbox is just as unstable as the PSII.

    the reason why you can't upgrade (like all consoles) is so developers don't have to worry about different parts.

    1. Re:um... you're wrong. by StingRayGun · · Score: 1

      Yeah, your right, as you can tell from the monoparagraph (forgot to preview, should have noticed html was on), I didn't read my post until after I sent it in. I am a little upset about the war thing; I kind of took it out on whatever I commented on today.

      I still don?t think the XBOX is really a traditional console though, its large size, and almost off the shelf PC hardware really turns me off.

      I don't think I have ever seen anyone admit to being wrong on /. Wonder if they have a -3 mod on all posts containing admissions of incorrectness?

  61. Re:would be nice if... by aflat362 · · Score: 0
    UH, there ARE linux development kits and you CAN run linux on the PS2 without modding it

    This is an article about PS3 - not PS2. I think he was talking about linux for the PS3, for which there currently is not a linux kit available.

    --

    Conserve Oil, Recycle, Boycott Walmart

  62. But not everyone... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    wants to hack their system. Remember, not everyone is tech savvy. Some go with the Nintendo because their kids like Disney titles. Some go with it because it's relatively fast (doesn't need to load). Not everyone is rarin' to hack their systems.

  63. Re:would be nice if... by TonyMillion · · Score: 1

    how about a `linux PS2 Kit`, where you superglue all the parts together, and paint it and stuff, like those klingon warbirds...

  64. Actually.... by AlexMax2742 · · Score: 1
    Most PS2 games are DVD's. You need a DVD player of some sort to play PS2 games. Sure, some games (Frequency, Tribes AA) use CD's but they don't justify the cost and R&D of making a PSX 3.0 that can play blue PS2 games. Why put all that hardware in that cna play PS2 games when you can't play ALL PS2 games. What I want is a TRUELY portable/handheld Playstation, like the home-made PSp (can't provide URL, stupid high school firewall that I'm too lazy to try and work around...argh...)

    And a public service announcement....BUY AMPLITUDE! 3.25.03

    --
    I'm the guy with the unpopular opinion
  65. PS2 has more games by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yet when I walk into future shop (canada's version of circuit city/best buy), I see 2 full aisles dedicated to X box crap, and only 1 half aisle dedicated to PS 1 and 2 games/consoles/accessories. Bleh.

  66. No. You're completely wrong. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Brand loyalty is king, and Sony currently has the majority of market share when it comes to brand loyalty.

    Remember Sega? They consistently hammered Nintendo in terms of time it took to get a new console to the market.

    And they failed dismally. They didn't have the brand loyalty of Nintendo, and they didn't have the quality games.

    Say what you will, but Nintendo's almost in the same situation. They'll survive, for certain - there are a lot of people who like Zelda and Mario.

    However, unless they manage to get back in bed with Squaresoft and a few other top developers, there won't be a major switch. People will look at the Gamerhombus or whatever, shrug, and wait for the PS3.

    (Indeed, Sony's probably dropping early rumors again just because of that - they know their fans will wait for the PS3 instead of switching to another console. I know I will. ;))

  67. Modchips by devnull17 · · Score: 1

    Ummm... Sony definitely doesn't see mod chips in any kind of favorable light whatsoever. They've brought litigation against numerous companies (the most prominent of which were Lik Sang in the far east and the makers of the Neo mod chip in Great Britain), and generally have been vehemently opposed to piracy. Successive generations of both PS2 hardware and software are designed to render older chip versions useless. This tradition has been around since the days of the PSX, where newer games would detect mod chips and refuse to play if they were found.


    Having a secure platform is essential to keeping developer confidence in your platform, and Sony is well aware of that. In fact, it's widely speculated that the ease in which Dreamcast games could be pirated directly led to the system's early demise.

  68. Quicker Rave by Dogtanian · · Score: 1

    1. Please don't call it the PS/2, that's a device interface

    Since we're nitpicking here... the PS/2 is the computer series where the PS/2 mouse and keyboard ports first appeared, not the port itself.
    Click here for goatse^h^h^h^h^h^hPS/2 stuff if you don't believe me.

    --
    "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
  69. Unfortunately by LordMyren · · Score: 1

    XBox and Gamecube are about 4 x easier to program. You have to either start from scratch with PS2 or use someone elses (expensive) code.

    This is further complicated by the fact that the PS2 is badass. Screw monolithic single processor, two vector units ripe to be utilized rip on right along with the main processor. But using them and usuing them both efficiently is ridiculously hard.

    Compare this to XBox. Write in directX, has truly badass video card, has /real/ texture memory (measely 4 mb verus 32), anti aliasing, hard drive. Built in network port. Four controllers. Crossporting to gamecube + pc is fairly trivial. Onboard hardware to use digital sound (have to make your own software digital sound unit which often consumes one of the vector units on ps2).

    I love the ps2, i consider it the superior system, but developing for it is a bitch and a half.

  70. When will the Next Nex Generation come out? by The+Briguy · · Score: 3, Informative
    Let us turn to history to decide.

    First Generation

    1979 Atari 1980 Colceovision 1981 Intellevision

    Second Generation

    1984 Nintendo NES 1986 Sega Master System

    Third Generation

    1989 Sega Genesis 1991 Super Nintendo

    Fourth Generation

    1995 Sega Saturn 1995 Sony Playstation 1996 Nintendo 64

    Fifth Generation

    1999 Sega Dreamcast 2000 Playstation 2 2001 Xbox 2001 Gamecube

    Now, if you take the average year for each Generation, you get a distint pattern -

    First Generation - 1980

    Second Generation - 1985 Third Generation - 1990 Fourth Generation - 1995 Fifth Generation - 2000

    If this pattern continues, then we would expect your average 6th generation console to come out in 2005, with perhaps one console in 2004 and one in 2006. In any case, if a console doesn't come out until 2005, it won't be at all unusual - this generation wouldn't be any longer than previous ones.

    1. Re:When will the Next Nex Generation come out? by MuMart · · Score: 1
      If this pattern continues, then we would expect your average 6th generation console to come out in 2005
      Disco Stu predicts:

      "Disco record sales were up 400% for the year ending 1976. If this trend continues - ey!"

  71. Re:would be nice if... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    >This is an article about PS3 - not PS2. I think he was talking about
    >linux for the PS3, for which there currently is not a linux kit
    >available.
    >
    >
    Not surprising, since there isn't a PS3 to begin with.

    Moron.
    When there *IS* a PS3, It'll run Linux just like the PS2 does.

  72. Re:Ingest with a single crystal of Sodium Chloride by dumbArtMajor · · Score: 1
    If Sony, MS, and Nintendo start making new consoles every two years they will alienate a lot of people.
    Hell yeah. I got a PS2 when it first came out. If another one drops this year or next, there's no way I'm buying it. $300 (or close when it first came out) is a hell of a lot of money to drop every 2 years, especially in this economy. It's not like the DVD player will be out of date, and I can always play existing PS1/PS2 games.
  73. Re:Ingest with a single crystal of Sodium Chloride by Carnivore24 · · Score: 1

    With consoles the games develop and get better to use the systems hardware.

    With PCs the hardware is eventually upgraded to run the games that require faster processors, better video cards, etc.

  74. Re:Who cares? by Rayonic · · Score: 1
    ... with games and characters such as Zelda, Super Mario, ... Pretty friendly games, rather non-violent with ...

    What Mario and Zelda games are you playing? All the ones I play involve slashing people up with swords, crushing creatures to death, smashing other people's pottery, and running amok with a riot water cannon.

    Sure it's bloodless, but that just makes it more acceptable to our children! Do you want your kids bashing ceiling tiles with their head for money?!
  75. Re:In topics about the PS3, some things are certai by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  76. I challenge you : by DrSkwid · · Score: 1

    to go to a big city electronics store and find 5 people who have heard of CSS. bonus points if they know it has something to do with DVDs.

    I further challenge you to find 5 people there who know what proprietary means, bonus points if they mention computers.

    --
    There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
  77. Re:Who cares? by thynk · · Score: 1

    Do you want your kids bashing ceiling tiles with their head for money?!

    You mean to say that people can get PAID for this? Man, my kids are going to be out next week and I'll be rich.

    It's the missing ????!
    1. Have kids
    2. Make kids bash ceiling tiles with heads for money...
    3. Profit!
    4. Upgrade NES to SNES.

    WOOHOO!

    --

    Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
  78. Re: Nintendo Make Money, MS doesn't. 'nuff said. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Nintendo are still in second place world wide, they are still earning money on every console and game sold (unlike Sony and MS)

  79. Re:would be nice if... by aflat362 · · Score: 0
    How do you know that sony will release linux for the PS3? Just because they did for the PS2?

    You assume too much.

    I think that they will rlease one too but I don't go around calling somebody a moron and declaring it a fact.

    --

    Conserve Oil, Recycle, Boycott Walmart

  80. Not quite, your view is skewed. by Inoshiro · · Score: 1

    You ignore several consoles, and combine generations to suit your whim. I don't think you quite have the handle on the subject.

    Between the 4th gen Saturn and PSX and N64 and 2nd gen SNES, Genesis, etc, you forget entirely the 3rd generation 32X, NEO*GEO home (non-CD version), 3DO, CDi, and Jaguar. It's easy to forget an unloved generation.

    You also lump the PS2 and Dreamcast in with the Xbox and GameCube for no good reason -- they are very different generations. The PS2 may still be out now, but it and the Dreamcast don't have such features as single-pass multitexturing. The Xbox and GCN are 6th gen consoles, with 5th gen being DC/PS2.

    Note I count from NES, since pre NES games usually didn't have any sort of story line (even Quest on the Atari). Frankly, I don't find games without some story line to be interesting.

    --
    --
    Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
    1. Re:Not quite, your view is skewed. by The+Briguy · · Score: 1

      Dreamcast and PS2 are in the same generation as Xbox and Gamecube since they are all second generation 3D consoles. As for the 32X, Neo*Geo, 3DO, CDi, Jaguar, etc, they came out in between generations - the fact that they didn't sell at all (Like the Halcyon) means that they don't get a generation of thier own - the 3rd gen consoles were still being sold when they came out, and when they failed. In addition, your view itself is scewed - you say that Atari, etc, don't count because they don't have a story line. Just because you don't find the games interesting doesn't mean they don't count. The Atari sold millions and millions of copies and had a profound influeance on the video game industry.

  81. Right. by Inoshiro · · Score: 1

    Single-pass, multi-texturing is so 2nd gen :p

    No. The PSX/N64 are first gen, DC and PS2 are 2nd gen, and Xbox/GCN are 3rd gen. Saying that a PS2 or DC is like an Xbox or GCN is like saying that the Geforce 2 is like a Voodoo 2 because both can run Quake 2.

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    Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.