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Sony Announces New PS2 Bundle

Posted by simoniker on from the not-as-exciting-as-it-could-have-been dept.

Thanks to Yahoo!/Reuters for their story describing Sony's amended PlayStation 2 hardware bundle, explaining :"...the $199 PS2, with a network adapter that allows users to play games online... [will now be] bundled with the game 'ATV Offroad Fury 2'." Sony also said "it would continue to sell the PS2 without the online hardware for $179", although it had expected to phase out this deal. However, "...demand is currently running about 20 percent for the online bundle and 80 percent for the stand-alone unit", and GameStop executives quoted in the article "... noted that they thought the $199 PS2 online package had not been selling as well as they believed Sony had planned" - seems Sony are trying to sweeten the online bundle deal.

32 of 38 comments (clear)

  1. if they want to sell more online units by Tumbleweed · · Score: 1

    ...they need to lower the price, not include a game that many people might not want. Change the online bundle to $179, and the standalone to $159. That'll move some units, and stave off more people trying out the Xbox, at least until they can get a PS3 out the door.

  2. Because.... by Apreche · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Most people who are big on consoles aren't so big on pcs. People who aren't big on pcs don't have broadband internet connections. Most people still have dial up, remember that. These people aren't going to get broadband just to hook the ps2 up to the net. And they aren't going to buy a net adapter they don't need. This is why Nintendo is going big with it's cube lan strategy instead of the net. Cube fans have cube fan friends, and cubes are small and portable, and gbas are plentiful. 4 cubes and 16 gbas with appropriate linkage with 4tvs are more fun with more friends than one guy in his house with one cube and the net.

    --
    The GeekNights podcast is going strong. Listen!
    1. Re:Because.... by leifm · · Score: 1

      Excellent point, and one I've been trying to make to people. XBOX/PS2 online can be a pretty hefty investment for some people. Figure you buy the console, get broadband, network it somehow, and then have games. For me to get my PS2 online I would just buy the adapter, run cat-5 from my Linksys AP to the PS2, and I am done. For my parents if they had a PS2, it'd be buy an AP or hub or whatever, buy either a good bit of cable to get to the Ps2 or buy a WiFi adapter thing, get broadband. That's at least $100 worth of additional hardware plus reoccuring broadband costs. How many people care that much?

      --

      "Windows Me offers tremendous reliability and stability improvements..." -- Paul Thurott
    2. Re:Because.... by PainKilleR-CE · · Score: 1

      My parents bought my step-brother the PS2 online adapter for X-Mas knowing that I'd be visiting that week and would probably know how to hook it up to the cable modem (which I convinced them to get when I lived with them, they've been using cable internet access for 7 years now). They weren't completely sure how they were going to hook it up (though my dad's perfectly competant with computers and can put together the cat5 cable (ie put the connectors on a cable cut from a spool) himself if he wanted to), so I pointed out that they could either connect to the hub (which I had left behind when I moved out) and activate another IP address (the method I used when I lived there) for $10-15/month, or buy a cable router and use it in place of the hub, and not pay the extra cost per month for a PS2 which might rarely be used. Needless to say, we went out and bought a cable router and ran cat5 to my step-brother's bedroom and everything else was easy.

      For people without broadband but with a computer, if broadband's available in their area, it's often a no-brainer, they just have to see the difference. I've only known a couple of people that were cheap enough to hold out, and eventually they converted, and in some cases it was cheaper for them to have cable internet access.

      For people that don't have a computer, it's obviously a tough choice. For people that can't afford (or can barely afford) internet access, the choice not to go that way should be easy.

      Personally, I don't have an active phone line in my house, but I have cable internet access for my computer. One day I'll put my consoles online, but at the moment I don't have any games that I want to play online for any of my consoles. Once one of them goes online, all three will go at once, thanks to a 4-port WiFi router to connect my consoles (in the living room) to my cable router (in the office/spare bedroom), but then I have a decent amount of disposable income (obviously enough to have 4 consoles in my living room in the first place; no plans to put the Dreamcast online, though).

      --
      -PainKilleR-[CE]
    3. Re:Because.... by Webere · · Score: 2, Informative

      Most people still have dial up, remember that. These people aren't going to get broadband just to hook the ps2 up to the net.

      The PS2 network adapter includes a modem, you know. Actually, you probably didn't know that. Sony seems to keep it a secret for some reason, when they should be making it well known, since, as you pointed out, much of their market probably doesn't have broadband.

    4. Re:Because.... by lidocaineus · · Score: 1

      Does the latency introduced by WiFi cause problems with Live! ? I've got WiFi at my place, but none of the boxes that are game related (two PCs, a Dreamcast, a PS2, and an Xbox) run through the APs; they use cat5. I dunno, maybe it's not a problem?

    5. Re:Because.... by leifm · · Score: 1

      I think Linksys sells an adapter (ethernet to wifi) for the xbox/ps2, so I would guess the existence of that product says no the latency doesn't matter.

      --

      "Windows Me offers tremendous reliability and stability improvements..." -- Paul Thurott
  3. Progressive DVD Compatibility by robbway · · Score: 2, Interesting

    In the article: "Previously, Sony had sold a new version of the PS2 with improved DVD functionality and the network unit for $199 and the traditional, older version of the PS2 for $179. It had intended to phase out the separate $179 offer entirely but will now continue it with the new, upgraded hardware. "

    The new hardware includes support for progressive-scan DVDs. There seems be be little point in buying one without, so make sure you get the latest hardware if you buy or re-buy a PS2.

  4. No kidding. by Inoshiro · · Score: 3, Interesting

    According to the Sony people, the network bundle is supposed to be the new official PS2 bundle. After the slow sales numbers, the chain of stores I work at reduced the price to sell more of the units. All chains in the area that sell it have matched the price, and most give away a game with it (although the game is either Turok Evoluton or Everquest Online Adventures, both of which are big flops).

    The "normal" PS2 bundle is supposed to be discontinued, and the 179$ US (249$ CDN) price point is supposed to be a clearance price. We actually ran out of PS2s a few weeks back. They were listed as discontinued in the computer from our supplier, and the chain had to shift our on hand-PS2 units around stores in the region. We received a shipment with PS2s last week, though. I don't know if that's because Sony is acknowledging that the general public doesn't care about online with PS2, or because we had more PS2s is a wharehouse somewhere.

    The bottom line is, Xbox with Xbox live and easy to do system link has a couple of great features. Of the Xboxes shipped, about 1 in 20 are online. If each person renews their Live subscription, that's about $30,000,000 CDN every year that MS gets just for running a service. 1 in 100 PS2s are currently online; Sony knows that this is partially because the games (which is why they're pushing to have 50 online titles by fall 2004), and partially because console accesories that aren't memory cards or controllers with rumble features typically don't penetrate very well. By making the network adaptor standard, they hope to catch up with Microsoft and not just hand them a potiential new market.

    Of course, I think it's way too late for that with 50 million PS2 units already shipped. IMO, their best bet is to just get something ready for their next-gen console. The Sony people I know seem to think that with the HD and EyeToy, the PS2 will become a new digital media hub that will have people using the PS2 as an online video phone, TiVo, etc. The network adaptor is supposed to be the first step to all the pieces of equipment that upgrade the PS2's features. We'll see what happens when FF 11 comes out, since it's rumoured to come with the HD in North America.

    --
    --
    Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
  5. That's great, but... by Man+In+Black · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's the price of the games that keeps me from buying new consoles. I don't mind dumping $200 on a new system, but when the games are as expensive as they are (In Canada, finding games between $70-80 is not uncommon), it's a much bigger investment. Of course, if there were more worthwhile games, then I might be less opposed to spending as much.

    I'm waiting for the Gamecube price drop (The current price is fair in my opinion... but with the rumors spreading, I'll feel like an idiot if the price drops a few days after I buy one!). The games for it are getting fairly cheap, and the local EB has a lot of pre-owned games for $40 (CDN) or so. Coincidentally, this is almost the same situation that made me buy my beloved Dreamcast...

    --
    -"One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man." -EH
    1. Re:That's great, but... by leifm · · Score: 1

      Not only the price, but after paying 50+ for a game and it's not even that good. I have a GC and a PS2, and the vast majority of games for both are either a) decent but bland b) pure shit. I haven't purchased a game this year for that reason, I would rather rent what will probably be blah for 6.50 than buy for $50+.

      And offtopic but one of the reasons I got a GC was Donky Kong Racing looking like a lot of fun, and then that Rare thing happened:(

      --

      "Windows Me offers tremendous reliability and stability improvements..." -- Paul Thurott
    2. Re:That's great, but... by MMaestro · · Score: 1
      Try waiting for the Christmas season. If at least one console doesn't drop their prices then, theres gonna be hell to pay from all fronts.

      Think about it. Doom 3, Halo PC, and Half-Life 2 are going to cause more excitement than a 500 car crash build up on the LA freeway while a high speed pursuit ensues. Anyone who hasn't bought one of the systems, and is looking forward to it, is drooling over the rumors on price drops. As long as you stick with bargain bins ($20 USD for FFX! Woo hoo!) buying a system is usually the larger part of the investment.

    3. Re:That's great, but... by burns210 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      then don't buy the games when they are first released, wait a few months and get them at a cheaper price... if you want the latest and greatest, you have to pay for it.

    4. Re:That's great, but... by the_riaa · · Score: 2, Informative
      I haven't purchased a game this year for that reason, I would rather rent what will probably be blah for 6.50 than buy for $50+.

      As a GC owner since February, I don't really understand this. This year alone, Zelda:TWW (and the OOT bonus disc), Mario Golf, F-Zero GX, and Soul Calibur 2 are all rediculously fun games. (I imported the latter two) - 2003 has been quite a good year for us GameCube owners.

      While I will agree with you that by far and away, most games are bland and boring or pure shit, there are definitely some worthwhile titles out for the GC this year. The only two games I really wanted to play but ended up renting were Wario World (extremely fun, really short though) and Enter The Matrix (movie themed horseshit in a dvd-case), good rents in both cases (spent $13 instead of $100).

      If Donkey Kong Racing was something you were really looking forward to, then the combo of Kirby's Air Ride and Mario Kart:Double Dash, both of which are set to hit American shores later this year, should hit the spot for your racing needs. That, or the Midway title 'Freaky Flyers', which is supposedly a good deal like Diddy Kong Racing, but without the odd (yet fun) Kong licensed characters.

      --
      The Kingdom of Retarsia
    5. Re:That's great, but... by Sentry21 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The problem isn't (necessarily) that there aren't worthwhile games, it's that they're so spread out. And keep in mind the vast selection of already released PS2 games, if you had the system.

      I factor that in with the time it takes to get buggy games to work, the time it takes to upgrade and debug drivers, the cost of upgrading hardware every year (I'm lucky if it's only every year) so that I can play the latest games and have them look good, and so on. It's a pain in the ass just to do all that, plus it means paying for a Windows machine to do it on.

      Then I look at consoles. I can get a PS2 for $179+tx, an XBox for the same, or a Gamecube for $200+tx. Games? Sure, they can be expensive, but I just stay a few months behind the curve. I didn't buy a GameCube when they were new, but the games that I have are good anyway - and I didn't pay much for them. Got Zelda for free, got Megaman:NT for $20, got my $5 worth out of it, then traded it back for $15 and got Metroid (which my roommate is now addicted to too, sucks for him that I'm moving out in a week).

      That's two games that have kept me occupied for the better part of a month, for $50 on top of the price of the system. I started playing Halo on a friend's system, and I can tell I'd be playing that quite a bit too if I had an XBox. Knights of the Old Republic would keep me occupied for a month or so at least, and so would Skies of Arcadia Legends, FFX, FFX2, Soul Calibur 2 (Link baby! Yeah!), Halo 2, Fable, Starcraft:Ghost or any one of a dozen other titles, none of which will be coming out for PC.

      What would I play if I had a PC? Maybe Ghost Recon co-op. Maybe. Neverwinter Nights/Udrentide for sure. Rise of Nations. C&C:Generals:Zero Hour That's about it. Those are the only PC-exclusive games I'd play.

      For me, the good bets are on systems. Unfortunately, none of the good online games are PS2 - unless you like EA Sports, and let's face it, who doesn't? - so their online pack is doing horribly. And there's only two controller ports. And the graphics aren't as good. But oh well, it's all good anyway.

      --Dan

    6. Re:That's great, but... by Sentry21 · · Score: 1

      I'm waiting for the Gamecube price drop (The current price is fair in my opinion... but with the rumors spreading, I'll feel like an idiot if the price drops a few days after I buy one!).

      I just noticed this comment in your post - if you go to your local EB before the end of the month, you can get a demo disc along with one of four games (Metroid Prime, Mario Party 4, Zelda: Wind Waker, or something else) or a Game Boy Player (to play GB/GBC/GBA games on the GC) for free. All of the games and the player are all $70 retail and the demo disc is $15, but the deal only lasts until the end of the month, so if you're expecting the price to drop more than $70-85, then by all means wait. Otherwise, I'd go get one right now.

      Actually, wait... I did. :)

      --Dan

    7. Re:That's great, but... by Fred+IV · · Score: 1

      It's true, the best I can suggest is for you to buy used and let yourself fall behind the new release curve. A used game in the $25 US range is new to me if I've never played it before. Just take some time and fall behind. If you see a new game you want, make a note of it and come back when the price is reasonable. Added bonus: by postponing your purchase you stand a better chance of hearing if a game is crap or not before shelling out for full retail price. You can easily double your games for each dollar spent and make better purchasing decisions about what to buy this way.

  6. the '1337' PS2 by bluethundr · · Score: 1

    For those not in the know, there is another '1337' way to get your ps2 online, and a nice online community to support it.

    The "official" Sony line is that you need a sync-on-green monitor to use the Linux PS2 kit, but there are other ways to skin that cat.

    --
    Quod scripsi, scripsi.
  7. Fixing the wrong problem.. by tprime · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Sony's online business problem is the problem, not the price of the console. Microsoft did the online "thing" right by charging one price for all online access (Phantasy Star Online is the exception, not the rule) Sony's "leave it up to the game publisher to handle the online pricing and server support" is what is hurting their online presence. Having to pay multiple monthly costs for using different services is too much to keep track of and people just aren't buying into it. IMHO, Sony needs to change their direction with the PS3 online or they will eventually be looking up to M$.

    --
    http://www.tomandemily.com
    1. Re:Fixing the wrong problem.. by nicksthings · · Score: 1

      That's the thing though - you don't HAVE to pay multiple monthly costs for much on the PS2, save for Everquest right now. Everything else is plug in and go. What's hurting their online presence is that they're not hyping it enough, a problem they look to be changing in the next year or two.

      There's no doubt that XBox live is a slick thing. It's flashy and MS has even convinced a bunch of people that their system is the ONLY way to play a console game online. With EA not backing them, it's gonna put the hurt on 'em, though. We'll see what happens.

    2. Re:Fixing the wrong problem.. by tprime · · Score: 1

      I agree on the EA thing. Without the top notch sports games, xbox will have some serious problems. I don't have either, but have used both xbox and ps2 online and the live just seems to be done so much better. The current teen crowd is big on chat and xbox live supplies that with their system. Live is nothing but a huge portal.

      --
      http://www.tomandemily.com
  8. Other factors might help by cbuskirk · · Score: 2

    Perhaps they could bundle a damn memory card with the network bundle. It is a hell of a lot more useful than a game which I will admit is fun but has use for only a few months where the memory card will last.

    1. Re:Other factors might help by Fammy2000 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I agree, but the profit margin on memory cards are huge. Essentially, it's an 8MB flash card. I can get a 64MB Compact Flash for the price of a PS2 memory card.

      --
      If I had something intelligent to say, I would have said it.
  9. Re:Good online games? by devnull17 · · Score: 1

    PS2 has Madden (and probably various other EA Sports titles) and a port of Everquest. I think that's about it at the moment. FFXI will be coming out later this year, though.

    XBox Live seems ok, but EA has no plans to support it anytime soon (so all the EA titles are single-player only) and it costs money annually. AFAIK, FFXI will not be available for XBox.

  10. Re:Good online games? by couch_potato · · Score: 1

    So what good online games does PS2 have?

    My girlfriend is addicted to playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 online. It's actually a lot of fun, up to 8 players skating around at once, there are lots of game modes available, such as trick attack, graffiti, king of the hill, and about 4 or 5 others that I can't recall right now.

    Also, THPS3 has online capabilities, but I can't say that I've played much of that since I got number 4. Other games in my collection that are online are Amplitude, which is an awesome game all around, and NFL2K3.

    I don't own any console but a friend of mine recommended XBox if I'm into online gaming. He also said that at this point XBox is weak in that department too, but PS2 is much weaker.

    Tell him that HE'S WEAK! There are tons of online games for the PS2. The PS2 Network Adapter may not have the flash and pizzazz (shock and awe?) of XBox Live, but you also don't have to pay a $50 start-up fee and then have monthly fees forever.

  11. Re:Good online games? by jabberjaw · · Score: 1
    but you also don't have to pay a $50 start-up fee and then have monthly fees forever

    However, I do believe that you must contend with 56k users, which hurts when you are running broadband.

  12. Re:Good online games? by BigKato · · Score: 1

    You don't have to pay monthly fees after the $50 start-up fee. I believe you can renew your supscription for $50 for another year. A little over $4 a month is not that unreasonable at all compared to what some pc users pay monthly in supscription fees for certain games. Plus you get the headset and a couple of demos so $50 doesn't seem like a lot to me. I play NFL 2k3 (soon to be ESPN Football), NBA 2k3, Unreal Championship (with downloadable levels) and am looking forward to Halo 2 and Counterstrike (yes, i play it on PC too). PS2 doesn't have the uniformity across all games like the Live network does. All you Madden users can tell me how it feels when EA starts charging to play online.

    --
    So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.
  13. Re:Good online games? by scalveg · · Score: 1

    Is there a web browser?

    Chris O
    San Carlos, CA

  14. Re:Good online games? by BigKato · · Score: 1

    Why would people play UT or CS on Xbox for a fee?

    XBox - $179
    Game - $50
    XBox Live Kit - $50/yr
    Total - $279 ($298.53 with 7% sales tax where i'm from)

    That's so cheap compared to what it costs for a PC that's a decent gaming rig. Why do you think so many people are modding their XBox's? But that's beside the point. What's it cost to play Everquest or Planetside or The Sims online per month? XBox Live is roughly $4.17/month for the right to play any enabled games online, not just one.

    With one Xbox I can play three other people in a game of UT or CS (I presume) without the need of an online connection or LAN. It's called four guys huddled around a large tv, screaming at each other and the tv. (stupid PS2 and its multitap, why don't they get more grief for their lack of foresight, rather greediness for making people buy more accessories.)

    But you'd probably call me an idiot because i'll keep playing on XBox Live and buying football games that are nothing but updated rosters. Actually i'll never buy Madden Football cuz it's overhyped and EA sucks, GO ESPN Football (formerly the Sega NFL 2K line).

    --
    So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.
  15. Re:Good online games? by rhuntley12 · · Score: 1

    Pick up wolfenstein, awesome game. Well worth the $30 used pricetag. Voice communication owns.

  16. Re:waiting for the NEW ps2 by T0xYg3n · · Score: 1

    Dido for me too i've been waiting for the scph-50000 version myself...but i'm going crazy waiting ..can't ...wait....any..more...must ..buy. ;)

  17. Policy by Nazmun · · Score: 1

    I believe it is sony policy to break even with selling hardware units. They don't like or need to have massive losses that microsoft is suffering because they are already beating the console (especially in the rest of the world).

    --
    Hmmm... Pie...