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DVD-Enabled Consoles Do Better?
Thanks to GameMarketWatch.com for their article discussing a survey linking console DVD use and game purchases. Some manufacturers don't see the point of a bundled DVD player: "'Why would we ever include DVD playback in our videogame system?' was the question posed in a recent Business 2.0 article by George Harrison, Nintendo's VP of Marketing. 'If someone buys a DVD and watches it on the Nintendo GameCube, we wouldn't receive any revenue from that. We'd rather have them play our games.'" But the survey shows a possible advantage to DVD playback for hardware manufacturers: "The Centris poll results... suggest that DVD capability has the potential to drive game software activity, since respondents that used their game consoles to watch DVD movies were also the heaviest purchasers and renters of games."
Personaly, I'm getting sick of these Anti-Nintendo articles. You can bad mouth them all you want, but Nintendo made 6 times more profit in the first quater than the entire Sony group. (That's video games, TVs, DVD players, the lot).
The Gamecube has sold 9.6 million units world wide, vs 9.4 million Xbox units. And still everyone talks about the GC like it's a dead console and has lost the console war.
Sure, Nintendo owes a lot to the old battle droid that is the GameBoy, but any company pulling upwards of $100million a quarter in PROFIT in these economic times has to be doing SOMETHING right.
Looks can be deceiving. Or CAN they?
If you have a home projection system, then a dedicated DVD player is a minor cost in the whole budget. I have a projector - cost 1500 plus 200 a year for a new bulb, 100-150 for a super silent high quality dedicated DVD player is nothing when you're playing with that budget.
People bought PS2s before DVD players dropped in price - you could spend 200 on a DVD player, or 250 on a DVD player and PS2 combo - no contest really. The DVD option is still attractive even now to those on limited budgets or limited space.
Joe Average is going to be attracted to the console that plays DVDs as well. If you're buying for the kids and you don't know which company does the best games then a free DVD player can swing the deal. Either because they still don't own a DVD player, or the console is going in a bedroom or den where the main entertainment system isn't accessible.
Creating a properietry format disk like Nintendo, rather than just using cheap DVDs is stupid. The cost of throwing a DVD player into the mix has to be tiny compared with the additional sales you will get.
It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. --Albert Einstein
You've GOT to be a Sony plant. The PS2 DVD player is of extremely poor quality. In fact, the PS2 hardware, at least models from the first 2 years of production are so shoddy that it's ridiculous. I'm a manager at a video game store and at least once a day I have people coming in either:
Now, granted, there are plenty of systems that are working just fine. But the number of systems that DON'T work is way too high for me to be fine with you saying the "Playstation2 DVD is great."
Hell, my PS2 doesn't play DVDs, PS2 games, CD-ROMs, audio CDs, or PSX games anymore...now that's great.
They're plagued by the "One vision" syndrome. Problem is that Miyamoto doesn't govern the buying habits of the entire planet.
Anyways, the reasoning behind bundled DVD support is a psychological cushion. Kids nag their parents for the latest and greatest console, parents say "Nay" until they notice it's also a DVD player. So they say "DVD's would be nice" and they buy the thing, thinking both kids and adults will benefit from the investment.
Sure beats those 40$ Apex AD-1200's any day!
-Billco, Fnarg.com