DS Preorders Outsell PS2

Just to clarify by AKAImBatman · 2004-10-25 09:02 · Score: 5, Informative

I know it's often difficult to RTFA, so I'll clarify a point here: The DS did not outsell the Playstation 2. It outsold a new Playstation 2 redesign. Original Playstation 2 sales still remain above that of the Nintendo DS.

As to the X-Box, it only sold 173 units during that period. Seems to me that the Japanese hate Microsoft even more than Slashdot. :-)

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Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade

Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:07 · Score: 5, Funny

The Japanese hate slashdot?
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:08 · Score: 0

and i quote (the post not the article) "Nintendo DS pre-orders are outselling the new slimmed-down version of the PS2 in Japan." There was no need to clarify, thanks though.
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:12 · Score: 0

Of course the Japanese hate M$...:-)

http://www.orangecrate.com/article.php?sid=837

But hey, ANYONE should feel free to hate M$ :-)
No need to leave anyone out. :-)
Re:Just to clarify by minus_273 · 2004-10-25 09:12 · Score: 2, Interesting

well there is also that factor called NATIONALISM.It is somehting that is a rather alien concept in the west these days. I dont mean it as an insult. I am sure that we have all noticed this in recent years.

--
The war with islam is a war on the beast
The war on terror is a war for peace
Re:Just to clarify by DrEldarion · 2004-10-25 09:14 · Score: 4, Insightful

Let's see, a more powerful dual-screened version of the most popular portable console of all time outsells a revision of the same old hardware where the only real differences are that it's much smaller and has built-in networking. Oh, and if you want to play FFXI on it (which many Japanese do), you're SOL since it's not compatible with the hard drive.

How is this even newsworthy?
Re:Just to clarify by be-fan · 2004-10-25 09:14 · Score: 5, Insightful

Or, it could just be that the XBox's gaming library is heavily biased towards American tastes? I'm an American, and I don't find the XBox's gaming library to be very attractive --- I hate PC games.

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A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
Re:Just to clarify by adisakp · 2004-10-25 09:16 · Score: 5, Informative

The sales numbers that have been published for that week are as follows:

1. GBASP 35,280
2. PS2 22,470
3. Nintendo DS
4. PS2 Redesign
5. GC 4,368
6. GBA 633
7. Xbox 173

Note: The actual unit numbers for PStwo and NDS aren't listed so NDS is between 4K and 22K which is a fairly large rainge.
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:43 · Score: 1, Interesting

I hate PC games

Is that a "deep unwavering belief"?
Re:Just to clarify by be-fan · 2004-10-25 09:47 · Score: 1

Har har har, you're so funny! You're the first one to ever do that!

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A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
Re:Just to clarify by gsfprez · 2004-10-25 09:52 · Score: 1, Flamebait

its become a rather alien concept because us in the U.S. have had it beaten over our heads that thinking America is a good country is a bad way to think. We've been taught that we suck, and that if we want to be good people, we should hate ourselves and be like the Euros.

honestly, i don't seem to understand why, but whatever.

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guns kill people like spoons make Rosie O'Donnell fat.
Re:Just to clarify by Knos · 2004-10-25 10:04 · Score: 1

This is offtopic of course, but.. nationalism.. absent in the west? what's up with us of america being the promised land, the holy shrine of freedom and human rights, and the saviour of the world? (and no, not only the usa, i just took the most obvious and known example)

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may u!sh 2 sm!le at dz!z bad nn.!m!tat!ion
Re:Just to clarify by mrm677 · 2004-10-25 10:07 · Score: 1

and I don't find the XBox's gaming library to be very attractive --- I hate PC games.

Games are increasingly being released for all three consoles (PS2, GC, Xbox). Those that are, Xbox usually runs them the smoothest. But don't take my word for it, go read the reviews at gamespot.com about any cross-platform game.

If you are looking for an awesome console game, check out X-Men:Legends. It is very cool! A great feature is that your friends can join/leave the game at any time.
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 10:19 · Score: 2, Insightful

You're nuts.

That's like saying that Utada Hikaru is more more famous than Janet Jackson in Japan because of nationalism.

Perhaps plum riceballs are more popular than cheese curls because of nationalism.

Maybe small, fuel-efficient cars are also more popular in Japan than SUVs because of nationalism.

Or maybe, all of the things mentioned above CATER TO JAPANESE TASTES better than their Western counterparts. Nah, this is American Slashdot (tm), we are all supposed to like the same things, and everybody else is a mindless sheep from some stupid country!
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 10:20 · Score: 0

> Har har har, you're so funny! You're the first one to ever do that!

Yeah, but seriously, is it a "deep unwavering belief"?

Xbox means one thing for me... Halo.
How can you hate Halo?
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 10:32 · Score: 0

It's because they're stupid, not because they're American :(
Re:Just to clarify by tonejava · 2004-10-25 10:36 · Score: 1

Hmmm, they should rename the new Playstation 2 slim to PSTwo in retrospect to the PSOne....
Re:Just to clarify by benzapp · 2004-10-25 10:37 · Score: 1

Quite simply, none of that has to do with nationalism.

"Human Rights" is an egalitarian concept, and is usuall anti-nationalist. You can't have a nation unless you deny that only certain people have a right to live there, which necessarily excludes others.

The only promised land I know of is Israel, and then only if you are one of God's Chosen People. I suppose believing in a god is a requirement there as well. Israel would be correctly labeled nationalist.

A country that can be correctly labeled "nationalist" doesn't have millions of foreigners flooding its borders on a monthly basis like the USA does.

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I don't read or respond to AC posts
Re:Just to clarify by theendlessnow · 2004-10-25 10:41 · Score: 3, Funny

As to the X-Box, it only sold 173 units during that period. Seems to me that the Japanese hate Microsoft even more than Slashdot. :-)

What's really sad is that 168 of those units are now running Linux.
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 10:49 · Score: 0

You simplistic idiot... the desire of people to immigrate has nothing to do with the nationalism of the place they want to go.
Re:Just to clarify by Lobo42 · 2004-10-25 10:52 · Score: 5, Insightful

But don't take my word for it, go read the reviews at gamespot.com...

Don't take my word for it...go take someone else's word for it!
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 10:54 · Score: 1, Funny

Welcome to the entire history of western thought.
Re:Just to clarify by mrjohnson · 2004-10-25 11:02 · Score: 1

s'alright. I'll buy games on the PS2 now and run them smoothly on the PS3 later. You can buy them over again. :-)
Re:Just to clarify by AvitarX · 2004-10-25 11:10 · Score: 1

It actually probably has more to do with the fact that nationalism is scary as hell.

We nly need to look at the first 2 world wars to see how nationalism can be a bad thing indeed.

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Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 11:11 · Score: 0

Wait a minute. Nationalism an alien concept? When you talk about the "west", people typically mean the USA. So don't mince words.

Nationalism is sort of a militant form of patriotism. Everything from my country is great, and well you're not, so we hate you. The USA is more Nationalist than flippin' Nazi Germany was -- and that's not meant as a flattering comparison. Believe me when I say this, you don't want to park a Toyota in a town with a Ford plant for any length of time.
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 11:14 · Score: 0

A country that can be correctly labeled "nationalist" doesn't have millions of foreigners flooding its borders on a monthly basis like the USA does.

A country that thinks it's being "flooded" by "foreigners" does not appear to outsiders to be saying "we love everyone, anyone who wants to live here is welcome".

America is one of the hardest nations in the world for foreigners - or "aliens" as you quaintly call us - to get into. Foreigners entering America are questioned thoroughly, fingerprinted, photographed, and if they look suspicious (clues are funny accents and Arab-like names) they get denied entry as often as not. That sounds to me like "claiming that only certain people have a right to live there, which necessarily excludes others"...
Re:Just to clarify by mrm677 · 2004-10-25 11:16 · Score: 1

You fvcking foolish troll.

Yes, the whole concept of using references is hogwash. Don't believe anything...do it all yourself. Its the only proof.
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 11:17 · Score: 0

Easily. It should have been a Mac game from day 1.
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 11:22 · Score: 0

Umm, they did that already.
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 11:23 · Score: 0

This is offtopic of course, but.. nationalism.. absent in the west? what's up with us of america being the promised land, the holy shrine of freedom and human rights, and the saviour of the world? (and no, not only the usa, i just took the most obvious and known example)

Jingoism != Nationalism. They often blend and mix together, but one is a sort of arrogant hubris, while the other is a paranoid isolationism.
Re:Just to clarify by Knos · 2004-10-25 11:24 · Score: 3, Insightful

One simple definition of nationalism is the glorification of a nation above all else. Trying to impose a standard of human rights is totally orthogonal to whether it is done in a nationalistic spirit or not. Or even whether the intentions are good or not, as exemplified by the colonial politics of the european countries throughout the 19th and early 20th century. (This was all done under the guise of bringing civilisation to conquered "savages")

The sort of identification between the usa and the "forces of good" is rather nationalistic in principle, establishing the nation as equal to a moral absolute.

I guess it's hard to see when you are bathed in it, but the profusion of symbols (colors, flags) also play a big role in the infusion of the "nation" everywhere. At least it is obvious in the media.

Denial of the promised land mythology is rather interesting when juxtaposed with your last sentence. I think it's not difficult to imagine the concept of promised land without even invoking god.

Is the united states or americans more important in the eyes of the politicians? And those who answer (as it's a valid answer) that the united states and americans are one and the same, are uttering a very nationalistic idea. Denying that the nation can ever diverge or be separated from the people that constitute it.

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may u!sh 2 sm!le at dz!z bad nn.!m!tat!ion
Re:Just to clarify by hammurderer · 2004-10-25 11:34 · Score: 1

so you hate PC games well i hope that you never play halflife 2 seeing as how it is only being released on PC platform or maybe your computer is just so terrible that it cant run it. I dont know but maybe you should invest in a good computer and try some PC gaming. once you start you cant stop. its very addicting
Re:Just to clarify by bob+beta · 2004-10-25 11:59 · Score: 1

Why would I care if games I buy now for the console I already have will play on the console I may buy in two or three years? Games generally 'play out' and besides: I'm not that hard on my gear and will likely still have the old console three years from now.

'Perpetual backwards compatability' is for Microsoft fans.

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"What's the frequency Kenneth?"
Re:Just to clarify by NanoGator · 2004-10-25 12:29 · Score: 1

" I hate PC games."

I didn't realize that the XBOX played PC games. Or are your referring to the XBOX using PC-like components even though the games have a LOT more similarity to PS2 or GC games?

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"Derp de derp."
Re:Just to clarify by NanoGator · 2004-10-25 12:32 · Score: 1

"[Halo] should have been a Mac game from day 1."

Why? So only a few people could play it? Damn them for making Halo attractive to a wider audience!

--
"Derp de derp."
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 12:33 · Score: 0

Try some grammar... It's very addictive. Once you start, you can't stop. See this link, it will start you in the right direction.

Please, for the love of all the is holy, click that link. Do the world a favour.
Re:Just to clarify by AndyChrist · 2004-10-25 12:43 · Score: 0, Troll

But the X-box exclusives...the games that make you buy an X-box over other consoles, are mostly pretty weak. Even Halo isn't so attractive if you own a PC.

(Halo is the FF7 of FPSs. Good game. Not as good as it was hyped to be, and hyped for FAR too long...and originally it was hyped for a different platform. AND it's most strident fans usually never played another game in the same genre before it)

I mean, look at the x-box titles they get in Japan. Probably the most saleable exclusive apart from Halo is Shin Megami Tensei Nine, which looks like an alright game, but is missing the one factor common to all the really successful Megaten games (unless you count Devil Children)...Kazuma Kaneko, the character designer. Panzer Dragoon Orta is nice, but Panzer Dragoon didn't help the Saturn much...even in Japan it did pretty well but wan't really a rousing success.

The X-box was doomed from the start in Japan, and it had little to do with nationalism. Hell, Microsoft had a hit platform in Japan before! (MSX)
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 13:09 · Score: 0

Xbox exclusive games are almost always PC shovelware or clones of popular PC genres. There's a reason I've booted my Xbox exactly twice in the 2 years I've owned one - it would actually be more useful to me running Linux, except that you can't install a second NIC. (Otherwise I'd use it as a firewall and retire my old Pentium 133).
Re:Just to clarify by benzapp · 2004-10-25 13:12 · Score: 1

One simple definition of nationalism is the glorification of a nation above all else.

While I understand what you are saying because I am very familiar with this subject, I hope you realize this is not a definition of anything. The word that requires clarification here is "nation".

Trying to impose a standard of human rights is totally orthogonal to whether it is done in a nationalistic spirit or not.

"Human Rights" applies to all humans. It is not British Rights. or German Rights. It is a concept that came about due to internationalist political thought, that the whole of the humanity is composed of equals and thus they should have identical rights. This is incompatible with nationalism.

Or even whether the intentions are good or not, as exemplified by the colonial politics of the european countries throughout the 19th and early 20th century. (This was all done under the guise of bringing civilisation to conquered "savages")

But you are failing to see how that is an extension of normal human behavior. It is the course of history that more advanced, discplined tribes displace the weaker, less advanced ones. In time, these tribes became cities, and eventually they became nations. Who cares what the reasoning is. Nationalism is the modern form of tribal "us versus them".

I guess it's hard to see when you are bathed in it, but the profusion of symbols (colors, flags) also play a big role in the infusion of the "nation" everywhere.

This, I think shows you have an intellectual understanding of historical nationalism but not an aesthetic understanding. Nationalism is about ideals which unify a particular group of people in opposition to their competitors. The means of expressing (or reinforcing as the case may be) that unity is wholly secondary to the ideal itself. Jews for instance are the most successful nation in history, yet they did not use any flags until 50 years ago.

Denial of the promised land mythology is rather interesting when juxtaposed with your last sentence. I think it's not difficult to imagine the concept of promised land without even invoking god.

Well, the question here is who made that promise? Hmmm? I am not denying an atheist can understand this ridiculous myth which is common to primitive people. I simply do not see how it applies to the US. Can it be an ideal that unifies people into a nation? Of course, it certainly has with Jews for over two thousand years. Do I think it applies to the US as a whole? I just don't see it.

Is the united states or americans more important in the eyes of the politicians? And those who answer (as it's a valid answer) that the united states and americans are one and the same, are uttering a very nationalistic idea. Denying that the nation can ever diverge or be separated from the people that constitute it.

Hmm... I don't quite follow. Maybe if you expand this a little I can get a better understanding.

--
I don't read or respond to AC posts
Re:Just to clarify by KarmaMB84 · 2004-10-25 13:15 · Score: 1

Nationalism as far as product purchase, yes. As far as other categories, not so much.
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 13:18 · Score: 0

I hate PC games.

You'll find very few true PC games on the XBox. Most of them either were or would have been PC games before MS had them cut down so they could run on outdated hardware, dumbed down so they could be understood by console kiddies and simplified so they could be played with those ridiculous gamepads.
Nothing is funnier than console kids who rave about Halo because it's "TEH GRATIST FPS SINSE GOLDENEYE!!1".
I lie however, there is one thing funnier: XBox Halo competitions. It's like watching a wheelbarrow or three-legged race. It makes DDR competitions seem respectable.
(Me bitter about DX:IW and Halo As It Was Originally Announced? That's unpossible!)
Re:Just to clarify by KarmaMB84 · 2004-10-25 13:19 · Score: 1

I thought World War I was caused by a system of entangling alliances which shifted the decision making process for the entire continent of Europe to whichever country wanted to start a war and bring everyone else with them?

IIRC, WWII had a lot to do with the German people being simply fed up with being kept on the brink of crisis by the rest of Europe and their need to pay back war debts to the US to the point of supporting anyone that promised to actually do something radical to change things.
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 13:24 · Score: 0, Troll

Cuz it's not really that fun of a game, the graphics aren't amazing, and it isn't innovative in the least.

My question is how can you like Halo over every other fps out there?
Re:Just to clarify by wx327 · 2004-10-25 13:52 · Score: 2, Funny

... we should hate ourselves and be like the Euros.

we should be like newly minted currency?
the two-toned two-Euro coin looks pretty cool though... much better than those Sacajawea dollars Moe tells me are no good at his bar.
Re:Just to clarify by tonejava · 2004-10-25 14:18 · Score: 1

Yeah, I just noticed it ;-)
Re:Just to clarify by AvantLegion · 2004-10-25 15:11 · Score: 1, Funny

Yes, but they love "Srashdot!"
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 16:13 · Score: 0

Japan doesn't like the Xbox, but Microsoft Windows dominates their desktops just like it does in almost every country.
Re:Just to clarify by mcc · 2004-10-25 17:23 · Score: 2, Insightful

It is somehting that is a rather alien concept in the west these days.

Umm... so I don't know if you've been paying attention to America lately... but here at least, nationalism has been getting more and more ubiquitous for the last 20 years or so and in the last four has reached a fever pitch.

What I would call rare in America at this point is patriotism, but that's something altogether different and I don't think that's what you're talking about.

Then again I don't think nationalism has too much to do with the XBox's failure in Japan either. I would say that's more due to the game library being heavily biased toward genres that aren't often popular in Japan, the inexplicable decision to release many of the XBox's best titles in Japan either late or not at all, marketing and public relations actions (for example the scratched dvds incident) that can be described as nothing less than incompetent, and a perception among Japanese consumers that Microsoft's XBox division does not care about them.

At some point perhaps Japanese nationalism will start to be a problem for the XBox, but at the moment there are so many other reasons why the XBox is a disaster in Japan that nationalism doesn't even really get the chance to register.

--
Irritable, left-wing and possibly humorous bumper stickers and t-shirts
Re:Just to clarify by Dahamma · 2004-10-25 18:05 · Score: 1

HALO IS THREE YEARS OLD.

Compare it to 3 year old console FPS (or hell, most 3 year old PC FPS) and, yeah, it pretty much dominates. Wait a few weeks and compare Halo 2 to the current crop for a fair comparison.

That being said, I am looking forward to GTA: San Andreas tomorrow more than any console game EVER :)

I'm just so annoyed by people who trash a console for no good reason. XBox, PS2, GC are all capable of great games. And I have played a number of them on each.
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 18:13 · Score: 0

That's funny, I love PC Games and I don't find the XBox's gaming library to be very attractive either.

Most of the games on the XBox you probably perceive as PC titles, were developed to be very console-centric from the ground up. Lately, we PC gamers have just been getting the Xbox's table scraps. Halo, KOTOR, and Deus Ex:IW were all far to consoley for my tastes.
Re:Just to clarify by rat_herder · 2004-10-25 18:33 · Score: 1

halo was originally coded for the Mac, therefore would have looked sweeet. It would have used open standard everything, the pc port would have been trivial, every one would have been happy.

instead its brilliance was sacrificed in order to be a trojan for the X-box platform. after which 2 of the lamest ports i've seen left Halo a smoking pile of shit on the platform it was oringinally intended for.

Video games are not just about making huge profits. It could be considered an artform. Interestingly not many people draw a parallel between a musician selling out an a company/director selling out.
Re:Just to clarify by NanoGator · 2004-10-25 18:48 · Score: 1

"Instead its brilliance was sacrificed in order to be a trojan for the X-box platform. after which 2 of the lamest ports i've seen left Halo a smoking pile of shit on the platform it was oringinally intended for."

Alternatively, it became a must-have XBOX title where it reached a much wider audience than it possibly could have, even on the PC.

"Video games are not just about making huge profits. It could be considered an artform."

Though I agree that games could be an artform (I've seen a few Flash games that could be qualified that way...) it just isn't a medium a lot of people take. I think the reason for that has to do with how much more complex a game is to make than a song, an image, or a movie. Programming is tough. It's hard for an artist to pick it up. (I speak from experience, here.) There was no moral obligation for Halo to be made for Mac. There was, however, an obligation to make sure the employees and the investors were paid. The original version had the potential to make for a better product, but how good is it to make a better product that's reach is limited?

I'm not bagging on Halo here. It's just a tough reality that making a successful game is very hard. Moving it to the XBOX guaranteed it a huge audience. More people benefitted from it. Now, Bungie not only has the money to make a sequal, but they can also take on future projects without having to be as concerned about it.

That sort of make sense? I'm not saying you're wrong to grumble, but I do think a broader perspective would be beneficial to your feelings here.

--
"Derp de derp."
Re:Just to clarify by Hast · 2004-10-25 18:57 · Score: 1

I was impressed with the out-door graphics of Halo but extremely unimpressed with the in-door.

Really, I haven't seen indoor modelling and design that boring since the Doom days. Besides that the rooms never made any sense at all they never varied. Particularly the Library level was horrid, but there were a lot of other challengers to the throne of suck in that game.

I'm hoping Halo2 will pick up the slack in that (indoor design) regard. Although I have to give it to them that they did get the controls right. Seems like everyone is using "Halo" controls now in console games.
Re:Just to clarify by Hast · 2004-10-25 19:05 · Score: 1

In WW1 some countries wanted to start a war, otherwise it wouldn' have happened. I'm sure you can trace some nationalistic feelings in there if you want. (Though it's probably not as clear cut as WW2.)

In WW2 Hitler played a lot on the feelings of the German populations that they were better than others and thus deserved a better situation. And since they were pretty miserable at the time that was easy to do. Good 'ol "We against Them" is always effective when you want to make people follow you.

But nationalism is scary. Unless it's like those Norwegians who are more like children on Christmas eve than warmongerers when it comes to Norwedian day of independence.

IMHO if you are willing to die or kill for your country you're an idiot. If you are willing to die for your friends, family and loved ones that's another thing though.
Re:Just to clarify by Rosonowski · 2004-10-25 21:11 · Score: 1

It has USB ports.
USB NICs are cheap.

Have fun.

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Re:Just to clarify by Sneftel · 2004-10-25 21:19 · Score: 2, Funny

I'm angry at people who make jokes too! Rarr!

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The opinions stated herein do not necessarily represent those of anybody at all. Deal with it.
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 22:37 · Score: 0

No they hate the average shlashdot weirdo... that's the reason why they have their own slashdot..
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 23:21 · Score: 0

If they hate MS so much how about we get those DOA XBOXes here in Norway.. mmmkay
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-26 00:10 · Score: 0

So dead XBoxes being shipped to Norway somehow proves that the Japanese don't hate Microsoft? Your post makes no sense.
Re:Just to clarify by fafaforza · 2004-10-26 00:33 · Score: 1

If you think a game that runs sluggisly on today's console will run better on the next gen, you'll be sorely disappointed.

Pop in Driver 2 for the PSX in your Playstation2 and see how much more smoothly it runs and how farther the viewing distance is over the original PSX.
Re:Just to clarify by rxmd · 2004-10-26 01:09 · Score: 1

One simple definition of nationalism is the glorification of a nation above all else.
You might try to be more precise by avoiding the term "nation" which remains to be defined. Following Anderson, I would say that nationalism is an instance of group superiority thinking based on an imagined community.
Or even whether the intentions are good or not, as exemplified by the colonial politics of the european countries throughout the 19th and early 20th century. (This was all done under the guise of bringing civilisation to conquered "savages")
Or by the US of A, too, that had two colonies: the Philippines (1898 through 1946) and Puerto Rico (1898 through 1952); as such, the USA had more of a colonial empire at this time than classical European colonial powers such as the Netherlands or Spain.

Bringing civilisation to conquered "savages" is a typical element of Western imperialist thought; it is related to imperialism, which is a different phenomenon from colonialism.

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As a state gets corrupt, its laws multiply; the most corrupt states have the most numerous laws. (Tacitus, Annales 3:27)
Re:Just to clarify by _xeno_ · 2004-10-26 01:10 · Score: 1

You might not be SOL in Japan, as it turns out, because there's an external harddrive for the PS2 that is available in Japan... but not in the US.
Well, actually, they could be SOL, as it's unclear whether or not that drive will work with the new PSTwo. Apparently, this drive was made in very limited quantities too, since few people wanted an external one instead of the cheaper internal one.
There's a lot of speculation on USB2 drives being made available for use with the new PStwo. There are more US PS2 FFXI users than I expected, so there's been quite a bit of talk in the FFXI community about the original PS2 which is compatible with the hard drive being discontinued in the US and being replaced with the PStwo that doesn't support the harddrive.

--
You are in a maze of twisty little relative jumps, all alike.
Re:Just to clarify by rxmd · 2004-10-26 01:19 · Score: 1

While I understand what you are saying because I am very familiar with this subject, I hope you realize this is not a definition of anything. The word that requires clarification here is "nation". [...] It is the course of history that more advanced, discplined tribes displace the weaker, less advanced ones. In time, these tribes became cities, and eventually they became nations. Who cares what the reasoning is. Nationalism is the modern form of tribal "us versus them".
Note that this is not a definition of anything, either. Saying that the nation is the modern extension of the tribe relies on a layman's definition of "tribe", and as such the definition is wrong again; for example, cohesion within a tribe is provided by family ties, cohesion within a nation is provided by language and, possibly, some cultural symbols. If you want to make such a statement, you'll have to provide a definition of "tribe" as a social phenomenon. Even today, you have cases of tribes within nations, such as in the USA, in South America, on the Arabian peninsula or in Central Asia, that your model completely fails to explain.
Can it be an ideal that unifies people into a nation? Of course, it certainly has with Jews for over two thousand years.
Please. Are you saying that Jews saw themselves as a nation five hundred years ago? Was there a uniting element of any kind that united all Jews into a single imagined community? A shared religion or sacral language isn't sufficient; often religious ties are much weaker than cultural or everyday linguistic differences. An European Jew of 1500 would have felt very little in common with a Central Asian Jew. Uneducated, especially non-Hebrew-speaking Jews wouldn't even have recognized each other as Jews. Actually, there are reports from Russian Jews who came to settle in Central Asia in the 1870s and felt they had nothing in common with the local counterparts.
If you talk about nations, it doesn't make much sense to start off earlier than about 1650 or 1700, and if you talk about the Jewish nation, then I guess Zionism is the decisive phenomenon.

--
As a state gets corrupt, its laws multiply; the most corrupt states have the most numerous laws. (Tacitus, Annales 3:27)
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-26 02:30 · Score: 0

I didn't realize it was "Take Everything Literally Day"
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-26 05:27 · Score: 0

I sooooo agree with you my friend.
Re:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-26 07:20 · Score: 0

Exactly, it shouldn't play like a five year old fps.
Re:Just to clarify by be-fan · 2004-10-26 11:20 · Score: 1

Well, I'm not much of a gamer, but PC games really don't appeal to me. I like Counterstrike, Starcraft, and Call of Duty, but that's about it. I think my main beef is how bad PC RPGs suck. My computer is certainly fast enough to run most games, it just get's used for compiling instead :)

--
A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
Re:Just to clarify by be-fan · 2004-10-26 11:51 · Score: 1

The thing is, most people already have a PS2 or GC. Will they buy an XBox just to play the same games more smoothly? Unlikely, and I think XBox's sales numbers reflect that.

--
A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
Re:Just to clarify by AndyChrist · 2004-10-26 12:38 · Score: 1

Troll, my ass!

Tell me I'm wrong, go ahead! Find one thing in that post which wasn't entirely defensible.

Maybe I should have added that Halo fans also take great offense that their digital drug might not be the pinnacle of perfection that they believe it to be. Just like Final Fantasy 7 fans.

If you're going to mod it down, mod it off-topic. That's the closest thing it came to being. (and even then it was in reply to an off topic part of an on topic parent)

Stop giving moderator access to crackheads.
Re:Just to clarify by leifm · 2004-10-27 01:15 · Score: 1

I'd agree with that. I got my Xbox for Halo, my favorite Xbox game is that Riddick one, I'll get Halo2... I have a PS2 as well, and I really don't care for it much, and I think that's in large part because its library skews towards Japanese influenced (or imported) games.

--

"Windows Me offers tremendous reliability and stability improvements..." -- Paul Thurott
Re:Just to clarify by Frank+The+Tank · 2004-10-27 04:53 · Score: 1

There's no doubt that an influx of pc ports and American style games would come from an American console from primarily a PC software manufacturer.
But I guess games like Otogi, its sequel, Dead or Alive, Soul Calibur 2, Onimusha, Ninja Gaiden, Breakdown, Marvel vs. Capcom 2,Metal Gear Solid 2, etc, etc, etc, only apply to American tastes...

Tomonobu Itagaki must agree with you.
Re:Just to clarify by Zangief · 2004-10-28 03:12 · Score: 1

In fact, Bungie was planning to port Halo to Playstation 2. So much for bringing it to a wider audience.

Remember the thumb rule. Microsoft is always evil, even when you think they are good :)

MMM by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:02 · Score: 0, Redundant

Doesn't everyone already have a ps2?

Re:MMM by lightdarkness · 2004-10-25 09:12 · Score: 1

Yes, but the new slim version (11) is comming out November 11th.
Re:MMM by kyrre · 2004-10-25 09:46 · Score: 1, Interesting

Sure, but the DVD-drive stops working after about a year. At least it has done so one my two PS2. I will try to fix one this week. If I fail I must buy another PS2 so that I can play San Andreas this weekend.

Mmmm, organized crime.
Re:MMM by gonzo+(son+of+colin) · 2004-10-25 09:52 · Score: 1

My nephews PS2 and mine have both broken, and the best excuse the store clerk could give was that "over-usage does that to machine".

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-- From the considerably cluttered desk of sir Philip Wilson.
Re:MMM by scot4875 · 2004-10-25 10:29 · Score: 2, Interesting

Sure, but the DVD-drive stops working after about a year. At least it has done so one my two PS2.

Yeah, I've got a couple friends with broken/glitchy PS2s as well. My PS1 started stuttering badly on audio/video streams after about 3 months of light use (and this was a model bought in '99). A friend of mine went through 4 (four) PS1s over 5 years.

I've also got a $200 Sony VCR that's maybe 3 years old, and has been used maybe 3 dozen times, that has gotten very finicky about playing movies.

I've sworn off Sony electronics. Here's hoping that my CD changer doesn't crap out in the next couple months.

If I fail I must buy another PS2 so that I can play San Andreas this weekend

And this is why my boycott won't work. Too many people are content with the idea of disposable hardware, and just accept the fact that they'll have to buy several of the same machine.

Here's a hint: if people would QUIT BUYING CRAP, maybe Sony would be forced to meet some quality standards. Or, maybe if people bought from Nintendo or Microsoft instead, developers would switch to those platforms.

Unfortunately, people KEEP BUYING CRAP.

--Jeremy

--
Jesus was a liberal
Re:MMM by falcon5768 · 2004-10-25 10:38 · Score: 1

excuse me for asking,but WHAT IN GODS NAME ARE YOU DOING TO THESE THINGS???.
My bought on the day it came out PS2 failed ONCE, and that was 3 years later with the DVd optics. I bought a 30 dollar part and it was fixed.
Likewise, Sony is known to honor the dvd long after you bought the machine. You just need to call them and they will repair it for free.

--
"Slashdot, where telling the truth is overrated but lying is insightful."
Re:MMM by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 11:16 · Score: 0

While it's probably true that the PS2 has pretty shoddy build quality, I must've gotten lucky: I have a 1st gen (SCPH-30001) PS2, and it's been doing fine. Just saying that there are some good PS2s out there.
Re:MMM by TheGavster · 2004-10-25 12:15 · Score: 1

It failed, and is known to fail, so you're buying another one? Way to support planned obsolesence. But it doesn't run Windows, so its ok, right?

--
"Because Science" is one step from "Because old book". Try "Because of my experiment testing my falsifiable assertion".
Re:MMM by nutrock69 · 2004-10-25 12:38 · Score: 1

I agree with the other poster on this - What are you doing to these components?

I have a Sony 5-disk changer that's over 16 years old. It's seen heavy use all through college and after - no problems whatsover, it even plays burned CD's flawlessly. I have 2 Sony VCR's, one 5 years old, the other 7 years old. Again - NO problems, both still play crystal clear. A Sony surround tuner, 12 years old, I still use it in my second theatre system. An original (1st model, before they removed the aux connectors) Playstation 1, still plays games perfectly. A PS2, bought it about a year after they came out - no problems.

I even have a Trinitron TV, 9 years old, no color fade or distortion, that is pissing me off because my wife won't let me buy an HD-Wega until it dies. I have never had a single problem with any Sony component I've used over the years. What in the blue hells are you doing to your units that they all die so quickly?
Re:MMM by Trifthen · 2004-10-25 12:59 · Score: 1

Funny, I've had my PS2 since it was released 4 years ago, I use it almost daily, and it still works just fine. A few anecdotal stories about failing hardware do not make it a general rule, so please stop turning your unfortunate purchase of a faulty PS2 into a general estimation of all PS2 hardware.

--
Read: Rabbit Rue - Free serial nove
Re:MMM by bebing · 2004-10-25 13:30 · Score: 1

There are a couple of faqs here that talk about some common problems, and how to fix them if you are willing to open the box and void warrenty.

I have 2 ps2s and I have encountered 2 problems that cause disc read errors.

One is where the disc is not secured tightly by the spinning mechanism, and therefore does not spin at the correct speed. This is easy to diagnose as the loose disc will create a loud buzzing sound. I added some duct-tape to the spinning mechanism, and now it grabs the disc perfectly.

The other is the more common dirty lens, and is much easier to fix.

Not for the faint hearted, you all know how these things are put together, no extra space, or slack on cables/ribbons, and things are almost kept together by tension and by overlapping peices 37 levels deep, heheh.
Re:MMM by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 13:32 · Score: 0

You're a liar, plan and simple.
Re:MMM by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 14:44 · Score: 0

>A few anecdotal stories about failing hardware do not make it a general rule, so please stop turning your unfortunate purchase of a faulty PS2 into a general estimation of all PS2 hardware.

A few anecdotal stories about non-failing hardware do not make it a general rule, so please stop turning your fortunate purchase of a working PS2 into a general estimation of all PS2 hardware.

The PS2 really *is* prone to failure (more so than Xbox). My source? I know the boss and all workers at a videogame store.
Re:MMM by KDR_11k · 2004-10-25 21:42 · Score: 1

Suppose they should stick a "do not use, might break" warning label on the PS2 then...

--
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
Re:MMM by kyrre · 2004-10-26 00:07 · Score: 1

Did I say anything about Windows or even Microsoft?
Re:MMM by kyrre · 2004-10-26 00:09 · Score: 1

I opened the first failed PS2 i actually manged to fix it. There was a issue with the mechanics that is supposed to move laser over the disc. This playstation was bought as a gift to my borther. It was bought with GTA3 (the original)

I added some oil and let the mechnics move a bit so the thing worked fine for a few months. But then it failed again. I think I can make it work a second time.

The 2nd PS2 my girlfriend bought for me. It was bought a few weeks before the relase of GTA3:Vice City.

Now its quite likely that I may have to buy another PS2 for the release of San Andres.

Its true; GTA3 drives the sales of the PS2. At least in my family.

Im not bitter at Sony or anything. Stuff break. Hopefully I have just been unlucky.
Re:MMM by kyrre · 2004-10-26 00:13 · Score: 1

And this is why my boycott won't work. Too many people are content with the idea of disposable hardware, and just accept the fact that they'll have to buy several of the same machine

I am all for boycotting stuff that needs to be boycotted. However GTA3 prevent me from boycotting Playstation 2. There is no way I buy a new PC just to run that game alone. And I need my GTA3 fix.
Re:MMM by PhoenixFlare · 2004-10-26 01:05 · Score: 1

Yeah, I've got a couple friends with broken/glitchy PS2s as well. My PS1 started stuttering badly on audio/video streams after about 3 months of light use (and this was a model bought in '99). A friend of mine went through 4 (four) PS1s over 5 years.

Wow. I have a PS1 I bought June of 2000, and it's still working perfectly today after 3 moves and several 4 foot falls from a dresser to the floor.

And this is why my boycott won't work. Too many people are content with the idea of disposable hardware, and just accept the fact that they'll have to buy several of the same machine.

Here's a hint: if people would QUIT BUYING CRAP, maybe Sony would be forced to meet some quality standards. Or, maybe if people bought from Nintendo or Microsoft instead, developers would switch to those platforms.

No, you need to look at how you're treating your equipment and the conditions you're keeping it in. With all these failures, you're obviously doing something very wrong. Don't blame Sony if their stuff can't survive the undue abuse you're putting on it.
Re:MMM by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-26 01:24 · Score: 0

To the people flaming this guy: you're fucking morons.

The Playstation line is well known as the least stable console probably every made that has any kind of popularity. They have a mean operating life of one year. One fucking year.

If yours is still working, you're fucking lucky. Count your blessings. Some of them, by a random fluke, won't fail instantly.

But the remaining 90%...
Re:MMM by nutrock69 · 2004-10-26 02:42 · Score: 1

- You're a liar, plan and simple.

That coming from an anonymous coward. How nice.

Yes, I still have and use all of the components I mentioned. If you have trouble with Sony, that's not my fault, and chances are it's probably not Sony's fault either - you've either had extremely bad luck or you're treating your components as if they're expendable. To each his own I guess.
Re:MMM by Zangief · 2004-10-26 05:47 · Score: 1

What in the blue hells are you doing to your units that they all die so quickly?

Maybe, use them? :)

The problem is not so simple. I also have a 5 years old Sony VCR player, it plays without any problem.

But my playstation (bought in 1997) died in 1998, got repaired. Then died again on 1999 and 2000. Many friends (in fact, all of my friends with PS) had the same kind of problems. I skipped the PS2 for exactly these reasons. My Gamecube still works just fine.

What happens here is that Sony has a low Quality Assurance ratio. You can adjust your production lines so X percentage of your products end faulty, so, if you want better products, you spend more money. Sony has simply lowered the money spent.

They also use bad quality materiales for their cd and dvd drives in their playstations. I also will NOT buy a PSP for this very reason. If my playstation, which sat peacefully in my room, died for no reason at all, what will happen to the PSP, which would go in my pocket most of the time? explosions? spontaneous combustion? in a week?
Re:MMM by scot4875 · 2004-10-28 20:40 · Score: 1

Christ, I could respond to every one of these, but what's the point?

All I do is put fucking peanut butter sandwiches in my VCR and leave my PS1 outside in the rain. Why on earth would that shorten their life expectancy?

Oh, you want a serious answer? My PS1 sat on my desk and I turned it on to play games and off when I was done. My VCR sits in my entertainment center and gets turned on a few times a year to play a movie. They get cleaned when necessary.

As for the friend who went through 4 PS1s? They sat on the floor in front of his TV and got turned on to play games.

What more do you want? Is there some sort of ceremony I'm unaware of to honor my Sony electronics to not make them crap out? My N64, SNES, and NES still work great. My Denon amps still work great. My Toshiba TV and Panasonic DVD players still work great. Of the thousands of dollars I've spent over the years on electronics, all of the stuff that *doesn't* work anymore was built by Sony.

I treat all of my belongings carefully. I have a $200 power conditioner between the wall outlet and my $6000 worth of components. Hell, I just dusted my entertainment center this last weekend. When was the last time *you* did that? Hell, you're the one that repeatedly drops your consoles from the dresser to the floor, and you're accusing *me* of not taking care of my gear?

In short, I'm in a bad mood, so fuck you. Sony makes cheap consumer electronics, and you're full of shit.

HAND

--Jeremy

--
Jesus was a liberal
Re:MMM by PhoenixFlare · 2004-10-29 02:44 · Score: 1

Well usually, if you're one of the only ones who's having major problems, and everyone else is perfectly fine, something's going wrong.

Since apparently you're not abusing your stuff after all, there's another factor there somewhere. Maybe your friend is doing stuff when you're not there. I see that you're (apparently) a college student - maybe someone is abusing your stuff while you're out. Maybe you're just pissed off and don't feel like admitting anything. Maybe you're just incredibly unlucky, I don't know.

When was the last time *you* did that?

Last weekend. Every weekend, usually.

Hell, you're the one that repeatedly drops your consoles from the dresser to the floor, and you're accusing *me* of not taking care of my gear?

Perhaps I should have been more specific. The PS1 took 3 flights off a dresser at various times during my first year of college, 4 years ago, while I was still stuck in a crowded dorm room.

These days, my consoles get lifted up so I can dust under them, and that's it.

In short, I'm in a bad mood, so fuck you. Sony makes cheap consumer electronics, and you're full of shit.

I was going to apologize and say that maybe I was in a bad mood myself, and assumed too much, but after that - forget it. Funny though. I have to wonder why you kept buying Sony products at all if they "mysteriously" failed without you doing anything.

You sound like the people I deal with on tech support calls, who swear up and down that they never touched anything, the inanimate computer/OS just decided to self-destruct all by itself on a whim.

So, fuck you as well, my friend, and may the mysterious force destroying your Sony equipment murder all the rest of your stuff as well.

Wow, that's... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:03 · Score: 5, Insightful

Really not that impressive. Lots of people already own PS2s and don't feel a need to upgrade.

Re:Wow, that's... by ameoba · 2004-10-25 10:10 · Score: 1

It's not even an upgrade, just a drop-in, lower (production) cost replacement.

--
my sig's at the bottom of the page.
Re:Wow, that's... by techstar25 · 2004-10-26 02:41 · Score: 1

Well, lots of people have GBA SP's and yet THEY feel the need to upgrade.

News? by onion2k · 2004-10-25 09:03 · Score: 4, Insightful

Hardly news. The gaming population already have PS2s and don't need a cosmeticly different version.

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http://twitter.com/onion2k

Re:News? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:11 · Score: 0

most 1st gen PS2's are failing or have failed. the DVD drive in them suck and will die after a short (1.5 year) life.

so many heavy ps2 gamers are on their 2nd and some even their 3rd PS2.

just because you rarely play yours does not mean that everyone else does.
Re:News? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 10:01 · Score: 0

If everyone already owns a PS2, why does the original PS2 design feature in the top 10 at number 2, with over 22,000 sales? Hmm?
Re:News? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 13:37 · Score: 1, Funny

i've had a PS2 for about 3 years, i play it almost every day for at least 2-3 hours, and its on and in use for most of the weekend when my friends come round and we have massive binge drinking and pro evolution soccer days. i've had to replace 3 controllers, but am still on the first console.

it is starting to wig out a bit on some older games, but i think thats got more to do with the age and condition of the game iteself rather than the drive fucking up.

who knows - maybe i'm just lucky.

Really?? by ticklemeozmo · 2004-10-25 09:04 · Score: 5, Funny

Really? A pre-order is selling out more than a item that's been out for 4 years already? I'm just curious, how is the sale of Super Mario Brothers/Duck Hunt doing against Halo 2 preorders?

--
When modding "Informative", please make sure it both has a source and IS actually informative.

Re:Really?? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:07 · Score: 0

probably not good.
SMB/duck hunt was, iirc, bundled with the NES in most places, so it probably did not sell well as a seperate item.
Re:Really?? by Zangief · 2004-10-25 09:11 · Score: 1

In japan at least, everything sells more than a Xbox, and, by extension, Halo 2.
Re:Really?? by wankledot · 2004-10-25 10:08 · Score: 1

Given that MS sold under 200 Xboxes in japan, I would almost be willing to bet that more classic nintendo games traded hands than new Xbox games.

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My sig is blank, I typed this by hand.
Re:Really?? by l3ert · 2004-10-25 20:23 · Score: 1

Super Mario Brothers/Duck Hunt currently outsells Halo 2 preorders... in Japan!

--
per dolorem ad astra
Re:Really?? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-26 00:10 · Score: 0

Well technically, the DS IS outselling the PS3.

Now that is news !

Not too surprising... by chrispyman · 2004-10-25 09:04 · Score: 3, Insightful

It's really not too surprising that they presales of the Nintendo DS is beating the PS2 and Xbox in Japan. I mean even though the new slim PS2 is nice, who'd want one when they already have a working full sized PS2? You shouldn't compare new products to enhanced old ones.

Re:Not too surprising... by TJ_Phazerhacki · 2004-10-25 09:12 · Score: 1

Agreed. However, I by sheer coincidence broke my PS2 (Purchased 7 Days after the release, no problems till now.) last week. I traded it in on one of the shiny new ones, and am happy that I can now carry it around in my pocket, as well as play FFX once again!

--
Physics is nothing like religion. If it was, we'd have an easier time trying to raise money!
Re:Not too surprising... by Zangief · 2004-10-25 09:13 · Score: 1

And you should compare it to what?

It is a hardware sale, so it compares to other hardware sales. The direct competition (PSP), hasn't even got a price, less than 2 months before the planned launch.
Re:Not too surprising... by Psiven · 2004-10-25 09:16 · Score: 0

I agree. You still need a full sized PS2 to use a HD loader as well, something the pstwo doesn't allow.
Re:Not too surprising... by SamSim · 2004-10-25 09:29 · Score: 2, Interesting

Um... how about people like me, who don't own a PS2 but are considering buying one, now that they're smaller, cheaper and have a large proven back catalogue of great games?

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qntm.org
Re:Not too surprising... by poot_rootbeer · 2004-10-25 09:37 · Score: 1

You shouldn't compare new products to enhanced old ones.

What if I argued that the DS is just an enhanced version of the GB Advance? It does play GBA software...
Re:Not too surprising... by John+Pliskin · 2004-10-25 09:42 · Score: 1

What the hell kind of pants pockets do you have?!

I mean, yea sure it's thinner, but it's still about as big as my Powerbook.
$
Re:Not too surprising... by Scowler · 2004-10-25 09:43 · Score: 1

I disagree. First of all, most gamers will perceive the DS as an enhanced old product as well... they'll simply think it's a version of the GBA with an additional screen. In short, an anomaly. You would expect sales of something perceived as "anomalous" to ramp up very slowly, picking up only after consumers figure out how an additional screen can benefit gameplay. So if I'm Nintendo, I would take this as terrific news.
In addition, the PSONE sold very well after it was introduced, despite the fact that it, too, was just another version of the original Playstation.
Re:Not too surprising... by Jace+of+Fuse! · 2004-10-25 09:45 · Score: 4, Insightful

It does play GBA software...

But it is not a Gameboy. Nintendo has repeatedly stated that the NDS is NOT the successor to the Gameboy Advance.

Yet, even if it were it remains consistant with Nintendo's old practice of maintaining backwards compatibility. I don't even know how many Gameboy games I've had over the years, but even my original Metroid 2 works perfectly fine on my Gameboy Advance SP. Not that I care to replay it, but if I wanted to I could.

I wonder if Nintendo intends to migrate away from the Gameboy Platform or if future Gameboys will remain compatible with the entire prior line and include compatibility with the DS?

It's times like this that I wonder if Nintendo really makes long term goals for themselves or if they just kind of try shit and get lucky most of the time.

--

"Everything you know is wrong. (And stupid.)"

Moderation Totals: Wrong=2, Stupid=3, Total=5.
Re:Not too surprising... by nutrock69 · 2004-10-25 10:31 · Score: 1

I already mentioned this in the last PS2 resize discussion, but I've been thinking about getting one of these new slim bad boys for the car, even though I have a 1st gen PS2 at home. Smaller footprint, lower power consumption, ability to play burned DVD's (according to EBworld) - all of this makes it an excellent choice as a DVD/Game add-on to my car system for my child on those long trips.
Re:Not too surprising... by tonejava · 2004-10-25 10:43 · Score: 2, Interesting

There are rumours a new GameBoy is in the works. I can't recall the link (nintendojo.com I think) but apprently DS is a new line of portable gaming and the Gameboy will continue to Advance (no pun intended) in parallel.
Re:Not too surprising... by zeno_2 · 2004-10-25 11:33 · Score: 1

Its actually just a big bigger then a dvd case, and about twice as thick. Pretty small...
Re:Not too surprising... by colmore · 2004-10-25 11:41 · Score: 2, Interesting

They had a dark few years in the middle 90s though.

They were really late getting N64 out, and it turned out to be only a moderate success. And let's not forget Virtual Boy...

Had it not been for Pokemon the company might have been in serious trouble.

--
In Capitalist America, bank robs you!
Re:not too surprising... by Zangief · 2004-10-25 11:44 · Score: 1

The IQue apparently is a product only sold at China.
Re:Not too surprising... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 13:49 · Score: 0

No, it's not.
Re:Not too surprising... by zeno_2 · 2004-10-25 19:15 · Score: 1

Yes, It is.
Re:Not too surprising... by TJ_Phazerhacki · 2004-10-26 09:07 · Score: 1

End this problem right now. Yes, it is. Its freaking tiny. Slighty longer and wider than a DVD case, oh, Id say about an inch thick (maybe slightly thicker.)

--
Physics is nothing like religion. If it was, we'd have an easier time trying to raise money!

Re:Interesting. by Sc00ter · 2004-10-25 09:04 · Score: 2, Interesting

How did people get burnt with the purchase of a GBA?

--
Free Mac Mini

not even a comparison! by Chundra · 2004-10-25 09:04 · Score: 1, Informative

A slimmed down PS/2 is still just a ps/2. The DS is a *new* system and the xbox never was popular in Japan.

Re:not even a comparison! by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:12 · Score: 1, Funny

The PS/2 is slimming down? I always thought that monstrous piece of IBM crap was too big!
Re:not even a comparison! by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 14:51 · Score: 0

No, a slimmed down XT connector is a PS/2 connector.

If you're talking about the game console, it's "PS2", a.k.a. "PlayStation 2".
Re:not even a comparison! by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 15:05 · Score: 0

I remember when it was called "N64... now with Split Screen support!"
Re:not even a comparison! by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-26 01:07 · Score: 0

You stupid moron. What does IBM have to do with Sony? They are two different companies!

Preorders by njfuzzy · 2004-10-25 09:05 · Score: 1

It seems pretty impressive that this device is taking in pre-orders that put it in such a position. It is something of a novelty device, so it bodes well for the new product to see it competing strongly with its cheaper, more established, and let's not forget *available* sibling, the GBA-SP.

--
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Re:Preorders by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:07 · Score: 0

"It is something of a novelty device"

It has novelty *features*, sure. It certainly has more substance than the eyetoy, which sold an absurd number of units for so little innovation.

I can see by bossesjoe · 2004-10-25 09:05 · Score: 5, Insightful

I'm not the only one who found this title slightly misleading

--
There is no replacement for displacement.

Comment removed by account_deleted · 2004-10-25 09:06 · Score: 3, Insightful

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Interesting. by hypermike · 2004-10-25 09:06 · Score: 2, Interesting

ID like to know as well how "people" got burned. Even if you find the games to be too expensive buy a blank GBA cartridge and basically rip all your games to it.

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How well will it hold on? by TJ_Phazerhacki · 2004-10-25 09:07 · Score: 2, Insightful

I really have to wonder what impact pre-orders have, other than hype. I mean, without even seeing the product first hand, people are putting down money on hardware that is unproven. I wish I were at Nintendo right now - This marathon of slightly-better-than-the-last game boys isn't gonna stop until the company breathes it's last.

Gotta catch 'em all.

That is, until Nintendo falls victim to the same thing that killed SEGA Systems - Rapid Release of Inferior Duplicate Consoles.

--
Physics is nothing like religion. If it was, we'd have an easier time trying to raise money!

Re:How well will it hold on? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:15 · Score: 1, Funny

Another Xbox fanboy. Too bad next Xbox won't have a hard drive. Been proven MS is worried about Xbox-Linux machine.
Re:How well will it hold on? by Babbster · 2004-10-25 09:23 · Score: 5, Interesting

"Slightly better"? I know they're just screenshots available now, but the graphics upgrade looks pretty serious (and before anyone hits me with "gameplay over graphics," the jump to 3D from 2D is potentially a huge difference in gameplay). In addition, they've added a second LCD with touchscreen capability. Wireless connectivity adds yet another dimension to the beast (a shock frankly with the healthy profit margin on Nintendo's cables).
You could easily argue that the various incarnations of the monochrome Gameboy, and even the Gameboy Color, were weak upgrades. But the Gameboy Advance was a huge step and the GBA SP fixed a serious problem with the original. As above, the DS is another big change.
Short version: Your fingers are typing but your brain might not be keeping up.
Re:How well will it hold on? by TheLittleJetson · 2004-10-25 09:36 · Score: 4, Insightful

I mean, without even seeing the product first hand, people are putting down money on hardware that is unproven. I wish I were at Nintendo right now...

Well, the gameboy is the best selling video game console of all time. Nintendo does a pretty good job of delivering cool hardware with first-party titles that are fun for people of all ages. I don't really think pre-ordering one now would be much of a risk.
Re:How well will it hold on? by gl4ss · 2004-10-25 09:45 · Score: 1

gamewise it's still just 'slightly better' for now.

you haven't seen it, i haven't seen it, and most importantly we haven't played with it for couple of days to know if it really works for us or not.

virtual boy had neat ideas.. but didn't really make it a hit.

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world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
Re:How well will it hold on? by The+Grey+Clone · 2004-10-25 10:16 · Score: 0

How is this any different from the presales of Halo 2. I don't remember the exact figures, aren't the preorders for Halo 2 over the 1 million mark? That's pretty good for something based on trailers and images (unless of course you pirated it then chose to preorder so you could Xbox Live it, but that's illegal and no one on /. brakes the law, ever).

I mean, we know that the first Halo was good (a little over hyped, but good nonetheless), but this is the EXACT same situation as with the new Gameboy. We don't know if it's really going to be good, other than the media hype that's been delivered to us, but we know that the previous incarnations have been good.

Nice troll, by the way.
Re:How well will it hold on? by tonejava · 2004-10-25 10:50 · Score: 2, Insightful

I mean, without even seeing the product first hand, people are putting down money on hardware that is unproven.

Unproven you say?

How many people out there use a mobile phone with some games that are networkable?

How many people own or have used a PDA?

How many people have played a console game and wished they could take it with them out on the road?

I don't think there is anything unproven about what nintendo are trying to sell. It is built upon ideas that are already a reality in todays world and as well as introducing a new way of gameplay - perhaps the network gaming that everyone is after , free.
Re:How well will it hold on? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 10:56 · Score: 0

"gamewise it's still just 'slightly better' for now."

You are going from a system that was slightly more powerful than an SNES to one that is more powerful than an N64, and adds wireless, a touchscreen, and a microphone input. Gamewise it's the difference from getting a re-release of super mario world with little upgrades to a re-release of mario 64 with major upgrades(wireless multiplayer, minigames, 40 new stars and a couple new levels).
Re:How well will it hold on? by NanoGator · 2004-10-25 12:45 · Score: 1

"This marathon of slightly-better-than-the-last game boys"

What exactly is your definition of slightly?

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"Derp de derp."
Re:How well will it hold on? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 18:27 · Score: 0

Where in his post does he praise the xbox? Oh, that's right, he doesn't. Thanks for coming out.
Re:How well will it hold on? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-26 02:32 · Score: 0

I still enjoy my virtual boy I think its a great system people just got hung up on the red and black thing.

Re:Interesting. by baudilus · 2004-10-25 09:07 · Score: 1

people got burned with Nintendo's last cool handheld, the Gameboy Advance

Explain your statement? I have a GBA:SP and love it. Are you speaking of the original GBA?

Re:Interesting. by Darth+Maul · 2004-10-25 09:08 · Score: 1

The GBA is a nice compact handheld gaming system that plays the entire catalog of GBA and GB games. It's cheap, too ($79).

How, exactly, did people get "burned"? Or are you just trolling?

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--- witty signature

Re:When you sell something... by Gizzmonic · 2004-10-25 09:09 · Score: 1

When you sell something, then speak.

ARF!

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(-1, Raw and Uncut is the only way to read)

wow... by jxyama · 2004-10-25 09:09 · Score: 5, Interesting

i am not sure which is more impressive, the fact XBOX is getting absolutely hammered in Japan or the fact there's a way to track the fact less than 200 units were sold...

nintendo is still a very, very strong brand in japan, more so than in the states. a lot of people (like myself) grew up in japan with famicom being the first video game system they played...

Re:wow... by mpw2k · 2004-10-25 10:50 · Score: 1

Goes both ways...

In America, Chevy sold 34,064 Corvettes last year. Honda sold less than 50 Acura NSX's.
Re:wow... by jxyama · 2004-10-25 11:33 · Score: 1

>In America, Chevy sold 34,064 Corvettes last year. Honda sold less than 50 Acura NSX's.
except both GB DS and Xbox are both targeting mainstream consumers. they aren't niche market items, like sport car, especially the very powerful and the very expensive ones like Vets and NSX. while they may be profittable, chevy and honda do not intend those sports cars to be their flagship cars not is their business built on that. otoh, GB and Xbox are the main items for nintendo and microsoft, respectively. their business depends a lot more heavily on the success of those machines. (you must, of coruse, separate therest of microsoft from this and consider only the home entertainment division... afterall, microsoft isn't in this to just throw miney away. they'd much prefer if Xbox was more successful in Japan.)
the day Camrys and Accords are being outsold by Focus or Gamecube being outsolde by Xbox in the U.S. by three orders of magnitude, i'd say "it goes both ways."
Re:wow... by CavemanKiwi · 2004-10-26 00:34 · Score: 1

Ford Focus is a big seller in Europe. In fact the last 3 years it has been the top selling car in the UK. The Ford Focus was designed in Europe.

That and a Focus competes more with a Corolla or Civic.
Re:wow... by Mattintosh · 2004-10-26 01:10 · Score: 1

a lot of people (like myself) grew up in japan with famicom being the first video game system they played...

Funny, I grew up in the USA, and the NES was the first video game system I played. And other than a Playstation purchase (just for Final Fantasy 7, 8, 9), I've never bought a non-Nintendo system. Nor do I care to. 10 years ago, that was about fanboyism, but now, I just don't have time.

One thing you are forgetting. by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:10 · Score: 5, Interesting

I think the majority of you dont know the japanese gamer and why Ps2 has sold gazillions in Japan. Everytime a new color, or special edition PS2 has come out in Japan, it has sold millions. A lot of japanese gamers own more than 1 working Ps2 just for collectors sake. Its not very uncommon over there, and it IS surprising that the new PStwo isn't doing as well.

Re:One thing you are forgetting. by CritterNYC · 2004-10-25 09:54 · Score: 4, Insightful

it IS surprising that the new PStwo isn't doing as well.

1. It won't work with existing mod chips.
2. It won't work with the hard drive for Final Fantasy.

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Portable versions of Firefox, GIMP, LibreOffice, etc
Re:One thing you are forgetting. by SmellsLikeFish · 2004-10-25 11:18 · Score: 1

These 2 things are important for probbaly 0.01% of the PS2 buing public - If it will play Madden 2005 Joe Sixpack will be happy
Re:One thing you are forgetting. by Deliveranc3 · 2004-10-25 11:22 · Score: 1

Where can I get a good modchip for the old ones?
Re:One thing you are forgetting. by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 11:25 · Score: 0

You, and the five naive J-fanboys (just kidding) who have modded you up, are mistaken.

Japan is THE land of disposable consumerism. The otaku collectors you talk about are an extreme abnormality, no more common there than here. One can't just project his J-collectorboy lifestyle onto the Japanese and make it true. I speak as a California-based collector of many years.

I speak as someone with very many sealed multiples of a majority of the SE systems that have ever been released in Japan. I have every LE GBA, most of the LE GBA SPs, 4 LE Dreamcasts, etc. But I can recognzie - and have witnessed - that the Japanese are more likely to upgrade than add to a collection. That's why the state of used games and hardware is so awesome: The Japanese upgrade regularly. It's true of keitai and it's true of game systems.

So yeah, there's a couple of reasons the slim PS2 would generate interest among current PS2 owners, but collectibity is not the biggest one. Not by a longshot.
Re:One thing you are forgetting. by Ed_Moyse · 2004-10-25 20:06 · Score: 1

The parent was replying to a post about why the PS2 isn't selling well in ****JAPAN****, not the US.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Glytch · 2004-10-25 09:11 · Score: 2, Insightful

It's more a matter of there being few Xbox-exclusive titles that get translated to Japanese. In your average Japanese home, space matters. Why have an Xbox and PS2 when the PS2 already has most of the best games in one's native language?

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:11 · Score: 0

"Good gaming library" (as many Americans refer to their own particular gaming library) does not necessarily equal a gaming library that the Japanese consumer wants. It's important to realize that you know... not every market in the world wants the same damn thing.

Sheesh.

Re:eh0d loves his mommy !!!! by erick99 · 2004-10-25 09:11 · Score: 0, Troll

Am I the only person who read that, momentarily, as penis mightier? Oh, well . . .

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http://www.busyweather.com/

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by be-fan · 2004-10-25 09:12 · Score: 5, Interesting

Um, the Japanese love Americans*. The poor sales of the XBox have nothing to do with the Japanese hating Americans. The biggest problem with with the XBox is two-fold:

1) It was late to the scene, and the PS2 was *very* well established by that time;

2) It's gaming library isn't really what the Japanese like. XBox games are more like PC games and less like console games. It's heavy on sports titles, and light on console style RPGs and platformers.

*) So do people in most other countries, which Americans would realize if they actually traveled abroad. Even in Paris, people couldn't have been nicer as I tried to communicate in my heavily yankee-accented broken French :)

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A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:12 · Score: 0

The Japanese prefer their hardware to be small as possible. Xbox is too big for their tastes. Since living spaces are small, they want smaller electronics so they have room for other things. Xbox does have great hardware but it's library sucks monkey ass. Stop being a fanboy, bitch.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Ironsides · 2004-10-25 09:12 · Score: 1

Easy, the type of games that appeal to the Japanese are not the same type that appeal to the US or Europe. Also the extra cost to get the DVD playback in an X-BOX, the bulky controllers made for a steel worker, bad aestethic value of what it looks like, crapy case and that it weighs much more than a PS2 doesn't help either.

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Fly me to the moon Let me sing among those stars Let me see what spring is like On jupiter and mars

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:12 · Score: 0

XBox is superior hardware, and good gaming library, why is it doing so poorly if not the "We hate the USA" argument, "Stupid americans".

Is that you Bill?

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by MilenCent · 2004-10-25 09:12 · Score: 5, Insightful

XBox is superior hardware, and good gaming library, why is it doing so poorly if not the "We hate the USA" argument, "Stupid americans".

I dispute the "good gaming library" bit. Besides Halo (and Halo 2), there is just not that much good for the system that cannot already be found for a different system. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in putting its library at a distant third place in the race. And considering that this is Japan we're talking about, where Sony, Nintendo, Sega and Squareenix *live*... no, it's not at all surprising they're doing poorly.

The hardware is good, but not that good really, I'm not aware of the XBox being a tremendous improvement over the other consoles available this wave, certainly not enough to make a difference at this point.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by grunt107 · 2004-10-25 09:13 · Score: 1

One of the big objections in Japan to the Xbox is the size - especially the Duke controllers (until the S controller came out). They want something tiny or thin. The cultural distain for our products can be overcome if we make something that looks Japanese in form.

Not as big a deal as one may think by LordZardoz · 2004-10-25 09:13 · Score: 4, Informative

While this cannot hurt the DS, it is not a huge accomplishment, to my mind. The modified and slimmed down PS2 is only going to really intrest a limited number of people.

1) Lunatics who must buy every Sony Console.
2) People replacing old / broken PS2 consoles.
3) People purchasing their first PS2.

The PS2 is on the downswing of its life cycle. Its still a popular console, but by now, pretty much everyone who wants one already has one. It would be more impressive if it was outselling all versions of the PS2 combined, since the new PS2 does not have the HD support.

END COMMUNICATION

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:14 · Score: 0

WTF? Calm down, dude. Stop having a victimization complex. XBox doesn't sell in Japan because there are no games for it that are interesting for them. Almost noone in Japan is interested in American Football, and they'd rather race riced-out cars in Gran Turismo than Corvettes in Gotham City Racing.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by bersl2 · 2004-10-25 09:14 · Score: 1

XBox is superior hardware, and good gaming library, why is it doing so poorly if not the "We hate the USA" argument, "Stupid americans".

1) Since when have the majority of console gamers cared about differences within one hardware generation?

2) As I read your statement, it drips with arrogance: your/the American idea of "good" is different from someone else's/the Japanese idea of "good."

3) They can be just as nationalist as we can. Don't act surprised.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Gizzmonic · 2004-10-25 09:15 · Score: 2, Interesting

XBox is superior hardware, and good gaming library, why is it doing so poorly

Superior to what? The Xbox library is made up mostly of games that are ported from another platform (PS2 or Windows).

In Japan, apartmetn space comes at a premium, and most are unwilling to give up that space for a huge-ass system like the Xbox, without some great exclusive games. Ninja Gaiden and Halo just aren't good enough.

I'm sure cultural bigotry has a little to do with it, but so does Microsoft's cavalier attitude towards the Japanese market. It has cost them, and I doubt they'll be able to gain a foothold in Japan unless they buy out a huge developer like Konami or Capcom...

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(-1, Raw and Uncut is the only way to read)

The US / West Doesn't Get by colonslashslash · 2004-10-25 09:16 · Score: 5, Insightful

The Japanese gaming market, at least thats how it appears, I'm not a huge gamer, but you take a look at the majority of Japanese-only titles and think how well they would potentially do in the West.

Most of them would fall flat on their faces, and the same is true the other way around, at least in some part. My point is, companies like Nintendo and Sony are Japanese and they have a much better idea of what game content their market wants to see, therefore they are more succesful in producing tailored games for that market, and also find it alot easier to build up a fanbase for their hardware.

Japan as an entity seems to prefer titles like Super Magic Fun Travel Wish Yo-Yo 6 over something with lots of explosions and guns, maybe this is what companies like Microsoft are not realising?

Anyway, as I said, I may be way off, I havn't been a real gamer for years, and don't pay that much attention to it.

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She's built like a steak house, but she handles like a bistro....

Re:The US / West Doesn't Get by zanidor · 2004-10-25 09:42 · Score: 0

Super Magic Fun Travel Wish Yo-Yo 6

You mean there's a sequel to Super Magic Fun Travel Wish Yo-Yo 5 comming out? I need to go preorder that right now!
Re:The US / West Doesn't Get by Guppy06 · 2004-10-25 11:21 · Score: 1

"My point is, companies like Nintendo and Sony are Japanese"

I think it's about time to give Nintendo the "honorary" designation as an "American company" as far as who's being targeted is concerned. Pretty much since Donkey Kong, North America has been Very Good to Nintendo, even better than Japan at times (think of the N64), and it seems they've realized this. It's almost as if their corporate headquarters in Japan is more for show than anything else, with Redmond calling more of the shots.

Think of the recent Nintendo games that have been released here first, even games that were developed and written in Japan. How many Japanese gamers will be importing their DS from here before the Japanese launch date?

Hell, they spun off their Canadian arm as a separate division. They still haven't split up their European unit.
Re:The US / West Doesn't Get by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 11:33 · Score: 0

> Japan as an entity seems to prefer titles like Super Magic Fun Travel Wish Yo-Yo 6 over something with lots of explosions and guns, maybe this is what companies like Microsoft are not realising?

The runaway success of Katamari Damacy in the US might prove a tipping point that brings more japanese style games here. But seriously, while there are some innovative games in Japan, a great number of these titles really suck and could only be appreciated by the geekiest anime-hoarding nipponophile only for the fact that it's japanese.
Re:The US / West Doesn't Get by js3 · 2004-10-25 11:57 · Score: 1

or maybe they realise it but don't care? It makes no business sense to spend your resources where you are weakest the most. If the xbox is strong in the west then that's why microsoft will focus their efforts (at the expense of the platform elsewhere). It would be hard for microsoft to take on nintendo or sony in japan so they probably just give it a halfassed attempt anyways.

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did you forget to take your meds?
Re:The US / West Doesn't Get by Stevyn · 2004-10-25 12:06 · Score: 1

Don't forget the boatloads of cash from Pokemon. Some claim that was Japan's revenge for Hiroshima.
Re:The US / West Doesn't Get by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 14:06 · Score: 0

You have Super Magic Fun Travel Wish Yo-Yo 5? Wow, thats like super mega ultra all out drastic excessive extremist fanatical far-out gone immoderate kinky outlandish outré rabid radical revolutionary too much too-too Rare!!!!

Kinky is a synonym for Ultra?
Re:The US / West Doesn't Get by johnnliu · 2004-10-25 18:44 · Score: 1

For a long time, I had the same puzzling believe that MS can't fight in the Japanese market because they don't know how Japanese think.

This is not true at all. MS hires Japanese people to market XB in Japan.

I thought then perhaps, they weren't sucking up to the Japanese developers as much, so there were no developers, and thus, no games made for the Japanese for the XB.

I did some follow up and read a few articles by Japanese developers (one in particular, is an interview with Namco, who did really well with Dead or Alive 3, Ninja Gaiden on the XB)

The story goes like this.

When XB was being released, lots of Japanese developers wanted to try it out. You never know, if it was going to be successful, they could sell more games, or even break into the US/Europe market.

But, they develop the games, and only market it within Japan. With already a smaller market of XB units (compared to PS2), these early Japanese games didn't do so well.

And they never bothered to sell their game overseas which is where the XB have major markets (Namco did, and they did well). They just got scared and decided XB won't earn them money, and went back to make PS2 games.

Thus, there are hardly any Japanese XB games, which means not that many people will want to buy XB.

It's that kind of vicious cycle thing.

jliu

not too surprising... by fireduck · 2004-10-25 09:16 · Score: 4, Insightful

so the DS presales are outselling the redesigned PS2 presales. perhaps that's because everyone already owns the PS2 and would prefer to pre-order something totally new over something that's just an update? (at least among first adopters.) here's the article that has the statistics. (can't seem to find the original gamespot story that is referred to)

I love the fact that the GBA, which already has an update to it, is selling at about 3 times the rate of the XBOX. I wonder where the IQue would fit on this list...

I think a just as interesting, if not more interesting story is the fact that a Gamecube + Mario Kart bundle will be coming out this holiday season for only $99.99. That's the same price just the console is selling for now.

Comment removed by account_deleted · 2004-10-25 09:17 · Score: 5, Insightful

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Trying to decide... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:17 · Score: 0

The DS outsold presales are outselling every hardware unit *BUT* the original PS2, and the GBA SP.

People are still buying PS2s, clearly they want a second, never had one to begin with, or have to replace a broken unit, they just aren't buying the slim downed version.

What PS2? by pommiekiwifruit · 2004-10-25 09:17 · Score: 1

In the UK anyway there is no old-style PS2 (judging from last weekend). Sony must have stopped making them. The shops just have signs up saying they will have the new slimline PS2 when Sony bothers to manufacture them. Otherwise you can buy a gamecube or Xbox if you can't wait :-)

Re:What PS2? by Fred+Or+Alive · 2004-10-25 09:42 · Score: 2, Interesting

Have you seen any black Xboxes either? Everywhere I look it's the new Crystal Xbox with one controller (rather than the two controller version from earlier this year).

Rather annoying, I bought an Xbox last year, now a fancy better looking one appears to be becomming standard. ;-)

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10 PRINT "LOOK AROUND YOU "; 20 GOTO 10

To be fair, by Moby+Cock · 2004-10-25 09:18 · Score: 1

It is more than just a cosmetic upgrade. It includes the braodband connections that the original PS2 required an add-on for. But it ain't worth buying a new one. Especially since it looks more and more likely that PS3 is coming out in Summer 05

Re:To be fair, by Breakfast+Pants · 2004-10-25 15:02 · Score: 1

An upgrade? It includes the broadband connections, yet it isn't compatible with the harddrive. The number 1 online game in japan for PS2? Final Fantasy XI, which incidentally requires the harddrive. So, "to be fair", what the fuck was Sony thinking?

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WHO ATE MY BREAKFAST PANTS?

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:20 · Score: 0

"2) As I read your statement, it drips with arrogance: your/the American idea of "good" is different from someone else's/the Japanese idea of 'good.'"

Oh no, he called Xbox games "good", STRING HIM UP THAT AMERICAN PIG.

Christ, sure the appreciation of games is definitely a subjective matter and the Japanese have different tastes, but "dripping with arrogance" is quite an exaggeration.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:20 · Score: 0

a little basic cultural awareness

Americans can't be bothered with things like "cultural awareness": To them it's either "American" or "Wrong".

You have to understand the Japanese market by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:22 · Score: 0, Flamebait

Unless you've got a ton of titles that have Anime or Hentai in them you might as well forget it. I've walked into stores selling video games in Tokyo and the majority of the titles were like that. That was a few years back but I don't imagine it's changed all that much. Does XBox have these kind of titles?

Re:You have to understand the Japanese market by Bagels · 2004-10-25 13:07 · Score: 1

I thought I ought to point out that none of the major three consoles allow hentai, or pornographic, titles (though I believe the Dreamcast did, back in the day).

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--- Bwah?
Re:You have to understand the Japanese market by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 14:36 · Score: 0

Dreamcast did not, not until this past year when it didn't matter anymore.

Re:eh0d loves his mommy !!!! by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:22 · Score: 0

my biggest regret in life is not inventing an anal bumm cover.

This is news? by Boarder2 · 2004-10-25 09:23 · Score: 1

"New console outsells remake of old console that everyone who wants one already has."

Please.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:25 · Score: 0

Yeah, not like those "enlightened" people that lump all Americans into the same category. Thanks for being as unaware as those you criticize, it really helps to dumb the world down.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:27 · Score: 0

America, fuck yea! Commin' to save the mother fuckin' day!

Gaming Library by pommiekiwifruit · 2004-10-25 09:27 · Score: 1

Well it has Halo, and now Fable. That might be *almost* enough to buy it for, along with Sudeki and the Rare game. Not as much as the PS2 or gamecube, but if you have all the good games for them already it might be worth having.

But I would have to buy another shelf big enough to put it on which would be inconvenient...

Re:Gaming Library by servognome · 2004-10-25 13:42 · Score: 1

Don't forget KOTOR

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Re:Gaming Library by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 13:50 · Score: 0

Fable was a real dissapointment. Doing all subquests and playing 'collect em all' with hidden keys, the game took about 16 hours. The main story only 8 or less. The story was medicore, the character design shallow, good/evil was a fairly simple gimmik. I wouldnt include it as xbox cannon.
Re:Gaming Library by pommiekiwifruit · 2004-10-25 22:04 · Score: 1

I thought that was a PC game, like Neverwinter Nights.
Re:Gaming Library by servognome · 2004-10-26 04:55 · Score: 1

Knights of the Old Republic originally launched on XBox, then got ported to PC a few months later.
Bioware has been focusing on console market, their next "big game" Jade Empire will be Xbox launch as well.

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D6 63 0D 70 89 81 BB 8E 7B 7C 5F 5D 54 EA AB 73

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by thesandtiger · 2004-10-25 09:31 · Score: 2, Insightful

XBox is superior hardware, and good gaming library, why is it doing so poorly if not the "We hate the USA" argument, "Stupid americans".

Have you ever played a Japanese game? Are you even vaguely familiar with their culture? The XBox's library is so American it's ridiculous. You may like the games, but I assure you, your taste is going to be radically different than the average Japanese gamer.

Saying the XBox has a "good gaming library" is like saying someone who only has summer blockbusters in their DVD collection - good for some, not for all.

And, because I can't resist a little dig, aren't you pretty much proving that you are, indeed, stupid since you're unable to come up with an alternative to the "they hate us" theory?

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Since I can't tell them apart, I treat all ACs as the same person.

Re:Interesting. by irc.goatse.cx+troll · 2004-10-25 09:31 · Score: 1

I think he meant the GBA and you're thinking of the GBA SP.

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Pain lasts, kid. Its how you know you're alive. Sometimes I think this growing up thing is just pain management-TheMaxx

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by pommiekiwifruit · 2004-10-25 09:32 · Score: 1

e.g. the story that the US govt. was complaining to Japan that they weren't buying enough US cars, threatening them and saying it must be due to illegal tactics.

Perhaps they might have bought more if the US car companies had bothered to put the steering wheel on the correct (right) side of the car.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by SamSim · 2004-10-25 09:32 · Score: 1

I'd add a third comment: The Xbox is by far the largest of the current generation of consoles. Japanese homes, by comparison, are relatively small - space is at a priority.

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qntm.org

Even Relevant? by DanteBlack · 2004-10-25 09:34 · Score: 5, Interesting

As many people have pointed out this is no surprise. But is it relevant? The DS is a new system, the slim PS2 is a new form factor. The real test will be against the Sony portable system. This here is just smoke and mirrors comparing system sales from different target markets. Pu-shaw.

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I am invisble, and you can't see me.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by andr0meda · 2004-10-25 09:34 · Score: 2, Interesting

So do people in most other countries, which Americans would realize if they actually traveled abroad. Even in Paris, people couldn't have been nicer as I tried to communicate in my heavily yankee-accented broken French :)

I knew it! I knew that they still existed. Americans saying positive things about French people! You, sir, make my evening!

(no, I'm not French myself)

--
With great power comes great electricity bills.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:35 · Score: 0

I know this is off topic but I lived in France for two years and can tell you for a fact that the French hate Americans. Almost as much as Canadians do.

When the XBox first came out... by lpangelrob2 · 2004-10-25 09:35 · Score: 4, Interesting

...Microsoft stood by Japan as the "must break into" market in order for the product launch to have really been a success... with Europe being a more secondary market.

Does anyone who's kept up with gaming news know if they've retreated from this statement? (Conceding that the Box is a decent threat to Sony stateside).

--
-Rob
Marriage doesn't have to suck!

XBOX hahaha by BortQ · 2004-10-25 09:37 · Score: 2, Funny

Heeheehee. Just imagine how funny a list of all the things that outsold the xbox in Japan would be:

- sony laptops
- toshiba laptops
- lots of other brands of computers
- iPods
- Aibos
- vibrators
- etc. feel free to add more...

--

A Multiplayer Strategy Game for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux

Re:XBOX hahaha by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:46 · Score: 0

William Shatner CDs.
Re:XBOX hahaha by Guppy06 · 2004-10-25 10:50 · Score: 1

Your mom.
Re:XBOX hahaha by sharkey · 2004-10-25 11:51 · Score: 1

Sausage

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--
"Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
Re:XBOX hahaha by stonecypher · 2004-10-26 11:07 · Score: 1

If it's 173 in a quarter, there's a good chance that more politicians were bought than X-Boxes in Japan.

There are a number of amusing cosmetic surgeries and certain obscure piercings that are certainly outselling the X-Box.

Many individual pornography titles will have outsold the X-Box 10,000:1, but perhaps more amusingly, almost every individual pornography title will have outsold the system.

Many local zines published at coffee shops will have outsold the X-Box, as well as some highschool newspapers, most yearbooks and even self-published CDs by up-and-coming musicians.

Most girl scouts, and I presume therefore some japanese Girl Scout equivalent, will individually outsell the X-Box in cookies, both by count and by profit against manufacturing cost.

The daily special at most resteraunts in Japan will outsell the X-Box.

In fact, it looks like the only thing that isn't outselling the X-Box in Japan is <badbear action="karmawhore">SCO Unix</badbear>

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StoneCypher is Full of BS

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Saeger · 2004-10-25 09:39 · Score: 1

You were the only American wearing the t-shirt that read "Love my country; Hate my government", weren't you? That would explain the understanding you got. :)

--

--
Power to the Peaceful

Conflicting Data by Bronz · 2004-10-25 09:39 · Score: 3, Informative

According to http://forum.pcvsconsole.com/viewthread.php?tid=82 72&page=10 Xbox sales were somewhat higher. But it's the WWW -- don't believe half of what you read, and none of what you read.

Re:Conflicting Data by DarkGamer20X6 · 2004-10-25 10:45 · Score: 2, Informative

Just to clarify, check your own source. The information you provided was on the wrong week. Going forward a page provides the proper information.

Here's the correct link:
http://forum.pcvsconsole.com/viewthread.php ?tid=82 72&page=11

And for those who don't like to follow the links:
October 11 - 17, 2004
Game Boy Advance SP - 35,280
PlayStation 2 - 22,470
GameCube - 4,368
Game Boy Advance - 633
Xbox - 173
PSone - 60
Wonder Swan Crystal - 38

To quote the Joystiq article:
"Notably, it beat the Playstation 2 redesign and, of course, Microsoft's Xbox (which sold a whopping 173 units)."

So, yes, the Joystiq article was not incorrect in the number of X-Box units shipped that week. I realize that this was an easy mistake to make; please be more cautious in the future.
Re:Conflicting Data by Bronz · 2004-10-25 11:42 · Score: 1

I wasn't correcting the article. I was correcting the headline:

"Outselling the Xbox is easy though. They sold less than 200 in Japan last month."

The link I posted showed the previous month to be well above 200 units. And it was the correct link. It's an easy mistake to make, but please be more cautious in the future in telling people to be more cautious in the future.

Also (and perhaps ironically?) your link was malformed with an extra space between 82 72 ... Again, please be more cautious in the future.

Thanks.
Re:Conflicting Data by DarkGamer20X6 · 2004-10-25 11:51 · Score: 1

"According to http://forum.pcvsconsole.com/viewthread.php?tid=82 72&page=10 [pcvsconsole.com] Xbox sales were somewhat higher. But it's the WWW -- don't believe half of what you read, and none of what you read."

Where exactly did you specify that you were referring to the headline and not the article?

Thank you.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by falcon5768 · 2004-10-25 09:42 · Score: 2, Insightful

a) Superior hardware, maybe, but since when has that mattered? I can name 10 systems who where superior and did worse than the xBox has.

b) Good gaming library.... not really. Its mostly ports of Nintendo and PS2 games whit the only games being "xbox only" being sports titles and first person shooters which are more in tune to the American male demographic than the rest of the world.

c) We hate America argument..... please they love Apple, Western movies, and all kinds of American products.... The xbox was a poor attempt at Microsoft trying to steal the game market away because Microsoft wants to get their hands into everything.

--

"Slashdot, where telling the truth is overrated but lying is insightful."

or... by oGMo · 2004-10-25 09:42 · Score: 1

4) People who want/need a second PS2

I just picked up one of these (very cute) little boxes because I wanted a second PS2. Why? Because my first one has a HDD in it (for FFXI), and is hooked up to my computer. However, I also play DDR regularly, in front of the TV, and take it to parties to play. I don't want to take the one with the HDD, and constantly setting up/taking down the console is a pain. (Not to mention the PS2v1 was quite a luggable.) A second one, especially with the new form factor, solves both problems. (And now I can play THUG and some others without splitscreen! ;-))

Now, this isn't to say that many people will have reason to buy a PS2. The fact they did this is an obvious sign it's reached maturity. The fact the DS presales outsold the PS2 is hardly a suprise; call me back when it outsells the PS2 in total units shipped. (It might; the handheld market is a much different one from the console market. You could easily have 2+ per household.) But presales beating sales on an already-saturated console? Big whoopteedoo.

--

Don't think of it as a flame---it's more like an argument that does 3d6 fire damage

Re:or... by computechnica · 2004-10-25 10:14 · Score: 1

So when does the Screen and car adapter come out? My kids are getting bored with the PSone and matching screen on long trips. It would be nice to have one device to play PS1,PS2, and DVDs

--
Science is the Real TRUTH!
Re:or... by oGMo · 2004-10-25 10:58 · Score: 1

There's a PS2 LCD that worked with the old style PS2. Probably too big for the new one, but I'd imagine you'll see one within a month or two.

--
Don't think of it as a flame---it's more like an argument that does 3d6 fire damage

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by be-fan · 2004-10-25 09:42 · Score: 1

I don't own one of those t-shirts. I can't find anything with a collar that says that :) Sersiouly, though, I was totally surprised by the reaction. While the US was doing the whole "freedom fries" crap, the French had signs up on their highways declaring their friendship with the US.

--
A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:42 · Score: 0

I've seen this claim three times in this article alone, and it gets harder & harder for me to accept it. The xbox is really no larger than two stacked PS2's - its "footprint" is basically the same. I just cannot believe that an apt. or house would have room for a ps2 and not an xbox. I mean, if it really were so important, the ps2/dvr combo unit would have sold better, right?

There are many other arguments as to why xbox is poorly designed for Japan (imho, it is pretty ugly), but this "not enough space" argument must be a caricature.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:45 · Score: 0

"e.g. the story that the US govt. was complaining to Japan that they weren't buying enough US cars, threatening them and saying it must be due to illegal tactics.

Perhaps they might have bought more if the US car companies had bothered to put the steering wheel on the correct (right) side of the car."

Do you have reliable proof of this, or are you vomiting forth another urban legend?

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by stratjakt · 2004-10-25 09:45 · Score: 1

Who cares if or why Japan hates the XBox.

I got news for them. I hate Dance Dance Revolution, Pokemon and anime dating simulators.

BFD. The XBox can be (and at this point, just barely is) profitable without the Japanese market, and I think it's a good thing there's an American competitor in a market long dominated by the Japanese.

Japan is not the be-all and end-all of video gaming. Most of the games I've truly enjoyed in the last year or two didn't come from Japan.

Prince Of Persia: SOT was done in Montreal, Far Cry in germany, HALO in the US, GTA, Doom 3, Half Life 2, The Suffering, etc etc etc.... With the exception of some of Nintendo's title, Japan's super-fantastic-fun-fun gaming industry hasn't shit out anything I care for in a while.

I tire fairly quickly of giant robots piloted by schoolgirls while they're raped by octopi.

What was I talking about? Oh yeah, who really cares how the XBox does in Japan. Apparently MSFT doesn't, they haven't given more than a half-hearted effort marketing it there.

Every once in a while they issue a press release about how they plan to entice the Japanese, but that's nothing more than hot air to appease investors.

--
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!

Market Saturation by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:47 · Score: 0

Outselling the Xbox is easy though. They sold less than 200 in Japan last month. ...because everyone else in Japan already owned an Xbox?

Re:Market Saturation by slumpy · 2004-10-25 10:08 · Score: 1

.....Yes, everybody in Japan already owns and Xbox. Also, everyone in Japan is on a Red "Godzilla" alert.

--
http://www.commaecho.com
Re:Market Saturation by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 11:21 · Score: 0

No, because if they put to many xboxes on at once, it could sink the island.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by OrangeTide · 2004-10-25 09:48 · Score: 1

The world certainly loves American blue jeans, and basketball shoes. Although everyone makes fun of American automobiles. Even though it's always the non-american autos look comically small. j/k

It usually American foreign policy that the world hates. I'm guessing it's because Americans make decisions that impact the world, and we don't accept input from other countries into our political process. A lot of Mexicans, Cubans, Australians, and whatever write US leaders. And they all recieve the same form letter from the congressman/senator stating that they should write their own government.

ps - I'm more into PS2 because of the titles. I don't do sports or racing games. Although progressive 16:9 output would be nice on my 55" HDTV. I'm stuck with 480i on my PS2 :(

--
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:48 · Score: 0

Hmm, I could've *sworn* that there was a copy of GTA III available for the XBox. Oh, wait. There *is*!

I'll make no comment as to the "hot Nintendo games" or the Square and Namco RPGs, as I honestly hate both of them.

My God.. by swat_r2 · 2004-10-25 09:50 · Score: 0, Redundant

The SP is unstoppable. I have no doubt Nintendo will have many wonderful years to come with the DS.

Of Course! by XST1 · 2004-10-25 09:52 · Score: 1, Redundant

Is this supposed to be a surprise? Of course the Nintendo DS preorders are going to outsell the PS2! In Japan, the PS2 takes 80% of the market share. The only difference between the old PS2 and the new PS2 is that its smaller, weighs less, comes with integrated NIC/Modem and looks sleeker. On the other hand, The Nintendo DS is a completely new portable video game system that features technology never before offered by any other home console or hand-held game system. Again, I don't see what the big deal is here.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by jabuzz · 2004-10-25 09:52 · Score: 1

Curious thought, perhaps it is the class of Americans that never leave the USA that people outside the USA dislike. Given the percentage of USA citizens that hold a passport compared to the normal for an industrialized first world democracy, those Americans that travel abroad are a distinct minority.

Another slim percentage by SuperKendall · 2004-10-25 09:53 · Score: 1

I would have bought one if I didn't have the network adaptor already (bought just weeks before) as the combination network, smaller form factor, and lack of noise would convince me to spend the extra above the cost of an adaptor alone. I was thinking people like that might maek up a larger percentage than one would think.

Generally though I agree with your point, the console is pretty mature and sales would be dropping off naturally. It would be interesting to see the sypothetical case of the DS, PS3, and XBox NeXT all releasing the same day!

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

Where do they store them all? by swat_r2 · 2004-10-25 09:54 · Score: 1

Where do they store them all? I thought one of the reason against the Xbox was the huge size. How can they afford to double stack PS2's!

Re:Where do they store them all? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 12:56 · Score: 0

The direct answer: The OP is full of BS fantasy fanboyism about Japan. They ain't stacking PS2s box on box in their condos, because new purchases are replacements (as is common in their consumer culture), not additions to collections.

The more diplomatic, but slightly less colorful, answer: Collectors, anywhere around the globe, tend not to use what they collect or even remove these items from their retail packaging. This is true of even Japanese collectors, of which the OP gravely overestimates in number.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:54 · Score: 0

No, it's not. Consider Japanese cell phones. They are the smallest damn thing made. Why? So they have more space in their pockets for their MP3 players, PDAs, etc if they're not part of the cell phone. Yes, space matters in Japan. Even height. The Xbox may be no taller than 2 stacked PS2s but compared to one, it's tall. The Japanese are very concious about space and it's use. Look at Nintendo consoles. They kept getting smaller so Japanese can have something else next to it. Also, Japanese really don't obcese about a particular console to the point of erection. They buy them to play games, unlike Xbox fanboys who love to get hard from playing Halo (it's old and needs a rest).

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Cranky_92109 · 2004-10-25 09:54 · Score: 1

Another factor that probably figures into low xbox sales is that there have been reports saying that xbox2 is coming out in 2005. Nobody wants to buy a console that may be obsolete in a year or less. Especially since xbox2 is not expected to be backwards compatable.

PS2 isn't going to have the same problem because they have a good track record there.

how about BSD? by Xtifr · 2004-10-25 09:55 · Score: 1

If they only sold 200 Xbox last month, then I'd bet that even BSD outsold it. And, as we all know (and Netcraft confirms), BSD is dead, so.... :)

No doubt, dude by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 09:57 · Score: 0

You were right on with that comment.

DS = Dual Screen by Billy+the+Mountain · 2004-10-25 09:58 · Score: 0, Redundant

Whew! That bit of information is relatively difficult to find.

BTM

--
That was the turning point of my life--I went from negative zero to positive zero.

Re:DS = Dual Screen by Bones3D_mac · 2004-10-25 12:08 · Score: 1

Actually, I've read the name of the system was not that clear cut. Supposedly, the official meaning of the "DS" part is something along the lines of "Development System", paying heed to the fact that the system was designed in a way to encourage innovative game design in a time where innovation in the industry has become stagnant.

--

8==8 Bones 8==8
Re:DS = Dual Screen by stonecypher · 2004-10-26 11:09 · Score: 1

Oh, so sorry. That's what everyone guessed, but it was revealed at E3 that it actually means "Developer's System," a reference to the new flexibility in control chemes offered by the touchscreen. I forget who it was that said that (Iwata, maybe?) but it was right before the speech Yu Suzuki gave about how much Sega wants to write Nintendo games. (le sigh.) Then, he went on to save face by being the only interesting panellist that Nintendo had. So, whatever. One for two isn't bad.

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StoneCypher is Full of BS

Re:Interesting. by Corngood · 2004-10-25 09:59 · Score: 1

And if you find groceries to be too expensive, just take them!

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by lpp · 2004-10-25 09:59 · Score: 2, Interesting

Veering wildly off topic here, but... are you serious? I mean, really, the only viewpoints I see here stateside via the media indicate a level of loathing typically reserved for child molesters and people who talk during movies toward anything American.

So you're actually saying statistically significant numbers of people in (at least) France actually like America?

And I'm actually serious here, not trolling.

writing to leaders by bani · 2004-10-25 10:00 · Score: 1

try writing to cuban leaders and see what response you get, you immoral capitalist infidel.

Re:writing to leaders by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 10:27 · Score: 0

So which jail could we contact the Cubans at to ask them what they think about dissention?

Re:eh0d loves his mommy !!!! by slumpy · 2004-10-25 10:00 · Score: 1

Actually, I read it like that at first too...wanna hook up?

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http://www.commaecho.com

No by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 10:02 · Score: 0

It's just that americans have horrid tastes for games. Me and most japanese people I know just can't stomach 70-80% american games. Especially american sports games. This is a free market. If Microsoft came with something interesting for my tastes I wouldn't sacrifice myself not buying it. Other decadent american firms are extremely successful like Starbucks or Coca Cola. Tokyo Disney World is huge and hollywood movies sell more than the rest put together. Get a clue.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 10:07 · Score: 0

http://www.cic.sfu.ca/forum/AHorvatNov221997.html

"Incidentally, it was BMW's Paysen who first understood among foreign car makers that having the steering wheel on the right-hand side of the car is a red herring in the US-Japan car debate. (Misguided but well-intentioned parties have argued that foreign car makers should build cars with the steering wheel on the right side of the car because Japanese drive on the left side of the road.) Paysen discovered that 80 percent of BMW's Japanese customers actually preferred the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car"

Other items the DS outsold by The-Bus · 2004-10-25 10:08 · Score: 4, Funny

Some other things which the DS outsold... in Japan. From WhatDsOutsold.net:

Sega 32x
Flight tickets from Rio de Janeiro to Chicago O'Hare (on Pan-Am Airlines)
Wonder Swan
"Adventures in Babysitting" Tiger hand-held game
Duke Nukem Forever III: Forever and a Day (Collector's Edition with 4-ton hourglass)
Microsoft Bob XP Plus!
Ishtar (on LaserDisc)
Virtua Boy

Honestly...

--

Small potatoes make the steak look bigger.

Re:Other items the DS outsold by mpw2k · 2004-10-25 13:18 · Score: 1

Not sure about that Ishtar LaserDisc though...

ideal sales by eamonman · 2004-10-25 10:08 · Score: 1

Hehe, ideal sales for M$ for the slashdot crowd is when
173
------------- ~ 1.36e-6 ~ 0%
127,333,002
of a population sample buy a Bill-product.

--
0- Eamonman Proud member of DNRC

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by bani · 2004-10-25 10:12 · Score: 1

for most of the rest of the world, "travel abroad" amounts to driving an hour or two at most. then boom, you're in a completely different country with completely different customs and languages.

maybe you're counting "travel abroad" as in germans visiting france or something?

'travel abroad' for the USA is on a completely different scale altogether. perhaps convenience has something to do with it? the percentage of australian citizens that hold a passport is a distinct minority as well...

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 10:15 · Score: 0

Hi, I'm Donna Chang.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by grahamsz · 2004-10-25 10:17 · Score: 0, Offtopic

i'm not an american but do live there.

The general feeling in europe is one where individual americans are welcomed, but the USA as an entity is disliked.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 10:18 · Score: 0

Hell, at least the world media is *universally* stupid for publicizing the view of a few ignorant assholes on both sides.

Hard drive by tepples · 2004-10-25 10:21 · Score: 1

The thinner PS2 also lacks a hard drive. And does it have the FireWire port through which one could otherwise add a hard drive?

Re:Hard drive by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 11:27 · Score: 0

> The thinner PS2 also lacks a hard drive.

The original PS2 doesn't have a hard drive either, only an expansion bay that a hard drive can go into. Exactly one game actually requires the hard drive, and it just wasn't enough to drive sales. What the new PS2 has is built-in ethernet, which the original does not. Both have USB with standard form factor -- it's uncertain whether the new PS2 uses USB2 or not. No firewire.

The Xbox 2 is reportedly going to drop the HD anyway.
Re:Hard drive by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 11:45 · Score: 0

Exactly one game actually requires the hard drive

You misspelled "two". Final Fantasy Online and PS2 Linux (which presumably comes with X11 games in the distro) both need a hard drive.
Re:Hard drive by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 14:46 · Score: 0

>>Exactly one game actually requires the hard drive

>You misspelled "two". Final Fantasy Online and PS2 Linux (which presumably comes with X11 games in the distro) both need a hard drive.

And since when is Linux a "game"? (no, those "X11 games" aren't worth talking about, everybody played digital chess and tetris before)

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by mekanizer · 2004-10-25 10:21 · Score: 1

Most Canadians like the American automobiles and American movies but hate the U.S. policies/military.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by be-fan · 2004-10-25 10:22 · Score: 1

I'm completely serious. When I was there, people were as nice as could be, even though I was quite obviously American. And those signs on the highway (nice big official ones), were quite definitely real. Among the people I met, I didn't sense any animosity towards Americans in the way I sense animosity towards the French over here.

--
A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Agret · 2004-10-25 10:23 · Score: 1

GTA Double Pack is on XBOX

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Have you metaroderated recently?

ALSO IN BREAKING NEWS... by blakespot · 2004-10-25 10:24 · Score: 1

Apples are outselling oranges.

blakespot

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-- Heisenberg may have slept here.
iPod Hacks.com

Re:ALSO IN BREAKING NEWS... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 20:06 · Score: 0

Sorry.

If you think how much orange juice is sold, that equates to an awful lot of oranges.

So I guess more oranges are sold than apples.

Typical slashdot - never checking facts first :)

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 10:24 · Score: 0

LOL, not since you >not< elected GBush

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by clontzman · 2004-10-25 10:25 · Score: 1

The Xbox library is actually really great. There are tons of solid exclusives (Halo, KOTOR, Fable, Project Gotham 1/2, Rallisport 1/2, Top Spin) and, more importantly, the best versions of multiplatform games (EA and Sega's sports lineup, Ubi's lineup, etc.) are almost always on Xbox. Live is really sweet as well. Plus you don't need memory cards, it supports HD, voice chat, 5.1 sound in pretty much every game -- it's pretty hard to go wrong for $150.

It does lack Japanese RPGs, but that's about it. I

Re:Clarification? by rpdillon · 2004-10-25 10:26 · Score: 1

There is no PSTwo. The new, slimmer version is still called the PS2. Its just new. And slimmer. So it wasn't a typo, just ambiguous.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by grouse · 2004-10-25 10:27 · Score: 1

If you want to compare the percentage of Americans with passports to the percentage of British with passports, that's just silly (and I would say a little snobby). If we here on Britain, want to leave our little island and go to any other country other than Ireland, we have to have a passport. But once we have one it is easy to do so. I can hop on a plane at Stansted and be in Paris or spain for less than £1 (plus taxes) in a couple of hours.

Compare this to what Americans would need to visit a country where a passport would be required. They don't need one to visit Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, Mexico, or various Carribean countries. And the continental U.S. itself is freaking huge (2.5 times the size of the EU). The area of Britain is smaller than that of the State of Oregon. So as an American, you would have to travel a LONG way and spend a lot of money before you even needed a passport. Even moreso if you wanted to visit another "industrialized first world democracy."

A better comparison would be with Canadians, who have a similar situation as to where they can go without a passport to Americans. An estimated 26 percent of Canadians hold passports, compared to about 20 percent of Americans. Big deal. Now tell me that you dislike that 74 percent of Canadians.

So there you go. Not everyone in America is xenophobic, and not everyone in Britain is snobby. :-)

Is Microsoft used to selling 200 units? by amichalo · 2004-10-25 10:30 · Score: 2, Interesting

This interesting stat is just the latest thorn in the side of Microsoft and the less than stellar results the Xbox business unit has had in unseeting the industry leading Sony and their PS family of systems.

This is important because it is said whenever discussing on-line music or video for that matter that if Microsoft wants it, it can have it. (Referring of course to the question on many people's mind as to how long Apple can retain a 70% market share in legal music download.)

But if Sony, clearly better capitalized than Netscape, can defend it's turf against the agressor that fell the industry leading Navigator browser from it's #1 market position by simply giving Internet Explorer away for free as the default for the Windows OS, can Apple, or anyone else, defend their industry from MS?

Yeah it's off topic, but CmdrTaco brought it up!

--
I only came here to do two things; kick some ass, and drink some beer...looks like we're almost out of beer.

Re:Is Microsoft used to selling 200 units? by -noefordeg- · 2004-10-25 18:30 · Score: 1

Off topic:
But... I Just bought an x-box with an Xecuter3 chip and a 160GB harddrive. And it's the singel best 'geek purchase' I've ever done. I just put away my DVD and VHS player.
Even my girlfriend thinks that the x-box is 'a nice thing' (She is really anti-geek). It's the 'crystal version', not the ugly black and green one.
Re:Is Microsoft used to selling 200 units? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 23:20 · Score: 0

Sony can defend its turf better than Netscape could because Microsoft isn't giving away the XBox for free. Nor is MS bunding the XBox with every version of windows it ships.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by gullevek · 2004-10-25 10:32 · Score: 1

japanese cell phones are not so small anymore.

Because nowadays they are
- Digital Camera
- MP3 Player
- Karaoke Machine
- TV
- Video Camera

therefore they need more space :)

--
"Freiheit ist immer auch die Freiheit des Andersdenkenden" - Rosa Luxemburg, 1871 - 1919

GBA screen lighting problems by tepples · 2004-10-25 10:33 · Score: 3, Informative

How did people get burnt with the purchase of a GBA?

"Burnt" in the sense of "Argh ... the light ... it burns". People who bought the original GBA got burnt by the lights that some people needed to see the screen. First-generation titles such as Castlevania used the low end of the luminance scale that was visible on the initial developer units but black on the production units. GBA palette values for each component range from 0 to 31; production units under normal lighting show black for values 0 through 7, but the first batches of developer units did not reflect this, and developers couldn't change the graphics code quickly enough to get the screen right. Later titles either had a brightness setting or just built their palettes to treat RGB(8, 8, 8) as black.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Coming+soon! · 2004-10-25 10:34 · Score: 1

Grow up.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 10:35 · Score: 0

So you're actually saying statistically significant numbers of people in (at least) France actually like America?

They might not like America as a country but they are generally nice to Americans who are visiting. Atleast that is how it was about 10 years ago when I was on vacation in Europe. I went through France, Switzerland, Germany, England, Belgium, and Denmark. Never encountered anyone who was rude to me because of where I was from.

Re:Interesting. by tepples · 2004-10-25 10:35 · Score: 1

How, exactly, did people get "burned"?

Think Afterburner.

Re:Trying to decide... by Guppy06 · 2004-10-25 10:41 · Score: 1

"Or that people who already have a PS2 (which includes many, many people) for some strange reason see no need to own two PS2s?"

People that already had a GBA had no problem shelling out money for the GBA SP. Just how much of the GBA SP sales are you attributing to the frontlight?

"I mean, both sales figures are interesting, I guess, but the phrase "apples to oranges" comes to mind."

In other news, the GBA continues to bitch-slap the PS2 in sales...

M$, the Japanese STAB AT THEE! by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 10:42 · Score: 0

But hey, at least they sell better than... errr... the Phantom!

They do, right?

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 10:43 · Score: 0

Have you ever played Gran Turismo? Compare that to SRS or NFSU (both designed by American developers), and then come back and tell the class what you've learned about rice.

It's not just a matter of space, per se... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 10:49 · Score: 0

I've heard some argue that the Xbox isn't actually much bigger than the PS2, so the space it takes up can't be THAT much of a concern to the Japanese. I do think you have a point...

However, the Japanese like their hardware small just from an aesthetic point of view. True, it also has to do with Japanese conciousness of space limitations, but I think it's more a question of what they think looks aesthetically appealing. In this area, the Xbox fails miserably to appeal to Japanese gamers.

WTF?!? (n/t) by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 10:56 · Score: 0

n/t

humph... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 10:57 · Score: 0

What on earth did you do to break the dv optics in 3 years?????
Oh yeah, nothing different than these other posters, huh.
If sony replaces it, that's great. What he was saying is that they shouldn't break so readily that it is considered an acceptable flaw. It is a defect and should be recalled.

Re:humph... by falcon5768 · 2004-10-25 14:06 · Score: 1

well if you would like to know... I broke it transporting it back and forth to my girlfriends house for a half a year....
And it isnt a defect, DVD and CD optics are known to fail on even high quality stuff.... its kinda like a expensive needle. The only device I have seen last more than 10 years was our first CD player..
And that was a Sony Diskman

--
"Slashdot, where telling the truth is overrated but lying is insightful."

one difference there, though by jbellis · 2004-10-25 10:59 · Score: 1

most non-fanboys agree the xbox is more powerful than the ps2. (I own both, and don't consider myself a fanboy. :)

OTOH, the corvette is faster than the nsx and half the price. Basically the only reason to get an nsx is if you want a car nobody else in your state has. (I probably don't even want to know how much it costs to fix something in an nsx should it break down.)

Re:one difference there, though by mpw2k · 2004-10-25 11:15 · Score: 1
Please mod me down as off-topic -1 as my car is 10 years old and only has a few microcontrollers.

In case you ever wanted to know how much it costs, I'm the man to ask. Bought a '95 NSX Last year...
- $1000 Starter Motor
- $2000 A/C Control Panel
- $2000 A/C Motor
- $1500 Timing belt replacement (labor included)
- $2000 Clutch (labor not included)
- $600 One Oxygen Sensor (I replaced 2)
- $600 Valve Adjustment (I've had 3, two incorrect, one correct, paid for all 3)
- $400 Cam Seals
... I'm not even going to list everything, but I put more than $20k into making the car "like new", and it didn't have a single abnormal for a '95 NSX problem. Be advised.

By the way, the C5 Vette, non-Z06 certainly has "more power", but the performance numbers are very similar and the NSX has the incredible mid-engine feel that's tough to match. All said, I like both cars and considered trading for the new C6, but I just love my insanely pricey out-of-warranty black beauty.
Re:one difference there, though by Naffer · 2004-10-25 12:04 · Score: 1

Holy shit, a two thousand dollar clutch!?
That said, the NSX is a sexy beast that just screams "you may be faster then me, but I'm infinitly cooler then you"

I'm still looking for the killer app by Fiz+Ocelot · 2004-10-25 11:09 · Score: 2, Interesting

I want to get a DS, but I can't get myself to preorder one if I don't know what game will be worth it. I haven't heard of what "the" must have game is yet....so what is it? Mario 64ds looks kinda cool. Metroid doesn't ship til 05. I don't want pokemon.

Way back in the day, FFVII sold me the PS1, Mario64 sold the N64, and gameboy advance sp was great because it still played my favorite game boy games. But I still don't know what to expect on the DS, hm. I'll probably get one anyway :P

Isn't PS2 the real story? by Fry+a+Lad+Up · 2004-10-25 11:12 · Score: 1

The sales numbers that have been published for that week are as follows:
1. GBASP 35,280
2. PS2 22,470
3. Nintendo DS
4. PS2 Redesign
5. GC 4,368
6. GBA 633
7. Xbox 173

(PS2 + PStwo)/GC > (22,470+4,369)/4,369 ~ 6.144
(PS2 + PStwo)/Xbox > (22,470+4,369)/173 ~ 155

so PS2 is outselling GC 6 to 1 and Xbox 155 to 1!!!
and PStwo is outselling GC on it's own

Re:Isn't PS2 the real story? by DannyiMac · 2004-10-25 13:34 · Score: 1

Haha, yeah. Good thinking. Poor MS, they should have known that an ultra huge gaming console wouldn't be popular in Japan. I wish the GC was doing good, though. I guess it will take some sort of Nintendo Revolution or something.

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- Danny

Re:Interesting. by hypermike · 2004-10-25 11:24 · Score: 1

The only crime here is charging 20$ for the original Donkey Kong/Marios. They should have bundled all those old games for much less.

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OT:Just to clarify by rossifer · 2004-10-25 11:28 · Score: 5, Insightful

us in the U.S. have had it beaten over our heads that thinking America is a good country is a bad way to think

Actually, I only hear that from Bush supporters who feel that any criticism of the US government (present or historical) or US foreign policy is the same as bashing the whole country.

It's not. You don't have to be proud of everything the US has done to be a patriot. You just have to keep an eagle eye out to make sure that what you can make better you do make better. I've got a lot of problems with how native Americans were treated in the days of westward expansion. I've got a lot of problems with how the CIA has been willing to kill to support autocratic dictactors over democratically elected leaders as long as the dictator is friendly to US interests. But I still love this country.

In fact, that love is the reason why I'm so upset about the actions of the government that claims to represent me. If I didn't give a damn about the US, I probably wouldn't give a damn about what Bush does to the rest of the world.

The right wing really lives in a strange universe of their own construction. To rationalize the 50% of the country that completely disagrees with them, they've invented beliefs for the opposition that don't even make sense in their world view. Don't let me interrupt your strawman creation, but the opposition doesn't hate America, they (and I) just don't think it's being all it can be. But we're hopeful for the future.

Regards,
Ross

Re:OT:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 14:55 · Score: 0

From a right-winger... I don't like how Bush is handling the whole war thing either. However, I will still vote for him this November because of Kerry's non-Catholic stance on abortion, embryo stem cell research, and same-sex marriage. Morality takes higher precedence in my view. We need the average of the two of 'em we do.
Re:OT:Just to clarify by sqrt(2) · 2004-10-25 18:10 · Score: 1

Great troll sir, I tip my hat to you.

--
If you build it, nerds will come. Soylentnews.org
Re:OT:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 18:23 · Score: 0

I too love this country, but to say that the right lives in a strange universe is in itself stange. Perhaps it is you living in your universe looking out at reality and not willing to face it or understand it.
Nothing about humanity is perfect and never will be. But you have to admit if it wasn't for some of the manifest destiny type of things done in the past, this country may not have been as strong as it is now. The mindset of people back then was so different. It takes generations to change the mindset of people, and at times to learn from the mistakes of their fathers. It is up to the childern not to repeat those mistakes.

For the first time in the history of this nation our mainland was attacked, 4 missiles were launched in a way no one imagined, 3 hit their target one did not. Is this not an act of war?
do we sit idley by and let it happen again? do we play the blame game and blame our fathers rather than do anything about fixing the source of the problem?
I for one see two differnt views from the two candidates for president. One says:
'Time is not on our side...I will not wait on events while dangers gather...if we wait for threats to fully materialize, we will have waited too long'
The other says: 'Any attack will be met with a swift and certian response'

One is looking to fix the problem, the other is looking to fix the symptom.
I for one do not want the latter in control.

Peace can never be shiney happy people holding hands when evil exists, or it will be shiney happy people being sprayed by machinegun fire. The shiney happy people must be sheilded by a mean agressive military, and yes at times dirty tricks played on the same dirty playing field as the bad guys. Evil knows no honor, and never will, it can't be bargined with, it must be fought at all times to be kept under some control or destroyed. But sadly this control has not met the growth of evil today, and it is sad to see so many in this nation that want to see this evil grow even more out of control, and not put forth the neccessary will and effort to confront it.

It's your world kids, hope you're grown up enough to fight what's headed your way.
Re:OT:Just to clarify by computertheque · 2004-10-25 20:22 · Score: 1

Your reasons are pretty odd. Basically because Kerry isn't following the path set forth by the pope you're not going to vote for him. Not everyone is Catholic, and having non-Catholic stances in the goverment would be refreshing for once.
Re:OT:Just to clarify by TheRealMindChild · 2004-10-26 00:48 · Score: 1

I have to say man, that was a really well thought out statement you made. A lot of times I try to express the same thing to others, but don't come across as well, so I am generally ignored.

--

"When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back!" -- Cave Johnson
Re:OT:Just to clarify by mausmalone · 2004-10-26 01:43 · Score: 1
... stance on abortion, embryo stem cell research, and same-sex marriage.
This tends to annoy me a lot. I'm sure you think you have a lot of disagreement with Kerry here, but maybe it's less than you think.
- Kerry is morrally against abortion (clarrified in the 2nd debate). However, he understands that his morals come from religious beliefs and, since they aren't universally shared, he cannot put them into legislation (seperation of church and state). I'm sure you can agree that this is a reasonable view.
- Embryonic stem cell research is done on embryos from failed artificial insemination attempts mostly, and not from abortions. This is equivalent to using cadaver tissue for medical experiments. The medical experiments aren't killing the person, and (as with the case of any minor) are being carried out with the parents' consent. It is only banned because at some point people mistakenly believed that the embryos were coming from abortions.
- Kerry is not for same sex marriage, he's for civil unions (which grant a lot of the same legal standing to homosexual life-partners). These are practical rights, like hospital visiting rights and joint tax filing.
I find that a lot of people's fears about Kerry are a little fuzzy and come from misconceptions about his views. I'm not trying to assail you or anything with this post (please read it in the friendliest tone you can, as that's how I'm trying to write it). And please at least consider the 3 points above before you head to the ballot.
--
-=-=-=-=-=
I'd rather be flamed than ignored.
Re:OT:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-26 06:11 · Score: 0

I'm going to try to stay friendly in this response, but listening to words like yours makes my head hurt.
First, "manifest destiny type of things" aren't justified by our country being stronger. They happened, and if we benefit now, good. They were still horrible acts.
Second, yes, the mindset of people has changed. But Bush and his fellow rabid Republicans are trying to turn back the clock on our human progress, using fear to turn us into weak, fascist-friendly bullies.
Third, "Do we sit idly by and let it happen again"? No. We defend ourselves as well as possible, and work to eliminate not only terror groups, but the conditions that spawn them. Bush has done neither, with the exception of the attack on Afghanistan -- even though an attack on Saudi Arabia, our supposed friends, would have been far more productive.
Fixing the source means dismantling religious fundamentalism wherever it is powerful; including Christian warmongers in our own country. They're every bit as awful as Islamic fundamentalists, but they're richer and don't need to resort to suicide bombs, or even to fight their own battles.
Preemptive war is against everything this nation stands for. We can't attack everyone just out of suspicion; we can't become pussies and let our fear lead us off a cliff. Our military deserves better than to act as fodder because our civilians are scared stupid.
No country or person is purely good or evil. If you think the USA is the shining light of goodness, you're delusional. I'm proud of the good things, and likewise, I'm ashamed of the bad. No people are perfect. And people who attack without reason because of fear are definitely far from "good".
If you think anyone in this country wishes evil to grow, you're heavily propagandized. But even Bin Laden isn't wholly evil, just religiously insane. That's what it comes down to.
Stop the use of religion to motivate murder, in our country and the world, and we will not have much terrorism.
If you want to entirely stop it, let us have a one world government and no rights. After all, if the State terrorizes its people, it's not bad, right?
Re:OT:Just to clarify by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-26 08:08 · Score: 0

and having non-Catholic stances in the goverment would be refreshing for once
FYI: last (and only) Catholic president was JFK.
Re:OT:Just to clarify by Gewis · 2004-10-26 18:40 · Score: 1

Ah, you sound just like a Ross I know. Good man. And just to make sure you aren't that Ross, I just read all your other posts. So, unless you just moved to California from Utah and your wife is a literary genius, I'll have to be content that people named Ross are intelligent peeps.

However, I'd have to somewhat disagree with your assessment. Generally right-wing nut jobs do think that any criticism of the U.S. is bad. But any imagination that the liberal academia of America appreciate this country or are friendly to anybody who does is silly. Those people most entrenched in today's universities generally have an "Americans are fat lazy arrogant slobs and this country sucks" kind of attitude, and they teach it in their classrooms. If their criticism was about government in particular, that would be understandable, but it's general enough to encompass /America/ as a whole. So the parent of your post was in large measure right: we HAVE had it beaten over our heads that thinking America is a good country is a bad way to think. Thank goodness that many of us have only let it go over our heads, and not in them.

You do not understand the Japanese market by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 11:32 · Score: 0

The PC-FX had nothing but anime and hentai titles.

Walking into a Tokyo store "a few years back" is not a qualification for expertise in this field. The gamers in the readership are shaking their heads and tsk tsk-ing right now. :)

OT:Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really acc by jsebrech · 2004-10-25 11:44 · Score: 1

So do people in most other countries, which Americans would realize if they actually traveled abroad. Even in Paris, people couldn't have been nicer as I tried to communicate in my heavily yankee-accented broken French :)

You were speaking french. That's why you got the good response. What the french despise is the stereotype of the american, who refuses to try to speak the local language. Much as americans wouldn't take favorably to a frenchman who came to the US and tried to speak french.

Still, I don't think there's any particular hate for americans in europe (I'm belgian). Maybe fringes of it, and a desire to pounce on any american who doesn't apologize for their government, and definitely plenty of hate for american foreign policy, but hating the actual people, no, not that. Though all bets are off if bush wins the election. Everyone is cutting the people who voted for bush last time some slack, because they hadn't had the opportunity to see him in action, but if he's re-elected I expect most of europe is going to take a "well, you made your bed, you sleep in it now" attitude. I know I will.

Not too surprising. by tigress · 2004-10-25 11:46 · Score: 3, Funny

The insightful posts are being outmodded by the rehashing-something-already-stated-before-and-gett ing-insightful-modded posts?

Not too surprising when you consider that the insightful posts are a new design and... errr... yeah, something like that. :)

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by nuknuk · 2004-10-25 12:03 · Score: 1

ok, how about they prefer "Tokyo Extreme Racer 4" which is all about ricing your car and racing on the Tokyo freeway system. Whatever.

--
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Sigh by TechniMyoko · 2004-10-25 12:10 · Score: 0, Troll

Either the DS trolls from gamefaqs have taken over slashdot, or the people who run slashdot can't read.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Guppy06 · 2004-10-25 12:11 · Score: 1

"I can hop on a plane at Stansted and be in Paris or spain for less than £1 (plus taxes) in a couple of hours."

Please tell me you missed a zero or two!

"They don't need one to visit Hawaii, Alaska,"

And you in the UK don't need a passport to visit Scotland or Wales, do you?

"Canada, Mexico, or various Carribean countries."

For Canada, Mexico, and certain Caribbean islands, you don't technically need a passport, but you do need a decent proof of US citizenship and state-issued driver's licesnes don't count all by themselves. Realisticly, if you don't want to carry around your birth certificate(!) or naturalization papers(!), you need a passport.

Besides, having a passport can make life easier even if you don't leave the country. To get a driver's license or a job you either need three or four different documents proving your citizenship and such (birth certificate, Social Security card, etc.), or you can just present your passport which shows that you've already proven to the Department of State that you already have all that stuff.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Guppy06 · 2004-10-25 12:14 · Score: 1

"Most Canadians like the American automobiles and American movies"

Think about where those "American" cars were built and those "American" movies were filmed. :)

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 12:21 · Score: 0

I thought the most popular game was either Dance, Dance Revolution or the one that simulates driving a bullet train (press the stick forward to start moving and pulling it back to stop - wow!). Or maybe it's the one where you try to bang on the bongo drums in time with the song (but you need a special controller).

Re:Interesting. by BayBlade · 2004-10-25 12:32 · Score: 1

Even that's weak. I never bothered upgrading from the classic GBA, since I need the same amount of light to play it as say, read a book--and all the same cool games are still there.

--

The key difference between a Programmer and a Senior Programmer is that one of them is Mexican.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by hiryuu · 2004-10-25 12:43 · Score: 1

GP:
XBox is superior hardware, and good gaming library, why is it doing so poorly if not the "We hate the USA" argument, "Stupid americans".

P:
I dispute the "good gaming library" bit. Besides Halo (and Halo 2), there is just not that much good for the system that cannot already be found for a different system.

(For the sake of clarity, I'll specify that by "cross-platform titles" I mean those available on both XBox and PS2.)

I'll go along with the parent poster on this. I'm American, FWIW, and I don't even find all that much exciting about the XBox's line-up. I bought my XBox first, about two years ago, for two Sega titles that were XBox exclusives. At that point, I already had a list of PS2 games I wanted that was longer, but I wanted Panzer Dragoon Orta really, really badly.

At this point, completely ignoring cross-platform titles, I have three times as many PS2 games as XBox. I don't even own Halo, since I hate playing FPS with a console controller (tried it several times, with several games, on different systems, and couldn't stand it). I don't want sports games, and playing against others on Live! just never appealed to me. (Had my fill of bad sports and brats playing PC games online, thank you.) I just haven't seen enough XBox titles to excite me.

PS2, on the other hand - every time I turn around, I'm seeing another game that looks like fun (to me) being announced or released. So maybe it's not just America-bashing. Maybe, just maybe, if you're not into yet-another-multiplayer-shooter or the various sports games, but would rather see some interesting platformers or deeply-involving RPGs or such, then you're more likely to buy (or prefer) a PS2. Just a thought...

--
Karma: Excellent, but still won't get you laid.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by BayBlade · 2004-10-25 13:37 · Score: 1

I don't see a great library, I see average--slightly below even. I'm not saying the system is a waste, but the library is weak. It may get better--will see.

Halo and KOTOR have been ported to PC already, which for a number of us, was a BETTER hardware experience than TV.
None of EA nor Sega nor Ubi have done exclusive X-Box development with any of their good titles. They do it with their big, relatively massive franchises, which don't suck, but don't make anyone do cartwheels either.
Project Gotham is alright, but its hardly the be-all and end-all of racing games.
Top Spin is, well, tennis. I'm having a really hard time getting excited about it, but in all fairness I haven't played it, due to an overwhelming lack of excitement for playing tennis.

Cuz I think Molyneux does interesting work, I'll give you Fable, and in all fairness, there's a few other decent titles out now and coming soon (halo 2), but that's true for all the consoles and the PC too (half-life 2).

The bottom line is $150 lets me play alot of the same or readily more interesting things on other systems. (Pikmin 2, or Paper Mario spring to mind because I spent a large chunk of last week on playing 'cube).

--

The key difference between a Programmer and a Senior Programmer is that one of them is Mexican.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Deliveranc3 · 2004-10-25 13:50 · Score: 0, Offtopic

Agreed. People actually sighed when I told them I wasn't American when I was overseas.

To a certain extent Rich American's are richer than anyone else and poor American's are too poor to travel so they have to suck up.

Maybe that is what you were experiencing, as a backpacking tourist talking to other tourists, well they all dislike America. They want to hate you but your country isn't really powerful enough to merit hatred anymore, it just seems like the last gasp of caeser.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Deliveranc3 · 2004-10-25 13:52 · Score: 1

Agreed, also since Japanese people are multi-lingual (unlike most U.S. citizens) they can get access to the tonnes and tonnes of Japanese games released for PS2 (probably about as many as English titles) as well as the games we are used to.

Xbox doesn't have any depth in terms of Japanese developers.

duh? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 13:57 · Score: 0

Considering the PS2 has sold more units than any console this console generation, of course the DS will out sell the new PStwo. Everyone whos wanted a PS2 has already got one, So why would you by a new version of it? DS is brand spaking new, and the PS2 has been around for about 4 years now, common sense will tell you why the PSTwo is lagging behind.

Re:Interesting. by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 14:57 · Score: 0

>The only crime here is charging 20$ for the original Donkey Kong/Marios. They should have bundled all those old games for much less.

Exactly. It would've been a good marketing move (and sold a lot more carts) if they'd release company classics:

- Nintendo Classics (Super Mario Bros. 1/2/3, Donkey Kong, Metroid, Kid Ikarus, Zelda 1/2, etc)
- Capcom Classics (Castlevania 1/2/3, Megaman 1~6, etc)

and the list goes on...

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 15:03 · Score: 1, Insightful

>XBox is superior hardware, and good gaming library, why is it doing so poorly if not the "We hate the USA" argument, "Stupid americans".

Nintendo once said "gaming is not about the hardware", and they're right.

YOU might think the Xbox has a good gaming library, but some people don't.

I can't play Metroid or Zelda on the XBox. There's no creative games like Pikmin on the Xbox. So the Xbox is useless to me.

Also, both the PS2 and GC are from japanese companies that know how to make games for the japanese market.

It's no surprise the Xbox isn't doing well in Japan, and the Gamecube isn't all popular in america (stupid people still keep saying Nintendo is for kids - it's your loss on a great gaming library).

The Playstation 2 also has the biggest game library. And (most) probably the most japanese-language games too (especially vs the XBox).

How do you think the Xbox was supposed to compete in Japan?

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by bersl2 · 2004-10-25 15:08 · Score: 1

Yeah, "dripping" is over-doing it. I did get carried away on that one.

Likewise, by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 15:10 · Score: 0

"So keen were customers to let their neighbors know they had bought a genuine foreign car that they actually preferred to drive unsafely."

Re:Likewise, by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 16:12 · Score: 0

If customers so overwhelmingly preferred the original wheel position, why should the American/German corps waste millions of dollars retooling their manufacturing process?
Re:Likewise, by pommiekiwifruit · 2004-10-26 01:30 · Score: 1

Maybe Ford does not see itself exclusively as a luxury novelty. In other countries, it sells to the mass market.

Ummmm.... right by shoptroll · 2004-10-25 15:37 · Score: 1

I didn't read the article, but my gut reaction is "duh"

How can you not expect something new to outsell something that is a rehash of a product almost everyone owns? Honestly???

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Insert Sig Here

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by MKalus · 2004-10-25 15:48 · Score: 1

Umm... Dude, I don't need a passport to drive from Germany to France, I don't even have customs. Welcome to the European Unions.... And you can do that for more than 15 years.

As for "traelling abroad" where you need a passport, that mainly involves countries like the US, who would just LOVE to have a DNA Sample stored on the passort..... You never know with foreigners, they have such strange habits and all that.... ;)

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If you want to e-mail me, use my PGP Key.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by MKalus · 2004-10-25 15:52 · Score: 1

Huh? Since when do you need a passport to go from the UK to mainland Europe????

I can't even remember when I was showing my passport the last time I came from overseas...

Okay, I SHOWED it, I walked through the line that said: "European Citizens" OPened it, showed it towards the officer and got waved through, took less than 5 seconds, while all the american and "foreign" citizens spent an hour standing in line getting everything sorted out (but next time I came into Canada *I* had to stand in line).

And this happened in London, Amsterdam and Frankfurt over the past 2 years to me, and I never showed a passport when travelleing within the EU.

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If you want to e-mail me, use my PGP Key.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by MKalus · 2004-10-25 15:55 · Score: 1

That is because the european "hostility" towards america(ns) is not against the peopel but against the way your government is treating the rest of the world.

Now, if you guys re-elect Bush (or Kerry acts the same way) this might change, but until Americans understand that their Government is their biggest marketing machine abroad they shouldn't be too surprised if there is an anymosity against America (as in the state, not the individual).

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Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by ender81b · 2004-10-25 16:26 · Score: 1

When I was in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Germany I never once was met with hostility because I was an american. INstead, I was met with hostility because our president is a goddam retard.

Seriously. Most europeans will - in good fun - poke fun of some aspects of American Culture or Americans they don't hate america --- mostly our president.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 16:34 · Score: 0

The Xbox lacks a lot of games in Japan:

1- Cutesy cartoony sports games (ala Mario Tennis or Minna no Golf). Serious photo-realistic sports games don't do as well in Japan.

2- Story-driven point'n'click adventure games. It has been declared dead for American PCs, but this genre still has lots of fans in Japan.

3- Anime-related games. KOTOR is nice, but Star Wars is not as big in Japan as the US. More Gundam/Yu-Gi-Oh/etc stuff is needed.

4- Simulation games. Train simulations in particular are quite popular.

5- Music games. Dance Dance Revolution is a good start, but more is needed (Drum Mania, Taiko no Tatsujin, etc)

Time for the Grammar Nazi by Commander+Trollco · 2004-10-25 17:04 · Score: 0

Is the united states or americans more important in the eyes of the politicians? And those who answer (as it's a valid answer) that the united states and americans are one and the same, are uttering a very nationalistic idea. Denying that the nation can ever diverge or be separated from the people that constitute it.

Um, no, a nation cannot be separated from its citizens. This is a very simple example of an a priori argument. Perhaps it could be separated or distinguished from a certain faction of people (noncitizens or an excluded group) within the borders, but the definition of a Nation makes no sense without citizens. The identity of a nation is the identity of its citizens.

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Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Svenheim · 2004-10-25 18:55 · Score: 1

I'll explain it to you. There is not really open passport-free travel within the whole EU area. However, there is passport-free travel between SCHENGEN-countries. The Schengen agreement is a special border agreement between most EU countries and a few non-EU countries. I'm Norwegian, and we are not part of the EU, but we are a part of Schangen, and thus we can travel without a passport to all other Schengen countries.

The United Kingdom has not signed the Schengen agreement, and thus you still need to show your passport when entering Britain from any EU country.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 19:43 · Score: 0

I know this is off topic but I lived in France for two years and can tell you for a fact that the French hate Americans. Almost as much as Canadians do.

This is also off-topic, but many French are fucking xenophobes. As an American Asian who went to visit Paris and Western France over the New Year's with some other Asian friends (one American and one not), most people were very nice and friendly, and I met with some friends of my friend. But you literally couldn't go out on the street without French strangers yelling racist remarks at you (usually using the word "sushi" somewhere). This would happen a couple times per night. This has never happened to me in the SF Bay Area.

And I don't have to talk about the political power of racist groups in France, or the current drive to keep all Muslims and Sikhs from religious clothing (there's a big drive to "secularize" the schools, in time for the week-long All-Saints Day holiday).

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 19:56 · Score: 0

That train simulator is Densha de GO! (GO!). I have 4 different editions I picked up in the bargin bin in Japan. They get old after a while. Definetly something that would not appeal to the mainstream gaming market in the US. Japanese games tend to deal with detailed simulations of things that are a part of life for most Japanese (ie, taking the train in Tokyo, driving a taxi, dancing, playing guitar in a popular rock band, being a part of a TV show, etc.), or are off in a complete fantacy world, (FF, Mario). They have a lot of games aimed at "Otaku", (nerd fanatic) which is what most /. readers are I guess. I'd be willing to bet the "The Sims" is a huge hit there.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Ed_Moyse · 2004-10-25 20:29 · Score: 1

Hang on - I've lived in france as well (I'm british) and whilst I admit that the french sense of national pride is sometimes too close to xenophobia for comfort, and whilst it sounds like you had a shitty time for which I'm sorry, I can't agree with your last paragraph.

Since the republic of france was founded, schools have been secular (one of the points of the revolution was to reduce the power of the catholic church). This is not new. Any overt display of religious symbols is banned, such as big crosses. It is not specifically against particular religions, but a core part of french culture... you do not mix religion and the state. Read more here

Of course I have sympathy for people caught up in this, but it seems to me that france has, and has always had, a clear line on this area, and if it matters so much to people then there are plenty of other countries (such as the UK) which allow the wearing of headscarves and turbans. France is probably the wrong country to live in.

And for your information, other countries' state institutions have got in similar trouble.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 20:45 · Score: 0

re: GTA double pack for Xbox - I have been playing GTA San Andreas t-nite thanks to my pre-order with gamespot.

Very fun game. Get your copy for the Xbox yet?

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by MilenCent · 2004-10-25 22:28 · Score: 1

As BayBlade has already explained, many of these games are not system exclusives -- they're available for the PC, which usually have better hardware. Project Gotham... well, it's a racing game so I discount it almost reflexively, but actually I don't know a lot about it. You are granted Halo -- but I mentioned it in my own comment, I seem to remember, and anyway I'm a FPS hater. Japan is more immune to the genre's charms than the US anyway.

"The best versions of multi-platform games" isn't good enough, alas, and certainly isn't as important as original software. You didn't even mention my favorite X-Box game (the severely underrated, if somewhat over-ghetto, ToeJam & Earl III).

Gamecube easily beats the XBox's lineup even with its meager selection of titles, and lack of a definitive Halo killer. And PS2 also beats it, for although its average game quality is less than first- and second-party Nintendo efforts, there are so many of them that some of them are almost bound to be great. Ico, Disgaea, that weird rolling-around-absorbing-stuff game whose name I always forget, those are the reasons I'd get a PS2 before an XBox, and those are all vey Japanese games.

Finally... well you said it yourself, Japanese RPGs are the system's biggest weakness. This is Japan we're talking about. Simple.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by MilenCent · 2004-10-25 22:31 · Score: 1

I'm a Nintendo loyalist (though I wouldn't go so far as saying partisian, though sometimes on Slashdot I feel like I'm responding to talking points, oy), but yeah, PS2 beats XBox's lineup handily. Not only is there three times as many interesting PS2 games as XBox, there's probably at least three times as many PS2 *games*.

As I said, I prefer Nintendo, but I'll admit there are a few PS2 games that look very cool.

s/less/fewer by Rogerborg · 2004-10-25 22:42 · Score: 1

It never ceases to amaze me that people who can deal with the difference between &&, ||, & and | can't distinguish between less amount and fewer numbers.

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Re:s/less/fewer by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-26 03:17 · Score: 0

It amazes me that you would try to force people to use a word that has, for the most part, passed from normal usage.

Face it, languages change. People just don't distinguish between "less" and "fewer" much anymore. Just like they don't distinguish much between "can" and "may" or "jealous" and "envious". Feel free to keep using those words if you want, but don't complain if others feel that context is enough to make the distinctions.

This article says it all: XBOXEN RULES!!! by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-25 22:51 · Score: 0

Just 173 Japanese didn't have a XBox already!!!

A great achievement for Microsoft a great achievement for America (and the country where the XBoxen are actually build).

Thank you, Japan!

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Enoch+Root · 2004-10-25 23:20 · Score: 1

a) Superior hardware, maybe, but since when has that mattered? I can name 10 systems who where superior and did worse than the xBox has.

You know 10 gaming systems with superior hardware to the XBOX? Please list them out, I'm curious to know about them...

Re:Interesting. by Registered+Coward+v2 · 2004-10-25 23:37 · Score: 1

The only crime here is charging 20$ for the original Donkey Kong/Marios. They should have bundled all those old games for much less.

Huh? If they make more money selling seperate versions than from selling bundles, then they should sell them seperately. Nintendo is in the business of making money.

if you don't think a game is worth $20, don't buy it and spare us the "it's a ripoff" and therby rationlizing the other poster's comment about ripping games to a blank cart.

Slashdot - where it's ok to steal software but don't even think about incorporating linux in a product and not releasing the modified code, cause that's immoral and theft.

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Re:Trying to decide... by Zeromous · 2004-10-26 00:07 · Score: 1

Actually, I have two TVs and an ever growing urge to own two ps2s:

Gran Turismo 4.

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Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-26 00:13 · Score: 0

> Also, Japanese really don't obcese about a particular console to the point of erection. They buy them to play games, unlike Xbox fanboys who love to get hard from playing Halo

You've never actually been to Japan, have you?

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by clamx · 2004-10-26 00:58 · Score: 1

I'm French and when I go to the UK I only need to show my ID (I don't have a passport).

BTW I was lucky enough to be able to play at the demo of Metroid Hunters on DS two days ago. I wasn't really convinced about the DS before but now I definitively get one when it's available. (sorry to be offtopic)

Not entirely correct by joda · 2004-10-26 01:14 · Score: 0

I've lived in Japan for quite a while and spent some time with Japanese hardcore gamers. I just have to be a detail-nazi ... =)

1. It won't work with existing mod chips.

Japanese people in general don't mod their ps2s. They don't need to: new and used games are cheap enough, and the fact that most people get a "refund" on their games when selling them after completion to some used games dealer (and there are looooads of those all over Japan) makes it even "cheaper".
Also, Japanese people are in general much more reluctant to illegal activities. (I don't claim mod chips illegal, but most uses of them are ...) All Jap friends I have would think twice and even trice before modding their ps2s.

2. It won't work with the hard drive for Final Fantasy.

This is probably true, but those already playing FFXI do at least own another PS2 already, so they will rather not buy it of that reason.

So I guess the main reason for poor sales is that most people over there already have a ps2 (Every household owns a ps2 - and I mean every.), and those who don't will rather buy an old one since those are really cheap atm. And it's of course always hard to beat a hyped up product as the DS.

I saw the commercials for it in Japan last month - it looks soooo sweet ...

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Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by MKalus · 2004-10-26 01:25 · Score: 1

MMMhhh, last time I went to London (on a plane) from Germany ('98?) I didn't have my passport with me, and nobody asked me for it either...... Odd.

Michael

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So what? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-26 01:28 · Score: 0

I crap bigger than you!

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by pommiekiwifruit · 2004-10-26 01:34 · Score: 1

Well perhaps by analogy import sales of NTSC consoles outpaces import sales of PAL consoles in europe, for example, but that does not mean that NTSC will be mass market there. There is a distinction between luxury niche and mass-market.

Re:Xbox has no good games by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-26 01:36 · Score: 0

Jeez, haven't any of you guys seen what a modded Xbox (+ 200GB HD) Media Centre can do? I have a PS2 and several PC's but I would swap the whole lot for my modded crystal Xbox in a moment. I'm running three game system emulators on it, it plays every type of media I have thrown at it and it also allows for game\DVD disk backups ;-)

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by hollismb · 2004-10-26 04:11 · Score: 1

Guess what? The S controller was the orginal Japanese controller. The Japanese never even saw the big pumpkin original US controller. The release of the S controller in the States was due to overwhelming requests rom US gamers to get the Japanese version.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by hiryuu · 2004-10-26 04:59 · Score: 1

As I said, I prefer Nintendo, but I'll admit there are a few PS2 games that look very cool.

I want to like Nintendo more than I do - first console I bought with my own money was clearance SNES (just after the N64 came out). Only one I had for a long while, too - Super MarioKart, Super Metroid, Starfox, Secret of Mana, etc., etc. Bought the N64 for my (ex-)wife to play Zelda, but never got into it myself - and just didn't see anything else in the line that I liked. Now, there's only a handful of games on the Cube that catch my eye, and two of those are Metroid Prime and its upcoming sequel. Since I'm still backlogged on PS2 (and even a few PC) games, I haven't gone out of my way to buy a Cube yet.

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Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by grouse · 2004-10-26 05:19 · Score: 1

I'm French and when I go to the UK I only need to show my ID (I don't have a passport).

Maybe, but I was writing about British nationals going to France:

"British nationals need a valid passport to enter France."

http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=Ope nM arket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029390590& a=KCountryAdvice&aid=1013618385929

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by grouse · 2004-10-26 05:22 · Score: 1

Well the last TWO times I went to Germany from London (both in 2003), I was asked for my passport. And I was asked for my passport when I wanted to leave Germany and return too.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by grouse · 2004-10-26 05:29 · Score: 1

I posted a reply to this but my browser seems to have eaten it.

"I can hop on a plane at Stansted and be in Paris or spain for less than £1 (plus taxes) in a couple of hours."

Please tell me you missed a zero or two!

Please check out http://www.ryanair.com/

And you in the UK don't need a passport to visit Scotland or Wales, do you?

You're missing the point. Which is that Americans/Canadians can see a much, much higher percentage of the earth's land mass without a passport than the British.

if you don't want to carry around your birth certificate(!) or naturalization papers(!), you need a passport.

And if you don't want to get a passport(!), you need to carry your birth certificate. Next!

The implication whenever I hear that "only 5 percent of Americans have passports" (which is false) is that they are rubes uninterested in seeing the world around them. I think this is false.

You seem to think that because only 20 percent of Americans have passports, they are not being fully efficient in their bureaucratic obligations. For the sake of argument I will agree with you. So, what's your point?

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by falcon5768 · 2004-10-26 06:03 · Score: 1

maybe you didnt read right... I said i knew ten systems that where superior and did worse in sales than the xbox has, not ten systems that where superior TO the xbox and had worse sales than the xbox.

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I take it you've never watched anime... (nt) by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-26 06:49 · Score: 0

just ignore any lurid tenticles

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by MKalus · 2004-10-26 07:07 · Score: 1

MMmhh, you British..... :)

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region compatability by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-26 07:16 · Score: 0

Does anybody know if the DS will be able to play USA and Japanese games by default, or will it be region locked?

Re:region compatability by malf-uk · 2004-10-27 01:25 · Score: 1

According to games radar
Mitch Crim of Nintendo of America spelt it out further saying, "The Nintendo DS will be a universal system that can be played anywhere on the planet. Further, it can play games purchased anywhere. Please note, however, that accessories purchased in different parts of the world may not be compatible with the Nintendo DS you purchase."

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Re:Interesting. by zod1025 · 2004-10-26 08:40 · Score: 1

Geez, how about ripping all your PURCHASED carts onto one mega cart so you don't have to tote around a huge bag with your GBA?

Nobody's stealing here, man.

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-ZOD-

To be honest by grouse · 2004-10-26 09:40 · Score: 1

I'm not British.

I just live here. :) Nice country, it is. I like Germany too.

Re:To be honest by MKalus · 2004-10-26 11:31 · Score: 1

Hehe,

where are you from originally? And I left Germany almost 7 years ago :)

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Re:To be honest by grouse · 2004-10-26 18:59 · Score: 1

The U.S. ;-)

Not all GBA games are proprietary by tepples · 2004-10-26 13:04 · Score: 1

And if you find groceries to be too expensive, just take them!

I plant an apple tree on my property and license the general public to just take one apple per person.

Or I write a GBA video game, put it on my web site, and license the general public to download it. There are a lot of free and Free GBA programs, many of which you can download at pdroms.

Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura by nuknuk · 2004-10-29 09:32 · Score: 1

*laugh* in regards to the bongo game, i just picked up a copy and 2 drums for my friend for his birthday. (He turned 27) He said it was "the best present ever" and we played it at a party w/ about 15 people for HOURS. It's actually quite fun.

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389 comments