PS2, DS Real Console War Winners

Paradox writes in with a link to an MSNBC article that shouldn't be too surprising for anyone: the real winners of the console war are the DS and the PS2. Boasting numbers unmatchable by the johnny-come-lately next-gen consoles, the PS2 and Nintendo DS each sold about 1.5 Million units last December. Article author Kristin Kalning points out the reality: given the high quality of gaming in general nowadays, the low prices and rich libraries of these 'venerable' systems will see them in circulation for some time to come. Given the success of last-gen consoles, what are your plans regarding gaming systems? Are you holding out for price drops, or considering buying one of the older systems now that they're considerably less expensive?

Comments

DS Not Last-Gen

[SighKoPath]

Given the success of last-gen consoles, what are your plans regarding gaming systems?

The DS is not 'last-gen.' It's a current generation handheld. Last-gen would be the GBA.

Re:DS Not Last-Gen

[bym051d]

And IIRC, the GBA also had a pretty good Christmas. It sold 850,000 in December. http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?i d=155061

Graphics don't matter!

[PresidentEnder]

I've been saying for years that graphics don't matter to me, being mocked by my roommates for playing the Ur-Quan Masters (an open source version of Star Control) while they played battlefield 2.

Past a certain point, though, graphics really don't matter. Sure, the N64 was grainy and the Gamecube is easier to see (and thus play). Now that we have the current level of graphics, scaling more and more textures and pixels until you can see the warts on the orc's nose is foolhardy and wasteful. I'd like to see more attention paid to AI and gameplay elements in the future.

In Other News....

[twistedsymphony]

The DS isn't a home console and the PS1 outsold the PS2 when it first came out.

I'm not sure the point the article is trying to make... new console adoption is always slow going despite launch day sales numbers... the NES outsold the SNES for a while, the SNES outsold the N64 and PS1 for a while, the PS1 outsold the PS2 for a while, and **SHOCK*** the PS2 is outselling it's replacements... say it aint so!

The DS IS a next gen hand held... it's outselling it's last gen counterpart the GBA... but it's also not a recently released console... when it was it was being outsold by it's cheaper last gen cousin. Even still the DS while a game machine is a completely different market then home consoles. That's like being surprised that the iPod is outselling BluRay players... no really?