I see no practical reason for removing any number of payphones. Despite what commericals set in Mathattan displaying all new internet/communication technologies might indicate, not everyone has a cell phone. Sure, maybe more than you think, or maybe some who you'd think otherwise wouldn't, but not enough, by any means, to obliterate payphones. Think of moneyless minors, people who can't afford cell phones, people who don't like cell phones.
On another important note, cellular phones are mobile, which have their disadvantages. What if you leave yours in your car or at home and you need to make an emergency call? Well that payphone you know about on 9th is still where it was the day before. Out of change? Dial a free call service just like they say on those repetitive money-saving call service commericals, one's bound to stay in your head.
Statistics don't show how in some cases people are forced to use payphones for their respective reasons. If you want to think of it in a literal way: do you usually see a person in a phonebooth on the street while you're walking by one? Probably not. But if you want to buy a really popular product in a store that everyone is buying, do you always see huge crowds of people rushing in and taking every last one off the shelves? No, but that doesn't mean that that product isn't the best-selling in its field and the triumphant one over its competitors. Now I am not saying that more people use payphones than cellular phones, or that payphones are generally better than cell phones, but I am saying that more people use them than it may seem at first glance. Do payphones take up an excessive amount of space? No. Are they particularly harming anyone? No.
Let the payphone survive in every city. Jawa
There's no doubt that Nintendo's kept its mouth shut during all the PS2/X-Box/DC hype, seeing as many people haven't even heard the word 'GameCube' before, and still think of the console under its original project code name, 'Dolphin'. But it's all in marketing tactics. If they attempted to release information on their console during the flood and swarms of PS2 hype and publicity (which is still going on), even Nintendo themself would've drowned, and failed to get significant attention. Right now, Nintendo's simply relying on their sole reputation as a console/1st party game developer to attract media and consumer attention. Of course the launch is when you'll be hearing about it, and, well, getting that damned 6-sided thing in your house. Anyway, that's my guess, occasional leakage of certain hardware specs will only be noticed (as well as cared) by Nintendo's desperate, diehard fans that are familiar and interested in the GameCube's architecture. I am just tired of people complaining about the lack of information given by Nintendo, they should really consider the factors first.
The PS2, however, is already overpowering the GameCube's pre-retail conquest, as it can play DVDs, and games from the PSX. The real question is whether the GameCube will win the match against Sony's amazing feature-packed juggernaut console. Nintendo's tactics does have drawbacks, and of course they'll pay for it.
Sony does have a large chance beating GameCube sales and, as far as sheer features go, it definitely seems to be advantageous in sales combat against other consoles. You have to remember, though, that a large amount of people don't even care about the specs and features. You have to please as many people as you can, and Nintendo doesn't seem to be fulfilling that objective, and with this console, I don't think they will.
I don't know if they've hyped up the PS2 launch as much in Europe, it's definitely been a big deal in the US, to the point where newspapers bother to report on the coverage due to the immense value of the console itself. I am not surprised by the fact that there aren't corner-turning lines in European countries though, that's where the factor of national population (and number of PS2s) plus the amount of knowledge people have about the quantity of the PS2s come in. I am not aware of the gamer ratio over there, but the PS2 seems to be able to cause anticipation and funny little nerd riots where ever it goes.
Slashdot Mirror
I see no practical reason for removing any number of payphones. Despite what commericals set in Mathattan displaying all new internet/communication technologies might indicate, not everyone has a cell phone. Sure, maybe more than you think, or maybe some who you'd think otherwise wouldn't, but not enough, by any means, to obliterate payphones. Think of moneyless minors, people who can't afford cell phones, people who don't like cell phones. On another important note, cellular phones are mobile, which have their disadvantages. What if you leave yours in your car or at home and you need to make an emergency call? Well that payphone you know about on 9th is still where it was the day before. Out of change? Dial a free call service just like they say on those repetitive money-saving call service commericals, one's bound to stay in your head. Statistics don't show how in some cases people are forced to use payphones for their respective reasons. If you want to think of it in a literal way: do you usually see a person in a phonebooth on the street while you're walking by one? Probably not. But if you want to buy a really popular product in a store that everyone is buying, do you always see huge crowds of people rushing in and taking every last one off the shelves? No, but that doesn't mean that that product isn't the best-selling in its field and the triumphant one over its competitors. Now I am not saying that more people use payphones than cellular phones, or that payphones are generally better than cell phones, but I am saying that more people use them than it may seem at first glance. Do payphones take up an excessive amount of space? No. Are they particularly harming anyone? No. Let the payphone survive in every city.
Jawa
There's no doubt that Nintendo's kept its mouth shut during all the PS2/X-Box/DC hype, seeing as many people haven't even heard the word 'GameCube' before, and still think of the console under its original project code name, 'Dolphin'. But it's all in marketing tactics. If they attempted to release information on their console during the flood and swarms of PS2 hype and publicity (which is still going on), even Nintendo themself would've drowned, and failed to get significant attention. Right now, Nintendo's simply relying on their sole reputation as a console/1st party game developer to attract media and consumer attention. Of course the launch is when you'll be hearing about it, and, well, getting that damned 6-sided thing in your house. Anyway, that's my guess, occasional leakage of certain hardware specs will only be noticed (as well as cared) by Nintendo's desperate, diehard fans that are familiar and interested in the GameCube's architecture. I am just tired of people complaining about the lack of information given by Nintendo, they should really consider the factors first.
The PS2, however, is already overpowering the GameCube's pre-retail conquest, as it can play DVDs, and games from the PSX. The real question is whether the GameCube will win the match against Sony's amazing feature-packed juggernaut console. Nintendo's tactics does have drawbacks, and of course they'll pay for it.
Sony does have a large chance beating GameCube sales and, as far as sheer features go, it definitely seems to be advantageous in sales combat against other consoles. You have to remember, though, that a large amount of people don't even care about the specs and features. You have to please as many people as you can, and Nintendo doesn't seem to be fulfilling that objective, and with this console, I don't think they will.
Jawa
I don't know if they've hyped up the PS2 launch as much in Europe, it's definitely been a big deal in the US, to the point where newspapers bother to report on the coverage due to the immense value of the console itself. I am not surprised by the fact that there aren't corner-turning lines in European countries though, that's where the factor of national population (and number of PS2s) plus the amount of knowledge people have about the quantity of the PS2s come in. I am not aware of the gamer ratio over there, but the PS2 seems to be able to cause anticipation and funny little nerd riots where ever it goes.
Jawa