I remember the Neo-Geo. The main reason it didn't catch on was because it was
hideously expensive. If I remember correctly it cost almost $1000 when it first came
out and games were around $150-200 each.
One very important thing to consider in speculation over the success or failure of the
X-Box is that it will be very easy to port PC (Windows) games to the X-box and
vice-versa. This will certianly be very appealing to game companies.
Personally, I hope Sony lowers the cost of the PS/2 to compete with the X-box. I need
to get a new DVD player soon and if I can get a PS/2 for a reasonable price I might
get one instead.
-----Original Message-----
From: Sridhar Dhanapalan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Tim Holmes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 01:26:25 +1000
Subject: Re: [newbie] linux for sony ps2?
M$ are trying to enter console the market with brute force -- by selling a
machine which they can flog as being more powerful than the PS2. In reality, it
isn't as powerful as MS say it is (since it isn't as optimised for gaming as the
PS2), but people will _believe_ it is much more powerful because it has a 833MHz
CPU in comparison to Sony's 300MHz chip. What really matters is the quality of
games that are released. The market has been littered over time with instances
of technically 'inferior' products winning-out over 'superior' ones. The console
market is a prime example of this. Anybody remember the Neo-Geo or the 3DO? They
were 32-bit machines which were released years before Sega, Nintendo and Sony
brought out their offerings, yet they never caught on. The Sega MegaDrive
('Genisis' in the USA) and the Sony PlayStation became more popular than their
Nintendo counterparts ('SuperNES'/'Super Famicon' and Nintendo 64,
respectively), despite being less powerful.
Sony, it should be noted, isn't exactly an underdog here. They are also a
massive company, and they have made content deals with AOL Time Warner for the
PS2. They _specialise_ in the entertainment and home electronics industries, and
they already have a very strong development and consumer base (being a Japanese
company really helps here). They have had a huge head-start over M$, and they
are actively developing the PS3 for release in 2002 (so they have a backup in
the unlikely event that the XBox cleans up).
M$ will find _some_ success, but I seriously doubt whether they'll beat the PS2.
With their high manufacturing costs (I believe they're selling XBoxes at half
cost-price) and marketing costs (around $US500 million this year), I also doubt
whether they'll actually manage to make a profit out of this. However, I'm sure
that they've considered this factor (Bill's not stupid), and they have some
$US30 billion in the bank to fall back on should they need it (and they will).
IMHO, the _real_ competition will occur with the next generation of consoles.
Both the PS3 (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/16254.html) and the
XBox2 (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/21536.html) aim to be true home
entertainment devices, and not simply games machines with a few extras bolted
on.
On Mon, 1 Oct 2001 10:20:10 -0400, Tim Holmes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> I agree, I'm very anti-Micro$HAFT, and I'm very particular about my gaming.
> I've been a pretty hardcore console gamer for some years now. I have an
> embarassing amount of video games, and video game equipment.
>
> I used to a very loyal Nintendo fan, then they just pissed me off, and a lot
> of other people too. SONY came out, and it took me a while to break down
> and purchased a second hand PlayStation. And that right there changed the
> facing of my gaming.
>
> Since then I've learned to branch out into other platforms, and playing
> different types of games. But there's nothing about the XBox that I feel
> the need to even go after. The anti-Micro$HAFT issue being put aside, I
> don't see it having a chance of any sort of longevity, and I'll be damned if
> I'm going to spend $300 for a system that's going to last a year before it's
> basically pushed out of the market.
>
> It's not getting the support it needs to thrive, outside of the U.S.
> Somebody already mentioned it, but the U.S. is much more inclined towards
> computer games. If they change it to a computer in your living room, and
> you can install computer games on it, it may do well here, but it's not
> going to have a life outside of the U.S.
>
> Now, going back to the anti-Micro$HAFT issue of mine, I refuse to give them
> another dime of my $$$. Let alone $300, or up to $700 for a bundled system.
>
> Rumor has it, the XBox actually crashed at a trade show somewhere.
> tdh
--
Sridhar Dhanapalan
The dark ages were caused by the Y1K problem.
Want to buy your Pack or Services from MandrakeSoft?
Go to http://www.mandrakestore.com
