IC_Freeze

dont know if it's a repost or not (didn't see any threads when I scanned) but it looks like xbox and ps2 will be $199 when E3 comes (May 20)

here's a link:
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103-899815.html

Mattalos

The article says some analyst "believes" ...

Cardiff Giant11

If true (which is a BIG if) this would be great. I could pick up an Xbox finally(or get a Cube for 50 bucks less). I've already got a PS2 but price cuts are great. Having said that, I doubt we'll see such a huge cut. My guess is the cut will be to 249 for the PS2 and Microsoft will follow suit. Of course I could be wrong and we may see the 199 price but I'm skeptical that it'll go down so much during the first rount of price cuts.

joshd2012

I strongly dought that MS is going to price cut the machine that much in the only market it is doing half way decent in.

IC_Freeze

MS needs marketshare, they should probably just give it away for free like they did for IE

sniper308

The article also says:

Which I find hard to believe that the cube's price won't be cut if the other 2 take such drastic cuts, as I thought Nintendo already said they would respond to price cuts from Sony/Microsoft...

Captain Harlock

Microsoft might have to take some drastric measures to level the playing field a bit. They may use E3 to launch a pre-emptive strike against Sony. Sony might feel that the market has leveled off a bit and for them a price drop at this time might be the next logical step.

I think this certainly spells trouble for the X-Box. This early into it's life cycle, a price cut in my opinoin is not a good sign. Many experts have said that Microsoft is willing to lose money to get the X-Box into people's homes. But at $199 they would be taking an absolute beating!!

I still think Microsoft really didn't assess the game market very well. They were so intent on making a console that the games were almost an afterthought. "Games? It doesn't matter what you play on the X-Box. This is the greatest system ever! And you're going to buy it because it's the greatest system ever!"

It's that arrogance that may prove to be the X-Box's undoing.

Robb

gcribbs

If it happens and the GC follows suit it will make a combo of the GC($149) and PS2($199) only $348.00.

I think that is a great combo that will get you the best overall selection of games available. Since i want to add a GC to my systems I am hoping this happens

Tamrok

It seems to me your argument could better describe Sony and the PS2 at launch. As I recall, there was near universal agreement that the PS2 had no great games at launch but was hyped by Sony as being "the greatest, most powerful system ever!" It wasn't until last fall that a few great games finally showed up on PS2. In fact, you can make an excellent case that, so far, Microsoft has produced far more good to great games in it's launch period than Sony did during the PS2's launch period. Perhaps you should wait until next year at this time to assess how Microsoft has done. If more great games haven't materialized by then, you can give 'em both barrels and no one will argue.

Pac-Rat

Great, I'm having enough trouble budgeting dvds, and games for my GC and GBA. If (yes, big "if") this does happen I'm going to need a second job, cheaper addiction, or go on a strict diet of tuna and mac-n-cheese.

joshd2012

Its all opinion. For launch (from what I am looking at on IGN) you had DOA2:HC, Madden 2k1, SSX, and TTT. These are great titles, so I wouldn't say the Sony launch was a total bust (as most people would like to put it).

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/080/080661p1.html

Static Cling

Edited thread title for clarity.

namja

My cousin, jupiter, is looking for a DVD player. If the PS2 goes down to $199, he's getting that instead and using that as the DVD player.

He doesn't own any DVDs. He'll be using it primarily to rent DVDs to watch on his 20" RCA TV/VCR, so the quality or features or functions of the DVD player doesn't matter much to him.

ScandalUMD

I would say that the XBox launch lineup was almost undeniably better than the PS2 launch lineup. In fact, I would say that the XBox had one of the best launch lineups in the history of consoles. Unfortunately, the XBox launch was blown away by the fact that the PS2 had one of the most spectacular second generation lineups ever waiting to batter the XBox into irrelevance.

The PS2's launch was weak, but its only competition was the fading Dreamcast. What's more, the backwards compatability and DVD capability were strong selling points. The relative strengths of the launch lineups are moot. The fact is, the PS2 managed to install the systems, and the XBox demonstrably did not. Nintendo can thrive in second place; it makes its own exclusive games and keeps consumers happy. Microsoft must command the loyalty of third parties, and, other than some soft support from Sega, they haven't got it.

Tamrok

I would say your reaching a bit with your last statement. Other than Square, nearly every other third party is developing games for X-Box. EA, Konami, Capcom, Sega, Namco, Tecmo, Activision, LucasArts, Rockstar, Acclaim, Infogrames, Eidos, Interplay, Ubi Soft, Midway, Sierra, Codemasters, Crave, Majesco, Phantagram, Titus, Universal Interactive and THQ are all producing X-Box games. I guess your right, Microsoft obviously has little to no third party support. They're doomed!

Josh H

I think what Scandal meant was that the X-box is getting very few third party games as exclusives, and of the few they are getting, none are system sellers.

Ports don't sell systems, as someone can by either of the other systems, or maybe just a PS2, and play them. You have to have good games exclusive to your system in order to be successful.

Sony has Square, Metal Gear, and some first party stuff like Gran Turisimo.

Nintendo has their first party line-up (Mario, Metroid, Zelda etc.), Rare, Rogue Leader (Factor Five), Eternal Darkness, Resident Evil, etc.

Microsoft has Halo and some Sega niche market titles (Jet Set Future, Shenmue etc.)


Basically I'm saying, and think Scandal was saying, that MS is getting no system selling third party exclusives on the level of something like Final Fantasy or Metal Gear.

Tamrok

If that is truly what he meant, he needs to be a little more careful in how he states it because the way I read it, he clearly states that other than Sega, Microsoft has no third party support.

As for system selling third party exclusives, until E3, we don't know who has and who doesn't have system selling exclusives. Even Rogue Leader (for Gamecube) is only exclusive for a certain time (as was stated by LucasArts in a recent interview). I think all three systems have their strengths and it is way too early to say whether X-Box (or for that matter, Gamecube) is a success or failure. A year from now, the picture will be much clearer.

Cat

I have a PS2 and have been considering a GameCube. A price drop would be exactly what it would take to make me purchase one. I have a friend that has an Xbox and I hate that dang controller so much I could never play that thing for long. I have been very happy with my PS2, but there are not a lot of games that my girlfriend likes to play on it, but everytime we go in a store she is playing Pikmin or something similiar on GameCube.

Cat

Captain Harlock

That's a very good point you bring up. Sony did pour alot into the console initially. Every console goes thru some growing pains. But here's what I think is the difference. Right now there's a huge disparity in terms of the sheer number of PS2 owners and X-Box owners ( I own niether of the two). Microsoft is now in a position where it has to play "catch up". To their credit they came out of the gate strong with some good to great titles. But those aren't enough to carry the system. I look at the X-Box game library now and I see alot of racing games, snowboarding, several multi platformers, Halo and Munch. When I look at what's coming I see more of the same. Another thing that's also plaguing the X-Box is the perception that it's a "console for people who play PC games". A preconception they haven't gone out of their way to address. Add the fact that many of the games they have in the works are going to be PC ports, doesn't help their case any. Right now there is no "I have to play this or my life won't be complete" game for the X-Box. And, taking a look at the upcoming lineup in several game magazines, I suspect that gap between PS2 and X-Box owners is only going to widen. Many gamers have repeatedly said "When are we getting GTA3 for X-Box? When are we getting Metal Gear for X-Box? When are we getting Final Fantasy for X-Box?", and so far Microsoft's response has been to brush those questions aside. Halo may be a great game ( I still don't like first person shooters but that's just me) but it's not going to be enough to carry the system in the long term.

I still say that Microsoft misjudged the game market. They had their own people who knew very little about the game industry who tried to adapt the marketplace to them. And now they are finding that the marketplace hasn't repsonded like they thought. Is that to say the X-Box is a failure? Absolutley not. But what has to happen now is they have to give people a reason to switch to the X-Box. I don't know what that reason is right now but I know Halo alone isn't it.

It is going to be interesting to see if they can rebound, but I think they will have to pull an gargantuan rabbit out of the hat to do it.

Robb

Tamrok

Speaking only for myself, I would never try to make the case that Microsoft hasn't made mistakes. Considering X-Box is it's first ever console, it was highly unlikely that there wouldn't be a few bumps in the road at some point. The point I'm trying to make is that Sony hasn't been perfect either and yet they seem to have come out all right in the long run. I happen to own all three consoles and I would like to see them all succeed. What I have trouble with is the folks who seem eager to pronounce the X-Box dead on arrival. It is much too early to make that kind of assessment. Looking long-term, I think the X-Box is well positioned to be successful. If any company has proven it has the determination and resources to be successful in a chosen area, it's Microsoft. Keep in mind, success does not mean catching up to Sony in the current generation of hardware. Microsoft can afford to look long-term.

spacecowboy1

I agree. Everyone should want the XBOX to succeed!!!!! Why are most people so insistent on one console maker dominating the entire market? We need a successful American console. There is a reason for competition. We all have jobs because of competition. Why do you people want XBOX to fail?!?! It makes no sense at all!!!

diacritic

Americans don't have jobs because of the XBox, low-paid workers in Mexico and Hungary do (unless you count the dozen or so people who designed the machine). Additionally, all the components come from East Asia so your X-Box purchase will not be feeding any Americans (again, unless you count the few who make up the white collar and executive workers of Intel, etc). But with today's widespread globalization it is unlikely that your American dollar spent on an "American" product will remain in America for long.

vhgong

I think ultimately, as much as i would wish Bill Gates to fail(he has too much money anyway) , i would prefer all 3 consoles to succeed. That way, we would have more choice and finally, competition is a good thing. So long live Sony, Nintendo and XBox!!! Whoo hoo!!!!

Grimfarrow

Yawn.

Jingoism worked a few months back, but it's just old now.

s}{ammer

You understand that all three will not succeed no matter what. Microsofts goal is not to shae 1/3 of the market with Sony or Nintendo. If the xbox catches on MS will do everything to destroy the competition. That is just the way MS is. Anyone who says otherwise is either blind or deaf. Just read the recent news about how they try to crush the competition.