ClarkKentKY

From IGN
Why? What would this accomplish? Its still going to have the same internal parts because of the games themselves. The only reason would be to sell the DVD capabilities like microsoft is doing. I really hope they don't do this.

milo bloom

My wife and I were in Cash Convertors a few weeks ago and some total tard was talking this smack. He was also buying up a crapload of their games including a Sega Master System in the box for his own store! Cheater!

I don't get the fuss, we got one a month ago for our five year anniversary (are we nerds or what?) and we put it in the bedroom to watch movies in bed or when somebody is watching something else in the living room. I haven't had a major problem yet with it either (the spanish subtitles default on on the CE3K doc, but I turned them off with the PS2 menu.) And we don't even need the remote as the controller cord is long enough that I can use it laying in bed normally.

IIG

It makes perfect sense to me. At this point, there is not room for a "do everything" game system. If there is not a focus on one thing in particular, the system that offers that sort of commitment will take the cake (GameCube). Sony simply has to be losing money in software for every consumer that purchases a PS2 that never had a DVD player (which is many), and now has to focus on what software to buy, as well as what movies to buy. People with DVD players are essentially paying for a $300 videogame system that is inferior to the $199 system that Nintendo is putting out. Either they could lose money by trying to drop the price with the DVD included, or you take it out, drop the price, and try to hold on to your #1 share of the console market. What else can they do?

MasterofDVD

After borrowing the system from my boss for a week I have to say this is a good idea.

When he asked me what I thought of the quality of playback I had to really hold back. I wasn't at all impressed with it. Loved all the games I played. Looked amazing. But The Matrix was like watching VHS. And it's not my TV cause I have two copies of The Matrix and ran one on the PS2 and one on my Sony player. Switching between the two really showed a difference.

Make it a gaming system. I already have a few DVD players. I don't need to spend 300.00 on a game system that can double as a ( crappy ) DVD player. Lower the cost of the PS2 ( I know they are soon ) and I'll buy it for what it should be.....a gaming system.

Chaos

Guess Nintendo was right after all-----keep gaming pure!!

RJainMJ

Huh? First of all, if they do take away the DVD feature, the games still won't be any easier to make for the developers. How does the price or DVD feature make PS2 inferior to a system not yet released? The whole thing doesn't make sense, even the source doesn't seem to think so.

ClarkKentKY

It wont' affect the cost of production at all. The drive and the hardware that PS2 uses will still need to be DVD compatiable. Or else GT3 And newer games for the system will be useless. GT3 is a DVD rom game. So what is the sense in taking away just the DVD movie ability. All it would be is taking the movie drivers out of the PS2 and sell them later on. That would be the only motive. I dont' use mine as a DVD player. I don't have any need to. But it jsut doesn't make sense to TAKE AWAY a feature which is part of the system now. Especially when it wont' cut production costs at all.

IIG

Adding or subtracting the ability to play DVDs has to effect production costs in some way. The drivers simply have to be an added expense, or else I can't see why the Game Cube's DVD player lacks the feature, and Matsushita is putting out their own version. Sony would not take it out if it didn't cut down the price of production, that has to be impossible. Am I wrong? Yeah, I guess so. I can't say I know much about production costs and things of that nature, but I just can't see that.

RJainMJ: I guess likewise I don't understand what you are saying. Why bring up that games won't be any easier to make for developers? I never said that would happen. As far as the price, it is obvious that the PS2's hardware is inferior in capabilities when compared to Game Cube or X-Box. I just stated that I felt that they would drop the price to be competitive when the time arrives for the other systems to drop, minus the DVD movie feature. Please explain further and I'll get back to you...

Of course none of that made sense I'm sure. I am tired, and I just want to squirm my way out of this entire mess.

RJainMJ

I think I gotcha now. The reason I brought that fact was up was because I think the DVD movie capabilities makes developing games a bit more difficult. The main reason to leave it out is to make games easier to make, but since PS2's already been released so this is moot point. I guess I wasn't thinking of specs when you said inferior. I kind of was just thinking of games, which is opinionated.

But, anyway, I agree they are going to drop their price. I'm not sure how having the DVD movie feature as compared to not having the DVD movie feature affects production costs. I had the impression that it had no effect. Assuming this, it really wouldn't make a bit of sense to remove a feature that may attract customers. Only if removing the DVD movie feature would save Sony significant money in production costs would this make sense.

MWoody

Nope. Adding or subtracting the DVD playing feature will do absolutely nothing to the cost of the machine. The Gamecube will require an expensive add-on/upgrade/new version to play DVDs because it's native format is a special, proprietary format, instead of a standard ROM. For the PS2, games already come in either CD or DVD flavors, so the hardware must be there. All that's left is to add the DVD player firmware, which is already done.

As such, this rumor is obvously false. Somebody made it up as a joke, and is probably surprised so many folks are falling for it. Removing DVD capabilities would spell the end for the PS2 in this neck-and-neck console war; Sony isn't that foolish.

Deftones

Uhhh, nope. You are wrong. If the PS2 didn't have the ability to play dvd movies, then the cost would be less. There is a fee, that goes to the consortium of electronics companies that developed the dvd format. Toshiba, Panasonic, RCA, Sony and many others get a chunk of that change. I believe it is around $25 to $50 if I am correct. So, in theory, if Sony took away the DVD playback from the PS2 machine, the cost would decrease that much.

mh4268

This is correct, I am not sure of the price, but this is the reason why the X-Box is making people buy a separate remote to play dvds. THe only way it will play movies is if you buy the remote. That way they save a few bucks on the hardware, and those who want to be able watch movies will be forced to shell out more dough for it. I wouldnt have bought my PS2 without dvd playback, the reasons why I bought a PS2 was because my original PS was dying on me (it was one of the original) and to watch dvds(I know the playback stinks, but I am a poor college student and it suits my purposes fine), this killed two birds with one stone.

MWoody

Hmmm, hadn't thought of that. But as the format of larger PS2 games is just standard DVD-5 (off-topic: can games be DVD-9?) and titles like Final Fantasy can make use of DVD video, would the removal of a standard DVD playing feature mean they no longer had to license the technology?

daledude

I think the point is not about hardware costs, but software costs. The ps2 is a game system that is sold for a loss, with the money being made up in software sales. If people are buying dvd movies, they aren't spending money on ps2 games thus making the system less profitable.

RJainMJ

I think most people thought of the DVD player as a bonus. No one's going to buy PS2 just for its movie capabilities. Also, people are not necessarily going to use money they would have on DVDs (PS2 use) for PS2 games if the DVD capabilities are gone.

Aghama

Tell that to the Japanese.

jagernaut

MasterofDVD, i think that's a load of crap. What were you watching the PS2 on? RF? I have a PS2 and The Matrix and watching the DVD using Svideo the picture is very good. The PS2 easily matches low end (and some mid range) DVD players in video quality, comparing it to VHS is a joke. Don't get me wrong, the system has its faults when playing DVDs (no remote, no timecode, fast forwards/rewinds no faster than ~ 4x, incompatibilities with a few anime titles (on my launch system with 1.1 drivers, systems sold now have 1.3 drivers)) but as a starter dvd player for videogame fans, it certainly does the job.

Aghama, this may have been true when the system first launched in March 2000, but if you check Japanese game sales charts now, PS2 and Gameboy Advance dominate sales.

Giantrobo

I think it's great idea.

Thrillhouse

If they take the dvd capibility then half the games won't run??

Scott

Who cares? I've never watched a DVD on my PS2. That's what I have a DVD player for (7.1 sound is great). PS2 is just for gaming.