Gallant Pig

The sheep mentality of buying a PS2 is alive and well. Yeah GTAIII also helps, but remember everyone bought the PS2 without it when it was launched, and continued to buy it up until it was released.

Gromit

I keep wondering when the PS2 is going to hit the "everyone who wants it, already has it" wall. I know the potential market is huge but good grief, the thing still sells like crazy.

I just figured that by this time, the Xbox and Cube would start to close the gap somewhat simply because practically all gamers already have one. Instead, the gap continues to grow. When Sony sells 5.5 billion PS2's, it's domination time for Microsoft and Nintendo.

darkside

We had this discussion a few months ago and many people on the forum thought the Xbox and maybe even the GameCube would outsell the PS2 because of this supposed wall. However, I knew that was silly. The wall is a long way away. I won't be surprised if the PS2 outsells the competition 2 to 1 next Christmas. Its the mainstream system to have and everywhere I go its the gift most people seem to be buying.

This PS2 domination is far from over. Its got great software support and tons of current owners talking other people into getting it. Its going to be a tough road for the Xbox and GCN.

Ford Prefect

Don't forget PS2 sales are spiked by people having to buy replacement systems. At the store I work at (I quit Blockbuster), we are actually selling more Xboxes than PS2 units (Xbox=4-6 a day, Ps2=3-4 a day), and since June have had 65 PS2s come back defective out of the box versus only 6 Xbox systems being defective out of the box (on a side note, we have only had THREE defective cubes), and those figures are almost a month old now (we've had quite a few more defective PS2s out of the box since then, and those figures don't include returns within 6 to 8 months in which we average 4 a week, defective out of the box are those returned during 14 days with problems). If nothing else that is what is keeping the PS2 selling, as well as vice city (every PS2 I have sold since October was sold with a copy or preorder of Vice City)

Josh H

Of course I'll buy them. Just to play something new. I love Metroid Prime, but I don't think it's as good as Super Metroid. I really think I'm just losing my interest in gaming, and will probably not buy a system right off the bat next gen.

Sure some of the games are cheap because they suck. But not the Greatest Hits line. They had to be a hit game to get that status. I didn't pick up a PS2 until May, and now I can go back and pick up awesome games like GT3, DMC, Jack and Daxter, Virtua Fighter 4 etc. Saying all the cheap PS2 games are junk just shows you don't know what you're talking about.

It's just a simple law of averages. If you have more games, your probably going to have more good games. Not many gamers would argue that the PS2 doesn't have the most good games (defined by games that got good reviews across the board, rather than personal tastes).

JoshUnt

Same here, but I got the PS2 early on and now I play my Xbox and GCN the most. As far as games go it seems GCN and XBOX have all the good titles this year or coming in the near future. I think the PS2 out sells the others due mainly to the fact most people just don't know any better. They buy the PS2 only b/c it is the most popular (same reason I did from the start). It wasn't until I got my other 2 systems that I saw how much it was lacking. And sure GTA: VC is really cool, but its the only thing PS2 has going for it now (besides that 2:1 out selling thing) Don't get me wrong I like all 3 systems, (thats why I own them) but it just seems to me PS2 is the lesser of the 3. Which is why I think its wierd it is still selling so many more units.

AMEN

Captain Harlock

Okay at the risk of sounding like a "fanboy" what people are forgetting is this; You don't buy a CD player because you want the greatest technilogical player known to man. You buy a CD player to listen to the Beatles of the Stones or what have you.

GTA3 and Vice City can be likened to the British Invasion in terms of video games. I don't think there has been a game or games in the history of the video game industry since Pac Man that's created this kind of fervor. And right now what consumers are faced with is the following dilemma; Do I buy an X-Box and get a superior machine and great online network but with no game that comes close to GTA, or do I get a PS2 so I can play the GTA series? Most people are opting for the latter. This is purely observational mind you. When I go into electronics stores yes there are people asking about the X-Box but then they say "Is GTA coming out for it?", to which the answer is "no". At this point having Halo is simply not enough for the X-Box.

I read a review of Splinter Cell in this months new Game Informer on news stands currently. And it essentially said that Ubi Soft needed this game to be a hit as well as Microsoft. Otherwise the X-Box might be labeled a "one trick pony"( Game Informer making that reference to Halo). I've played Splinter Cell as a demo at Toys R Us recently and yes I did find the game enjoyable ( For the 10 minutes I could spare to play it on lunch hour). But will it be the hit that the X-Box needs to put it over the top? In other words will it generate "Beatlemania" for the X-Box? Unfortunately I don't know. And it looks like Ubi Soft also hedged it's bets by developing SC for the other 2 consoles as well as the PC. To look at the sales chart posted in this forum GTA: Vice City is outselling Splinter Cell nearly 6 to 1 ( granted the PS2 has a greater installed user base). But I think the fact there are only 4 X-Box games in the top 20 is even more telling.

The X-Box is a killer of a machine, but to take it in these terms the greatest car doesn't run without gas. James Bond may have all the gadgets in the Aston Martin DB5 but he still has to gas it up at his local British Petroleum station.

Outlaw

gimme a break..."sheep mentality" ???

people have bought and are still buying the PS2 because.. oh I don't know...maybe because it has the most good games that those people want to play, and it has a huge back library of good games that a lot of people are now getting to play since the system lowered to $200. i know i personanlly bought my PS2 for Devil May Cry, metal gear solid 2, and Final Fantasy X, i didn't get it because it was the cool thing to have.

Gallant Pig

So everyone who buys the PS2 is a hardcore gamer who has studied every release ever made for it and carefully considered it before they bought it?

Or more likely, a kid's friend has it so now he wants it, or a guy's buddy at work has it so he wants one too.

That's a big portion of the purchases, like it or not.

jeffdsmith

I was wrong about my earlier comment that the GC was being outsold by the xbox. In fact it appears to going the other way at this point.

Source: http://cube.ign.com/articles/380/380790p1.html


PS: Had my teeth taken out today... AWAKE. ugh.

Outlaw

People don't need to study release dates to know that metal gear and grand theft auto are a popular and good games. Anyone can see on the store shelves that there is no doubt the PS2 has more games than either next gen system, there's a bigger chance that they will find something they will like that will get them to buy it.

of course there are some people like that, but i bet many people who have played it at their friends house and were impressed by the system and its games, its only natural they would want some of these games for themselves, which aren't available on Xbox or Gamecube. They've got a huge software support from the top game developers.

Blaming more sales on the fact that people buy it just because everyone else has it without considering the games at hand is ridiculous. The system is a big piece of plastic without its games.

edit: changed some wording and sarcasm that could have been taken the wrong way.

Gallant Pig

Right, they play an awesome game at their friend's house on the PS2. If they friend had owned an XBOX or GCN, they most likely would have went out and got that system instead. I don't blame sales on anything, but I do attribute the fact that the PS2 is an unstoppable force on the fact that people want what other people have, at least to a point.

joltaddict

Get Fusion if you dont have it already. Its getting more play time than Live is for me right now. Youll definitely love it.

Josh H

Fusion is on my X-mas list, can't wait to play it.