Pathetic PS3 launch news

[JoOeetheplatypuS]

Between EB, GameStop, and lolGame Crazy I spent the better part of 6 years working in video game stores starting the week of PS2 launch. I can honestly say that during that time no game sold in the same sale as a system more than GTA and PS2. I worked the morning Vice City was released and my GameStop sold through over 50 PS2s that morning alone.

You can't argue that people bought PS2 for Madden (came out on everything), Pro Evo (relatively poor sales), or any FF game (doesn't touch GTA, Halo, or even Wind Waker if I had to guess).

Saying that GTA didn't carry PS2 is ridiculous.

Maybe, but I don't think you can say GTA -alone- carried the PS2.

Not maybe, he's sharing what definately happened. But no, of course it didn't alone carry the system. It definately is what made it the rediculous success it was though.

[edgarfigaro]

Nintendo is in a win win situation right now. No matter what, they're going to make money off of Wii, because they have enough loyal fan base + several AAA list 1st party franchises. So they're able to gamble and even if the controller doesn't become awesome, they'll still make money (not to mention the DS printing money for them)...but if the gamble pays off, they'll regain a significant part of the industry they once dominated.

Sony on the other hand...is in a tight situation. Their business model is based on being #1 and having the highest installed base...but their actions so far have run counter to this goal. The high prices coupled with the limited availablity will spike interest, but they'll also keep the installed base low for the first year. Very precarious position to WILLINGLY put your product. Pure arrogance.

MS probably played it as close to perfect as they could hope to have done...but they still haven't gained much headway even with the early release...but Madden did help this year.

[Carbon]

A poor launch will cause a console to bomb. If the launch is bad enough(which seems to be the case), PS3 will be the Xbox of the generation in US.

Kind of like the Nintendo DS? Oh wait....

(lolPSP)

[Tyche]

A poor launch will cause a console to bomb. If the launch is bad enough(which seems to be the case), PS3 will be the Xbox of the generation in US.

Kind of like the Nintendo DS? Oh wait....

(lolPSP)

I waited in line for a PS2 for two days because of a short supply on launch, i waited in line for an xbox because of short supply on launch. I didnt wait in line for an xbox 360, cuz im poor as hell now-a-days, but i hear all those consoles did/are doing pretty well.

[Viq]

A poor launch will cause a console to bomb. If the launch is bad enough(which seems to be the case), PS3 will be the Xbox of the generation in US.

Kind of like the Nintendo DS? Oh wait....

(lolPSP)

I waited in line for a PS2 for two days because of a short supply on launch, i waited in line for an xbox because of short supply on launch. I didnt wait in line for an xbox 360, cuz im poor as hell now-a-days, but i hear all those consoles did/are doing pretty well.

I got so lucky with my first PS2. I started working at EB the week it launched, and obviously sold out instantly. Some kids parents didn't communicate well and they each bought him one for his birthday. One of them got returned and I bought it before it went back on the shelf 8)

[Xavier]

So you're saying install base matters, yet PSX didn't have a good install base but still won that generation? Loyalty goes the same way for the Wii as well, I see the same games making Wii popular as GC, I see the remote being left in the dust for the games people truly want to see them work for. People wanted an Xbox for Halo, but it still didn't do well because there are no other games, Halo failed to carry Xbox, which is why I say 1 game couldn't have carried the PS2.

You can speculate and so can I, but I'd say those games sold a lot more then you think, I know GTA sold a lot of systems, but it's stupid to say it carried the PS2 single handedly, because it didn't.

Some people really argue this point, but FFVII sold the original playstation. The PS2 carried itself imo, but GTA was a gigantic boost because it attracted all kinds of gamers, not just a specific group (outside of females probably).

Halo TOTALLY carried the Xbox. You can say the system didn't break any records in sales, but imagine the system without Halo. Dead in the water. It never would've gone anywhere. Just keeping a system alive qualifies as carrying it to me.

The situation in Japan has kinda changed recently too. Nintendo was having a ton of trouble. However, w/ the DS outselling the PSP w/ something like a 4:1 ratio now, it looks like they are doing something right finally. I really feel that their choice to price the Wii low, and focus on gameplay over graphics is going to benefit them a ton overall. I can't remember the last time a Nintendo system (if ever) launched with both Zelda and Metroid as launch titles, which is going to be HUGE for boosting initial sales.

There isn't a single PS3 exclusive launch title I'm interested in. Spending $600 on top of selling my soul to find 1 of 400,000 systems in America is a complete waste of time for me when I can just pick up a Wii and already have a 360. I AM excited for MGS4 (looks fking amazing), and to an extent FF13, but other than that, nothing has really interested me.

The Wii comes w/ a classic controller (or maybe you buy it, idk, nintendo is secretive), and also lets you plug in your GameCube controllers to use. Everyone whos played w/ the Wii has said its a really fun experience, so I don't really see the system bombing.

If anything, Sony has completely fallen apart in the past year. They've removed vibration from their controller, something Hideo (MGS fame) has said is very disappointing and a huge setback for games.

They've put the price tag of the system at $600, citing "we could sell it for $1000 with no games and people would still buy it, suck our dic plz fanbois!".

They've announced enormous load times for their games, which you can thank blu-ray for lol.

They've announced a gigantic setback in production for the ps3 resulting in a ton less systems at launch.

Their PSP has been a complete failure, being utterly raped by the DS in Japan, and its only going to get worse as Nintendo starts adding in features from the PSP into the DS, its already got web browsing, soon to become a mp3player.

More than anything else, I just hate Sony because they have become extremely arrogant bastards. In the end, its about the games, and I don't care if my PS3 can grill my steaks and make coffee for me. GAMES.

I won't be getting a PS3 until MGS4 comes out, and even then I'll have to wait for the reviews just to be sure the game is as good as its looking. Can't really see a reason to buy the system at launch, and its not as if most people will even be able to find one.

[BRP]

Yeah, I mean I've always thought Sony was really fucking up, but when I heard Hideo talk about how dissapointing it was that they removed the rumble feature, which he was going to use a heavy amount, I really saw it in my mind PS3 failing. I mean holy crap, they really screwed over one of the few reasons people want to buy this system. If Hideo released MGS4 on Xbox360 or even Wii, he wouldn't have to deal with that. Alienating the player base can be very bad, but alienating the developers is going to result in a huge failure. Playstation is nothing without 3rd party developers. Xbox and Nintendo have a greater chance to live though a generation of bad third-party support(at least, if you count Bungie as 1st party) than Playstation does. If MGS, DMC, and FF go to another platform exclusively or multiplatform, its the end for Playstation. They will be stucked with hardcore asian gaijin-haters and spoiled kids with rich parents playing games like Riddddddge Racer.

[Lordwafik]

With the delay of EU, it also means the delay in AU, we are becoming decently sized in the gaming community (although obviously not as big as EU/US), but honestly I can say with the price at 999$ for us , there wont be too many sales aside from people who can afford to blow their money on stuff like that, which is single guys in their 20's/30's, or stupidly rich parents buying something for their obnoxious son.

Now the nintendo is rumoured to be launched here for 400, which is less than half and a very decent price for a console, the price alone is going to make parents want to buy it for their kids, and this one is actually affordable by everyone, not just single guys who dont have anything else to do with their cash.

Hell, the fact you can go online and get classic old games is perfect for the cheap-ass gamer who cant afford to pay 100 per game (aud) , they can buy a few classic rpgs with 1/10th of the price. Win/win for everyone.

[Not Kuno]

PS3's strategy is to get Microsoft and Nintendo's employees to laugh themselves to death.

[Septimus]

If Hideo released MGS4 on Xbox360 or even Wii, he wouldn't have to deal with that. Alienating the player base can be very bad, but alienating the developers is going to result in a huge failure. Playstation is nothing without 3rd party developers. Xbox and Nintendo have a greater chance to live though a generation of bad third-party support(at least, if you count Bungie as 1st party) than Playstation does.

Remember the Nintendo64? I sure do, and I still have nightmares about it.

[Matricide]

i read recently that the ps3 hdmi isnt going to come with a cable either. how do they expect to get anywhere with this?

anyone remember 3DO?

fuck sony. i love the ps2 but they fucked up with ps3. i'll buy it after ff13 comes out and has enough time for nice guides to come out, maybe. used too.

i can see the bundles now.. $1200! $1500! fuck them.

[killerc4]

I loved the 3DO

[SephYuyX]

Long live Virtual Boy!

[killerc4]

Jaguar CD?

[Almaa]

Long live Virtual Boy!

I had one, I bought it for 50 bucks with 12 games. Like 4 years later I sold the same package for 80 bucks on ebay... lol

[Hyjynx]

lol this is all so shitty It has to be a hoax.. if it isnt, its just pure insanity.
I cant attribute this to Sony being cocky.... this extends far beyond that. It's pure insanity.

At any rate, it's no surprise to me that no one has listed the true failure among "video game systems, that were marketed as much more than video game systems".

The CD-I which was released some time in the early 90s:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CD-i

The true legend among utter failures. The PS3 is shaping up nicely to give it a run for the title.

The PS3 is definatly in a better position than the CD-I was back then. Large following and great 3rd party support... but those things will just make a failure even more legendary.

The first Philips CD-i player, released in 1991 and initially priced around USD $700, was capable of playing interactive CD-i discs, Audio CDs, CD+G (CD+Graphics), Karaoke CDs, and Video CDs (VCDs), though the last required an optional "Digital Video Card" to provide MPEG-1 decoding.

$700 is nothing for a multi-media behemoth like this!! AMIRITE?!

[Not Kuno]

This PS3 would have sold for more

[Ryany]

I know the price will be going down 6 months to a year after a launch as always with any system, but why would I bother paying so much for a system that is so hard to get when I could just upgrade my PC instead?

Let's not forget that the first versions that come out will likely get the disc read error after 6 months that Sony will deny until a class action suit comes against them.

[Jeryhn]

If Hideo released MGS4 on Xbox360 or even Wii, he wouldn't have to deal with that. Alienating the player base can be very bad, but alienating the developers is going to result in a huge failure. Playstation is nothing without 3rd party developers. Xbox and Nintendo have a greater chance to live though a generation of bad third-party support(at least, if you count Bungie as 1st party) than Playstation does.

Remember the Nintendo64? I sure do, and I still have nightmares about it.

I'll hear this statement, and raise you the following:
Ocarina of Time.

That game alone vindicated the N64 imo.

[Carbon]

Um, Super Smash Bros? Zelda OoT? Golden Eye?