Ps2 is outselling Ps3.

[nolan's roll'n]

Article: http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/sony-s-playstation-2-outselling-playstation-3/1340152

Sony's Playstation 2 outselling Playstation 3

by Ben Silverman

Buzz up!July 31 4:38 P.M.

Still the king after all these years.


Mired in an overall slump, the once recession-proof video game industry is finally experiencing some adverse effects from the troubled economy.
Just ask Sony. The games giant saw losses pretty much across the board in the year's first quarter, as sales of its flagship Playstation 3 system fell from last year's 1.6 million to only 1.1 million. Its PSP handheld saw a huge drop, too, from 3.7 million to only 1.2 million.
The one bright spot? The nine year-old Playstation 2, which managed to outsell the PS3 by roughly 500,000 units despite being older than some of its fans.
Unfortunately, software sales for all three systems took a serious tumble, with PS3 games suffering a decline from 22.8 million last year to 14.8 million this year. However, the company has also noted that they've managed to reduce the production costs of the console by about 70%. Could consumers soon reap the benefits of those savings in the form of a long-awaited PS3 price cut?

 

[Raiden]

I think by continuing to support PS2, Sony is actually doing a disservice to PS3, and makes it hard for people who wanted a Playstation to make that leap to next-gen. But I guess they don't really mind which way the money comes from, as long they are getting them, even at the expense of PS3.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

I think by continuing to support PS2, Sony is actually doing a disservice to PS3, and makes it hard for people who wanted a Playstation to make that leap to next-gen. But I guess they don't really mind which way the money comes from, as long they are getting them, even at the expense of PS3.

I doubt it, PS3 costs $400 compared to $100 for the PS2, so unless the PS2 is outselling PS3 by a margin of 4 to 1 it's not really worth it. Plus everyone buying a PS2 won't be buying PS3 games which cost more and causes a ripple effect in development, what third party developer will spend the money to develop for PS3 when they can develop for PS2 at a fraction of the cost and know people will still buy the games, since they're still buying the console. Sony should've done what Microsoft and Nintendo did, retire the console or at least stop developing games for it.

 

[Drakon]

Great thread, but wrong forum. I've moved it to Sony for you, duder.

 

[Dark Helmet]

They should not stop making the Playstation 2 until the Playstation 3 supports it. They would probably lose more money on not making the Playstation 2 then the money they lose on each Playstation 3 sold

 

[Havok83]

do people not understand that selling the PS2 helps fund PS3 projects? With a userbase so big and the system still pushing out games and selling hardware, its like free money for Sony. Its money they can and do put into their development studios for PS3 games and for the system itself. I hear time and time again how people think Sony should just discontinue the PS2 line but doing so would be an incredibly stupid decision on their part and they'd be losing alot more then than they are now

 

[TLH]

I can see why buyers are going to the PS2 though. It's a relatively small investment that gives you a huge gaming library, the system is small and (potentially) hassle free, it delivers most of what gamers today want, and it's readily available brand new.

Sony probably will get a lot of new PS2 users to buy into the PS3 down the road. But yeah, PS3 could use the price cut to improve its sales.

 

[mjbull23]

It's really impressive how nine years later the PS2 still remains so relevant in todays console market. But, gotta hand it to Sony; the PS2 is a fine console. I still have mine that I bought back in 02 and it's never given me a problem at all. Very solid piece of equipment.

 

[GL1]

It is impressive, and its as much a blessing as a curse. It's money coming in, but it is, to an end, cannibalizing their market. Even still, its insulating their market from being "forced" to buy the competition, since they can still PS2 til they can afford a PS3.

I don't think we'll see a developer regression of any sort. I know there are guys who do the niche stuff for the PS2, creating pale shadows of truly epic 3D games, and they'll continue to do it, but I don't know any AAA developer that wants to cut themselves back to PS2 resources and design.

For whatever bad the PS2 does to the PS3 (And it does do some, lets be real here), it was necessary to compensate for the weaknesses of the PS3, namely the price point and a limited number of titles. As those two weaknesses change, the PS2 may eventually be truly phased out.

 

[Electro UK]

The PS2 is going to get at least 2 great games soon though. Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier and MotorStorm: Arctic Edge. Both hit PSP and PS2. Yay!

 

[eternalinferno]

at this point, the ps3 definitely does not have a limited number of titles, there are plenty great games out there for ps3, the problem is the price at this point

 

[Havok83]

It is impressive, and its as much a blessing as a curse. It's money coming in, but it is, to an end, cannibalizing their market. Even still, its insulating their market from being "forced" to buy the competition, since they can still PS2 til they can afford a PS3.

I don't think we'll see a developer regression of any sort. I know there are guys who do the niche stuff for the PS2, creating pale shadows of truly epic 3D games, and they'll continue to do it, but I don't know any AAA developer that wants to cut themselves back to PS2 resources and design.

For whatever bad the PS2 does to the PS3 (And it does do some, lets be real here), it was necessary to compensate for the weaknesses of the PS3, namely the price point and a limited number of titles. As those two weaknesses change, the PS2 may eventually be truly phased out.

The PS2 will not die until Sony ends support for the PSP (which wont happen until they release a proper PSP2). Thats the main reason why the PS2 is still getting games. Its fairly simple to port over PSP titles considering the hardware is very similiar. The PSP is "current" and developers and Sony are making games for it and thats helped extend the PS2 lifes. At this stage in the game, the PS1 was really only pushing out sports title and kiddie stuff but the PS2 is getting more support outside of that, thanks in part to the PSP. Sony has 3 systems out on the market and they all support each other in someway

 

[DIRECTOR]

why would anybody in their right minds buy a PS2?

That's like buying Dakota Fanning instead of Megan Fox

 

[eternalinferno]

cuz its $300 cheaper than a ps3

 

[DIRECTOR]

cuz its $300 cheaper than a ps3

than let's all buy tube TVs instead of HDTV's.

 

[Havok83]

why would anybody in their right minds buy a PS2?

That's like buying Dakota Fanning instead of Megan Fox

The PS2 has a HUGE library of games and is still pushing out titles. And as stated, its cheap. $100 really isnt much of a big investment. That costs less than 2 games on the current gen systems

 

[eternalinferno]

im actually still stuck with a tube tv, neither me or my mother have enough for an hdtv

 

[Drakon]

why would anybody in their right minds buy a PS2?

That's like buying Dakota Fanning instead of Megan Fox

The PS2 has a HUGE library of games and is still pushing out titles. And as stated, its cheap. $100 really isnt much of a big investment. That costs less than 2 games on the current gen systems

Not to mention, people like me, who have owned a PS2 for years. I've got a decent back catagory of PS2 games, and would like to keep playing them, even though the brick model I have right now is dying [it already doesn't play PS1 or DVD--good thing I have that backed up already].