PS2's price slashed to $129 in April?
by Christopher Grant 
{ Apr 15th 2006 at 2:00AM }
Chris Morris at CNNMoney covers the latest
rumblings of an anticipated PS2 price drop. The console currently remains at $149 after Sony called Microsoft's bluff on the
360 launch; however, now that 360 consoles are finally hitting retail shelves -- and staying there -- it sounds like
Sony is reconsidering dropping the price by the end of April.Apparently they aren't considering anything as dramatic as a $99 price point, rather opting for a more conservative $129 figure, a $20 drop. Considering Sony has little trouble selling PS2s, the move might be in response to the presence of the PlayStation at E3. A quiet price cut will help keep the focus on the PS3 while continuing to undercut the competition. The big question now is: what will Microsoft do?
Morris speculates that instead of matching, Redmond might consider hitting $99, thereby undercutting Sony. He does, however, acknowledge that MS has been eager to leave this generation behind. We've even covered the increase in price of the original Xbox following the launch of the 360. Simply, if you have $100 to spend, they'd rather have you thinking about putting that money towards a console they hope to make a profit on than one that's proven to be ... well, costly.
[Thanks, striegs]
Update: Fixed embarassing math error, thus restoring peace to the blogosphere.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
kev @ Apr 15th 2006 2:04AM
nobody cares about the ps2 anymore
idioteraser @ Apr 15th 2006 2:10AM
I wonder how many replacement units of the PS2 are bought each week. Considering the ps2 settlement I have to suspect a really high number. Also considering sony only releases their shipped numbers I highly doubt there are a lot of PS2 first time owners. Maybe only 35-40 million people have bought a PS2. Seems two-three replacement PS2s seem to be the norm.
Sony only releasing their shipped numbers is a sneaky way to lure in people thinking it is really popular as well as game developers.
Crummy @ Apr 15th 2006 2:27AM
#1, Kratos disagrees :)
Matt @ Apr 15th 2006 2:30AM
I'd like to point out that the Xbox "price increase" was simply the addition of the game Forza to the Xbox (thus making it a bundle) and upping the price of the Xbox to $179.99. This move happened early *last summer*, and had absolutely nothing to do with the Xbox 360's launch. It was simply a move by Microsoft to push Forza, who's sales weren't the greatest, and developement costs higher than normal.
Back_Lit @ Apr 15th 2006 2:36AM
For the record its a $20 drop, not a $30 drop.
149 149
- 20 - 30
---- ----
129 119
Zero_ @ Apr 15th 2006 2:38AM
"Sony only releasing their shipped numbers is a sneaky way to lure in people thinking it is really popular as well as game developers."
Only? Sony, or any other company for that matter, cannot know how many people actually have one as there are far too many factors that go into it, as far as they are concerned, it's shipped units.
And replacements, I've had my PS2 for 3 years and nothing has gone wrong with it. Are you implying that more than 50% of the 100 million units were defective? You're an idiot if you believe that. Sure, there are issues with the PS2, but there is more than atleast 70 million PS2 owners wordwide, it's a fact you simply cannot deny despite your hatred towards them.
Dan @ Apr 15th 2006 2:39AM
"Apparently they aren't considering anything as dramatic as a $99 price point, rather opting for a more conservative $129 figure, a $30 drop."
um, don't you mean $20?
Linkman2004 @ Apr 15th 2006 2:39AM
$149 minus $30 would be $119. xD
Exo @ Apr 15th 2006 2:42AM
@ #2, heh, you have idiot in your name, how fitting.
I dont get where you find this 2-3 replacement ps2 trash. Me and all my buds have had the smae ps2 sicne launch day. go play your crapbox
Rare Hare @ Apr 15th 2006 2:50AM
idioteraser:
nothing sneaky about it.. shipped nubmers translates into units sold, as PS2 consoles are manufactured based on demand.
you can be a fanboy all you want, but there's no denying the popularity of the PS2.
Dirk Dorkelson @ Apr 15th 2006 3:00AM
I own an Xbox 360 and an Xbox, but I'm planning on buying a PS2 once the price falls. There are a lot of PS-only games I wanna play.
ill trooper @ Apr 15th 2006 3:12AM
That's a good system for $129, and now you're saving $60 off the old $149 price.
Huh?
I know this ain't a math blog, but still...
epobirs @ Apr 15th 2006 3:19AM
My US launch day PS2 is still working just fine, thank you. As are plenty of others. In fact, the only console I've ever had to replace was an early Jaguar due to the Doom chipset bug and that was free. My PS1 only died after my brother screwed up installing a mod chip after I'd given it to his kids. (Served him right for wanting to make illicit backups of rented games.) If I hadn't been intent on freeing up some space on my rack of console I bet it would still be functioning just fine. They hold up very well with a little consideration to their proper handling.
Microsoft has no good reason to drop the (original) Xbox price. In case people have forgotten, the Xbox is no longer being made. Once they're gone from the retail channel no more will be coming. Thats it. The end. Nvidia announced last year that the last ever delivery of their two Xbox chips was due in August of 2005. Unless Microsoft placed a truly mammoth order at the end there, there cannot be much supply left.
For all means and purposes the Xbox installed base has peaked. It doesn't make sense to take a greater loss on the small remaining stock. As their Xbox emulation on the Xbox 360 improves, more existing Xbox owners will migrate to that platform as the games they cannot stand to give up get support. Many of them will sell their Xbox to help finance the new purchase, as well as free up some room. That will bring an ample supply of used Xbox units into the low end market. Anyone still holding out for a cheap Xbox will have to consider that route.
While we'll never be able to buy a $50 Xbox new as we someday will with the PS2 before it ends its run, we can expect the lessons learned to lead some long off day to a sub-$100 Xbox 360 Core System.
epobirs @ Apr 15th 2006 3:24AM
Addendum: Some might see the backward compatibility support of the Xbox 360 as extending the installed base of the original Xbox, at least from a publisher's perspective. But this is so hit or miss right now any Xbox game currently under development cannot count on Xbox 360 support until long after the critical period following launch. It can be a nice boost for long enduring favorites that make the Platinum Hits range but not something to bet the farm on.
Probot @ Apr 15th 2006 3:36AM
A lower Xbox price would decrease profit per system. Right now, price isn't the selling point of the Xbox; the games are. Because of backwards compatabiltiy issues, there are still a lot of Xbox games you can't play on the 360.
Once the PS3 comes out, the only incentive to buy a PS2 would be the price, so they are focusing on that aspect.
Look at MS and they're marketing the Xbox games (for example, $10 Platinum hits, most of which can't be played on 360.)
Current compatability list: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/backwardcompatibilitygameslist.htm
$10 Platinum hits: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/platinumhits/bestof.htm
Enigma @ Apr 15th 2006 4:19AM
#2
You are a moron, dont become in analyst in life.
Ktnx
Sabre @ Apr 15th 2006 4:27AM
Note to Sony:
This is a 5 and half year old system...there is absolutely NO FREAKIN' REASON for it to be any higher then $99.
Enigma @ Apr 15th 2006 5:24AM
"Note to Sony:
This is a 5 and half year old system...there is absolutely NO FREAKIN' REASON for it to be any higher then $99."
Other than that it is STILL SELLING at the $149 price point, everytime a new wanted game comes out. I went through 2 already and bought a 3rd just recently for a game that I wanted. Every time I think I am done with the system, I buy it again because a great game comes out on it.
I had one at launch, never had a problem with it, sold it on Ebay 2 years later to buy more PC stuff.
Got a second one a year and a half ago for more great games came out, sold it 1.5 months ago since I have the 360.
The Baseball game is utter trash on the 360, and is a gem on the PS2, plus Kingdom Hearts 2 which my GF wanted to play, and the Tourist Trophy game. So I bought another one the other day. I didnt open it yet, and may return it and repurchase for the price drop if true.
But that is the thing, they continue to have great games, and only a blind, retarded, 12 year old fanboy weened off his mommy (not saying you but generalizing), cant admit that it has great games.
dsub @ Apr 15th 2006 5:35AM
once the price drops I'm going to get another one. I wont pay more than $99 for it though. I want one just for Guitar Hero/the Time Crisis games.
I kind of agree with #2. Sure, he may have exaggerated a bit, but honestly, I would totally agree that at least 5-10 Million of those 70 Million are replacements. There is not a single person I know who is a one time PS2 buyer with a still-functioning unit. I could name off people all day. My step brother's PS2 was purchased on launch, it lasted about 1 year before going DOA, he purchased a replacement. The same happend with every friend of mine that owns a PS2, which is around 5 people, so that's a total of 10 PS2's. My aunt/uncle have actually purchased 3, the third one being the slim version that seems to be working well. I myself have owned 2, both are DOA, the first one I bought on launch, it broke, I got it repaired, and it broke again. That comes out to 17 PS2's that have been purchased by only 8 people. Now I realize this situation isn't normal everywhere, but I have also talked to numerous people in forums that have faulty PS2's as well.
There is no fanboy influence in this post, but to pretend that everyone's PS2 was fine and that only a very small fraction of them were faulty is ridiculous. In my mind PS2's are sonomous with short-term lifespan. I love the games for the system, and obviously have no real hatred towards sony seeing as how I will soon buy my third PS2, but the issue must be pointed out, like it or not. The fact is that 70 million people worldwide DO NOT own PS2's. Based on the people that I personally know 50 percent of them being replacements would be a fair assessment. I am not saying that, but again...a number near 10 million replacements could be seen as easily possible. I Think alot of them go unreported due to the measly 30 day warranty they come with. That and alot of PS2 owners are not the types that go into forums and such addressing there issues.
Enigma @ Apr 15th 2006 5:41AM
Man you people are a riot, if 10%+ like you are stating from your "scientific survey" pooled from buds is true... then the FCC would force a recall. That is the truth!
Stop the madness already.
5-10 million defected?!?!?! ... *checks your temperature*
Probot @ Apr 15th 2006 7:31AM
I think 5% defective is about right. 5 million isn't that many when Sony is touting 100 million shipped.
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=7342
There is no way to test this though. There is no stat that tracks who purchased a console and for what reason. I had to buy the PS2 twice because of Disc-Read Errors, but there's no way for Sony to know that.
There was a class action lawsuit that Sony decided to settle out of court.
http://www.ps2settlement.com/
That's not proof that "two-thirds" of the consoles were defective. But it's proof that the problems were widespread enough to warrant action on Sony's part.
Galley @ Apr 15th 2006 7:44AM
Heck, at $99, you could have one in every room!
Spence @ Apr 15th 2006 8:15AM
They already said after the slimline design there was little flexibility with the hardware and they are quite literally selling it at a tiny profit.
Without compromising quality of production, testing etc.. it would be quite impossible to lower the price without a serious restructure.
It is too late for such drastic moves.. this is highly unlikely to happen.
If it does it certainly won't go any lower.
It kinda shits all over the $99 estimates for the Revolution too knowing that the hardware is a little better. An mpeg 2 license that the PS2 ships with doesn't cover the cost margins enough to warrant them even being close.
$199-$249.
don_sf @ Apr 15th 2006 8:17AM
the fact is ps2 is much much more popular than xbox 180-360. and also xbox 180 lost 5 billion.
from those 2 statements its clear which console is better.
vrf @ Apr 15th 2006 8:51AM
I have to agree that I know quite a few people who are on their second or third PS2. I wouldn't know where to guess on how many of the 70 million are replacements, though. I would hope that the percentage isn't as high as the people I know, though, because that would really be bad news.
Bob42 @ Apr 15th 2006 9:12AM
"nobody cares about the ps2 anymore"
You are absolutely wrong. The number of titles released in the past year that have received lots of praise is insane.
God of War, Shadow of the Colossus, Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, Resident Evil 4 PS2, Guitar Hero, Dragon Quest VIII, Kingdom Hearts 2...not to mention that certain killer apps are still to come, namely FFXII.
Just because you dislike the Playstation brand, you can't deny that lots of people care about these games and almost all of the above have become million sellers.
Anonymous Rep @ Apr 15th 2006 9:34AM
Well, first off, let's see how many of you read the original article by show of hands. Oh, that few of you?
Let's cover some basic points from the article:
"Could", "Predicts", and "In our opinion" are the key words that most of you are missing. This is all something that one analyst (or team of analysts) has come up with as where they think a business should go. It may or may not have basis in fact, but at this point, it is all pure speculation.
As an example, I could release an article that says, "According to the opinion of an analyst (me), Exxon could reduce the price of gasoline to $20 USD per barrel. I predict that this move will increase the companys market share, and force BP, Shell, and Texaco to do the same."
Same thing - with the same kind of result. There was a lot of speculation when the 360 came out that Microsoft would reduce the price of the Xbox to $99. Didn't happen, did it? Then there was speculation that Sony would cut their price at 360 launch to get more sales. Didn't happen, did it?
For that matter, there's this whole set of paragraphs from the original article - and notice the phrasing, with MY comments in -
"A Sony price cut would likely be matched immediately by Microsoft, which would lower the price of the original Xbox. However, since that company's focus is laser focused on its next generation machine - the Xbox 360 - it could result in some interesting moves.
Traditionally, price cuts are matched. So, when Sony goes to $129, Microsoft follows (or vice versa). Microsoft, however, has greatly de-emphasized the original Xbox since the 360's launch – and, by some reports, is no longer manufacturing the original machine. If so, it doesn't have much to lose and may try to one-up Sony, in an attempt to gain its own momentum going into E3. That could, conceivably, mean a new Xbox price of $99.
"Microsoft could do something like that just to make it a little more interesting, but I have no read on what Microsoft is going to do," Sebastian told me."
In other words - based on his last statement - the guy is saying that I really don't have a clue, and I'm talking out my butt here, but because I'm being paid to be an analyst, I better make something up that sounds good.
Anyone ever try to pull this stuff on your parents? You know the result - you got nailed. Same thing here - he's trying to BS people and he really doesn't have a clue.
Next article...
Miharu @ Apr 15th 2006 10:11AM
I don't want to buy another PS2, but I know I have to since the old has been broken since one year after I bought it. That was in 2002. Or I might just save till PS3 comes out, but for now 99€ is the max I'd pay for a new PS2. You can get a Gamecube or an Xbox for that, but it comes with a game.
slow news day @ Apr 15th 2006 10:29AM
129 or 99 would be interesting, but there's no motivation for Sony to lower the price if the console is selling well. Why make less money when you don't have to? That price drop should occur when the PS3 is introduced.
As for my own experience...
I wish my original PS2 lasted this long. I've owned 2 now, the first of which was purchased on launch day. Used practically every day for games or movies, the drive finally just stopped working. And when I discovered the repair cost was not much different than the purchase cost of a new system, I opted to purchase a replacement system.
Eirik @ Apr 15th 2006 10:44AM
Just want to add that no one I know(including myself) have never had to repurchaise(spelling) a PS2. one of my friends had the disk read error problem, but sony(SCEE) told him to send it to them and they fixed it. for free, btw, if there was any question about that.
Matt @ Apr 15th 2006 11:00AM
epobirs:
Just because you got lucky with your five and a half year old PS2 still working does not mean this is true for everybody. Almost every customer I sell a PS2 to these days had one that failed (mostly due to the Disk Read Error, few from anything else), and we're talking dozens of purchased PS2's.
The fact is, a large number of PS2's (it's estimated at 50%) have failed, and that's how Sony has sold 100 Million of them: they sell them to people whos' systems have died, instead of repairing them for free (which is what they should've done).
The Playstation 2 class action lawsuit website can be found here: http://www.ps2settlement.com/Index.htm
You may commence being a shameless, "omg I need to buy a PS or I will die" Playstation and/or Sony fanboy, or whatever it is you propose you are, now. ;)
Mut @ Apr 15th 2006 11:57AM
They are lowing cost before releasing PS3. Gossips
Nick @ Apr 15th 2006 12:11PM
I think they should raise the price of the PS2 to $299.99 so that when the PS3 drops, that price point doesn't seem so extraordinary. :D
boots (former bd (former b)) @ Apr 15th 2006 12:21PM
"The fact is, a large number of PS2's (it's estimated at 50%)"
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Yeah right... And you call "epobirs" a fanboy? Please... He has 13 stars, I don't know if you noticed.
For your information, my PS2 has also been working perfectly since 2000. The only "disc-read errors" I've ever gotten either went away... why? The disc was dusty, or the disc simply was scratched (that's what happens when you buy used games at EBGames).
People are usually morons that don't know how to properly use a console. I've never had problems with my Nintendo nor my Sony consoles.
On the other hand, maybe your information is credible, given the fact that more than 70% of Xboxes is/was defective (14 million had to get replacement on some part, and that's not even counting the faulty drives, like the Thomson ones for example). It doesn't matter if service/replacement was better/free, that's another issue. But the most defective console this generation was Xbox.
Just by personal experience, everyone I know that had an Xbox has had to repair it at least once, while in contrast, of all the PS2 users (Which are evidently more), I've only met one that had his PS2 fail. With the gamecube, of the few owners I know, none has had to repair it.
On a final note, why do you think that cross-platform games in the States sell around twice on PS2 than on Xbox? Yeah, I'm sure that it has nothing to do with the fact that there are around 33+ million PS2s sold in America and 15+ million Xboxes.
idioteraser @ Apr 15th 2006 12:28PM
Yes a settlement does show Sony knows they have a problem. Settling it out of court hurts them far less then taking them to court. There they would have been forced to show a lot of corprate data they keep secret on actual sales numbers studies etc.
Nintendo releases their sold numbers. Not sold to retailers like Sony does.
Those 100 million PS2s are warehouse, replacements due to faulty units, units sitting on store shelves, units lost in shipping, or stolen from warehouses.
If Nintendo stated their shipped numbers you would see a lot higher for the gamecube.
The companies do know how many are sold to customers. It's part of the damn sales data they have.
Charging half the price to repair your unit is real sucky. Especially when the error was in the prior version.
Sony has been accused of making their products shoddy so they fail right after the warranty expires. Accussed by major league people in the gaming industry btw.
The ps2 is poorly made a ten pound object breaks it. You can drop kick a nintendo console and it will still work but a ps2 stops working.
Yes people when enraged at their games throw their controllers and kick their consoles it is very common.
The ps2 breaks in these circumstances.
epobirs @ Apr 15th 2006 1:03PM
#26
Class action lawsuits are all too often proof solely of lawyers getting very wealthy and nothing more. Take a look at the details of the Toshiba Floppy Drive Controller suit sometime. It cost Toshiba $2 Billion for a problem that was never demonstrated to occur in real world conditions. In fact, the problem had only ever been observed by some IBM engineers working on OS/2 and creating some extremely improbable conditions.
Once the case had been settled though, everybody who had ever sent Toshiba a warranty card on a laptop or PC containing the controller chip (copied from an NEC part) was invited to apply for free goodies.
Under the settlement of the PS2 suit, all a person had to do was SAY they'd had some disc read errors and they could get a check for $25 or even a free game from a list if they fulfilled a few requirements. So a bunch of people were told they could hit up a massive corporation for a little cash if they'd just lie a little. Bet there was a massive outbreak of honesty when that notice came in the mail. I might have been tempted myself but never got around to seriously thinking it over until too late but the notice they sent in the mail kept turning up on my desk for a while. Other settlements don't require any action on the non-participants' part. I have a Toys R Us Visa that I consolidate most of my monthly bills and purchases upon. (I have little use for frequent flyer miles since most of my travel is covered by the client even if I hang around after to play tourist.) The kickback, especially for a regular buyer of video games, is better than any other offer I've received, although the AAA gas purchase kickback is creeping closer. Anyways, somebody got upset about the way the point systems worked in some situation that never applied to me and got some lawyers involved. The lawyers got a nice pile of money and people like me, who'd never had a complaint, received TRU coupons in the mail for $10 off a purchase of $25 or more.
I'll get some use from the coupon but really, this was about making some lawyers rich.
Between bigger contracts I do freelance IT work that often takes me into home offices. I see how people treat their hardware and it comes as no surprise to me when it fails. A console left in a location where it cooks itself or gets frequently kicked by passing feet will do that. Through in a permanent haze of cigarette smoke and the destructive environment is complete. On top of this the users treat their discs like indestructible coasters. Surprise! Stuff stops working! Because the idiots broke it!
Are some PS2s defective? Sure. It would be amazing if a small percentage wasn't across the vast number produced. But far too many consumers have demonstrated they cannot be trusted with anything more sensitive than an SNES. The idea that Sony or Microsoft had anywhere remotely near a 50% defect rate is an inducement to laughter. It would be the headline above the fold in every major paper's business section, rather than a two paragraph item on page 2.
Phil @ Apr 15th 2006 1:36PM
I bought my PS2 in 2001 and it still works perfectly fine, never had any problems with it except one movie (Black Robe) which would not play. Same thing for my PS1. And my controllers are also still perfectly fine.
I do know of a few people who's PS2 are not in a top condition, but they bought it on day one and even then the only thing that doesn't work anymore is movie playback.
I DO know tho that a lot of people sold their PS2s at some point only to buy it again when the prices were lower, but really the PS2 has been a huge seller, so I would not be suprised that there would be around 50 to 60 million households with a PS2.
ron @ Apr 15th 2006 2:07PM
Why is it just going to be $129 now thats retarded, it should have been $99 a year ago, the thing has less than 300mhz!!!!!!!! I have seen pdas with more power than that.
marco @ Apr 15th 2006 2:24PM
Only 20 bucks, that's no big deal if one really thinks about it. The ps2 is over 5yrs old now. If the price was truly "slashed" to say $99, then you would really have something to write about imo.
Rare Hare @ Apr 15th 2006 2:29PM
" My step brother's PS2 was purchased on launch, it lasted about 1 year before going DOA, he purchased a replacement."
not to be a stickler for stupidity, but it's pretty amazing that your PS2 worked for a year while DOA. what, did just pretending to play the games satisfy him for a while?
look, man.. PS2's breaking is a result of the owners not knowing how to take care of them. and if they do know, not doing it.
it's electronic equipment. it's fragile. don't drop it, kick it, drop anything ONTO it, bang it against anything for any reason.. be careful with it.
if you get a disc read error (which seems to be the complaint about 90% of the time) simply take the console apart and clean the lens and surrounding area with compressed air. dust is the problem. either that or a scratched disc is at fault. (not that contact from your fingers when the PS2 is open should remain minimal.. touch the wrong thing inside it and you really can kill it).
clean the vents regularly with compressed air, don't spil anything on it.. you know, the usual stuff. electronics don't take care of themselves.
i've had my PS2 for several years, and i got it off of ebay.. so it had already gone through the use of one child.
just take care of it, and don't blame sony for your thickness.
epobirs @ Apr 15th 2006 2:47PM
#35
Are shopping for the game library or the MHz?
After a certain amount of time has passed, the value of a console is measured by what games it offers, not its potential measured in benchmarks.
phipscube @ Apr 15th 2006 3:37PM
The release of Shadow of the Colossus has caused my Xbox360 to grow a layer of dust. Not saying I don't like my new toy, but the games for PS2 just seem better of late. Geometry Wars is the only reason I really bought an Xbox360. I'm honestly not interestred in a single retail game at the mo for it (I bought PGR3 at launch but quickly got bored and started comparing it to GT3... GT3 actually craps on it even though its so old). My next Purchase's are for PS2 also... Guitar Hero and soon after, Singstar Rocks for my Girlfriend.
PS2 just simply has the best games available.
Probot @ Apr 15th 2006 4:00PM
"Class action lawsuits are all too often proof solely of lawyers getting very wealthy and nothing more. "
No, the vast majority of class action lawsuits are on the level, but because of over-exagerration of the fraudulent ones, most people place the company as the victim.
Look at the Xbox 360 lawsuit. Someone sued Microsoft on claims that the console was defective. Because MS knew they did nothing wrong, they merely shrugged it off.
"A console left in a location where it cooks itself or gets frequently kicked by passing feet will do that. Through in a permanent haze of cigarette smoke and the destructive environment is complete."
You mean like in real world situations? It's not unreasonable to expect one's electronic equipment to work without having to rearrange one's lifestyle. If an engineer doesn't design a product to be used everyday in a real world environment (where minor damage is common) it's not the consumer's fault; it's bad design.
Lee @ Apr 15th 2006 4:11PM
Probot, when spending a couple of hundred dollars or more on a piece of hardware, I'm not too inclined to leave it on the floor where people walk, keep it in a room with a chain-smoking relative, or plug in right next to my radiator.
Games/consoles have been coming with these warnings for years, because one has a few batches with faulty lasers that are sensitive to these cases of misuse, the company should be sued?
Matt @ Apr 15th 2006 6:14PM
31:
I spend twenty-five plus hours a week in retail with these units... how many do you spend? Considering the vast majority of defective systems (seen or heard of through customers or our own experience) have been Playstation 2's, and also considering that a large customer base provides better sampling than you and your proportedly skewed view on the world, I would say it's a safe bet to assume the Playstation 2 quite a defective pile of crap.
Not only this, but the fact that the Slim version has the exact same list of laser-related issues calls into focus the fact that not only has Sony sold almost expectedly defective units for almost six years, but they have yet to change this, even on newer revisions of the system, or altogether different models.
Brandon @ Apr 15th 2006 6:18PM
I have never met anyone who didn't go through at least 2 or 3 ps2's because there made like sh*t. I went through three myself. If MS told you to take teh xbox 360 apart and clean it, like someone above me mentioned, every sony fanboy would blow a load in there pants and say what a shi**y company ms is and how terrible the Xbox is, the hypocracy is unbelievable. I own every system from the atari up, they all ahve good games, and things wrong with them, it doesnt hurt to admit it, or make you love sony or nintendo or ms less.
Matt @ Apr 15th 2006 7:11PM
Exactly, Brandon. It reminds me of this regular of ours... she hates Microsoft and the Xbox, and when you ask her why, she says "just because", and then you point out the laser issues of the Playstation 2, a console she happens to love, and she vehemently denies the issue's existance. It's funny what pure hatred and fanboyism does to a person's judgement.
For the record, I own a Playstation One, a Nintendo 64, a Playstation 2, Xbox, GamCube, GBA SP, Nintendo DS, and I used to own a PSP. I sold the PSP, however, as I literally played the few games I felt were good for the system and got bored with it. I've also owned every console before the ones in my list, but don't feel the need to run that gamut. My point was that I own everything and do not prefer one over the other. I suppose working at a video game store, you can't have a narrow-minded, fanboy view. At least, not if you want to keep your job.
Rare Hare @ Apr 15th 2006 7:23PM
um, matt? shall we bring up all the disc read errors with the Xbox?
because microsoft is inconsistent with the parts they use to build their consoles, the Xbox comes with one of THREE different DVD drives.
one or two of the three of thsoie brands makes many games unplayable. that's entirely microsoft's fault for lack of quality.. the disc read errors for the PS2 generally stem from lack of maintenance.
Kevin, Princess Warrior @ Apr 15th 2006 7:31PM
Yes, They've dropped their prices!!! Now I'm still not going to get one!
Pince @ Apr 15th 2006 7:37PM
If the xbox went down to 100$ I might finally consider buying one...um, a used one. It'd be nice to play Ninja Gaiden and...well thats all I really want to play I guess. Sure, the used ones will probably be like only 10 or 20$ less, but thats still a really good price. And giving my money to Microsoft for the purchase of an Xbox leaves a bad taste in my mouth. *shudder* Personal thing, don't ask. Point is, price drops are my best friend, so here's hoping that such a drop happens.