Grading current-generation game platforms
by Blake Snow 
{ Jun 21st 2006 at 7:55PM }
Chris Morris from CNN/Money has taken it upon himself to grade the current-generation game systems. While speaking to the PS2 regarding its "A" grade, Chris writes: "I am attaching a note for your parent Sony, though, because I'm becoming more and more concerned about your attitude. You've become increasingly arrogant this term and you're starting to alienate people."The grades, according to Professor Morris, are as follows:
- PlayStation 2: A
- Xbox: B-
- GameCube: D
- Game Boy Advance: A
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
sigloiv @ Jun 21st 2006 8:00PM
For something on CNN Money, I'd say this guy is dead wrong. I mean, I don't mean to be a Ninty fanboy, but Nintendo was making way more profits than anyone else. That doesn't mean they had the lowest market share. It means that they made profits while Microsft never made a penny.
lionzub @ Jun 21st 2006 8:01PM
I think those grades are fair. I would give Xbox a C+ though.
PS2 and GBA definitely should get A grades, they are the best systems of that generation.
Jaunty @ Jun 21st 2006 8:03PM
Even though I am considered a Fan Boy of Nintendo's I'd have to agree with the 'grade' it recieved. By far my least favorite Nitnendo console. When I have to buy another system to feed my gaming hunger, especially both a ps1 and ps2, thats not a good sign. I need games! ::raises glass:: Here's to Wii!
elmer @ Jun 21st 2006 8:03PM
I'd like to see a rating of Dreamcast please! It was after all from the current generation. If Gamecube deserves a D then DC surely deserves an F. Despite this, many treasure it as a favourite.
KrazyIan @ Jun 21st 2006 8:04PM
Nintendo made a profit on the gamecube per unit, while also selling far more games per console compared to the xbox. While they could have done better, I think a D is a bit harsh.
Randall @ Jun 21st 2006 8:04PM
BLAKE SNOW SUCKS! I CANT BELIEVE YOU SADE GAMECUUBE WAS TEH D!!1!11ONE!!11
Ahem....
Yeah, pretty accurate ratings. As long as you're not a commie.
Blake! Submit some stories to Netscape yo!
Later,
Randall
elmer @ Jun 21st 2006 8:07PM
Furthermore, I'd like to declare that the generation isn't over.
Zelda may very well be GC's "Halo 2" and could very well tip the balance. Infact, Xbox's so called "2nd place" position is hardly solid.
Cage @ Jun 21st 2006 8:10PM
Posters need to understand the Xbox was a BRAND NEW system. Unless there is no competition (NES), or very little (PSone), the odds are that you will lose money. The Xbox put a new standard to consoles. It had better graphics, a harddrive, and of course Live. With Nintendo...the games, colors, and style seemed to be solely designed to children.
boots @ Jun 21st 2006 8:11PM
PS2: A (Most exclusives that are great)
GC: C+ (Some exclusives that are great)
GBA: A- (Huge library of games, too bad early users got screwed)
Xbox: F+ (You can't get Halo CE on it, which is the best Halo ever; the other few good "exclusive" games can be found on PC and get a better experience on it... only Ninja gaiden gives it that "plus" next to the F)
DS: A (Same as PS2, only cheaper)
PSP: D (Önly FF7:CC seems to save this junk)
Xbox 360: C- (It needs a killer App, such as SF2, Gears of War, Lost Planet, Blue Dragon or Lost Oddyssey)
Predictions:
Xbox 360: B- (More games, such as the ones I mentioned, Killer Instinct, Golden Eye, Banjo, Blast Corps, but its lack of japanese games compared to the PS2 will not make it live up to the current hype)
Wii: AAA+++ (you know why)
PS3: B- (Will be great, but competition will make it not be as great as PS2 has been all these years)
Ipod fanboy @ Jun 21st 2006 8:17PM
Gamecube did not deserve a D if anything a C- while the xbox should have a C+. Gamecube was not a bad console at all if anything it was on par with the xbox graphically and the controller was very comfortbal even though it alienated many casuals. HOw can a console with millions of DRE problems get a fucking A. Cnn is like mtv both cable networks give ninteno bad rapsheets about nintendos home console. Like MTV CNN praised the ps3 for being the most innovative console and shunned the nintendo wii and xbox360 on both consoles upcoming games interface wii controler etc. I guess CNN is just trying to appeal to the mainstream of course people that play playstation watch CNN. But any fuck CNN there just as worse as fox world news with bill Oriely. Mainstream americans love the ps2 to bad the same wont be said about the ps3 when mainstream Americans find out about the consoles500 & 600 dollar price tags. After next year CNN will sucking on the Wii for a longtime and im looking at you Paula Zahn.
Sabre @ Jun 21st 2006 8:17PM
A 'D' for the Gamecube? pfft. I agree with #5 (KrazyIan)...a 'D' is a bit harsh. I would have given them maybe a C or C+. Plus considering that the numbers (if they are correct) 23m (xbox) vs. 21m (cube) are not even remotely close to be "horrible."
It also doesn't matter that the Xbox is a new system either. This isn't comparing what system is better b/c it is newer or which company has better experience. This is comparing how they did in THIS generation.
William @ Jun 21st 2006 8:26PM
Wow what a complete idiot! On the picture is says innovate, well that made sense!
THE PS2- TONS OF GAMES, few of them worth getting.
THE XBOX- A BIT OF GAMES, few of them worth getting.
THE GAMECUBE- VERY FEW GAMES, quite a bit of them worth getting.
THE GAMEBOY ADVANCE- MANY GAMES, a lot of them worth getting.
PS2- B
XBOX- B-
GAMECUBE- B+/A-
GAMEBOY ADVANCE- A
(All of this is in regards strictly to gaming. Truly, if all these systems were made by the same company, my analysis might be close to correct, but we have freakin fanboys whose own absurdities block any rational comprehension)
elmer @ Jun 21st 2006 8:27PM
@ Cage
Let's look back through some histroy of first financially serious forays into videogame hardware:
Nintendo entered with NES: 70 million sold
Sega (properly)entered with Genesis: 30-40 million sold
Sony entered with PS1: 100 million sold
Microsoft entered with Xbox: 23 million sold
Now there are caveats to this list: there were other entrants besides; these combatants had made other moves earlier etc. However, each one of these machines was largely profitable and responsible for expanding the industry in terms of both player base and 3rd party development. With the exception of Xbox. Given the investment, I'd say it was one of the worst console entrances in history.
Now let's look at the struggle: NES basically rebuilt the industry from the ashes. Genesis actually competed against an utterly dominant Nintendo. Sony convinced the world gaming was cool (also injured a not so helpless Nintendo and sucker punched Sega on the side).
As for the pioneering features: The hard drive was barely used in any inspiring way (why can I still not create my own games on my console) - hence why its standard support was dropped for 360. Live made virtually no impact on reality (10% of Xbox gamers, representing about 1.4% of all gamers) and better graphics.. well that's the eternal argument isn't it. Some say it did little to serve the N64. Or the PSP for that matter. The willy waving continues..
Zacky V @ Jun 21st 2006 8:30PM
Wtf is this guy on crack? The Xbox was clearly the better of the 4, and he gives it a B! Microsoft gave us Xbox Live and for the 1st time we had a major online service for video game consoles and it totally changed gaming. And he should of gave the Gamecube at least a C because I really dont think it deserves a D
Greg @ Jun 21st 2006 8:36PM
Are you kidding.....GC should've gotten an F they failed to who it matters most the Gamers! I could give a rats ass who made a profit, or what wall street said... ive had all the nintendo and even though psx wipe its ass with 64 it still kinda held it own....GC. Now if you starting with Nes you should be in your 20's Gc was a slap in the face Purple.....WTF....purple....and the controller was worse than the 64 the d-pad was useless. 1 big ass A button. it looked like it was designed for "special" kids...seriously they failed....take out 1st party and you got nothing with nintendo...at some point mario zeldo etc etc will be like street racing games everyone will be sick of them (i luv NFS) Then the fact GC got games soooo late. xbox deserved what it got even though halo wasnt the only killer PGR2 took xbox live to the next level, mechassault did too...the you have forza. crimson skies, the list goes on. I gotta admit I hated them at 1st with that big ass controller i was a sony fanbay 4 life then my ps2 start giving errors and MS dropped the controller s. Damn i remember the time i got on xboxlive i bussed on myself like 4 times....lol
burn23 @ Jun 21st 2006 8:39PM
not reading any other posts, and only my opinion... I still own and play more Gamecube games then xbox, or the ps2 games that are in the same drawer.
I cant really take the last 5 minutes of the day to outline my entire history of games i've purchased for each system, but i've owned a significant portion of each systems game library. I've finished and NOT finished more ps2 and xbox games then gamecube games. Granted, ive purchesed a lot of gamecube games that sucked, but I've also played through and replayed more games that have been made for the gamecube then on the ps2. I think the only few games I still play on the noncube are GranTurismo 4, Halo2, the Warriors, and my various star wars games. Everything else, once complete (or just frusterated with how aweful it was) I got rid of them. I still have about 80 % of the cube games I bought because overall, they're a lot more fun, and they've got a lot of replay value despite not being online. And no, they're not all mario party games.
just my .02$
jOEfRO @ Jun 21st 2006 8:44PM
PS2=B-
XBOX=B
GAMECUBE=C+
GBA=A
PS2 had good 1st party titles and thats about it, it had a few good third party titles but most could be found on pc and xbox or gamecube. And Sony trying to do online gaming is like trying to run a mac program on windows.
XBOX was an all around good console, with a very innovative online functionality that killed Sony's online ps2, though xbox lacked really any japanese support, microsoft delivered on many many good first party EXCLUSIVE titles THAT ARE NOT ON PC! The xbox also lacked much third party support, though it had more than gamecube, ps2 killed both of them there.
GAMECUBE had lots of potential, if nintendo would of had online gameplay for gamecube they could of easily been number two, but nintendo had to learn from their own mistake and i think they will correct it with Wii, and as for "Zelda being Gamecube's Halo 2" it aint happening, most ppl i know have sold their gamecube's and plan to buy a Wii with Zelda.
GBA its a great handheld that cant be beat.
Cage @ Jun 21st 2006 8:45PM
"Furthermore, I'd like to declare that the generation isn't over."
Its over. MS has had a new console out for the past year if you havent noticed. Nintendo has also made a console called "Wii"
cringer8 @ Jun 21st 2006 8:48PM
I think if you're going to judge the quality of a system, its lifespan needs to be taken into account. If you add that into this imaginary grading system, the scores would be more like:
PS2: B-
Xbox: B+
GC: B+
GBA: A-
I don't think the PS2 should get an "A" because it had the weakest graphics of the three consoles and a lifespan of about 2-3 years. Popularity doesn't equal quality (N'Sync is a perfect example of that).
ea @ Jun 21st 2006 8:49PM
About right. I would have give the xbox a C.
Jay @ Jun 21st 2006 8:49PM
Know whats funny? Nintendo's little Cube managed 3rd place with just a margin short of 2nd. yet Nintendo had no advertisements, no online play, an implanted image of it being a kiddy system. yet it sold so well despite those flaws. Amazing really. if Nintendo hit against those negative aspects they would have well been further up the ladder. Maybe first? who can say.
Nintendo did so well when you look at how they didn't really focus on the Cube. A little like what they're doing with the Wii, which seemingly can't set a foot wrong at the moment. We're also hearing that no game, not even Twilight Princess, is pushing the Cube to it's limits.
It's such an unusual machine. Nintendo are such a strange company. Just think if they actually pushed the Cube in terms of power and advertising and added a more powerful online system. This could have been a ground breaking console. instead it's just a mediocre one (still my preferred machine, the PS2 lineup was dire and Xbox survived in my home just through the media centre).
J. @ Jun 21st 2006 8:55PM
What world are you living in, cringer8? The Xbox has/had the shortest lifespan of them all, considering it came out last and was replaced by the 360 first. The PS2 still sells the most, despite its "weakest graphics." And while there's at least one flagship (sunset) title due for the 'Cube, Zelda, Xbox support has all but been dropped completely.
MetaHuman @ Jun 21st 2006 8:55PM
Gaming must be heavenly these days because I got 50 games for a 'D' console and all of which I love very much. :)
If I had either competitor system there would be only maybe 12 games each that I would buy. *shrugs*
Fitsimmons @ Jun 21st 2006 8:55PM
I don't really care what grades he gave them. What bothers me is that the criteria for grading varied based on each consoles perceived strenght and weakness which is silly. It would be better if each console got a grade in categories like:
Sales/marketshare
Exclusives/Million seller games
Hardware features/reliability
Controller
User satisfaction
Creativity/Innovation
Etc
And than an average could be taken.
Instead he just commented a bit on each one and gave a grade that seems clearly to mirror current market dominance.
Personally, I would grade them as follows.
PS2 B+ (+most/diverse titles)(-unreliable hardware)
Cube B- (-best/funnest gameplay)(-smaller software selection/gay looking purple console)
Xbox C+ (+Online Gaming/graphics)(-few great exclusives/giant noisy gay looking console)
elmer @ Jun 21st 2006 8:59PM
@Cage again
When the PS2 continues to outsell the Xbox360 in its American homeland (let alone every other region in the world) I'd say there's still a lot of consumers interested in the current generation. PS2 and GC will continue to sell, while Dreamcast and Xbox will not if only for the simple fact that the former are still manufactured, while the latter aren't.
Poor people like games too.
cringer8 @ Jun 21st 2006 9:01PM
One more thing...this guy calls the Gamecube "Miss Gamecube." This shows his bias right out of the gate. He graded the Gamecube on looks alone. He acts like "purple" was the only color choice at launch. What a buffoon. I doubt he's even played ANY of these systems.
Also, Nintendo DID have an online option. There just wasn't a demand from their consumers to continue with it.
Arrrg, what a misinformed shmuck.
Johnny M @ Jun 21st 2006 9:02PM
I would change the GBA to a B for the horrible games coming out the last 2 years and would give the GC a C and the PS2 B maybe the Xbox a B+
man such fanboyism here
cringer8 @ Jun 21st 2006 9:03PM
@J.
I was referring to the physical lifespan of the actual console. PS2's die quickly. That's not cool.
Kent Houseman @ Jun 21st 2006 9:07PM
William you are hurting the Gamecube's case for a better grade. I have one and loved it. But they dropped the ball on getting games on it. There weren't that many when you think of how long the system was out.
SetupWeasel @ Jun 21st 2006 9:08PM
Here you go:
PS2: B
Xbox: C+ (very few quality exclusive games, those with a PC could play most of the best. XBOX live good, but what do people play on it other than Halo 2?)
GC: B- (Saved by some of the best games Nintendo ever made, no one bought this system for its image)
GBA: B (too much crap to give an A)
DS: A
PSP: C/C- (dont have ipod/ have ipod)
No one gets an A but the DS. The GC gets a bad rap by the casual hardcore, but Nintendo did some of their best work ever on that system. You may disagree, but a Nintendo console is always worth the price for Nintendo games. Namco gave me a reason to buy a PS2. No one gave me a reason to buy a XBOX.
Robotic House Plant @ Jun 21st 2006 9:18PM
Regarding the PS2 outselling the 360, there's two reports for April, one saying the 360 outsold the PS2 and another saying the PS2 outsold the 360. Honestly, I don't know which to believe.
http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2006/05/17/april-bodes-well-for-xbox-360/
I do know one thing though, the 360 was scarcely available in April, as I was trying to locate one. It wasn't until May that my local store had any available. So to tally sales when you can't find the darn thing, and then use that to compare against others isn't painting a true picture. I'd say sales for May or June though should be a better indicator.
Regarding the "ratings" from CNN, I know I personally disagree with their assessment, but really now... when was CNN ever a legitimate authority on gaming?! Has anyone ever bought a console or game because CNN liked it?
ipodfanboy @ Jun 21st 2006 9:24PM
^^^^^^^^^ yea the ps2, to bad the same wont be said about the ps3 when CNN Finally Unviels the price of the ps3 to mainstream consumers. 600 dollars.
elmer @ Jun 21st 2006 9:29PM
Robotic House Plant
As far as I heard, NPD reported 360 outselling PS2 in April (round about when MS resolved manufacturing issues and put more on shelves) and NPD reported PS2 outsold 360 in May (presumably because the pent up demand for unavailable 360s had finally been satiated). Moreover, 360 sales for May were down on April, implying that unless MS ran into more manufacturing difficulties (the length of which is now so significant that demand is rendered moot), the system is no longer selling out; thus the figures are painting a real picture.
Nintendo's King @ Jun 21st 2006 9:50PM
NGC (C-)
PS2 (A)
XBox (B-)
XBox360 (B+)
Nintendo Wii (A)
PS3 (B+)
PSP (B-)
(Nintendo's) GBA/GBASP/GBMicro (B+)
Nintendo DS (B+)
Nintendo DS Lite (A)
Nik @ Jun 21st 2006 9:52PM
Wow..... to me this looks like CNN looked around a couple websites, opened a few magazines and decided "LOOK! we've developed an opinion!"
Honestly I couldnt give a damn what anybody thinks about who beat who. I've played all 3 and all 3 have delivered equally enjoyable gaming experiences. Same will go for the next generation. Why do we need to call it a console war? All three systems are here to stay and if the entire industry would just accept that it would be a much more entertaining medium. If I look at how much I've enjoyed all the consoles in the past 5 years, here's how my rankings go.
PS2: A+
XBOX: A+
GAMECUBE:A+
student @ Jun 21st 2006 9:58PM
PS2 - B+ ... I blame this on the hard drive. Putting out a product, promising future stuff with it and then pretending it doesn't exist is not a cool move. The games were nice though, well done.
Xbox - B- ... Ushering in online mode was huge and probably key to the great online functionality of the next generation. Unfortunately, most of their "exclusives" were also put out on the computer making the console expendable.
Gamecube - B-/C+ ... He seemed to ignore the fact that nintendo put some really solid games out on the gamecube. Metroid Prime 1/2, Pikmin 1/2, Mario Sunshine, Smash Brothers, the whole sports line up, Baten Kaitos, Tales of Symphonia, Eternal Darkness, resi 4... there were some nice titles to be had. Sure they ignored online play but I don't think that's worth a D.
[-Z-] @ Jun 21st 2006 9:59PM
I dont like the dude who can predict the future and expect us to know why already??? It shows nothing much fanboyish.
Anyway here's my 5cents..
PS2: A+
XBOX: B-
GameCube: C-
GBA: A+
Midterm Standing, let's see what they do in final
PSP: C
DS/DS LITE: A-
Garriq @ Jun 21st 2006 10:19PM
Man...you guys are all nuts. The Gamecube is a gamer's system. I bought it on launch and used it drastically more than any of my other systems. Almost all of the first party titles on it were good.
Gamecube: A+
Xbox: B+ (not too many good games lately)
Playstation 2: C
And then the newbies...
DS: A+ (all first party games are awesome)
PSP: D- (I played mine like...twice?)
Xbox 360: B (no killer app...yet.)
Drew @ Jun 21st 2006 10:20PM
I admit I am a nintendo fan but I own/have owned all the last/current gen systems and the 360 (next gen or current gen + HD?) . I have to agree with the GameCube should of got a higher rating sentiment. Sure the GameCube didn't have online and didn't have the most games. But a lot of the games released were great. I actually go back and play my GC games versus selling them immediately like my Xbox and PS2 games. What good is having a ton of games if most of them are garbage?
For me Live wasn't worth the hassle of dealing with immature people (team-kills suck) and 6 year olds calling me any number of racial slurs. So what should of been a great experience was soured by the users. *I've had a much better experience with live on the 360, only complaint is lag. I guess $300-$400 is too steep for 6 year olds*.
And what's with people complaining about the shape and color of the console. OMG its a cube, that must mean it can't play video games! OMG PS2 and Xbox are practically rectangles, that must mean they can play video games better. RECTANGLE > CUBE. OMG its purple, its for kids. Okay go and get a black one or the silver one.
There may be reasons to not buy a GameCube but come on, if you didn't buy one because it was a cube and one of the color choices was purple, you picked the wrong reason to not buy one.
Covarr @ Jun 21st 2006 10:21PM
I am a HUGE Nintendo fanboy, I'll admit it, but I'll try to be fair about this. Note that I'm only grading a system based on exclusives, because multiplatform games often sell better for one system then another, or vice versa.
PS2: A. It had a ton of good exclusives, especially RPGs.
XBOX: C. It had Halo, Halo 2, and Fusion Frenzy.
GCN: C+. It had less games than the XBOX, but more good exclusives, such as SSBM, MP, MP2, Game Boy Player, Wind Waker, etc. Still not as many as the PS2.
The XBOX also had a really bad start, basically F material until the XBOX S controller was released.
Slashbunny @ Jun 21st 2006 10:34PM
* PlayStation 2: A
* Xbox: D
* GameCube: B-
* Game Boy Advance: B+
How you could rank Xbox over GC is beyond my comprehension. For what? Halo, lame PC ports/multi-platform games, and terrible yearly sports games? How many games were "must-play" and Xbox only? How many on the GameCube? To me, it's not even a contest.
Money-wise it has been done to death about how poorly the Xbox did. The only thing perhaps it did better in was brand recognition. I think "Xbox" may be used more often to refer to a game console than "GameCube" is.
LongshotX @ Jun 21st 2006 10:59PM
Here are my Grades:
The PS2 deserves an A. It had a strong library of games from 1st party and 3rd party developers such as EA, 2k sports, Square, Activision, Namco, Ubisoft, Konami, Capcom, and the list goes on. Add to the fact they had more exclusive titles than either the Xbox or the Gamecube then it's no reason it was a successful sophomore run in the console business. No third party company turned away from the system, and as inferior as the PS2 was, 3rd parties did not mind making games for it. Furthermore, when DVD players were expensive Sony ushered in the format to use as an optical storage medium for larger games and also so consumers could watch DVDs out of the box. At a time when DVD players were $500 dollars, at $299 the Sony Playstation was an incredible bargain. It also had backward compatibility for original Playstation titles. While it isn't too much of a big deal for consumers now, back then it helped customers who had already PSone games tide the time until more launch titles came out and also if the customer just wanted to play an old game they could easily do so with no problem. Sony ventured into the online arena when it released the mildly successful Network Adapter eventually bundling with future systems and ATV Offroad Fury. More success followed when they completely redesigned the system and introduced the PS2 slim. The new slim version included network ports and was hugely popular. To this day the PS2 is still going strong with titles such as Kingdom Hearts (recently released), FF12, and God of War 2 on their way to top of the highly successful run of the PS2.
I'd give the Gamecube a D as well. To begin with the Gamecube had no media capabilities. The Nintendo GameCube used a unique storage medium, the GameCube Optical Disc, a proprietary format based on Matsushita's optical-disc technology, which only held a maximum of 1.5 GBs worth of data. The Gamecube could not playback DVDs or even CDs. Lack of DVD did not garner mass appeal. Ports also had to be scaled down because of lack of space. Also the DVD variant of the Gamecube manufactured by Panasonic surprisingly did not make it to the states. Although it was graphically superior in visuals and sound the Gamecube just could not gain mass appeal like its competitors. The controller along with the appearance of the system itself also alienated mature audiences as they were brightly colored and seemingly childish looking. In addition, Nintendo had the attitude that online gaming was unnecessary, they did not support it or promote it as heavily as Microsoft or Sony instead they focused on GBA to Gamecube connectivity. Even though the intentions of the Gamecube were to gain market share previously held by earlier consoles they failed because their games were most often targeted toward a younger audience. There games were saturated with great first party titles starring familiar franchises as well as new ones but the Gamecube trailed in having more mature third party games. This move alienated mature audiences and they look elsewhere for titles such as Halo and the GTA series. Their lack of online support and the size limitations of the Gamecube disks alienated many third parties. Lastly many studios stopped developing for the system because of size limitations and general lack of interest from the Gamecube fanbase.
Xbox deserves a B- as said above. It was Microsoft first foray in the console, it being a sixth generation system. The Xbox was the most powerful system of the previous generation, sporting superior visual and audio quality; sporting a top of the line GeForce 3 equivalent graphics processor, a built-in Ethernet adapter, and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound in hardware. It also played DVD s with a separate DVD remote playback kit. The idea to not include DVD playback out of the box can be debated on whether it was a smart move or not. However it did lower the initial cost of the system as well as save on licensing fees. The system also included media playback and a Hard drive for ripping songs, saving game data, and lessening load times. First party support was also strong with the Xbox including the critically acclaiming and best game of the year Halo, NFL Fever 2002, Project Gotham Racing and Dead or Alive 3. Third party support was also noteworthy, and much more than the Gamecube but less than the PS2. Even so, many of the games from third parties failed to take advantage of the superior hardware of the Xbox, developers instead deciding to use the lowest common denominator, and port the games from the PS2. Several critically acclaimed games as well as an influx of support from third parties later on such as Ninja Gaiden, Splinter Cell series, Doom 3, Half Life 2, Psyconauts etc and the end of GTA exclusivity also helped the system. The launch of Xbox live cemented the Xbox as having the best online gaming experience for consoles. By 2004 Live had over 4 million customers. Halo 2 became the highest grossing game in video game history and became the first killer app for Xbox Live. Despite this, even though it did very well in North America and Europe, the Japanese market did not take so kindly to the system citing that it lacked games that appealed to the Japanese audience and its large size. Also it is worth to note that the Xbox did lose over 1 billion dollars and it has not yet been profitable but it did garner a large and loyal fan base as well as strong brand recognition.
Hoffer @ Jun 21st 2006 11:22PM
I would swap the PS2 and GameCube grades and bump the Xbox up to at least a B+. I had all 3 consoles and rarely used my PS2. I definitely used my GC the most and also had a lot of fun with the Xbox.
GBA can stay at an A. The DS would be an A+ and my Xbox 360 is an A-.
Sabre @ Jun 21st 2006 11:24PM
"Also it is worth to note that the Xbox did lose over 1 billion dollars"
Try $4 billion...not $1 billion.
Mark @ Jun 21st 2006 11:27PM
Of all the first time console lauanches Xbox was the worst. Xbox deserved a F.
Mark @ Jun 21st 2006 11:33PM
If Xbox live is so great then why was the Xbox smoked by the PS2 ? The Xbox live userbase was a small percentage of all the Xbox owners.
LongshotX @ Jun 21st 2006 11:35PM
Dangit! Sorry for double posting but I forgot the sources. Please someone from Joystiq. Tell me if I deserve a star this time. I researched and wrote objectively instead of just from my opinion.
Here are my Grades:
The PS2 deserves an A. It had a strong library of games from 1st party and 3rd party developers such as EA, 2k sports, Square, Activision, Namco, Ubisoft, Konami, Capcom, and the list goes on. Add to the fact they had more exclusive titles than either the Xbox or the Gamecube then it's no reason it was a successful sophomore run in the console business. No third party company turned away from the system, and as inferior as the PS2 was, 3rd parties did not mind making games for it. Furthermore, when DVD players were expensive Sony ushered in the format to use as an optical storage medium for larger games and also so consumers could watch DVDs out of the box. At a time when DVD players were $500 dollars, at $299 the Sony Playstation was an incredible bargain. It also had backward compatibility for original Playstation titles. While it isn't too much of a big deal for consumers now, back then it helped customers who had already PSone games tide the time until more launch titles came out and also if the customer just wanted to play an old game they could easily do so with no problem. Sony ventured into the online arena when it released the mildly successful Network Adapter eventually bundling with future systems and ATV Offroad Fury. More success followed when they completely redesigned the system and introduced the PS2 slim. The new slim version included network ports and was hugely popular. To this day the PS2 is still going strong with titles such as Kingdom Hearts (recently released), FF12, and God of War 2 on their way to top of the highly successful run of the PS2.
I'd give the Gamecube a D as well. To begin with the Gamecube had no media capabilities. The Nintendo GameCube used a unique storage medium, the GameCube Optical Disc, a proprietary format based on Matsushita's optical-disc technology, which only held a maximum of 1.5 GBs worth of data. The Gamecube could not playback DVDs or even CDs. Lack of DVD did not garner mass appeal. Ports also had to be scaled down because of lack of space. Also the DVD variant of the Gamecube manufactured by Panasonic surprisingly did not make it to the states. Although it was graphically superior in visuals and sound the Gamecube just could not gain mass appeal like its competitors. The controller along with the appearance of the system itself also alienated mature audiences as they were brightly colored and seemingly childish looking. In addition, Nintendo had the attitude that online gaming was unnecessary, they did not support it or promote it as heavily as Microsoft or Sony instead they focused on GBA to Gamecube connectivity. Even though the intentions of the Gamecube were to gain market share previously held by earlier consoles they failed because their games were most often targeted toward a younger audience. There games were saturated with great first party titles starring familiar franchises as well as new ones but the Gamecube trailed in having more mature third party games. This move alienated mature audiences and they look elsewhere for titles such as Halo and the GTA series. Their lack of online support and the size limitations of the Gamecube disks alienated many third parties. Lastly many studios stopped developing for the system because of size limitations and general lack of interest from the Gamecube fanbase.
Xbox deserves a B- as said above. It was Microsoft first foray in the console, it being a sixth generation system. The Xbox was the most powerful system of the previous generation, sporting superior visual and audio quality; sporting a top of the line GeForce 3 equivalent graphics processor, a built-in Ethernet adapter, and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound in hardware. It also played DVD s with a separate DVD remote playback kit. The idea to not include DVD playback out of the box can be debated on whether it was a smart move or not. However it did lower the initial cost of the system as well as save on licensing fees. The system also included media playback and a Hard drive for ripping songs, saving game data, and lessening load times. First party support was also strong with the Xbox including the critically acclaiming and best game of the year Halo, NFL Fever 2002, Project Gotham Racing and Dead or Alive 3. Third party support was also noteworthy, and much more than the Gamecube but less than the PS2. Even so, many of the games from third parties failed to take advantage of the superior hardware of the Xbox, developers instead deciding to use the lowest common denominator, and port the games from the PS2. Several critically acclaimed games as well as an influx of support from third parties later on such as Ninja Gaiden, Splinter Cell series, Doom 3, Half Life 2, Psyconauts etc and the end of GTA exclusivity also helped the system. The launch of Xbox live cemented the Xbox as having the best online gaming experience for consoles. By 2004 Live had over 4 million customers. Halo 2 became the highest grossing game in video game history and became the first killer app for Xbox Live. Despite this, even though it did very well in North America and Europe, the Japanese market did not take so kindly to the system citing that it lacked games that appealed to the Japanese audience and its large size. Also it is worth to note that the Xbox did lose over 4 billion dollars and it has not yet been profitable but it did garner a large and loyal fan base as well as strong brand recognition.
Currently, as of the end of March 2006, Nintendo has sold 20.85 million GameCube consoles compared to Sony's 100 million PlayStation 2 consoles shipped and Microsoft's 22 million Xbox units shipped.
I hope you enjoy my post.
Sources:
ign.com
Wikipedia.com
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,79504,00.asp
Nmaster @ Jun 21st 2006 11:47PM
I admit the Gamecube is disappointing, but why is it even when all 3 consoles are available to us, my friends and I always turn to Super Smash Bros?
Compared to the DS though, all those are practically failing...
Vrian Sinth @ Jun 21st 2006 11:52PM
I would first of all give the PS2 an F for being a souped up Nintendo 64. The controllers gave me carpotunnel, half he disks didn't work, no hard drive and my PS2 was a piece of junk when the system was launched. They have since improved the system, but what a joke.
The GameCube is a fun system. It has some great Star Wars titles. The controller was a big improvement over the PS2. I enjoy it from time to time when I need to vegitate.
The GBA is a great system. Much funner than the PSP in my opinion.
The Xbox by far is the superior system. Why did Microsoft lose money on it? Because they developed an awesome system using a LOT of money! Xbox live is great, the controller fits in my hands without killing them, the hard drive doesn't require a stupid memory card, a CAT5 port for system link gaming and Halo. Need I say more?
Xbox A+++
GBA A-
GameCube B+
Playstation F
WedgeTalon @ Jun 21st 2006 11:57PM
ps2: B
xbox: D
gcn: C
gba: B
ds: B
Maybe I'm just a really hard critic? Oh, and for the record...
SNES: A
GENESIS: C
Dreamcast: D
Virtual Boy: F
GameBoy: A
PS1: B
Grades based on general "zen" factor of the system, frustrations with the system itself, hit games, breadth of games, support for the sytem (eg, it wasn't abandoned), and exclusivity of gaming experience.
For example, Xbox (as with most disc systems) suffers load time problems. It has serious size and ugly problems (zen factor), had some hits, but overall 99% of the worthwhile games could (or with patience, could) be played on PS2, GCN, or PC.