Sega still publishing for PS2
by Zack Stern 
{ Dec 31st 2006 at 8:25PM }
BusinessWeek interviews Simon Jeffery, chief operating officer at Sega of America, about the console transition and gamers' plans to upgrade hardware. Jeffery offers insight into Sega's thought process; he expects the PS2 to continue to sell well for at least another year.Jeffery says that retailers have forced the GameCube and Xbox off shelves to make more room for the new hardware. However, he hasn't seen -- and doesn't anticipate -- the same fate for the PS2; the company will still release occasional PS2 games, although Jeffery says they'll be ports from the newest hardware.
Who's buying PS2s? Jeffery thinks they're secondary systems for PS3 and Xbox 360 owners, and the Wii may be competing directly with the PS2. But we wonder how many of those PS2 sales are by gamers who can't afford -- or find -- a PS3.
See also: PS2 to outsell newer consoles through next year?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
David004 @ Dec 31st 2006 8:49PM
I was in a Best Buy that had 12ish PS3s on the ground with the useless staff staring and laughing at them. No one wnats a $60 system when you can find a $100 system with 500 times more games.
huh? @ Dec 31st 2006 8:54PM
why would a ps3 owner buy a ps2 as a second console? why would anyone buy a ps2 as a second console? i guess this is why sega is so successful.
people are buying ps2 because it is cheap and has the most games. if anything wii is poised to take the ps2's place as it eventually fades.
frank @ Dec 31st 2006 8:57PM
First post?
I'm likely to get a PS2 in the next year. As an almost life-long PC gamer (got a SNES as a gift at six), I've found that every non-PC game that's gotten real critical hype is either emulable or available on the PS2 (Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, Katamari Damacy, Okami, Final Fantasy XII, Devil May Cry, etc). For those like me, it is down to the PS2 and the Wii, with the former winning only because of its catalog and price.
I'd consider waiting for a PS3 price drop, but it's games are nothing special and it has inferior backward compatibility so far (says you). One reason I've stayed with PC gaming so long is the backward-compatibility-with-performance-upgrades factor.
JJ @ Dec 31st 2006 8:56PM
but david wouldnt that be true for the 360 and Wii as well... why buy a new system when PS2's are still perfectly viable... which would explain why they're still outselling all 3 next gen systems by a Wide margin.
The PS2 still has more games than all 3 next gen systems combined. Even the Wii really only has 2 good games (Zedla and Wii sports), 360 has a few (Dead Rising, Saints Row, Gears, etc) and PS3 has one (Resistance). So why buy an expensive new system with only afew good games when you can get a PS2 that has hundreds?
JJ @ Dec 31st 2006 8:56PM
But huh. the Wii still doesn;t have the number of titles the PS2 has and probably wont for a long time to come.
Artimus @ Dec 31st 2006 9:01PM
Well, now we know why SEGA seems to be totally out of it all the time. They are.
paul gandersman @ Dec 31st 2006 9:39PM
i bought a ps2 in september for FF12 and FF7 dirge of cerberus, i love it and play it as much as my 360. i play mortal kombat and bully on it as well. the ps2 is still a great console, and the graphics don't bug me as I said I play as often as i do 360. i never touch my wii unless guests are over for wii sports, i am pretty displeased with the wii.
Vince @ Dec 31st 2006 9:58PM
Gamers are displeased with the Wii because it's a pretty dull experience, basic childish fare as far as Wii sports go, and same old Zelda as the killer app.
Nintendo's gamble isn't about gamers, it's about the kids once again.
Eggman @ Dec 31st 2006 10:02PM
#8, that has to be one of the dumbest things I have ever read in my entire life.
Desiri @ Dec 31st 2006 10:08PM
"Who's buying PS2s?"
Me. My original died in fall 2005 and I figured I'd wait 6 months and just get a PS3 in March... A year later that $129 price tag and lackluster PS3($499+) lineup pushed me over the edge.
I've already picked up SotC, Katamari 2, Guitar Hero, Okami, Bully and FF XII.
David004 @ Dec 31st 2006 10:15PM
Yeah #8 that's just dumb. Nintendo has sold 3-4 million consoles in 6-7 weeks. Sony has sold less than a million. EVERYONE in EB / GS is asking for the Wii when there are PS3s sitting in stores.
Rob @ Dec 31st 2006 10:20PM
I just got back into playing games regularly (after ten years of absense) because of the wii. I got my first ps2 a month later. So between gamecube (backwards compatible on the wii) and ps2 games theres about 50 games that are amazing that i havn't played yet. I see none on the ps3 and only a couple on the 360 and several coming up for the wii.
Just 7 @ Dec 31st 2006 10:41PM
"Gamers are displeased with the Wii because it's a pretty dull experience, basic childish fare as far as Wii sports go, and same old Zelda as the killer app.
Nintendo's gamble isn't about gamers, it's about the kids once again."-Vince
I think Vince is right, I mean look at the kid games the DS has. The Wii is basically following in the footstep of the DS. Did you ever look at the DS sales? ITS HORRIBLE! Only a mere 21 million units in 2 years.
*scoff* Wii is going to fail.
Vince @ Dec 31st 2006 11:12PM
A billion non-gamer types could buy the Wii and it still wouldn't make it a more desirable console to the average "current" gamer.
It really is just a gateway for the uninformed, we can tolerate them joining in, but they ain't gonna sit at my table giving it all that.
Don't let my mum become a gamer!
Darkness @ Dec 31st 2006 11:33PM
Now I know why the "hardcore" gamer gets a bad rap. They're the most jaded, biased, and ruthless bunch on the planet. If I were Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, I'd stay away from them, too.
Nyroska @ Jan 1st 2007 12:06AM
#14. "A billion non-gamer types could buy the Wii and it still wouldn't make it a more desirable console to the average "current" gamer."
Tell that the the average "current" gamer. Most gamers in the current generation I've talked with have expressed more interest about the Wii than any other current gen system. Just because it's revolutionary (yes, I said it) and appeals to all crowds doesn't mean it's "kiddie".
As for the PS2, I bought one myself this past year to take to school and haven't been disappointed. Graphics aren't outdated yet, wide selection of games, tested system, it's pretty much guaranteed.
MaX PL @ Jan 1st 2007 12:07AM
Just 7, i love how you criticize Vince but dont point out that DS sales are only hyped in Japan and in NA by all the Japanese wannabee white kids.
Wii is a gimmick. It was a cheap Christmas gift for people to buy this holiday. Got hyped by the media and more importantly, has been bought out by all the little nintendo fans out there.
Everyone is fooled if they think casuals are really excited about the Wii. It was launch, it was the holiday, it was a cheap price. Lets see Wii sales in 2007 as PS3 launches in Europe, as Xbox 360 and PS3 both release their blockbuster titles, and as the Wii launch hype dies.
Next year the PS3 and Xbox 360 will both be down in price and have far more games, far more 3rd party support, and as a result, pretty much dominate Wii in every manner.
Sorry Internet Nintendo fans, but your Nintendo Wiis only support.
dolemite @ Jan 1st 2007 12:17AM
I agree that the PS2 seems to be the main system to get, if you don't already have one. I own a PS3, but have bought DMC 3 pack, Okami, and plan to buy God of War and Resident Evil 4. I know Sony gets a lot of bad press, but the PS2 is still selling like hotcakes, games are still coming out for it, and Sony did not kill it like Nintendo and MS did their previous systems. I'm still mad at MS for killing the Xbox a year too early! Every year I say the PS2 is on its last Christmas, but I keep being proven wrong. This thing might last another 2 years the way the games keep coming. And don't think that as soon as the sales slow that Sony won't drop it to 99 bucks. Guess they were right when they said the PS2 will subsidize the PS3.
David004 @ Jan 1st 2007 1:02AM
#17 is obvious living in his own world. Companies are ditching the PS3 because developing games for it are so high. They will most likely port all the "exclusive" PS3 games to the 360. The wave of the future is the Wii and I'm not a Nintendo fan, I just don't ignore the facts.
syco @ Jan 1st 2007 12:42AM
I have a Wii, a Cube, and a PS2. Every time I buy a console I look at how many games I could play with that console that I couldn't play before, and how many good games are likely to come out. I bought a Cube before I bought a PS2 because I am a big Zelda fan, and the system didn't disappoint, with Wind Waker, 4 Swords, and the compilation disks being quite awesome, not to mention SSB:M, Ikaruga, and other things I love. I bought a PS2 a few years later to play Rez, the Silent Hill Series, and later Katamari, Ico, and Shadows of the Collosus. I bought a Wii because the Zelda:TP was coming out for it, First and Better than the Cube version, and that was worth $250+$50 to me.
At this point I could buy a PS3 or an Xbox360. One of the few games I wanted for the original Xbox, Panzer Dragoon Orta, isn't backwards compatible, but I suspect that Konami will continue to port Silent Hill games on the Xbox so that gives it a few extra points. I can not think of a single PS3 games I want to play that won't be available for the 360, so...
However, chances are high that I won't even buy a 360 for a long time with all these other games I haven't play yet. But if I didn't have a PS2 I would definantly be getting one, since by now it's a pretty awesome deal.
syco @ Jan 1st 2007 12:44AM
I sound retarded in that post. It's new years, I'm a little tipsy, please forgive my spelling and gramatical errors.
rualanthony @ Jan 1st 2007 1:23AM
i know this is off the topic but i wanted some views. My 360 just got the 3 flashing red lights and i was wondering was it because i had too much hooked up to it. I have my 360 in a pelican fan stand. my hd-dvd player is hooked up to the 360 via usb,my wireless adpator snaped on the back of the hd-dvd,the fan stand plugged into the second slot of the hd-dvd. Since the fan stand usb is double-sided, i also have my live camera plugged into the fan stand usb. Do you think this might have cause the 360 to die because it was draining too much power?
Regula Oblique @ Jan 1st 2007 1:28AM
David004 I think your wrong if you think the wave of thr future is, I own a PS3 & 360 and planned on getting a wii but since I could'nt find it in stores I finally decided to forget about it. And after I started to think Im glad I didnt get it because there are no great games cept for zelda and the rest are all party games like wii sports which most people play for when guest come over, and so I though about what games will come out in the future and still nothing major but the regular metroid, mario, and smash brothers. which really dont interest me, I bought a gamecube about 9 months ago and still dont know what posessed me to do so because all it does is collect dust. So I think Max PL is correct this season all the wii was another tickle me elmo, hair eating cabbage patch doll, it was just the hot toy item for parents to buy thier kids, and saying the wave of the future is alot and I doubt it will hold up for long, because casual players dont buy games their very content with that one game that they have. and just to let you know game develope ment has always been high since the xbox came along, sony will do just fine and still sell units.
Regula Oblique @ Jan 1st 2007 1:43AM
rualanthony i would remove everything and see if it works then, if not then you have to send it to microsoft, sounds like another sad story of an xbox 360 dying which most people just seem to over look as not being a big deal, but I have yet to hear of major wii or ps3 malfunctional problems as the 360 has since launch.
Lazygamer @ Jan 1st 2007 2:32PM
I'll buy a PS2 when price drop again. I'm in no hurry. Wii is fun at first but no for very long. If N doesn't come up some more exclusive games, I think they are in trouble. I'm playing all the good GC games I missed, they are only $5-$10.
CHUDGOO @ Jan 1st 2007 1:50AM
It's a shame that Sony still still has not released a first party (read: high quality) wireless PS2 Dual Shock controller. (I tried a logitech mess and an anonymous shitty one but it's just not the same)
My "entertainment center" is constructed in a way that it no longer works for wired controllers...therefore my (third) PS2 is essentially dead to me.
dolemite @ Jan 1st 2007 1:50AM
I an quite suprised that the PS3 has not really had any major problems reported so far. System build quality was not their main strength with the PS2, so maybe they got the memo about making something that actually works. Nintendo products rarely break, but I was one of the many that has had a 360 replaced. Most of my friends have replaced theirs as well. If it breaks again I will not get another one.
kimoy @ Jan 1st 2007 2:31AM
@ Just 7 or # 13
or u fuckin retarded or just a idiot... u can tell a lil fanboy.. in case u havent heard.. the ds is over the 30 million mark in 2 years and is said to be one of the fastest sellin vidoe game systems in the world... if u want to make fun of a system make fun of the piece of shit psp dat has sold UNDER 20 million u dumb ass.. and the wii lets not even talk about all the rpg's and good games they got comin out.. just u wait.. the future is wii60 baby... come over to the light.. lol
Shagi @ Jan 1st 2007 2:38AM
How come the mark of a good console to Nintendo fan boys is always how many units they have sold?
I hear the backstreet boys sold a lot of records, are they your favorite band?
Honda Civics sell pretty well does that make then the best car?
You guys are crazy.
Rob @ Jan 1st 2007 2:46AM
no ps3 problems? lol maybe you didnt go visit the area stores and try to play it. they either got fried when you turned it on and then wouldnt turn on again or they kept freezing and had to be restarted over and over. or are you actually buying that sony bs about them making the ps3 freeze on purpose so nobody would hog the machine too much
CHUDGOO @ Jan 1st 2007 3:08AM
Shagi - "Honda Civics sell pretty well does that make then the best car?"
That's a REALLY bad example.
10+ years between any major issues constitutes a "best" car to me.
If sales numbers are now your thing, then how about reports of replacements/class action lawsuits. In both cases Nintendo systems come out ahead.
(Personally I lucked out with my 360 and have had THREE PS2s die on me. The classaction suit didn't make any of it feel any better. My XBOX motherboard died and both of my PSPs have tons of dead pixels.
On the other hand, all seven of my nintendo systems are still working without a single problem.....just saying....)
The Man @ Jan 1st 2007 3:16AM
Sony should add blu-ray to the ps2.
dolemite @ Jan 1st 2007 3:22AM
Rob, I care les about demo kiosks. I am talking about the systems that people actually bought. My PS3 has had no problems so far, but I am on my 3rd 360. and why does the 360 get so hot, even with an external power supply? Sounds like(yes my 360 is loud as hell) a design flaw. And yes, Nintndo makes systems that rarely break. I am not getting a Wii, but I feel good about its durability. And as for those spewing PSP vs DS numbers, rememeber that Nintendo has owned the hanheld space for decades! The PSP will never outsell the DS, but I for one am glad that there is at least an alternative handheld. Its very hard to gain marketshare over an established vet. Why would you want any company not to have competition? I'm glad there are multiple console choices, and i am glad there are 2 handheld choices. As a consumer and gamer, you should be too. Happy New Year everybody!
Samik @ Jan 1st 2007 3:23AM
Isnt it amazing that all the so-called new-gen consoles have exactly the same nuber of killer appas this year as the PS2 - namely, one. Zelda, GoW, Resistance and FF12. And arguably FF12 is the best.
Samik @ Jan 1st 2007 3:46AM
responding to 29- the PS3 overheating stories are for demos, not many stories about PS3s getting conked in homes. PS3 seems to be better constructed and also more silent than XBOX360, I remember hearing a fare higher frequency of problems about 360 soon after launch. An isupply reviewer (they did the cost estimates you keep hearing about) on the PS3 seemed impressed by the build quality and cooling system. But both cant compare to Nintendo - my second hand N64 still works like new.
jdubya @ Jan 1st 2007 4:37AM
I bought a new slim ps2 silver the day i bought my 360.. to replace my old ps2 phat that broke down a coupla months before.
Catprog @ Jan 1st 2007 5:05AM
to 28
You said
How come the mark of a good console to Nintendo fan boys is always how many units they have sold?
I could say the same thing about Sony Fan boys
See PS2 Vs Gamecube discussions
chris @ Jan 1st 2007 6:25AM
to 32, what the hell are you doing buying (3) 360's? you obviously can't take care of your stuff, or else you wouldnt need to buy 3. and about everything else, i am a nintendo fan, but i also have a ps2, and a ps1. i have a gamecube, xbox (softmodded) , xbox360, and all the old consoles (NES,SNES,GENISIS,ETC.) Therefore, I'm a video game fan, i personally have yet to play the ps3, and i own a wii. I might buy a ps3 after gameplay. Never say Nintendo is childish, especially after what Nintendo has done to the gaming industry, attracting games to not only gamers, but adults alike.
Thanks.
dolemite @ Jan 1st 2007 6:42AM
To #37:
I got a 360 at launch, and got the red ring of Death. MS shipped me a replacement console, we'll call it 360 #2. Then, when Oblivion came out, the damn thing would lock up whenever it wanted to. Got that one replaced, so now I have 360 #3. I have not paid to replace them, but if this one breaks in less than a year then its over for me and Microsoft. And I never said Nintendo is childish, but I do agree that they know where their main market is.All these companies want to build a foundation of gamers. Nintendo caters hard to young gamers, hoping that as they grow up they will continue to want nintendo systems. Most of us older gamers grew up on Nintendo, hence the constant sequels and long life of Mario, Link, Donkey Kong, and others. How many Wii owners are begging for a new Super Smash Bros to come out? Sony is the same way. My brother grew up with Sony consoles, and he says they have not let him down with the PS1 and PS2, so why quit on them now? He is smarter than I am by not reading all the fanboy hype or hate about the consoles, he just plays the games he likes. As for attracting adults to games, I applaud what Nintendo has been able to do. My only concern is that even though the non gamers are loving the Wii, will they play it on their own when gamers are not around, and will they buy games on their on. My friends dad has one of those 26 or whatever games in a joystick that hooks to the tv, and he loved it when got a while back. But now its in a closet somewhere collecting dust. But maybe Nintendo will be able to break thru and keep him gaming without me and my friend being there. We will see. Play what you like and stop bashing!
Adam Reineke @ Jan 1st 2007 9:28AM
My brother loves GH2, couldn't find a Wii, so instead bought himself a PS2 and GH2 on Christmas Eve.
MaX PL @ Jan 1st 2007 1:43PM
im certain of one thing, sony has had ALOT of time to perfect the PS3.
with that said, its sad that even demo kiosks are crashing. also, there arent millions of units in homes for us to know specifically the number of faulty units.
i am on my first xbox 360, november 16th,2005 and as are a number of people i know. everyone else who has bought their unit throughout 2006 hasnt had a problem either. so to be honest, i dunno where half of these stories come from because i have had a perfect experience with my console.
Rob @ Jan 1st 2007 12:24PM
whats the difference between the kiosk ps3s and the ps3s on the shelf? i cant ask anyone if theirs broke because i dont know anyone who bought one and kept it. and yes the 360 has broken all the time no doubt. im going to wait a year to get one
Shagi @ Jan 1st 2007 12:50PM
#38: Oblivion had a ton of crash bugs that would destroy saved game files and cause the game to lock up over and over again, you may have replaced your 360 due to a software issue the second time you replaced it.
#40: Since the demo units are trapped behind plexiglass the heat up in a way that no normal running of the unit should ever allow. Hence they get hotter than the unit ever will in the home.
Dirk Dorkelson @ Jan 1st 2007 2:14PM
I've owned a 360 since launch and have no interest in buying a PS3 for the next couple of years, but I asked for (and got) a silver PS2 for Xmas b/c the price was cheap, and I wanted to play Shadow of the Colossus, Okami and the Final Fantasy games. Of course, I've been too busy playing 360 to hook it up yet, but I know I will soon. Also, the fact that there are hundreds of games out there to track down and pick up for cheap (as opposed to the 360's 100-200, most of which remain quite pricey) makes it appealing as well.
Dirk Dorkelson @ Jan 1st 2007 2:21PM
"Honda Civics sell pretty well does that make then the best car?"
Huh? By most measures, Honda Civics are one of the best cars. They're reliable, get great safety ratings, are made relatively well and offer great bang for the buck. They generally stack up extremely favorably when compared to Detroit, Toyota or VW's cheaper cars. Why pick on the Civic when you could more easily go after the New Beatle or the Chevy Cavalier? Or are you just picking on it b/c it's not a Ferrari. If I had the money, I'd buy a Civic over a Ferrari and use the Ferrari money for more important things. But that's just me.
Purist @ Jan 1st 2007 2:31PM
Forget new PS2 sales being a factor. The already existing millions and millions of installed PS2s are a good enough reason to continue development.
Atrix @ Jan 1st 2007 6:15PM
I think some people here have got a bit off topic. No one should be surprised that Sega is still developing for the PS2. The reason is clear, PS3's are backwards compatible. A PS2 game is also a PS3 game. If you are designing a game and it does not need the most powerful hardware available, then design it for the next system down and cover more of the market. Its not hard to believe that PS3 owners will purchase a good PS2 game. More birds with one stone.
Cuja @ Jan 1st 2007 7:30PM
Some Sony fanboys aren't the smartest people, being a Playstation is a playstation whether it's 1, 2, or 3. Maybe they can't tell the difference or what's next gen. But as long as its a Playstation, who cares. Now for the ones who know what the difference between gens, it comes down to what you can afford, how compatible, and your desire. This is where the PS2 beats the next gens in sells. This also hurts the PS3 the most. PS2 system is $370 cheaper and has a lot more games, which are $20 to $40 cheaper. All PS2 games play and look better on the PS2 system with a few exceptions, while the PS3 degrades them. There is alot of TVs out there that the PS2 can hook up to, while PS3 is pretty picky which expensive HDTV to connect to. Yes, the PS3 is a brand new system with fixable bugs. But to most people risk becomes the deciding factor. Maybe the world's not ready for the PS3?