Until the Sony press conference at E3, I thought that Sony’s PS2 support was about to dry up. I know that the system has been selling like hot cakes over the past few years, mainly because it’s under $200 and has a large selection of games to choose from. In many ways, it’s the anti PS3, because of those reasons. At E3 Sony announced a lot of support for the PS2 in the future. As a PS3 owner, I’m a little worried.
Find out why, after the jump!
We were blessed with the knowledge that the PS2 was and is selling well. Say it ain’t so! Sony seems to want to keep these good times rolling for as long as they can. To keep the gravy train rolling Sony announced that they were going to release an ass load of games for the PS2 in 2008.
These aren’t some crappy, half assed games. Block buster titles like Star Wars: Force Unleashed and Mercenaries 2 are going to need Viagra to perform half as well as their PS3 cousins. According to amazon.com, this fraction of the intended game play experience will cost $40 instead of the normal $60. I know that’s a significant price difference, but you have to ask yourself if it’s worth it.
If that is the direction that Sony is going, I’m surprised they didn’t try to release MGS4 on the PS2. They may have actually suggested that. I can imagine the guy with the idea walking into Kojima’s office… and leaving with a bitch slap.
Sony really needs to quit rewarding the gamers that refuse to take it to the next level. They should be giving their next gen users more than they can handle, which will make PS2 owners move on up. Sadly all they have for us is the ability to watch movies while we wait for the love.
WTF?
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7 responses so far ↓
1 Keith K // Jul 21, 2008 at 9:22 am
I completely agree with ya man. Unfortunately PS2 bolsters a dark red bottom line in the Playstation division.
What’s worse, Sony is not even encouraging PS2 users to step up by allowing them to leverage their current console against the price of the new. By completely removing BC, they’ve decided that you either own a PS2 or you don’t. So those who have been collecting PS2 games for 9 years either have to abandon that library, or cough up the full price of a PS3 and keep their PS2 on the bottom shelf.
Stupid stupid planning Sony… or lack there of, anyway.
2 Glasspaper // Jul 21, 2008 at 9:35 am
So are you implying that they go back on their word to support their console for 10 years?
I’m not sure I understand your true problem with Sony still supporting the PS2. The only issue I see with it may be the fact that they could be pouring the R&D into new IP’s for PS3. But it’s nice to know that they are not going to just drop millions of people like MS did with the original XBox. Hopefully they return the favor with the PS3 getting all the attention after a year or so from now.
That said, I do agree that they should start tapering off here soon and focus on quality games for my PS3. We still have over 8 years left for it. It may not seem like a great plan, but in terms of Revenue gained over the system lifespan, you can’t beat that strategy.
3 Makidian // Jul 21, 2008 at 12:14 pm
I agree with the article, but Glasspaper makes a good point, they say 10 years, they need to support the PS2 for that long. However I wouldn’t be surprised that support would stop after the 2009 Holiday season, and a 99$ price cut this holiday or early next year with multiple bundles. I am glad for the one system 80gb unit at 399$ this fall because I need another PS3
4 Sean "Rothbart" Workman // Jul 21, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Last time I checked, most of those PS2 games were third party. You can’t blame developers (or Sony either) for wanting to put out a lot of games for an audience of OVER ONE HUNDRED FORTY MILLION SYSTEMS. There is your reason right there. Even if HALF of those are dead and in landfills, it still DWARFS the 360 or Wii in install base.
Sony is profiting on PS2 sales, they get a cut from licensing for every game sold… as long as they’re not devoting all their top notch developers to the PS2, let them make a buck or two! Sony (and Microsoft) are quite used to letting one product’s excess revenue make up for another product’s losses. Imagine the drastic measures Sony might have to resort to if they didn’t have that income coming in.
Largely, people that are buying PS2s and PS2 games haven’t jumped into the current generation of consoles yet. As such, Sony’s still got a very real opportunity to instill brand loyalty in them. If they pick up a PS2 for $129 and have 2-3 years of awesome $20 game-buying gaming, when it comes time to upgrade to the current gen, they might just be a little more likely to stick with the name they know and love… Playstation.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see PS2 backwards compatibility come back when the PS2 stops selling so well… whether that’s via a new model with some hardware for it or if Sony figures out a 100% software way to do it, basically “giving” each PS3 owner a PS2.
Not speaking as a gamer, but as a business owner… if I owned Sony, I’d be selling the sh*t out of anything that would sell, including the PS2. it’s easy to armchair quarterback and say “Why aren’t you devoting 100% of your efforts to the PS3 right now?!?!” but we’re not the ones losing millions of dollars a year on the PS3, making millions of dollars a year on the PS2, looking at the forecasts, realizing what it’s going to take to break even on the PS3, etc. I trust that they’re under IMMENSE pressure to both make money AND ensure the PS3 is as big of a success as it can be.
5 Sean "Rothbart" Workman // Jul 21, 2008 at 1:28 pm
One little last-minute tidbit… it wasn’t terribly long ago that the PS2 was sitting at 120M sold… they’re at 140M sold right now… I’m pretty sure HOT CAKES wish they sold that well.
6 Echelon // Jul 21, 2008 at 3:26 pm
the ps2 is selling better than hotcakes its selling like crack covered hotcakes
7 Dave // Jul 21, 2008 at 3:32 pm
I guess they need some way to recoup the PS3 losses. So from a business sense, yes it is the right thing.
But from a PS3 owners view, my consoles needs some love.
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