Here in AussieLand Playstation 2 isn't selling that well. Most shops have floor stock and there certainly isn't a rush to purchase the system.

Probably due to the AUD$750 price (US$414 !!!).

Does the US still have waiting lists ?

AUD$750? US$414? That is expensive, but remember, when it first came out here people were routinely getting quite a bit more than US$414 when they resold it.

I don't know if we have waiting lists anymore or not. I suspect they're still selling briskly, but they're just trickling in.

The word is out now that the games just aren't that much better than DC and PSX games, though, and I guess that's hurting sales.

Did I mention it here before that Sony is going to do a relaunch in March? They're trying to make a big splash all over again, and are holding the better games until then.

I think they could be knocked out of their number 1 spot, but I don't know if anyone else can do it. The Xbox may be too expensive and late, the Gamecube may be too late, and the DC may just not be sexy enough since it's already an "older" system.

Bah. I hope they all struggle.

Mark "you'll have to pry my computer mouse from my cold and lifeless hand" Asher

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Mark "you'll have to pry my computer mouse from my cold and lifeless hand" Asher

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I'll have to rent Q3A next.

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...and the keyboard. It'll be just like old PC times. :)

--Dave

Just out of interest Sony had shipped 64,000 units to Australian retailers for the launch - which on a per capita basis was twice the volume originally shipped to the US - and was waiting on another shipment of 20,000 units. To the week of January 5 about 52,000 units have been sold in Australia.

Wow, that's surprising that it's not selling better than that. Obviously the price is too high and the games aren't interesting enough. So much for the system that was going to revolutionize gaming, according to the mainstream press.

Yeah, that's where I stand on the whole thing too Mark. This was supposed to be the greatest gaming system the world has ever seen and yet it's just a mediocre console with mediocre games. The promises haven't been fulfilled for the hardcore or the casual it would seem.

I have a bad feeling about Xbox. Already the hype machine seems to be out of control and I haven't really seen one game that makes me believe it's that much better. I have more faith in the programmability of Xbox with its PC-like design. But I have less faith in Microsoft to get the games right.

Those numbers for Australia are almost criminal. Though I know the DC is hard to get there too because Ozisoft handles the distribution or something like that.

--Dave

Yea, I read Time magazine last year when they said that PC gaming is not going to survive under the Sony on-slaught! What the hell do they know?! Are the Time magazine journalist PC gamers? Hell no!!! They had no idea about what they were talking about! There were saying that the images would be soo real on the PS2 that you would just touch your television screen in amazement. HAHA!!! One year later and Sony still hasn't delivered and probably never will. The PS2 is a nice system I will admit that, but it's not going to revolunitize anything. Now the console that might hurt Pc gaming is not the PS2 but the X-box. We will have to wait and see!

The PS2 is the equivalent of getting a new CPU and videocard for your computer. Better performance, same old games.

The DVD was a nice touch, but it's backfired a bit. People are renting movies instead of buying games.

Nothing will ever be able to compare to sitting at a nice desk, with a mouse a keyboard and complete customizability (is that a word?) of your system. PC gaming has always been the way to go, for me, and it always will be. I like consoles, and have owned just about every one that Nintendo has put out, and am interested in the X-Box, but...You'll never be able to replace a trusty PC. Plus, you can always upgrade it; you don't have to buy a new console. And since the games are more universal, you're not as limited. (Since most of the good console games make it to PC anyway, and most of the great console games start at the PC...) It's almost like being able to play games for the PS, DC, X-Box, or Gamecube, all on one system.

PC GAMING WILL NEVER DIE!!!

I see a bransching development here. For strategy/war and heavy sims the PC will be the dominant player for a forseable future. On the Driving/Fighting and Sports front though I think the console is totally unbeatable (at least from now on). Soul Calibur, Virtua Tennis or MSR would be unthinkable for me on a PC.

I have a hard time seeing those persistent online worlds as a future, those I have tried were not as fun as my fave 1 player RPG:s (like BG2, F2).
The problem is that there's too many punks and antisocial types there (a general Internet disease though). If anything I think game systems like Neverwinter Nights could be the future, or games where you can choose your players.

Marcus

"I have a hard time seeing those persistent online worlds as a future, those I have tried were not as fun as my fave 1 player RPG:s (like BG2, F2)."

Well, there's a combined total of nearly 700,000 subscribers between EQ, AC, and UO. That's a pretty big present.

I'm not sure if the market can support more games, but those three are pretty healthy. There's probably room for a couple more, but there are a lot in development that are going to crash and burn.