# PS2 drops to $199. Sony, Microsoft surrender. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 14, 2002, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps2-drops-to-199-sony-microsoft-surrender/109055 "2002-05-14T18:49:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps2-drops-to-199-sony-microsoft-surrender/109055/61 "2002-05-31T12:54:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by nightshadea \* > \*\*Something thats occured to me is nintendo seems to be getting by on nostaliga a bit a lt of the cube fans seem to say I had a snes 20 or a nes 20 years ago ect \*\* 1: I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all. They are going back to older ideas that WE KNOW work, and making some great changes. And new Ideas too. Nintendo is also very original. 2: As I read more and more of this stuff, I’m starting to think there’s no reason for any of us to mock the others. Friendly sportsmanship, yes. But everyone has good reasons to like the systems that they like. They really ALL have stuff certain people can find attractive. It’s like arguing over blondes and brunets… why bother? You can say “brunets are the shit”. It just all comes down different tastes. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps2-drops-to-199-sony-microsoft-surrender/109055/62 "2002-05-31T20:53:04Z")
Sidebar: Microsoft didn’t dethrone Netscape by pouring millions into IE and writing a better browser. They did it by illegally leveraging their Windows monopoly to “integrate” IE into the OS and screw up Netscape (and now they’re going after AIM). Without a Windows-monopoly-type trump card in the video game console war, Microsoft will have a _damn_ hard time dethroning Sony any time soon. ---
**Author:** ![Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/53a042/32.png) [@Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vinnie_Virginslayer)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps2-drops-to-199-sony-microsoft-surrender/109055/63 "2002-05-31T21:29:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rjung \* > \*\*Sidebar: > > Microsoft didn’t dethrone Netscape by pouring millions into IE and writing a better browser. They did it by illegally leveraging their Windows monopoly to “integrate” IE into the OS and screw up Netscape (and now they’re going after AIM). > > Without a Windows-monopoly-type trump card in the video game console war, Microsoft will have a _damn_ hard time dethroning Sony any time soon. \*\* Not to turn this into a Microsoft anti-trust debate, but that is a highly debateable set of remarks. ---
**Author:** ![Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/53a042/32.png) [@Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vinnie_Virginslayer)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps2-drops-to-199-sony-microsoft-surrender/109055/64 "2002-05-31T21:32:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Slacker \* > \*\*Good post **erislover**. Note to **Vinnie Virginslayer** : this is what intelligent discussion looks like. \*\* Oh and by the way **Slacker** , I said some nice things about your comments last night but I didn’t see that remark. I find it interesting that you must refer to someone ELSES post for an example of intelligent conversation. Besides, people . . we are talking . .VIDEO GAMES? Since when does intelligence enter into THAT topic? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps2-drops-to-199-sony-microsoft-surrender/109055/65 "2002-06-01T01:20:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by nightshadea \* > **If you want a pc game system with out having a pc get the x box. Thats how ms should of and should be selling it… Instead of spending so much time with " were not a computer "** Jet Set Radio Future, Gun Valkyrie, Toejam & Earl III, and Panzer Dragoon Orta will not be available for the PC, and Knights of the Old Republic and Halo won’t be available for the PC for at least a year. Also all three consoles are technically computers, but none of them are PCs; many xbox games are available for PC but that doesn’t mean it is one. To sit down and play it is no different than the ps2 or the cube. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by nightshadea \* > **although in online gaming sony will dominate since there will be a console version of everquest** Xbox will have FFXI and Phantasy Star Online 1 & 2 and those are just the MMORPG’s, xbox will have a lot of online support. Plus many xbox owners like me will be playing Everquest or Star Wars Galaxies on the PC. It’s premature to assume ps2 will dominate online gaming. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by rjung_ > **Without a Windows-monopoly-type trump card in the video game console war, Microsoft will have a damn hard time dethroning Sony any time soon.** I’m in full agreement with you about the ie/netscape wars, but in the console wars I think m$ is playing a different strategy. I think they just wanted to get their foot in the door with xbox, make a name for themselves as a respectable console maker, and slowly chip away at the king of the heap, Ps2. In that regard I think they’ve succeeded. Some Ps2 owners may think the xbox is an overpowered, craptastic behemoth, but many early adopters like me are still happy with their purchase. But I admit it would be unusual for bill to employ a plan that benign. He didn’t get his face borg-ized on slashdot for nuthin. Either way, the group that benefits from aggressive competition among the mega corps is us, the consumers. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps2-drops-to-199-sony-microsoft-surrender/109055/66 "2002-06-01T02:03:00Z")
XBox will have FFXI??? ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps2-drops-to-199-sony-microsoft-surrender/109055/67 "2002-06-01T07:18:23Z")
That’s still a rumor, I think. At least, FFXI isn’t on the [Upcoming Games](http://www.planetxbox.com/games2/) list… 'course, that list could simply be incomplete. As for the Xbox being a PC… people only say that because it has a hard drive. I find that odd. Is, say, the iPod a PC just because it, too, uses a hard drive? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps2-drops-to-199-sony-microsoft-surrender/109055/68 "2002-06-01T07:37:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Vinnie Virginslayer \* > Not to turn this into a Microsoft anti-trust debate, but that is a highly debateable set of remarks. Not to hijack this further, but I don’t think there’s anything debatable about it – Microsoft Senior Vice President James Allchin himself wrote an internal email in 1996 that noted (a) Netscape continued to dominate the browser market over IE, and (b) Microsoft’s only solution to change that was to tie IE and Windows together, to leverage their Windows monopoly power. It even made court evidence in the MS antitrust trial. See [this link](http://news.com.com/2100-1001-205644.html) for details. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cainxinth[/i} > I’m in full agreement with you about the ie/netscape wars, but in the console wars I think m$ is playing a different strategy. I think they just wanted to get their foot in the door with xbox, make a name for themselves as a respectable console maker, and slowly chip away at the king of the heap, Ps2 As recently noted in Salon, Sony’s big advantage is that they control all of the technology in the PS2 – if they can consolidate the hardware further, they can lower the price of the PS2 more, which will cause Microsoft to either lose customers (by not lowering the XBox price to match) or lose more money (by cutting the price further and taking an even bigger loss on each unit sold). Nintendo can also play the same game; Microsoft cannot. And if **PSX** magazine is to be believed, Sony is currently selling 65,000 PS2s per week, compared to Microsoft’s 28,000 XBoxes. Not only do more units attract more developers, but Sony could lose half of their weekly sales and _still_ maintain a big lead in the market. ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps2-drops-to-199-sony-microsoft-surrender/109055/69 "2002-06-01T07:41:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SPOOFE \* > \*\*That’s still a rumor, I think. At least, FFXI isn’t on the [Upcoming Games](http://www.planetxbox.com/games2/) list… 'course, that list could simply be incomplete. > > As for the Xbox being a PC… people only say that because it has a hard drive. I find that odd. Is, say, the iPod a PC just because it, too, uses a hard drive? \*\* I doubt FFXI will come to the Xbox, but it could happen, MMORPGs like to have as many potential customers as possible. And people say it’s a PC cause it has a hard drive, network adapter, Intel processor, Nvidia video card, and Microsoft OS. 😃 (Of course it’s a lot more complicated than that - I don’t disagree with you, just pointing out where people get the idea) ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps2-drops-to-199-sony-microsoft-surrender/109055/70 "2002-06-01T07:57:30Z")
Does anyone know which Finale Fantasy is being made for GameCube? ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps2-drops-to-199-sony-microsoft-surrender/109055/71 "2002-06-01T09:15:39Z")
SPOOFE is right FFXI for xbox is not confirmed, and the last time it was brought up was almost a year ago: [Final Fantasy XI To Go Multiplatform](http://www.gamespot.co.uk/stories/news/0,2160,2090455,00.html), but it is still a possibility. > [@](#): > > _originally posted by rjung_ > **As recently noted in Salon, Sony’s big advantage is that they control all of the technology in the PS2 – if they can consolidate the hardware further, they can lower the price of the PS2 more, which will cause Microsoft to either lose customers (by not lowering the XBox price to match) or lose more money (by cutting the price further and taking an even bigger loss on each unit sold). Nintendo can also play the same game; Microsoft cannot.** As for xbox hardware not coming down in price as fast as ps2, that might be right, but it will still drop; a celeron 733 and a GF3 don’t cost what they did a year ago by a long shot. And, Microsoft has said they are willing to lose serious money on this project for at least three years. Their resources allow them the luxury to do it. Also I said earlier that m$ sees the massive potential in the video game market, I think everyone does now, and they are not going sit by as Sony and Nintendo split billions of dollars between themselves even if it they have to lose millions before they start making a profit. > [@](#): > > _originally posted by rjung_ > \*_And if PSX magazine is to be believed, Sony is currently selling 65,000 PS2s per week, compared to Microsoft’s 28,000 XBoxes. Not only do more units attract more developers, but Sony could lose half of their weekly sales and still maintain a big lead in the market._ All I said was that m$ wanted to chip away at ps2, assuming those numbers stay steady, and not factoring gcn into things there should be about 1.5 million xbox’s sold this year and about 3.4 million ps2s. If you ask me that’s a sizable chip in the gaming market. ::minor hijak:: I do realize that Microsoft is an especially nasty, domineering company. Deep down I wish xbox was made by Atari or Sega or some other company that isn’t m$, but for me its like nike shoes. I know the company does shady shit that isn’t right, but I can’t help but prefer their product to the competition. And seriously, do jaggies bother no one but me? Hell I was laughed at in the IGN forums when I suggested Sony develop a limited supply of high end, pricey ps2-turbos, same system, same games, faster hardware, more ram, ethernet, and a hard drive. ---
**Author:** ![Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/53a042/32.png) [@Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vinnie_Virginslayer)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps2-drops-to-199-sony-microsoft-surrender/109055/72 "2002-07-24T14:13:38Z")
I submit exhibit B: > **[Xbox Games, Wikis, Cheats, News, Reviews & Videos - IGN](https://www.ign.com/xbox)** > > IGN is the leading site for Xbox games with expert reviews, news, previews, game trailers, cheat codes, wiki guides & walkthroughs [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps2-drops-to-199-sony-microsoft-surrender/109055.md?page=3)