Sony slashes PS2 price, Xbox makes pre-emptive strike

By Rob Fahey Published 18 August, 2004

PS2 and Xbox are set for European price cuts in the coming days, with Sony to drop its console to £104.99 this week and Microsoft announcing a £99.99 price for Xbox this afternoon.

PlayStation 2 and Xbox are set for European price cuts in the coming days, with Sony to cut its price to £104.99 effective immediately. Microsoft announced a pre-emptive drop in the price of Xbox to £99.99 price this afternoon.

Although announced first, in a move designed to spoil the effect of Sony's cut to some extent, the Microsoft price drop will not take effect across Europe until August 27th.

The announcement of Microsoft's price drop was made this afternoon at 3pm CET (2pm GMT) at the Leipzig games Convention. Sony's announcement was made at 4.30pm CET from the same event.

Retailers will hope to see a significant sales boost for both consoles from the price cuts, much as was experienced by US retail back in June when Microsoft, and then Sony, slashed the price of their consoles within the space of a month of each other.

In the UK, the PS2 has continued to outsell the Xbox by a factor of between 2:1 and 2.8:1 over the course of the summer, with the Xbox shifting around 5,000 units per week while the PS2 hovered between 8,000 and 14,000 units.

Update 14:18 - Microsoft confirms price drop.

Update 15:33 - Sony confirms price drop.

Picture of Rob.

About Rob Fahey

Read more articles from Rob by visiting the Rob Fahey archive page.

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Comments (130) Latest comment 8 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Jos #1 8 years ago

    Cool

    [Edit - Not my best post...]
    Edited by 1 at 18/08/04 @ 13:38

  • rauper Verified Managing Director, Eurogamer Network #2 8 years ago

    Ooh. *Buys an Xbox*

  • Zero Beat #3 8 years ago

    £105? That's just stupid, but great! I might actually be able to replace my launch console sometime in the near future.

  • pjmaybe #4 8 years ago

    Christ by now the thing should easily be sub 100 quid...

    Peej

  • Beano #5 8 years ago

    What's the current price for PS2 and Xbox in the UK ?

  • fxgogo #6 8 years ago

    £99 for an xbox would get me hooked for sure.

  • Dizzy #7 8 years ago

    Why are people still buying a PS2????

    Ha.. yes I know Blerk.. Disgaea ;)

  • cheap #8 8 years ago

    still cheaper in the states...both consoles are 149.99 USD, converts to 82.12 UKP

    capitalism at its finest eh? ;-)

  • Tweakmonkey #9 8 years ago

    Mass market saturation he we go...

  • Whizzo #10 8 years ago

    The weird £105 price tag is probably due to a Euro/Pound conversion. I bet the retailers just round down to £99.99 to make it more consumer friendly.

  • Whizzo #11 8 years ago

    still cheaper in the states...both consoles are 149.99 USD, converts to 82.12 UKP

    Someone is forgetting sales tax isn't included in the price in the US states that have it while the UK price will be including VAT @ 17.5%.

  • C13 #12 8 years ago

    I think £100 is a psychological mark...

    It must be...

    But why did Sony labeled the PS2 then with such a stupid price as £105???

    Is the £6 really gonna make that of a difference for their bookkeeper?

    It will make a difference in the sellings, that's for sure...

  • read_only #13 8 years ago

    Cool. Second console for me soon then. I think which one I go for will be down to how good reviews of Fable are, most other XBox stuff doesn't interest me that much.

  • krudster #14 8 years ago

    I think the retailer trade price will be the same for both consoles. I fully expect most retailers will cut the PS2 to £99 anyway, or offer a game bundle for £109.99.

  • cheap #15 8 years ago

    Someone is forgetting sales tax isn't included in the price in the US states that have it while the UK price will be including VAT @ 17.5%.

    ok, lemme do a little math here...with 6% sales tax (in my state), both consoles come to 158.99 USD, which converts to 87.03 UKP...still cheaper, no?

    /edit...got the math wrong at first :/
    Edited by 3 at 18/08/04 @ 13:52

  • pauleyc #16 8 years ago

    At this price the Xbox looks surely even more attractive. Correct me please if I'm wrong but that would be the price of a bare console, without any bundled game?

    Oh, the new "Breaking News" feature and logo is just *brilliant*!

  • Decoded #17 8 years ago

    I still find it amazing that the PS2 is still shifting up to 14,000 units a week. Are people buying them for their pets?

  • C13 #18 8 years ago

    Pffiew, i wished the VAT/sales tax was that low in Belgium too...

    For both Xbox and PS2 it's 21% on a price of €199 (console+game+one or two controllers) or €149 (console+controller)...

    That would make some difference...

  • Dizzy #19 8 years ago

    >Oh, the new "Breaking News" feature and logo is just *brilliant*!

    Agreed.... but a bit sexual no?

  • MBar #20 8 years ago

    probably buy a ps2 for myself when gta san adreas comes out, but not before. still need to play ffx.

  • mcmonkeyplc #21 8 years ago

    Now that PES is due out on the xbox soon their really is no point in me re- purchasing a PS2 apart for maybe MGS3 or GTA:SA which im sure will make their way to the xbox eventually just like their predecessors.

    £105 is still too much for the PS2 considering a memory card still sets you back at least 15 smackers.


  • C13 #22 8 years ago

    I guess they are using PS2's as tapistery (is that spelled correctly?)...

    Since now you have black, blue and silver... would make nice colour scheme...

    Now it's waiting for the final RED edition...

  • Whizzo #23 8 years ago

    Someone is doing the wrong calculation.

    Remove the 17.5% VAT from the UK's £105 price tag and you get £86.63, the PS2 is virtually the same price in both countries, after the price cut, plus you get a full 12 months warranty included in the price too.

  • cheap #24 8 years ago

    but don't you have to pay the VAT?

    if you do, the after tax net price is cheaper in the states...
    Edited by 1 at 18/08/04 @ 13:59

  • cheap #25 8 years ago

    OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

    i get it now, they're the same base price, your government just takes the hell outta you. sorry bout that :p

  • C13 #26 8 years ago

    Well our government are the biggest thieves then, that's for sure... Djeez... 21%...

  • Homer Simpson #27 8 years ago

    I just think PS2 should be cheaper than Xbox at this age, especially because Xbox is a better machine.

  • Shinji #28 8 years ago

    The market is driven by supply and demand though. There's twice as much demand for PS2, so why make it cheaper than Xbox and waste all that luverly revenue?

  • mash the x button #29 8 years ago

    Any news on the gamecube? I'll have one for £49.99 with RE4 and a few other goodies thrown in...

  • Whizzo #30 8 years ago

    but don't you have to pay the VAT?
    Yes you do.

    if you do, the after tax net price is cheaper in the states...
    Then that's a difference in tax rates rather than the pre-tax price, Sony or Microsoft can't do anything about taxation!

    VAT is Satan's own tax; you get taxed when you earn your money then when you spend it the government takes money again!

  • ssuellid #31 8 years ago

    £104.99 does seem to a be a very weird price point. Not the sort of number the retailers usually use. Maybe the customers will think the PS2 is a premium product because of the extra £5?

  • Killerbee #32 8 years ago

    Nope, I'm still not convinced to buy an Xbox.

    Always good to see prices falling, but tbh I thought Nintendo's announcement of their Christmas software line-up was more exciting.

  • Tweakmonkey #33 8 years ago

    "I just think PS2 should be cheaper than Xbox at this age, especially because Xbox is a better machine"

    Well according to this article, Sony made the PS2 cheaper than the Xbox, but then Microsoft responded by making theirs cheaper. See?

  • Serraphin #34 8 years ago

    Have the other 2. Was considering the PS2 for disgaea, transformers et al.

    Even more enticing now, hopefully Riddick, HL2, Halo2 will ward of a PS2 purchase... especially with PES now peeping on the X-BOX horizon.

  • Thamuhacha #35 8 years ago

    Xbox. Fable. Jade Empire. Kotor. Kotor 2.

    Months of RPG fun for close to £250? Nice.

  • Blerk #36 8 years ago

    Sony to cut its price to UKP 104.99

    Bizarre number! Anyway... 'bout time there were some more price cuts.

    Why are people still buying a PS2????
    Ha.. yes I know Blerk.. Disgaea ;)

    If only that was true!

  • Blerk #37 8 years ago

    Some of these?

  • Whizzo #38 8 years ago

    No, VAT is designed to encourage certain purchasing trends or saving. Other countries just tax you more on your earnings.

    I'm not sure any government should be telling me what to spend my money on and considering how few VAT exempt things there are I'm at a loss to work out what they're encouraging, more buying of food, kids clothes and books?

    Also your saving are taxed as income and other countries VAT rates are higher as well with different exemptions, how exactly that's anything than revenue generation I'm stumped.

  • sickpuppysoftware #39 8 years ago

    OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

    i get it now, they're the same base price, your government just takes the hell outta you. sorry bout that :p
    Wait until you see how much they tax our petrol by!

  • Sko #40 8 years ago

    99quid for an Xbox? How much extra are MS gonna be losing per machine now?

  • Roarer #41 8 years ago

    Nooooooo! I just bought my Xbox two weeks ago for £139 and now they announce this. I knew it! This has happened to me three times in a row now (I remember buying my PS1 at the original retail price, and then they lowered it exactly TWO days afterwards. Grrrr).

    Anyway, will the £100 Xbox come bundled with any games?

  • Schwabing #42 8 years ago

    they should bundle Doom3 with an X-Box and say something like:

    'only a quarter of the cost of upgrading your PC for D3!'

    in 2006 or whenever it actually comes out...

  • Rusta #43 8 years ago

    £99 for a PC at that spec you could not buy.

    Add £100 for chip and hard disk and you have a £200 excellent media centre.......

  • WriterUK #44 8 years ago

    WTF is that picture up there? Is it really too hard to get a picture of a PS2, maybe next to an Xbox? :)

    Fire the art department!!

  • Roarer #45 8 years ago

    Rhythm: Thanks for the tip! I don't think we have Barclay cards (or anything similar) in Sweden though...

    My Xbox came bundled with PGR2 and Top Spin though, and if the price cut is for a vanilla system, well, the difference will be pretty insignificant.

    [Edit: Sewden is a mighty fine country, famous for it's fine garments and skilled seamstresses]
    Edited by 1 at 18/08/04 @ 15:36

  • lost_soul #46 8 years ago

    Hmmmm let me think. £140 for Doom 3 and an Xbox or £1000 upgrade to run it on my PC...

    Are you buying your PC upgrades from Dixons?

  • Roarer #47 8 years ago

    Oh - I'm a bit clueless when it comes to things like that. Still, not sure if it'd be worth the hassle of getting a new card (there's always problems involved with things like that. Always.)

  • rauper Verified Managing Director, Eurogamer Network #48 8 years ago

    "Update 14:18 - Microsoft confirms price drop."

  • ManicMiner #49 8 years ago

    >Hmmmm let me think. £140 for Doom 3 and an Xbox or £1000 upgrade >to run it on my PC...

    >>Are you buying your PC upgrades from Dixons?

    Not likely, they wouldn't know a decent PC upgrade if it jumped out and bit them.

  • Tweakmonkey #50 8 years ago

    £140 for Doom 3 and an Xbox or £1000 upgrade to run it on my PC

    I can play Halo on my £40 graphics card! :-P

  • Freek #51 8 years ago

    Sweet, since I might be buying an Xbox for Fable and Halo2.

    btw, that 1000 pound upgarde will run Doom 3 in allot higher detail then the Xbox will, that's why it costs that much.
    Edited by 1 at 18/08/04 @ 16:40

  • Sko #52 8 years ago

    "£140 for Doom 3 and an Xbox or £1000 upgrade to run it on my PC"

    Hmm, I wouldn't play that pile of crap again even if it came free, with an Xbox and 140 quid thrown in to sweeten the deal. ;)

  • Khab #53 8 years ago

    Well our government are the biggest thieves then, that's for sure... Djeez... 21%...

    25%.

  • IronGiant #54 8 years ago

    All very amusing.. Sony play a tune and MS follow scared shitless that the PS2 might be cheaper than an XBox, at this price i wonder how much MS are losing per console.

  • Dizzy #55 8 years ago

    > wonder how much MS are losing per console

    Who cares... you get a better console for less money.
    Edited by 1 at 18/08/04 @ 17:25

  • IronGiant #56 8 years ago

    I care, i paid £199 for mine :)

  • HarryB #57 8 years ago

    ive spent £300 on my 1st xbox and £200 on my second

    I WANT JUSTICE

  • Kru #58 8 years ago

    > Or you change the sites name to UK-gamer once and for all.
    >Or you give us prices in euros.
    >Thx.

    Bleh, get over it. I'm from ireland and it dont bother me, eurogamer's offices are based in england and all but one of the staff are english so why should they deal in any other currency. It dont take a genius to goto xe.com and convert

  • Whizzo #59 8 years ago

    I WANT JUSTICE

    You need better timing!

    I have a habit of buying stuff just before it goes down in price, a printer I bought one day dropped by 20 quid the very next day and a DVD writer dropped by 7 notes hours after mine was despatched...

  • Blerk #60 8 years ago

    The general parent doesn't have a clue which is the better console. They will either ask their friends what they bought the kids or go Hmm! Sony, I know that brand, don't we have a TV by them. That must be the better one.

    Believe it or not, parents don't choose consoles. Kids do. Also believe it or not, a large proportion of sales are to adults who know exactly what they want.

  • IronGiant #61 8 years ago

    On that same note then you've also been brainwashed into believing the XBox is "best".. technical superiority does not make one machine a better choice than the next.

  • Scimarad #62 8 years ago

    I agree with Iron Giant; I don't think well I really want to play blahblahblah on the PS2 but I ain't gonna because the Xbox is technically superior. Dear God, what a bunch of tech whores:-)

    On the other hand, look what just arrived - Chronicles of Riddick! Right, I'm off to play that then...

  • cheap #63 8 years ago

    Are there any purely anti-fanboy objective reviews or comparisons between the two systems? I own an aging PS2 thats giving me some problems, thinking about either getting a new one or selling the games and picking up an Xbox

  • Fixxxer #64 8 years ago

    "PS2 will still cream Xbox in sales this Xmas. The general parent doesn't have a clue which is the better console. They will either ask their friends what they bought the kids or go Hmm! Sony, I know that brand, don't we have a TV by them. That must be the better one. "

    "Microsoft? Don't they make hamster beds?"

    I don't know how stupid you think the 'general parent' is.

  • ruttyboy #65 8 years ago

    The £104.99 price point is actually quite a clever move by Sony, they are fully aware that retailers will go with a £99.99 price point and so the retailer ends up taking more of a margin hit than Sony (who still effectively sold a console at £104.99).

  • Hunam85 #66 8 years ago

    if riddick wasnt coming out on the pc, id be there.... but ill guess ill wait till fable...

  • Kenneth Anger #67 8 years ago

    Neither Sony or the retailer make much out of consoles, Ruttyboy - it's all about widening the installed base and gaining market share so that you can sell games and peripherals (and magazines, subscriptions, licences, intellectual property and so on). The retailer and distributor margins are about 8% on the actual hardware, so it'll be priced to sell at £99.99 really. I reckon about as many will stick to the price point as did the Driv£r £44.99. It also means Sony get a couple of months' extra in the product life cycle before dropping to the 'magic' £99.99 (where PS1 saw most of its sales). really, though, this price point has been there for a while, because more and more free software is being given away with the PS2, either as a pack to the customer or to be split and sold on, freeing up margin for the shop.

    /stops being boring

  • ruttyboy #68 8 years ago

    I know all that Ken (I bloody should do ;) but an extra £3 a week on 10000 units is not insignificant to Sony, knowing that it won't hurt them in the slightest as retailers will go with the £99.99 anyway.

  • ghearoid #69 8 years ago

    excellent, i was just about to buy an xbox this week anyway so i'll wait a few days! shame though that there doesn't seem to be any of those pretty crystal ones still around..

  • ruttyboy #70 8 years ago

    ghearoid, if you want a crystal one, just wait. Trust me ;)

  • Kenneth Anger #71 8 years ago

    I've heard that they're limited edition like silver PS2s were limited...

  • IronGiant #72 8 years ago

    RADDAV you still don't get it, gaming is about games is it not? you can have just as much fun on a Gameboy or a Commodore64 (ahh the memories) as you can on an XBox, it's got nothing to do with who's got the biggest this or fastest that, it's the games that really matter. I own a PS2 and an XBox by the way. I couldn't give a rats ass about who's got the better line up for christmas.

  • IronGiant #73 8 years ago

    The PS2 is a capable machine in the hands of talented developers.. GT4, Burnout3 are both good examples of what it can do.

    If you had just got the XBox you'd have missed out on some truly fantastic games.. though saying in hindsight you'd have just bought the latest and most powerful console is pretty obvious.

  • perilikid #74 8 years ago

    Dr Fripp, is there any chance you could look at PS2 games that were developed at the same time as the DC games you played? You introduce your argument and then you compare a dead console with one of the most popular consoles of all time... nice.

    Bah, I can't be bothered to go on. It's too late to try and make a point.

  • mcmonkeyplc #75 8 years ago

    Dr fripp said: "I don't know, are some people just dreaming when they talk about the DreamCast? While Soul Calibur and F355 looked terribly disappointing,".

    You are having a laugh arent you? Soul calibur on the dreamcast STILL outshines some of the games on the PS2 like Tekken 4! I have that graphics whore of all consoles, the xbox and I still love the way the dreamcast games look.

    Oh and try Shenmue.

  • OnlyMe #76 8 years ago

    All I know is that the best looking Dreamcast games doesn't even come close to the bestlooking PS2 games, so it's not fair to say the margin is so close. Soul Calibur looks nice, but hey... we have Soul Calibur 2 on the PS2 now. That looks excellent. And Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution. And Tekken 4 looked excellent too.

    Dreamcast is by no means this generation, it's somewhere between PSone/N64 and PS2 generation. 80% of the titles on Dreamcast looks like N64 titles. The graphics aren't THAT diverse on the PS2.

  • Retroid #77 8 years ago

    DC - never had the investment from devs that it deserved. Still got amazing results in its 1st & 2 gen software.

    PS2 - devs & publishers have been desperately throwing cash at this to get the performance out of it which Sony promised all along. Now on it's 4th generation of software and yes, of course the titles now look better than DC titles but by this point there'd be something sadly wrong if they didn't. It has more ram for a start, which a lot of programmers said was one of the main problems with environments.

    With all consoles and computers, just compare the launch titles to those that are published near the end of their lifespan; they almost look like different machines, once the most is being made of the host.

  • Scimarad #78 8 years ago

    Jesus, not the PS2 vs Dreamcast argument again - I thought that was long dead.

    That console is THE most fanboy infested piece of over-rated crap I ever had the misfortune of buying. Er...apart from Skies of Arcadia and PSO.

  • perilikid #79 8 years ago

    Dr Fripp, I'm not sure how you're making your point. Does it ever occur to you that maybe the DC was abandoned too early to be pushed to its limit?

    Bah, sod this. Playing devil's advocate is obviously too subtle to be done on t'internet.

  • Chris Gardiner #80 8 years ago

    Woo-hoo! Cheap XBoxes! Just in time for Fable, Riddick and Halo 2!

  • mash the x button #81 8 years ago

    "Ico was OK"?????
    Call for the inquisition now!

  • IronGiant #82 8 years ago

    Considering the PS2 came out a bloody long time before the XBox and Gamecube it's hardly surprising that it's not as powerful.. fine, if you think the latest and greatest is the best thing to have then don't bother buying XBox2 as that's gonna be first out of the gate according to MS.

    Actually i do still play C64 games, SNES games, Megadrive games and classic arcade games through MAME and they're still as much fun now even though they're outdated and primitive compared to todays software. Comparing who's got the best release schedule and stating the XBox offers the best gaming experience is bollox as that's purely your opinion. There are games i want for PS2 and XBox this christmas, all of which im looking forward to.. it's ridiculous to say one will give me more enjoyment that the other.

  • Blerk #83 8 years ago

    Your missing the point, if you had one system to buy for xmas between the 2 for 100 quid I said that Xbox to me would be the better purchase that's all.

    Not if all the games you want to play are on the PS2, though. Do you see? It's down to 'personal preference'.

  • Decoded #84 8 years ago

    "Not if all the games you want to play are on the PS2, though. Do you see? It's down to 'personal preference'. "

    Surely not Blerk! We must all buy an Xbox because they are teh roxxor!

    How do you do italics on here by the way?

  • Tweakmonkey #85 8 years ago

    My 2 shillings on the PS2 vs DC topic:

    I was disappointed by the conversions of Resident Evil CV and Virtua Tennis 2. Both looked better on DC than on PS2.

    That doesn't make the DC a better machine however, because I believe the PS2 wins hands down for all games specifically developed for it.

  • Master Cheif #86 8 years ago

    PS2 is still overpriced LOL

  • BLACKSHEEP #87 8 years ago

    San Andreas bundle anyone? Or EyeToy, or even Online with Burnout3. Even with Halo2, I can't see Xbox outselling PS2 this festive season. Still gonna get one at under a ton. :D

  • IronGiant #88 8 years ago

    Nope, that's a completely ridiculous comparison.. a porsche and a focus both do exactly the same thing, they transport you from one place to another. The PS2 has games coming out that you cannot get on the XBox and vice versa so as Blerk correctly said it's all down to personal preference as to which games you want to play, if you're a big fan of RPGs for instance then the PS2 pisses all over the XBox. If you're a big FPS gamer then the XBox is the one to go for. How hard a concept is that to grasp?

  • Scimarad #89 8 years ago

    Yeah, those are really great if you want to play Disgaea, Shadow Hearts:Covenant, Shin Megami Tensei III, Suikoden 4, Digital Devil Saga, Xenosaga II etc etc..

    What part of "it depends on which game you want to play" don't you understand?

  • IronGiant #90 8 years ago

    Agreed.. seems some people still have nothing better to do than to peddle that "my console is better than yours" crap. I'd love to know how the XBox plays one of the best RPGs ever made, Disgaea, better than a PS2.

  • Blerk #91 8 years ago

    I'm not even getting back into this argument - I came here for a different reason:

    Amazon have adjusted their prices. They are doing a black or a silver PS2 for £94.99 including delivery. In stock.

    Don't run out and buy one from a shop today!

  • mash the x button #92 8 years ago

    Game set and match!

  • Master Cheif #93 8 years ago

    Unless you have forgotten Halo 2 is the biggest pre ordered game in history... plus games like Pro Evo 4 and Burnout also appearing on Xbox but not only that so is GTA:SA (later) so i feel Xbox will outsell PS2 but only if the price of the console stays below the PS2 price

  • Blerk #94 8 years ago

    Gaaah! Alright, I will get back into it.

    Look - for fuck's sake. Nobody is disputing that there are some excellent games for the Xbox. Nobody is disputing that there are people for whom it is the perfect machine and has all the games that they could ever want.

    What you need to get into your thick skulls is that this isn't everybody. People don't always buy PS2s because they don't know any better or because it 'looks cool'. There's a list of PS2 exclusives that'd stretch from here to the bloody car park. If you want to play those games then there's no other way to do it.

    If all you want to do is play multi-platform stuff and Xbox exclusives then of course there's no better choice than to buy an Xbox. But believe it or not there are some people who want to play those PS2 exclusive games!
    Edited by 1 at 20/08/04 @ 11:55

  • Master Cheif #95 8 years ago

    Ye i agree just putting out the point that most of the PS2 most wanted are coming to Xbox thats all

  • IronGiant #96 8 years ago

    Well said Blerk, though i'm sure there is some fanboi twat who still feels the need to dispute your comments.

    Edit: I was right, see post above.
    Edited by 1 at 20/08/04 @ 12:03

  • Blerk #97 8 years ago

    Ye i agree just putting out the point that most of the PS2 most wanted are coming to Xbox thats all

    Sorry, that wasn't actually aimed at you - I'd been reading backwards and you replied while I was typing.

    That said... there's no way on Earth the Xbox is going to outsell the PS2 this Christmas, even with Halo 2.

  • Master Cheif #98 8 years ago

    mainly because of the brand but hey i dont mind it keeps all the kids off Xbox Live and saying stupid stuff rather than playing the game, More Halo 2 games for me!

  • Blerk #99 8 years ago

    Why should you EVER be influenced by which is the 'superior' hardware? It doesn't matter how good the hardware is if it doesn't have the games you want.

    Do.
    You.
    See?

  • Master Cheif #100 8 years ago

    Again you are right but then we would all be playing the SNES, as that console had the best games e.g. Street Fighter, Zelda, Mario

  • Whizzo #101 8 years ago

    As Blerk says, and has been said repeatedly over the years, choose games first then the machine to run them on.

    It's been the same since the 8bit days and it's just as true now as it was back then.

    Well other than the fact that people buying C64s over Spectrums were rich idiots... ;-)

  • Master Cheif #102 8 years ago

    lol

  • IronGiant #103 8 years ago

    Oh come on, how the hell can a turn based RPG play far better on XBox??? not every game needs cutting edge graphics to be a lot of fun and surely that's what gaming is all about, regardless of what kind of box you play it on. Exactly what is wrong with playing games on a SNES? people do it all the time with GBAs!! ;)

  • mash the x button #104 8 years ago

    I bought my PS2 precisely for the reasons Blerk suggests, to play games that I wanted to play. Essential to the purchase was Ico and Silent Hill 2. It also has the additional benefit of being able to play PS1 titles, handy for the kids when they want to play Spyro, and when I want another go at Nemesis. At the time the X-box didn't really have the range of games on offer that the PS2 did. Maybe now that has changed, but I can't really justify having two consoles side by side. Unless of course Nintendo make a very attractive bundle package with the Gamecube, and RE4, not to mention Zelda...

  • valli #105 8 years ago

    Unless you have forgotten Halo 2 is the biggest pre ordered game in history...

    Out of curiosity, where did you read that? I remember MGS2 had a huge amount of pre-orders that was a record at the time. I'm pretty sure it hasn't been topped yet. If so, possibly by "Vice City" or FFX/FFX-2 games in Japan.

  • gamingdave #106 8 years ago

    I played the Dreamcast for the first time just a month ago

    I bow to Dr_Fripp the authority on Dreamcast gaming

    F355 looked terribly disappointing

    I laugh at Dr_Fripp for being a fool.

  • gamingdave #107 8 years ago

    How about joining the discussion instead

    what discussion? DCs vs PS2s graphics? which is "best" out of Xbox/PS2? which will win at xmas?

    Id say PS2 will outsell Xbox and Cube at xmas this year, but its not for another 4 months yet, lets wait and see what the plans are for advertising and promotion.

  • Blerk #108 8 years ago

    Taste, my man. Taste. It's all a matter of preference.

    You, for instance, like the Xbox's line-up. That's great! It's mostly made up of Western stuff. Hereby lies the problem. I prefer Japanese stuff. Very little of that on the Xbox, so to me there's little point. I don't like most Western games.

    The old 'everything that comes out on PS2 comes out on Xbox later' fact is complete rubbish if you're interested in anything that's even slightly 'out of the ordinary'.

  • Tweakmonkey #109 8 years ago

    I really fear for the mental stability of the Xbox fanboys because one day their beloved machine won't be the most powerful in that gen.

    Only then they will understand that the joy of gaming isn't just about polygons or whatever, but about the quality and variety of the games. Games. Games. Games. See?

  • cheap #110 8 years ago

    one day their beloved machine won't be the most powerful in that gen

    now i personally don't own an xbox, but what makes you say that tweak? aren't the specs on power better on xbox? i'm not talking about gameplay or types of games or any of that, but based on hardware (processor, ram, etc) i was under the impression xbox had the advantage

  • Tweakmonkey #111 8 years ago

    sorry cheap - i just mean that a lot of the Xbox comments seem to be purely about the superiority of Xbox hardware which it has over PS2.

    *If* PS3 is more powerful than Xbox2 in the next gen, then I think a lot of these fanboys will have to find a different perspective.

  • cheap #112 8 years ago

    gotcha...as far as the next gen (ps3, xbox2, revo) i can't see how any one can possibly have a huge advantage over the others in terms of harware..maybe some small differences, but with graphics and render and the such all three should be about on par. if that aspect of the field can be leveled, then no one can deny it's all about the games.

  • Master Cheif #113 8 years ago

    yep it is about games but is also about price, ive heard that ps3 cell technology will be awesome but very very expensive due to the cost of creating and building the chips

  • cheap #114 8 years ago

    oh yeah, forgot about price...usually my #1 concern :p

  • IronGiant #115 8 years ago

    What so the new consoles will be expensive at launch??? no way.. shit.

    /Remember £299 PS2 and £299 XBox.

    Yoda, as far as software goes if you think that Fable, Jade Empire and KOTOR2 are gonna be massive sellers then you're on another planet.
    Edited by 1 at 20/08/04 @ 17:26

  • cheap #116 8 years ago

    yeah so price is pretty much a non issue when they both release at the same price, but if theres a difference (like with the psp and ds) then it becomes one

  • Whizzo #117 8 years ago

    Has anyone seen a cheaper Xbox on the street yet? I know Amazon has them cheaper but on a browse around the shops this afternoon no where has a cheaper slab yet everywhere is advertising the lower priced PS2.

    Not that I want an Xbox I've already got one but it does seem like MS haven't put their price cut into action yet.

    The fact the PS2 is officially £104.99 doesn't seem to have bothered anyone it's really £99.99 as we thought it would be.

  • Master Cheif #118 8 years ago

    Xbox price cut on the 27th August

  • Whizzo #119 8 years ago

    Oh yeah! Damn my poor reading skills.

    Seems a bit silly for Microsoft to give Sony a week's headstart...

  • Master Cheif #120 8 years ago

    ye they also probably wanted to cut it just incase ppl went out hearing of a price cut finding out it hasnt happened and just buying it anyway

  • gamingdave #121 8 years ago

    Id hardly call GT realistic, if I tried to drive a real sports car like I do in games im sure id crash them all. IMO any driving game that is truely realistic wouldnt be much fun. Mind F355 is bloody hard and it takes a lot of patience. Im not knocking GT, found memories of playing linkup, but it isnt a killer app if youve already got an xbox.

  • valli #122 8 years ago

    the framerate was soooo slooooowwww!

    I've yet to experience any slowdown or framerate stutter in a GT game. All of them run in full 50/60 fps. Is that too slow for you?

    Do you realize how retarded it is to compare or even praise a game that hasn't been outside Microsoft's offices in any form to an existing game? What do you base your argument on? The screenshots? The hype on forums where people like you scream "FORZA PWNZ!" all day? Microsoft's PR department?

  • IronGiant #123 8 years ago

    Ok let's revisit this thread after xmas and see just how huge sellers Fable, Jade Empire and KOTOR2 actually were.. just like the other so called big titles Ninja Gaiden, Rallisport2, Top Spin, Grabbed By The Ghoulies, Crimson Skies etc etc. Not that im knocking those titles as i had a lot of fun with them but against the likes of FIFA, Need4Speed, Bond, GT4, GTA San Andreas they won't make any impression near the top of the charts. My feet are firmly on the ground thanks, unlike your head which is planted firmly up your own backside. Console snobberism is just plain childish.

    As Valli mentioned comparing a game that hasn't seen the light of day is just plain stupid, when it's released then go ahead and compare it to GT4 instead of basing your argument on other peoples opinions from previews months ago.

  • valli #124 8 years ago

    Ah, so now it's the sense of speed? You need to learn the difference between slow framerate and sense of speed.

    Have ago on Rallisport challenge 2 to see what a real sense of speed feels like in a driving game.

    I don't know why I even bother. If that's your argument, you should stick to RSC2, Burnout 3, Outrun 2 and the other "real sense of speed" racers.

  • Tweakmonkey #125 8 years ago

    My game's gonna beat your game

    /runs home to mommy

  • mash the x button #126 8 years ago

    My console is bigger than yours! Nah na na na NAHHH!

  • shaun #127 8 years ago

    A number of shops around town are displaying posters *PS2 only £99* – although i already own a PS2. Didn’t see any Xbox posters though, i’d pay £89 for an Xbox, providing they throw in a copy of Outrun 2. Maybe that’s asking a bit too much :)
    Edited by 1 at 21/08/04 @ 21:14

  • IronGiant #128 8 years ago

    Look i'll happily agree to disagree but Fable, KOTOR2 and Jade Empire are nothing like the RPGs you can/will get on PS2. MS had a stab at a Jap style RPG with Sudeki and it turned out average. If you're looking forward to Fable etc then great but that's your opinion, you keep stating things as if they are facts.

    Stick to your XBox racers then fine but is there any need to keep going on about how much you aren't interested in GT4? we get the message but there are plenty of us that are looking forward to playing it.

    Using your logic i assume you won't be buying XBox2 then as that will probably be the first next gen machine released, giving Sony time to increase power/features in the PS3.

  • Scimarad #129 8 years ago

    *eats popcorn and encourages both sides*

  • gtafreak #130 8 years ago

    whoo £104.99 for a ps2. wat a deal!!!! if i hadn't got mine the day it came out i would get one now, wat a price.