Are they still making ps2s?

[boweyang]

If they are, they should stop and focus more on ps3. If they want to continue making them, they will only help delay this war, I believe. Christmas should be the last day to buy a ps2.

[MrBogey]

Originally Posted by boweyang

If they are, they should stop and focus more on ps3. If they want to continue making them, they will only help delay this war, I believe. Christmas should be the last day to buy a ps2.

They're still making them because the PS2 is so far into profit it's not even funny. The R&D and production has been paid for long ago and the release of new titles generate licensing revenue that is essentially free money.

[Razzy]

I'm pretty sure they only stopped making the original Playstation last year. If history repeats, Sony will stop producing PS2's around 2010, unless there is still demand.

Also, like MrBogey said, the PS2 is still selling quite well and I would imagine all the cash Sony makes on the PS2 is pure profit now since it probably costs next to nothing to make. They won't give up on it anytime soon, especially if they decide drop the price to $99.

[Smackos]

Besides which there's nothing wrong with having 2 seperate gaming platforms in a true two tier layout. The PS 2 still sells stupidly well and for all intents and purposes is still the biggest gaming platform out there by a long way. Everyone talks about the Wii as "winning" this generation but they quickly write off the sales the PS 2 still generates. Sony would be mad to knock that on the head completely when its still capable of dominating a sales chart.

[jorg]

if i recal the ps2 is seeling around 250 thousand each month just in north america and the x-mas or 06 they sold like 660 thousand plus just ;like most playstation gamers upgraded to the ps2 the ps2 gamers will upgrade eventrualy

[jw]

Plus if you are like most people with kids, they make easy gifts resulting in several systems in one household. I have 3....2 slimline,1 original and then of course, the Black Beauty....The PS3(Daddys Toy)

[gvortex7]

I got my PS2 in 2005 and I'm not even thinking of moving onto the PS3, yet. Especially considering the PS3 has very few quality titles available. I'd rather buy a PS3 when its price drops significantly and when I can regularly buy games under $20 (used or greatest hits).

What can I say, I'm a cheap bastard.

[Icemage]

The PS2 occupies a very important place in the console ecosystem. It boasts the largest game library of any game console in history, comes in at a very affordable price (more than twice as affordable as a Wii, in fact), and has any number of budget titles.

It's now targetted at a completely different market than the other consoles; even more so now since the Xbox and GameCube are effectively dead, its ONLY competition is from the Nintendo Wii.

Sony is all about brand recognition and loyalty. While supporting the PS2 now hurts the PS3 to some extent, it does some very good things for them.

(1) It keeps their relationships with game developers on a good footing, since they are continuing to allow new games to be released on the platform. This will pay big dividends in the future for Sony when those developers migrate projects to the newer consoles since no projects need to be abandoned.

(2) It gives people more reasons to upgrade to a PS3 in the future when they can afford one. Sony knows something that Microsoft does not. Forcing people to upgrade to more expensive hardware (which you're taking a loss on anyway) is not a good idea. People will upgrade when they're good and ready to, and not a moment before.

(3) It buys Sony time to bring the price and costs down on the PS3 without losing overall market share.

Right now, Sony's biggest enemy in the console war is time. They need time to get more software support for the PS3, they need time to get the hardware costs down, and they need time to push Blu-ray production costs down to dovetail with it. The PS2 is buying them the time they need, and doing so at a healthy profit.

[BluRay2344]

yeah ps2 will be around for quite some time!

[w_tanoto]

i guess: yes.
it would be a big announcement when they stop making it. just like when they stopped ps1 production

[Magic]

Originally Posted by Icemage

The PS2 occupies a very important place in the console ecosystem. It boasts the largest game library of any game console in history, comes in at a very affordable price (more than twice as affordable as a Wii, in fact), and has any number of budget titles.

It's now targetted at a completely different market than the other consoles; even more so now since the Xbox and GameCube are effectively dead, its ONLY competition is from the Nintendo Wii.

Sony is all about brand recognition and loyalty. While supporting the PS2 now hurts the PS3 to some extent, it does some very good things for them.

(1) It keeps their relationships with game developers on a good footing, since they are continuing to allow new games to be released on the platform. This will pay big dividends in the future for Sony when those developers migrate projects to the newer consoles since no projects need to be abandoned.

(2) It gives people more reasons to upgrade to a PS3 in the future when they can afford one. Sony knows something that Microsoft does not. Forcing people to upgrade to more expensive hardware (which you're taking a loss on anyway) is not a good idea. People will upgrade when they're good and ready to, and not a moment before.

(3) It buys Sony time to bring the price and costs down on the PS3 without losing overall market share.

Right now, Sony's biggest enemy in the console war is time. They need time to get more software support for the PS3, they need time to get the hardware costs down, and they need time to push Blu-ray production costs down to dovetail with it. The PS2 is buying them the time they need, and doing so at a healthy profit.

You are exactly right...there biggest enemy for sure is time. Great post....you hit it right on the head.

[joeorc]

Originally Posted by Icemage

The PS2 occupies a very important place in the console ecosystem. It boasts the largest game library of any game console in history, comes in at a very affordable price (more than twice as affordable as a Wii, in fact), and has any number of budget titles.

It's now targetted at a completely different market than the other consoles; even more so now since the Xbox and GameCube are effectively dead, its ONLY competition is from the Nintendo Wii.

Sony is all about brand recognition and loyalty. While supporting the PS2 now hurts the PS3 to some extent, it does some very good things for them.

(1) It keeps their relationships with game developers on a good footing, since they are continuing to allow new games to be released on the platform. This will pay big dividends in the future for Sony when those developers migrate projects to the newer consoles since no projects need to be abandoned.

(2) It gives people more reasons to upgrade to a PS3 in the future when they can afford one. Sony knows something that Microsoft does not. Forcing people to upgrade to more expensive hardware (which you're taking a loss on anyway) is not a good idea. People will upgrade when they're good and ready to, and not a moment before.

(3) It buys Sony time to bring the price and costs down on the PS3 without losing overall market share.

Right now, Sony's biggest enemy in the console war is time. They need time to get more software support for the PS3, they need time to get the hardware costs down, and they need time to push Blu-ray production costs down to dovetail with it. The PS2 is buying them the time they need, and doing so at a healthy profit.

not only do i agree with all you have stated 100% but i would like to add a couple of my own

4) since all playstation systems are on a 10 year support game development cycle per playstation..the buy into a playstation means games will still be made for your current playstation system even when a new playstation system gets released. while other's do not support their systems for more than (4).

5) by doing all of the above points SONY has been able to bring the previous systems games and developers to the current system while still makeing a sizeable ammount of income for the new playstation system to offset its cost in development for new software for NOT ONLY SONY AND ITS SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS BUT ALSO THAT OF THE PREVIOUS PLAYSTATION PLATFORM..developers just getting started can choose to release a new playstation 2 game's and that game can still be played on the new
playstation 3.

6) why eliminate a viable product from the shelf for the sake of selling more of your new system if your new system is also on a 10 year support cycle..the developers know this...they know that each and every playstation system will be produced for retail market for 10 years that tells the DEVELOPERS that the install base can grow past 4 or 5 years and will continue..but ask the developers about OTHER systems like microsoft will the xbox360 be supported past 4 or 5 years. will microsoft kick the xbox360 to the curb after 5 years in time for the release of their new system.

just some talking points why keeping the support for the playstation 2 is a advantage not a disadvantage. remember all playstation systems are on a 10 year cycle. past experience shows this.

playstation 1: 10 year's
playstation 2: 7 year's and still going
playstation portible: 3 years almost 4
playstation 3 : not even a full year yet..9 more to go...

[joeorc]

Originally Posted by w_tanoto

i guess: yes.
it would be a big announcement when they stop making it. just like when they stopped ps1 production

what is ironic at last years TGS 2006 a new playstation 1 game out of japan was released....

http://games.ign.com/articles/732/732687p1.html

[boweyang]

Those are some good reasons. I didn't think i get such good responses. Thanx guys!

[koreyman]

PS2 is pure bank

[pedigree]

ps2 is still a pretty sick system i know i still have mine hooked up to my other tv downstairs and its still sick.

[takezo]

Originally Posted by MrBogey

They're still making them because the PS2 is so far into profit it's not even funny. The R&D and production has been paid for long ago and the release of new titles generate licensing revenue that is essentially free money.

money is not free, you still have to manufacture it, box it and ship it which takes man hours, even when the buck of the labor is done very cheaply by outsourced factories, it's still a price. But it's true that Sony profits more from each PS2 games sold than PS3 sold. In fact it will be a few years before Sony starts profiting from PS3 game sales. Each console they make is sold far cheaper than it was to make, they are eating the cost.

PS2 is still around because people still buy it, not just some but a lot. PS2sales world wide even in 2006 are more than Xbox 360 and PS3. Last year PS2 was only 2nd to Nintendo's Wii.

Why stop makeing PS2 when PS2 is still so profitable? It only will make Sony's situation on PS3 better. More money = Better PS3.


PS2 in asia is still the dominant gaming console. In Japan, the 360 is a joke, a complete failure, PS3 is too pricey and breaks their space concience culture, Wii and DS are just a burning phenominon that just captivated that region. PS2 is still needed in Japan to slow down Nintendo's rapid accention to it's former glory.

Actualy 2008 maybey the last year for PS2. Everyone will want somthing new and refreshing. Children are the main focal point of of christmas, what better gift to a child than a game system. What game system is out their that's inexpensive, have a lot of family orientend games, and is fresh and new? It's not 360, it's not PS3? If PS2 is too old to be considered, then what else?

[mastertang]

The PS2 is still outselling the xbox 360. 'Nuff said.

[Pilam69]

So I'll add my own:

It convinces people like me that I am safe investing money in a new $600 console. I can feel 100% confident knowing that Sony will support my product and make my $600 an investment in the future. Not only does the PS2 have a (potential) 10 year life, it is actually more than that due to the fact that the PS3 can play PS2 games (although if you don't have a 60GB this isn't 100% true).

Quite frankly I feel safe buying a PS3 because Sony has proven they will be there for the long haul. Microsoft had the X-box out for what, 4 years, prior to canning it for the 360? And then they basically canned backwards compatibility.

Finally, the PS3 has the ability with hard drive upgrades (which don't void the warranty) and software updates to be state of the art for basically the ENTIRE life cycle.