PS2s to sell without DVD capability?

[The Mad Hatter]

Here's an interesting bit of gossip copy n' pasted from ign.com:

Sony Considers Pulling DVD Feature
We have big ears, and they have been working overtime. Apparently, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. is considering removing the DVD-movie feature from the PlayStation 2. Initially, the move doesn't make any sense, but the removal of such a feature might A) Save Sony money (in some way); B) Help quiet the growing list of critics who want the PS2 to be a game system, and to be tracked in sales as a game system, rather than as a DVD movie player. These people want to know how many game players are out there, not how many people have bought the Diehard Trilogy on DVD. And, C) It may enable Sony to sell two different versions, one with DVD-movie capabilities, and one without DVD-movie capabilities -- then a smallish memory card, or disc, with DVD drivers on it, could be bought at a separate price ($) for those who wanted DVD capabilities. Kinda goes against the whole all-in-one set-top box idea, right? Well, the whole thing sounds fishy (actually it just sounds stupid) to us, but hey, it's being considered.

Hmmmmmm. Most likely, Sony would be considering this in order to compete with the Gamecube. The Gamecube will retail for $200, and Sony can currently only drop the price to $250 without taking a huge loss on each machine. (The profit margins for console hardware is notoriously thin, and companies have often sold machines at slight losses.) But by removing the DVD capability, they don't have to pay DVD licensing fees on each machine... which would allow Sony to come within striking distance of $200.

If this is true, it could be a really risky move. As it stands now, Sony's main advantage in the console wars is that it's the only machine that plays DVDs right out of the box. Without that, Sony wouldn't really have any true advantages in the war, aside from brand loyalty--which is gradually eroding due to a relative lack of A-list titles. And Sony's first party titles are much weaker than Nintendo's... I don't think the system could make it on Gran Turismo alone, and Square is making rumblings about developing for other systems.

But if they made two different PS2 systems, one with DVD capability and one without... it would still be a bad idea. Console consumers crave simplicity as the various "add-on" fiascos (like the Sega CD) point out.

I hope this isn't true, since Sony would be cheating themselves out of their one true trump card.

[Calhoun07]

I think it would be a bad idea. Even if they want to compete with the game cube, there are quite a few people I know who never got a DVD player because they were waiting for the PS2. And while it may be more expensive than the game cube, that might be bad news for gamers, but I think it's something they get over really quick because they know they are getting more bang for their buck out of the current PS2. If they drop the DVD mode, I wouldn't be surprised if they dopped like a rock like Dreamcast did.

[Nightwing]

Oh right! The people waiting for the PS2 because they want the DVD add on.... I forgot about those. At first I thought this was a good idea. if it was in the 200 bucks range I would have considered buying it.

But I dunno, they made their bed, I think they should just ride it through.

Oh!! And don't buy the Die Hard trilogy you people who IGN is talking about! It might not have the new Five Star edition of Die Hard one as a part of it! Get that instead! TWO disks, and a killer box to put em in.

[Psycho Fox]

Well, it might work. Dreamcasts made after Octobers don't have Mil-CD compatiblity but very few cared since close to everyone that cared about already got a DC by then plus there are people like me, I had to get a second becose my first died but my replacement was made after October but I was able to swap the CD assembly with someone that didn't care about Mil-cd comaptablity.

(note: Mil-CD compatiblity allows the DC to run regular 650 meg CDs) and even bigger was when Sega took the card slot out of the SMS they sold even more (still didn't sell very well).

If Sony does it right and first start with putting out PS2s with no DVD clearly marked on the box (Sega did this perfectly with the SMS by here in the US but this is the SMS I'm talking about) and fade out the old they really shouldn't have a problem except for the fact the DVD is a good selling point.

[I.R Joey]

Whoa my PS2 purchasing strategy may have just changed. Hmmm....

[Jowy Blight]

Wow, I think most people will still go for the Gamecube anyway. Nintendo's got a much better line up. If I were to get a PS2, I would only get FFX and that Mobile Suit Gundam game anyway.
So I'll get a GC.

[Calhoun07]

And Nintendo whas Zelda, one of the coolest games EVER. So...will the Gamecube play older versions of Nintendo games?

[I.R Joey]

Not likely. Unless it can play Cartridge and CD's!!!

[Jowy Blight]

Playing Cartridges and CD's would up the price also. Be nice if I could play the first Zelda again, my NES is messed up.

[Calhoun07]

Yeah, I really wish I could play the first version of Zelda again, too.

[Bird Boy]

I dunno..it seems sorta pointless. If they're gonna release it w/o DVD, and they want ppl to buy that instead of GameCube..it'd make more sense if they dropped it to $199, or $175 (that'd really sell more I think). Just an idea though.....and didn't sony make a big deal about being first to sell a game system w/ a DVD drive? and now they're taking it out?? Seems strange to me....

-BB

[The Mad Hatter]

You're right, if the PS2 dropped to $200 sans DVD capability, that might help it. But I'm not sure if they could pull it off without taking a huge loss per machine. The PS2 isn't the best designed machine in the world... from what I can tell, it's a technical mess. That's why it costs more to produce than a Gamecube... again, from hearsay, that machine is ludicrously well-designed and streamlined. Looks like Nintendo learned from the mistakes they made with the N64 (which was also a technical mess)...

And no, the 'cube won't play any of the old Nintendo systems. Designing backward compatability would make the archetecture a bit too complicated and bump the price up... including PS compatibility in the PS2 was great, but it contributed to the system's price and complexity (since they more or less had to include a seperate processor to handle PS stuff).

Oh, one PS2 game that's looking really good is an odd puzzle-solving game called Ico... check it out.

[Static Electric]

well mine has a DVD player. Version 2.10 to be exact.

[Mr. Obsession]

I don't really see the point in taking out the capability to play a DVD movie on the PS2. Since most of the games for the system are on DVD's rather than CD's all they'd be doing is removing a bit of code from the hardware rather than changing the entire disk drive.

And I highly doubt that they'll redesign the system to use a non-DVD drive. That would alienate developers who have already made games that are on DVD format for the system or are in the process of developing games for the system.

I don't see it happening.


And I always thought the selling points of the PS2 were --
1) the new games for the system
2) being able to play your old PSX favorites
3) playing movies on DVD

Originally posted by Jowy Blight
Wow, I think most people will still go for the Gamecube anyway. Nintendo's got a much better line up. If I were to get a PS2, I would only get FFX and that Mobile Suit Gundam game anyway.
So I'll get a GC.

What?! No Suikoden 3? *shakes head in amazement and walks away*

I guess I'll just go and count the days until November...

[Failure]

Geez! Can we please not revive threads that are almost a year old? Especially when the reply doesn't further the discussion any. I thought this was new news at first.

[Mr. Obsession]

I didn't even notice the dates and thought it was news too...

I guess I'll just go sit in the corner now...

[SpaceCub]

I find it hiliarious that all these people said how it would be impossible for the PS2 to go down to $200 and still have DVD capability. And after both those things have happened, the PS2 is still out selling both other consoles.

but what pisses me off is how some people still think you need a remote to play DVDs in the PS2. Hell, the place I work at advertises that you need the remote. But that's just a lie. An un-proifit-friendly lie at that. I make sure that every one of my customers who either buy the PS2, or are deciding which console to get, know that it plays DVDs w/o a remote. Not only is it honest, but a damn good selling point.

I'm pretty sure MicroSoft actually went out of their way to make the Box unable to play DVDs without the remote (come on, the game disks themselves are DVDs, so why should you need a simple remote to play movie-DVDs?), hoping to, well, steal $30 from anyone who wants a DVD player. Granted, a DVD player for $30 is a bargain you probably won't find anywhere else, but it still sucks if should be able to play DVDs in the first place for free (like the PS2). Personally I think they would have made more money had they left the capabilty in.

But if it does cost Sony money to make the PS2 DVD capable (which I don't think so), maybe 2 separate consoles would be a wise idea. Non-DVD: $150. Plus-DVD: $200. It certainly would be nice for anyone who already has a DVD player, and still would give anyone without a DVD player one for $50 (quite a deal).

---
"Don't mock me, my taxes pay your salary, you pansy"

[Failure]

Don't worry bout it Mr. Obsession . My comment was aimed towards Static Electric, whose reply didn't merit reviving a 10 month old thread.

[Opaque]

why would they need to do that to compete with gamecube, ps2 and gamecube cost the same and ps2 has more systems in houses, and they have more games and so on.

[Zapages]

After researching... and my parents being anti - video gamers.... Want me to buy the PS2 for the only reason that it has a DVD option. I hope they don't take this option off before the end of July...

BTW: Does anyone know if the PS2 can play VCDs... If PS2 can't then what modifications that I can buy to play VCDs....