Launch predictions

[wco81]

There are 20 million Xboxes.

Even if X360 does really well, it won't reach that figure for at least a couple of years.

However, MS is still believed to be losing money at $150 so they're cutting back their manufacturing. Not doing too much first-party games either, it seems. Will they release Halo 3 on the old system?

They are believed to have lost money in the most recent quarter in the video game business. Seems like the only quarter they made money was when they released Halo 2.

[Brando70]

How long did the Playstation hang around after the PS2 was released? It was at least a few years. Sure, the amount of games released for it doesn't increase or anything, but it'll still be supported in some way, shape or form.

Yeah, DB, but it takes a considerably larger amount of resources to make a PS2 or Xbox game than a PSX.

I would guess sports titles that can be easily updated/tweaked like Madden will stick around at least through 2006. Original games will probably start to trail off within 6-12 months like Blueduke said, as you'll just have publishers putting out XBox games they were already far along on.

[bdoughty]

I would guess sports titles that can be easily updated/tweaked like Madden will stick around at least through 2006. Original games will probably start to trail off within 6-12 months like Blueduke said, as you'll just have publishers putting out XBox games they were already far along on.

Through 2006? Not if the last generation has any say. I would bet on at least 2-3 years of PS2/Xbox games still being released of most major EA brands. Madden will be made even longer.


First Madden for PS2 Madden 2001

Last Madden for the PSX

[fsquid]

holy crap, so this past year's madden was the first not on the PSX?

[Brando70]

I didn't realize they pumped out Madden on the PSX for that long -- I thought they quit a couple years after the PS2 came out. Guess I could have gotten off my ass and looked.

Outside of the sports genre, though, the PSX releases fell off within a couple years, I think. I believe Rockstar's "The Italian Job" was the last major release, and that came out in 2002.

[bdoughty]

holy crap, so this past year's madden was the first not on the PSX?

That would be correct. Fifa also had a 2005 on the PSX




Of course 989 loves them some PSX too.

[ScoopBrady]

Now those are what you can legitimately call roster updates.

[bdoughty]

Outside of the sports genre, though, the PSX releases fell off within a couple years, I think. I believe Rockstar's "The Italian Job" was the last major release, and that came out in 2002.

Nope Final Fantasy Origins came out in late spring/summer 2003

http://psx.ign.com/articles/400/400156p1.html

Sure the amount of titles came down but there were still games being released on the PSX up to 2005 (even non sports games).

Just work at an EB or Gamestop for a week and you would realize there is still a big demand for PSX games (used). Not everyone has to have the latest and greatest.

[10spro]

Who still owns a PS1?

[Gurantsu]

I do! But mainly so I can play Thrill Kill with my friends.

[dbdynsty25]

I do too...the original two Tony Hawk games are still awesome.

[kevinpars]

I was up at the North Georgia Premium Outlets today (30-40 miles north of Atlanta off of 400) with my wife and was in the EB playing on the the Xbox 360. (damn, those controllers feel cheap to me - like a third party controller - and not a third party like logitech either). Anyway, while i was messing around, the manager was talking to one of the employees and said that while it was speculation, it looked like there would be about 25 people on the down payment list who would not receive their 360's on release day. "Don't worry" the manager said. "I will make the calls. While 3 or 4 will be really pissed, most will be understanding."

Just speculation on my part, but I would bet that the number might be higher than 3 or 4.

Which leads me to my next speculation - it might be a good idea to hit Target before the smug folks with the down payments find out that they have been screwed by EB or GameStop or whoever they preordered from and expect to pick up on Tuesday.

I am still going back and forth. Honestly, it seems like early buyers get screwed when the hardware problems show up. And if College Hoops turns out to be a great game, I may find myself wonder why I need to spend 400+ for a console to play a stripped down version of Madden.

[Boom]

damn, those controllers feel cheap to me - like a third party controller - and not a third party like logitech either)

You're the first person I've read to have said this about the controllers. All other feedback I'm reading indicates that they awesome.

I haven't had the chance to get my hand onto one yet, but I really hope you're wrong on this (no offense). I've just been so pumped up about the controller after reading a lot of impressions.

[dbdynsty25]

You have to remember that these kiosk controllers are handled by thousands of people. It's not like they are being taken care of or anything.

[Zeppo]

damn, those controllers feel cheap to me - like a third party controller - and not a third party like logitech either)

You're the first person I've read to have said this about the controllers. All other feedback I'm reading indicates that they awesome.

I haven't had the chance to get my hand onto one yet, but I really hope you're wrong on this (no offense). I've just been so pumped up about the controller after reading a lot of impressions.

I tried a kiosk for a very short time, and I thought the controller was fine. Nothing ground-breaking, and tough to tell how comfortable it was since it was bound to the kiosk and I wasn't into crouching to get at the right height, but it felt good to me.

The one thing I am disappointed by is that they put the new shoulder buttons above the triggers, much like the Game Cube's Z-button placement. I think they should have been placed more like the old N64 Z-trigger, down under the handles where your middle fingers naturally sit. Since they are above the triggers, it seems they expect you to use the middle fingers for the triggers, which for me is a disaster. I can't control the triggers as well with my middle fingers while supporting the controller in the last two fingers of my hand. Bummer, really. I honestly think this is a disaster of a design decision. Depending on how driving games deal with the shoulder buttons, this may be something that leads me to seek out a third party controller, something I've never done for any system. With the PS2 it was very rare indeed that I needed to use two fingers for the shoulder buttons, but I'm pretty sure it was necessary once in a while.

It's impossible to tell how good or sturdy the analog sticks are. They feel fine, but I didn't have a chance to really test them. I am hopeful they are better than the Xbox ones, which, while nicely accurate and with a 'just right' level of resistance, tend to demonstrate some weird behavior over the long haul. I'm on my third S-controller since I got the Xbox a couple years ago, as the left analog sticks on the first one eventually lost its ability to register full-right, and the second one ended up always moving my character up really slowly; it wouldn't center to zero. I certainly like the Xbox controllers the best so far; the PS2's analogs are too inaccurate, the N64's tended to get ground down and lose travel.

[Gurantsu]

I actually use my middle fingers on the triggers already, so I'm good to go!