Sony's Playstation 2 outselling Playstation 3
Mired in an overall slump, the once recession-proof video game industry is finally experiencing some adverse effects from the troubled economy.
Just ask Sony. The games giant saw losses pretty much across the board in the year's first quarter, as sales of its flagship Playstation 3 system fell from last year's 1.6 million to only 1.1 million. Its PSP handheld saw a huge drop, too, from 3.7 million to only 1.2 million.
The one bright spot? The nine year-old Playstation 2, which managed to outsell the PS3 by roughly 500,000 units despite being older than some of its fans.
Part of the system's continued success can be attributed to the ailing economy. At only $99, it's a significantly cheaper alternative to the entry-level Xbox 360 ($199) and Nintendo Wii ($250), not to mention the still inordinately pricey Playstation 3 ($399). Adding bang to the buck is the system's massive library of highly-rated, value-priced games, which includes seminal titles from huge franchises like Grand Theft Auto, God of War and Final Fantasy. The PS2 also boasts the ability to play DVDs, which, despite Sony's efforts to promote its hi-def Blu-Ray technology, remains the industry's leading format (though video game sales outperformed both in 2008).
After playing on a PS3 I can't possibly imagine having to go back to a PS2. I agree that Sony should drop the price of the PS3 but since I had to pay $400 I really think everyone else should have to suffer too. Also, the DVD player on the PS2 was pure, unadulterated crap. The audio settings were all jacked up. Might as well have been watching 'Rad' on Beta Max. But the PS2 is cheap. People like cheap these days. Damn this cooky economy.
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