-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Why a PSTwo but no XBoxOne?
- Thread starter VPhys
- Start date
Die Squirrel Die
Member
With Xenon not being terribly far off I guess MS don't really see the point. With the losses the Xbox is making I think they just kinda want to drop it and move on.
Of course it could be shrunk. However, a key selling point of the Xbox, whether you believe it or not, is it's abundance. lowering 'old model' manufacturing for more timely 'new model' manufacturing would lessen that advantage. Think about it: The Xbox is the only console this gen to not face a shortage, and because of that along with software and price elements it has seemingly picked up steam and outsold it's console brethren for some months. While other consoles endured a shortage, the Xbox continued to be in able supply.
Now, with Xbox shortages, imagine the crippling effect on sales. That's what making a new US model would do. The US is a HUGE market.
Now, with Xbox shortages, imagine the crippling effect on sales. That's what making a new US model would do. The US is a HUGE market.
In the same way that the family-friendly, greatly Nintendo-centric software equated to what Nintendo called "the Nintendo difference", so does the almost awe-inspiring presence of the of massive Xbox equate to the "Microsoft difference". i think a lot of people, Americans specifically, like the large size of the Xbox. Don't forget bigger is better to much of America. "Small stuff is for those tiny Japanese guys" is something i've heard from a few people in regards to the Xbox versus the other consoles, though in a more derrogatory way.
={<SMOKE>}=
Member
Wario64 said:
this guy is right and everyone else is wrong. how many ps2's is sony going to sell to people who already own one by introducing the new model? how many gamecubes did nintendo sell to people who already owned cubes when they released the platinum version? for that matter, how many gba's does nintendo sell to people who already own gba's by releasing a new color scheme/new design? they do this for the money and you can bet your ass they know full well a significant portion of the sales are from existing users. exploitation...
Shrinking a console is really not hard. The easiest thing to do is move to an external power supply ala GameCube or PS"2". However it does cost money to retool the manufacturing plants and since MS pays a set price their isn't much advantage. There is an advantage for Sony because they actually reduce the costs of manufacturing by shrinking the system.
MS is better off bundling and adding limited edition colors (which they should do more of).
MS is better off bundling and adding limited edition colors (which they should do more of).
AlphaSnake
...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
Shrinking a console is not only hard but costs a shit load of fuckin' money. The Xbox will not see a slimmed down version of itself. Sorry.
Pedigree Chum
Banned
It was a smart move by Sony to make the PSTwo. Not only is it cheaper to make (relative to PS2, so more profit for them). It gives the system a shot in the arm, which should attract new comers and people who already own a PS2 to upgrade. It's little things like this that keeps Sony the dominant company in the VG business. And this should greatly help Sony hit the 100 Mil mark with the PS2 (not that they wouldn't have done it before, but this will help like PSOne helped the PS hit the 100 Mil mark).
={<SMOKE>}=
Member
Pedigree Chum said:
not to single you out, but i don't know if i agree completely. as far as i can remember it was nintendo who began offering special additions of hardware and color swaps. redesigns? nes and snes...
i do agree that it was a smart move, but i'm sure it was always part of their plan. at this point, their making a nice chunk of change on every piece of hardware sold. how long did the ps2 stay at $299 for? believe them when they say they believe in 10 year hardware life cycles (or whatever the number was). remember, they are a consumer electronics company first and foremost...
i have to admit though, the new ps2 is a sexy beast. they know what they are doing. the same goes for the psp. and, in all reality, i'd say at the MOST only 35% of purchases of the new model will come from existing owners. still, that's a nice profit. good topic.
I think that if Microsoft has something to gain by shrinking the Xbox. Certainly they'd be able to manufacture more systems, and be able to move and ship them both faster and cheaper. If Microsoft could reduce the system to something the size of the original PS2, then I'd say it was worth the effort.
FitzOfRage
Member
aoi tsuki said:
I would disagree with that. I can only imagine the most extreme Xbox fanboy mentioning size as a plus.
If you're selling a house or an SUV, that's one thing. But when you're dealing with technology, people love to see as much functionality in the smallest package possible. If you want to draw snickers, try using a cell phone that could be mistaken for a home cordless phone in public. Even Americans don't prefer unnecessarily clunky devices (or even worse intentionally clunky). And the trend in PC design is towards smaller, quieter systems.
It's probably conditioning from movies, but people associate high technology with small packages, so I wouldn't be surprised if just by virtue of making a device smaller, people are apt to believe it's more powerful, even if it's not.
People put up with the Xbos's size, but I can guarantee a "Type S" console would only help its appeal, not hurt it.
Now as far as why MS isn't doing it, like someone else said, I really don't think they expect to be pushing the Xbox for that much longer. Sony has shipped over 20 million PS1s worldwide (old and new model combined) since the PS2 launched. I'm sure they're expecting the PS2 to also have a strong back life for years to come, and move into that ultra budget, ultra casual space once the PS3 launches.
AlphaSnake
...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
What are you people talking about? Shrinking down chipsets = lots and lots of money. Especially a chipset like the Xbox's. Seriously...WTF
How many PS2's is sony going to sell by making a smaller model ? Quite a few I think, how many of those will be folks who allready have a PS2 ? again quite a few.
The difference with a smaller Xbox, is unless you make it capable of cutting and pasting the entire contents of the older units harddrive, there is hardly a point in an existing owner buying one. Also, I think in Xbox's case it could mean an overabundance of older model numbers.
Perhaps if they secretly stopped production on the existing Xbox and had a laptop sized model out next spring , trickling it into stores just as they run out of old models...
I'm of the opinion that MS will either have Xbox 2 or a smaller Xbox ready next fall, with the incentive for buying an older model being that perhaps it comes with a free game or 2.
On that note, this newer Xbox model could save costs by cutting out all but a single controller port , having an external PSU and making all of it's internal components laptop equivalents. Here's hoping that Xbox 2 is designed with size in mind.
The difference with a smaller Xbox, is unless you make it capable of cutting and pasting the entire contents of the older units harddrive, there is hardly a point in an existing owner buying one. Also, I think in Xbox's case it could mean an overabundance of older model numbers.
Perhaps if they secretly stopped production on the existing Xbox and had a laptop sized model out next spring , trickling it into stores just as they run out of old models...
I'm of the opinion that MS will either have Xbox 2 or a smaller Xbox ready next fall, with the incentive for buying an older model being that perhaps it comes with a free game or 2.
On that note, this newer Xbox model could save costs by cutting out all but a single controller port , having an external PSU and making all of it's internal components laptop equivalents. Here's hoping that Xbox 2 is designed with size in mind.