Chrkeller said:
DekutheEvilClown said:
Here’s an article about how DVD players cost $100 at discount retailers in 2000, when the PS2 launched at $300
https://expertbeacon.com/how-much-was-a-dvd-player-in-2000/#google_vignette
12 months later, and budget DVD players were $50 and even brand ones were half the price of a PS2. Here’s a forum discussion from 2001 discussing buying DVD players that quotes Pioneer, Sony and Toshiba standalone players for $150.
https://arstechnica.com/civis/threads/ps2-or-200-dvd-player-to-watch-dvds.897634/
Even in Europe where it is generally thought DVD players took longer to decrease in price they were available in the UK for sub-£200 in mid-2000, half a year before the PS2 Launched at £300. Here’s an image from what What Hi-Fi magazine July 2020 that lists Ariston, Bush, and Wharfsdale Standalone DVD players at £170-180. This is half a year before the PS2 release would help drive down DVD prices.
https://www.whathifi.com/features/when-dvd-was-home-cinema-heaven-how-could-we-have-imagined-what-was-to-come
So, in 1999 DVD players were still very expensive, and it’s within the realm of possibility that some people bought a PS2 a year later for DVDs while thinking DVD players still cost that much. We’re talking very small numbers though, especially compared to all the people who will come out of the woodwork with the old “lol, my grandma/uncle bought a PS2 to play DVDs and never played a game in their life”
The PS2 also has an extraordinarily high tie-ratio for software at that time, which further makes the idea of a bunch of them sitting around not playing games seem even more iffy.
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that is my take... the ps2 sold more software than any other system in history, even the S1 (despite the market being much larger)... doesn't make sense that the ps2 was sold because of DVD, it clearly was a gaming system.
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PS4 and Switch 1 sold more software when digital and indies are accounted for (though I don't think PS2's software totals were updated since hardware was at 155 million~). But PS2's software sales were unheard of at the time, and it managed to sell that much despite the widesread piracy and the lack of a digital store.
Switch is imprrssive, but it combined the markets of handheld and home consoles (Wii and DS sold 1.8 billion software combined). It basically has no direct competition in the handheld space, which gave it an edge against Playstation. It fundamentally covered a larger market.
The PS6 may be able to cover a larger market as well with the rumored home console + handheld approach. But it will be hindered by outrageous prices and stronger competition from PC and to an extent the Switch 2.
