March 2008


I expect GTA IV or MGS 4 in April, the other game in May and a price drop sometime between April and June.

Sony gave the PS1 an 11 year life cycle, they will do at least 10 for the PS2. Besides, the system has still got some fire in it.

If Sony were to discontinue the PS2, all it would do is convince the casual American market to switch to the 360.

 I have to agree, they're still selling the PS2 really well, better than the PS3, and at a profit.  It would be foolish (honestly, borderline idiotic) to discontinue the PS2 until/unless the PS3 starts really picking up steam.

I don't think it would be smart for sony to discontinue the ps2. Lets face it Sony makes mony of the PS2 :P.

And even if the discontinue it, I don't see it raising the sales of PS3, cuz i Believe that only casuals buy a ps2 now.
So there is no way that the casuals will switch to buying a ps3 instead.

Odd how people think that someone who finally bought their first PS2 just recently is automatically going to have an effect on the PS3 sales in the future. Considering the backlog of PS2 games and the obvious fact that they don't care about playing something new, their sale down the line of the current generation will basically mean they'll go with what ends up being the market leader come 5 years from now. They don't feel any particular attachment to Sony. They're not going to get it for the blu-ray considering DVD players these days can be had for less than $20 and blu-ray players will likely be extremely cheap by that time compared to the system. They simply want the system at the lowest price with the best library. Which basically means that the PS3 sales will already have to have fully turned around by that time. I'm not saying it won't happen even though I think it's unlikely, but you have to realize that overall, Americans rarely have a long lasting attachment to brand names or the companies that make the brands.

As people already stated

PS2 doesnt play in the same category than PS3

- not the same game
- not the same price

Without PS2 input it will be harder for sony to make money
Just continue to sell it until people dont care anymore.
Note that all the people buying PS2 are not purchasing a PS3, you re right
BUT they are not purchasing a Xbox360 or a Wii either.

PS2 is still a big weapon in the SCE strategy allowing us to still be appealing to casual, directly competing with the Wii.

The concept of a system being "Designed for 10 years" is 100% marketing BS, you might as well repeat that "The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup" ...

The reason the PS2 continues to sell is that it is dirt cheap, you can find inexpensive games everywhere (there is alwasy a bargin bin of PS2 games at most large retailers, there is a massive used section at most game stores and many garage sales have a wide assortment of games available); this (not technology) is why the market leading console always lives so long.

Sony's last shipments of the Playstation were between September 2004 and March 2005 so I expect the final shipments of the PS2 to be in about 2009 or 2010 ...

Stopping production of the PS2 would only annoy developers (do you think EA would like Sony stopping production of a system when they have dozens of pending projects?), consumers (do you think that single mothers will like that Sony wants them to spend $500 on a system for their 5 year old so they can play their spongebob games?), and retailers (do you think retailers want people comming in to buy God of War and the thing that makes it play only to be told that the $100 system was discontinued so that Sony could sell more of their $600 system?) ...

No they shouldn't discontinue the PS2. They are making money of that haha. You don't discontinue something you are making money off of.

Interesting. So, you are saying that the PS3 monthly sales will never (at least not anytime soon) consistently exceed that of the PS2 model? It's low cost appeal to casual consumers will continue to outsell the PS3 for years to come?

W/E Aug 4 PS2 + PS3 ~ 90k, Wii ~ 91k.

Other than that flaw your arguement is pretty good.

Things that will cause the PS2 sales to decrease... Xbox360 core or readily available Wii's under $200. No Madden on a PS2. No new games.

PS2 is paying for the PS3, and helping PS3 shoot for that 10 year life cycle (which btw would DIE if PS2 backwards compatibility is taken out, value shoppers would not buy just out of spite.)