Being a tech junkie, I know first hand how fast the market progresses. What was new only a few months to few years ago is now old, ancient, and archaic. The video game industry is like the bigger market as a whole, a pretty fast mover. Games are constantly being released, pushing the graphical boundaries of what we thought was the upper limit. But just how old is old and how new is new? According to EA, the “old” line starts back in ’09.
Like playing FIFA ’07, Nascar ’09, Madden ’09, or a whole host of other not so old titles? Get ready to get a lot more offline time as EA has announced they’re going to flip the switch (in a bad, “off” sort of way) on a slew of gaming servers. The list of games that are getting the online kibosh include FIFA ’07, Fight Night Round 3, Madden ’09, NBA ’08, NCAA Football ’09, Nascar ’09, NHL ’07, NHL ’08, Tiger Woods ’07 across multiple platforms.
Again, I know the market moves fast, but ’09 titles EA? Damn. Any online gamers feeling the pinch/pressure to drop cash on that new ’10 title?
TechShout
- November 21, 2009 10:17 am
Here in the states we have the top pickins of some of the finest examples of gaming technology in the world. With the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 as prime examples of console gaming and of course any tricked out gaming rig taking the PC gaming spot. But there are places that aren’t quite as lucky. Take for instance Brazil which just three days ago (November 18th, 2009) received official means to sell the Playstation 2. Yes, that’s a 2 and not a 3. If you don’t remember, the Playstation 2 was released almost a decade ago back in the year 2000. It really isn’t that long ago yet in tech years it’s practically the time of the dinosaurs. While it’s fun to joke, it’s at least nice that Brazilians now have legal means to pick up Sony’s crowing beauty of the early millennium. The only thing that is a tad sour in this deal is the price: R$799. Equated to US dollars, it tips the scales at $460.56. Ouch! Considering that can now get you a PS3 and some games plus the fact that many Brazilians have gone around the law (I don’t blame them) and picked up a PS2 many years back means this new deal isn’t exactly a floodgate opener. Any Brazilians ready to pounce?
Computer and Videogames
While have mixed emotions about the PS3 Slim (love the new price, pretty much hate the cheap looking plastic crap they covered it in), I’m not so excited about the loss of PS2 backwards compatibility. Yes I know that PS2′s are still dominating sales charts, but I would assume a big part for that is because of the PS3′s higher price tag up until a few days ago. Though Sony also claims that most of the PS3′s usage goes towards Blue-ray movies and next gen PS3 games. Still, many such as myself love popping in a golden oldie every once in a while to re-live the glory days and don’t want to deal with cable switching or even pressing a button on an actual switch to toggle between systems. Coupled with the fact that the PS3′s two other competitors offer backwards compatibility, this new found software diet isn’t something I take lightly.
I chalk this up to a poor business model on Sony’s end. If you can’t figure out how to make a new system cater to the old and new while being competitive and innovative, it’s time to clean out the closet and hire some new people. But that’s just me. Many will continue on through life never thinking twice about the abilities now gone from the new, slimmer PS3. I will remember however, the next I have to hop back to my PS2 to play an old title…I will remember.
Source: Engadget, Joystiq
Chances are that most individuals with a PS3 have at least one PS2 game floating around their house. If they don’t own one, they’ve at least played one on the next gen console before. While the Xbox 360 has more or less buried its predecesor, negating it to but a mere thought that crosses our minds every now and then, the PS3 has yet to decimate the PS2. Heck, the PS2 is having some of the best sales numbers of its life. Still, the push to next gen hardware won’t go away. Sony knows this. The original PS3′s had hardware based backwards compatability from the start. Over time that support was dropped to reduce building costs. Still, after several years on the market, the PS3 is now overpriced and going nowhere.
I can understand bottom line sales tactics and keeping your company afloat, but if you can’t drop the price on product that is already a couple of years old, you need to get rid of some of or all of your management because someone isn’t doing their job. The latest disappointment comes to you by way of Sony and their still expensive with no price drop in sight PS3. Instead, Sony is choosing to drop the price on their able yet drossly outdated PS2 down to a pocket change price of $99. The PS2 was a gaming beast in its day. That day has come and gone…many days ago. Today Microsoft’s Xbos 360 and Nintendo’s Wii are wiping the floor with Sony and their PS3. Sony jas repeatedly claimed a more “quality over quantity” type of stance in regards to their lower sales numbers compared to the other two game console manufacturers. Sadly the next gen gamers who were waiting for a little love from Sony before plunkering down more of their cash will have to wait a while longer. How long? Who knows. Why don’t you fire up the ‘ol Atari and reminisce about the simpler times in life…when a rectangle and a square could keep you busy for hours.
Source: Alley Insider
