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Xbox Online - PS2 Online and, Er, GC Online |
by UtahSaint
5/20/2003 |
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Source: Reuters
In the turf war being fought to control space in the living room of the future, rivals Sony and Microsoft have made it clear that the current generation of game consoles were meant to be Trojan horses -- the real pay-off would come when the machines were connected to a network.
Now, as both companies unveil the Internet-based services expected to be the next big thing for the $30 billion games business, sharp differences over their strategies have emerged along with a debate about how much consumers will be willing to pay for such online offerings.
Microsoft has bet big on its Xbox Live online service, unveiling new features and functions this month. It aims to lure users away from Sony's top-selling PlayStation 2 console and steal growth from Nintendo's trailing GameCube.
 At stake is an early foothold in what many believe to be the future of gaming -- the ability to sell, deliver and update games online without game discs, packaging or retail space.
Last week, Sony upstaged Microsoft by announcing that the No. 1 game publisher, Electronic Arts would roll out online versions of its popular sports games exclusively for the PlayStation 2.
Nintendo says its two larger rivals have staked too much on online games without thinking through the costs for consumers.
"I don't think its reasonable to make someone pay for a game and then make them prepare a network connection and charge a monthly fee," Satoru Iwata, president of Nintendo, told Reuters recently.
Doug Lowenstein, president of the Interactive Digital Software Association, the trade group representing game publishers agreed: "Many potential online gamers are continuing to resist paying to play online."
XBOX'S CLOSED NETWORK
Xbox Live, which launched last fall, is a networked system managed by Microsoft with the software giant maintaining passwords, e-mail addresses and user information. Subscribers pay about $50 a year.
Sony, on the other hand, has opted for an open system that lets game publishers design and manage their own online services and decide whether to charge customers.
In allying with Sony, Electronic Arts said it wanted greater control over its online network and user information than Microsoft offered and said it wanted to use online games to help driving sales of its existing blockbusters like "Madden NFL" and "Harry Potter"
"At the end of the day, it's a retail sales multiplier," said Frank Gibeau, senior vice president of marketing at Electronic Arts.
EA, which for a long time separated its online business from its core games unit on its balance sheet, and at one time had hopes of a spin-off for the Internet division, consolidated the units earlier this year, conceding that EA.com would not reach profitability as fast as was hoped.
Vivendi Universal Games, which has largely shied away from online games, said it had some of the same concerns about Microsoft's plans for Xbox Live.
"I actually share the perspective that EA has to a large extent," Luc Vanhal, president of North American operations at VU Games, told Reuters. "Why would I be handing that asset over to Microsoft with nothing in exchange for it?"
Meanwhile, Nintendo's Iwata said his company was working on a service that would not require users to cough up regular fees for games.
"In the near future we are hoping to announce something that addresses this issue," he told Reuters.
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XBOX365 Says
XBL kills PS2 online. EA are playing a very smart game, they recognise that 2003 is almost like 1986. Back then, the biggest appliction developers were Lotus and WordPerfect, along with other guys such as Corel, Microsoft then started to push out the O/S (DOS) and began it's quest with Windows which allowed them to control the platform and led them to become the #1 application developers...
I think what I'm trying to say here is that EA know that Microsoft CRUSH the competition, and as the #1 game publisher, they have the most to lose - if (when!) they lose their crown...
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Fantazm
Heckler
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"F" EA Its all about $ how meny years did we buy the same game (Madden ,Live and so on) just for an updated roster and new play books. I know I did we built that co. and thats how they repay us , well I say good this will give the 2K games a big jump (Im now 2K over EA 100% and have been asof Nov. 15 2002) As for paying to play on line $50 per year Im in but not $50 + $8.95 and so on. Live is great and sony cant hang. 20 years ago people said "cable tv who would pay to watch tv" as long as they keep the price with in reason M$ will own Online.
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JaWz
Heckler
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all i gotta say is Xbox Live Rules! I havent tried PS2 online but i am sure it is fun. But come on just look at the gaming we have been doing and how AWESOME it is. RTCW is great, Moto gp2 is going to be a blast no doubt(2days away) NHL 2K3 is competitive(finally). Oh and lets not forget about Halo 2 ONLINE. I am sure the PS2 and GC will have fun games too, but i am a XBL subscriber and i have my plate very full with quality gaming time. so i wont be needing a ps or gc.
And oh yeah @!*%
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TheDiablo
X365 Member
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Gamertag: XBL Master
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**Grampa Game**
X365 Member
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I just got live but I haven´t hooked it up yet, Because I know,.. as soon as I do,.. I´ll get sucked into sweet gaming oblivion.(downloading)
Downloading
downloading
downloading
downloading
press start
and off we go!!!
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Coola
X365 Member
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I absolutely agree with Microsofts online plan, the way Sony sees it is like paying for each channel on your cable, while Microsoft gives you a set fee for all the channels to watch.
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Posts: 710
Member: 1837
IP: i.am.a.member
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[Coola@Xbox365.com]
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babyoche
Heckler
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yeah, plus ppv (fso)
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xboxowneriguess
X365 Member
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I like Nintendo´s plan the most, I mean, it´s free and for once a company is not trying to screw you. If I had to pay though, XBL would be worth the 50 a year. I don´t know what Sony´s plans are yet in terms of pricing, but I imagine it will involve souls and the devil.
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adrenaline112
X365 Member
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"I don´t think its reasonable to make someone pay for a game and then make them prepare a network connection and charge a monthly fee," Satoru Iwata, president of Nintendo, told Reuters recently. "
Insult me all you want but I feel its easy for Nintendo to say this comment being that almost all of thier games are published/created or whatever it is by THEM!
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Tendergroin
Heckler
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Publishers are nothing but worthless middlemen. Of course they don´t want anyone to make money off something they did´nt create only financed. To hear them talk they are afraid of someone stealing what they steal everyday. Publishers and Lawyers have to be illegal, you can´t get a game made without one and you can´t get a fair trial without the other.
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goku
Heckler
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i really dont understand VU´s Luc Vanhal is saying "Why would I be handing that asset over to Microsoft with nothing in exchange for it?". I mean do they ask any extra for a AAA game they put just as much work into as a game thats going online. Also, the fact that the game is going online means that many more people are going to be interested in buying it for that reason alone, which means they will have much greater game sales
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gatekeeper
X365 Member
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I HAVE THE XBOX AND PS2. ONLINE FOR THE PS2 I WANTED TO SEE FOR MYSELF WHAT IT WAS LIKE. MY XBOX LIVE KICKS A$$
AS FOR PS2 ONLINE IT IS NOT LIVE, NOT EVERY GAME CAN YOU TALK TO YOUR ADVESARY, AND NOT AS MANY PEOPLE ONLINE. THE SUM OF THEM PLAYING MADDEN OR SOLCOM THE REST I DONT NO!! I DONT OWN THESE GAMES, I RENT I DO HAVE THE MIC THAT I GOT AT FUNCO FOR $15 BUCKS USED. IM GOING TO TAKE MY PS2 IN FOR A TRAD IN AS SOON AS ALL THE NEW XBOX LIVE GAMES COME OUT. SO THATS WHAT I THINK OF THE PS2 ONLINE SERVICE!!
"XBOX4LIFE"
THESE ARE THE GAMES I OWN ON XBOX LIVE.
1.GHOST RECON
2.MECHASSAULT
3.RETURN TO CASTLE WOLFENSTEIN
4.NFL2K3 & FEVER 2003
5.NBA2K3
6.MOTOGP
SOME ONE ALWAYS READY 2 PLAY LIVE!!
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Booya
Heckler
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Gatekeeper you rock good to know there is some sense in this world.
ps2 sucks
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Thunder90
Heckler
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The only thing I don´t like is game developers making it impossible to play unless you are subscribed to LIVE. cough...cough...PSO
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DETHDADDY
X365 Member
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I have been a beta tester since the @!*% 5000, playing fever over and over but now watching live grow and growing with it,I am proud,very proud to be part of a revolution in gaming I will defend M$ and thier beliefs about online gaming. Nintendo has already lost this generation. Sony´s getting more and more arrogant,but imagine if Xbox came out the same time as PS2?!?!, things would definitely be different,the only thing PS2 has, is that its been out 13 months longer which =´s more installed base,which =´s more games.But remember when PS2 @!*% came out? shortages,lack of AAA titles,low attach rate. Now when Xbox came out, the only thing that hurt at launch was the lack of AAA titles, and they still had the highest attach rate EVER! Online gaming is the future and M$ plans are much more complete, more affordable, and much more enjoyable!!! Sony´s plan does not offer 1/3 of M$. Companies will eventually charge more than LIVE(EA will be pay to play each game Madden,NBA live,Tiger,FIFA probably $4.95 to $5.95 each...a month)I´ve made the right choice,I hope all of you do too!!!
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Dorky
X365 Member
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Geez. This is nothing new.
Videogame consoles have been trojan horses since the days of the NES, even Nintendo admits to it.
As for online, meh, it´s still in its infancy and the content have not been that killer. MS is on the right track unlike Sony and Nintendo. At this stage, you HAVE to be a leader, and not let the market dictate where you are going.
This will be borne out in the next round of wars ...
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Oracon X000
X365 Member
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$50 for ONE YEAR! No extra charge for LIVE Games? 100 games by the end of holiday?
$50 for a network adapter! What PS2 games are online again?
Nintendo......... Online? How much for the 8 gig memory card?
Live is the only way to fly...
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kungfu-rage
Heckler
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i really dont think sony has to "win" or will try to "win" the online gaming war
the EA fans, and Square fans, will buy and will pay to play,
but think about it, when their PS2´s break down, thier going to go buy another to keep playing, thats what sony wants, people buying PS2´s everytime it breaks down, thats where there money is,
sony doesnt have to sell 2 millon hard drives, just enough for the fans to keep playing online, so they´ll buy multipule PS2´s
and Nintendo needs to shut the hell up!!!!!!
GBA, GBA:SP, E-Reader, GameCube, GBPlayer, a bunch of connetion cords, multiple memory cards, buy 2 games (one for GameCube, one for GBA) so you can play 5 minutes worth of extra content!!!!!!!!
Nintendo has more multi-colored consoles then they do games out for them!!!!
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pimpn 3592
X365 Member
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Does anyone know how to use 2 headsets off the same xbox on ghost recon2? If you know how please email me at thegreatdexter@yahoo.com
I really need to know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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