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Why weren't the PS3 and PS4 popular?

  • 17-08-2020 11:55PM
    #1
    mr_fegelien
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,483 ✭✭✭


    Okay they were popular but why didn't they overtake the PlayStation 2 in sales? AFAIK, the PS2 is the most sold game console of all time?

    Was it because they were too expensive?


Comments

  • #2
    endacl
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,443 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    Because Xanex and curiosity about bisexuality. Probably something to do with Paypal too.


  • #3
    GarIT
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,641 ✭✭✭GarIT


    mr_fegelien wrote: »
    Okay they were popular but why didn't they overtake the PlayStation 2 in sales? AFAIK, the PS2 is the most sold game console of all time?

    Was it because they were too expensive?


    They had competition. The PS2 didn't have any competition.


  • #4
    Retr0gamer
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 54,557 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    The PS4 isn't popular? It probably won't reach PS2 levels but it's going to be one of the best selling consoles of all time. I predict it could be the third best selling behind the DS.


  • #5
    Penn
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 37,264 ✭✭✭✭Penn


    I think the fact the PS2 was also a DVD player helped boost its sales a lot, as DVD players were still pretty expensive so being able to buy a console which also played DVDs with not that much of a cost difference (certainly at the beginning) would have gotten it a lot of sales. Gamecube couldn't, and the original Xbox was a pretty big unknown so it wasn't really competition.

    It was just a different market. PS3 and 360 were on a pretty even keel by the end so neither had that thing that pushed them high enough over the other to get close enough to PS2 sales. PS4 has sold incredibly well over its lifetime. Won't reach PS2 sales as the market is completely different, but it still did amazingly well.


  • #6
    Cina
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,400 ✭✭✭Cina


    Worth noting that the PS2 was still selling like wildfire in low income countries like India even after the PS3 was released simply because they couldn't afford the costs of new consoles and the PS2 was way cheaper. As those countries became richer and more industrialized I imagine it's had an effect.

    Mainly though, Ninty weren't releasing good consoles and MS were still finding their foothold. Sony pretty much had a free ride, especially with the fact that it had a DVD player. Multi platform was also far less of a thing and the PS2 was where all the big games were.


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  • #7
    Retr0gamer
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 54,557 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    Eh.... Multiplatform games were huge then and far bigger than first party games. The reason Sony got so many exclusives was most developers, mainly japanese ones had no other viable platform to release on. Gamecube was a non-starter in most territories and XBox did ok in europe and more so in the US but still had a fraction of the market share.

    PS2 just released in a perfect storm. Even with a god awful launch and awful build quality issues the Playstation name was so synonymous with games that people wanted one. And it seemed like an age at the time but the PS2 only took a couple of weeks before the good games started coming that by the autumn it was pretty much essential. With the way the market is we will never have a console as good again unfortunately.


  • #8
    gimli2112
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,428 ✭✭✭✭gimli2112


    Retr0gamer wrote: »
    The PS4 isn't popular? It probably won't reach PS2 levels but it's going to be one of the best selling consoles of all time. I predict it could be the third best selling behind the DS.

    I think the OP has form for starting up threads like "Are racists wrong?" just to trigger debate


  • #9
    theteal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,590 ✭✭✭theteal


    GarIT wrote: »
    They had competition. The PS2 didn't have any competition.

    On the contrary. . . . nah you're right :(


  • #10
    Retr0gamer
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 54,557 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    Going to close this considering the history of the poster.


This discussion has been closed.
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