All these companies price dropping need to die in a fire. a really really really large fire.

The HDD will really be $80, but in any case. If you want to 'equal' the Playstation 2 and the Xbox in general and for online play it's like this:

Playstation 2: $200
Hard disk drive: $80
Modem: $40
Total: $320

Xbox: $200
Total: $200

Sony really had no choice to drop the Playstation 2 price. Even with the price drop from both companies with the Playstation 2 you are paying an extra $120 or so just to go online, with the Xbox it's already all built in.

Now the HDD for the Playstation 2 is larger, but who in their right mind will fill up 40 Gigs? I haven't even filled up 8 Gigs on my computer. In the end I think the PS2 online network will do average. But you are really getting a bad deal with all of the add-ons.

Since Nintendo hasn't lowered it prices yet -- sure, why not :lol:

The whole problem with the "Online gaming doesn't matter" argument is that you assume that the gaming patterns of people today will be the same in ten years. Guess what? They probably won't.

Online gaming has been on the rise for the last couple of years with Diablo 2, PSO, and the ever popular Everquest. More and more gamers are going online everyday.

Also, boriadband service is expanding by leaps and bounds also. I have read estimates from Verizon that Broadband will hold the majority for Internet connections worldwide in the next 5 years.

Gamers don't go online a lot today? Ok, I'll buy that. But it is the fool that stays in ther present without looking to the future.

Ya, but look how much online gaming has changed in the last few years. I mean Doom went online, if you think that counts.

The thing is, learn from DC, and don't go online later, until you have everything figured out. PS2's online plans are a mess, Xbox's don't look too great. I'd rather see Nintendo wait and try to take a different route at it.

If Nintendo really wants to be successful online, they need to do the following:

1) Setup their own network. Allow people to register for free, and connect for free to get extra information. Charge a monthly fee to use it though, because that's the only way to get quality servers. But be nice, give them like a week free with each game they buy that supports it. This way they'll get to try it without paying for a week, but if they want more, they have to start paying.

2) Release a keyboard, and mouse right off the bat. Plan for a headset, but I'd hold off releasing it. Package it in with a game that requires teamwork online in order to do well. That way, it'll get used, and people will own it.

3) Release all plans to developers at least 6 months before the network launches. Give them a chance to start making games, to start hyping games. give them a chance to add support for the peripherals.

4) Begin developing an online RPG. Of course, hype it like crazy. Make it seem like the only game worth owning. And whatever you do, don't use nintendo characters for it. Make it have a more gothic, dark ages look. Like Raven Blade, but make it look good.

5) Launch the network with a game that everyone wants (don't even consider rushing that RPG). A game everyone will buy, and would kick ass playing online. Can we say Mario Kart?

If Nintendo does all that, they might be able to spark it. Right now, this 3rd parties can use their own server thing works. But really, the developers are less likely to support it, because it costs them more money to setup. Now if Nintendo let 3rd parties use their servers, it wouldn't cost them anything, but it could potentially get more sales for the game, so it's worth adding.

The keyboard and mouse are essential to playing online. Without it, I won't play. The mouse can be done without for everything but FPS, and assuming the RPG is made like PSO and the controller is easily used. The headset might not catch on too well, it hasn't on the PC side. But if they package it in with say... a FPS that will require teamwork to play, it might work out.

Nintendo can get people cheering about a cel-shaded Zelda. If they can create a online RPG, people will buy it. And most of all, character development takes time. Time means more people playing the game for longer. Time means more people using the online service, and more people paying. More people paying means more money for Nintendo, which means better servers. And let's not forget, the more people who play online, the more support Nintendo will put behind it. A lot of good things can come from a bunch of fans playing the same game constantly for days.

And I mean, who wouldn't want to kick Shooter's ass in some games? Mario Kart online would be perfect. Not a huge network game, but it'll get people online. Combined with the other developers' plans that they've had for 6 months, it could launch with a success.

Well the XBox will run all of its online titles through their servers, I believe and the headset has already been developed. The big game to be released for the Online launch is planned to be Unreal Tournament. There are other online games planned for release also.

BTW, isn't it true that you can only use a headset with Broadband? I think that might have been ther reason why the XBox is Broadband only.

Ya, MS's online plans suck major ass.

They don't want to be like a PC, so they won't release a keyboard and mouse. Instead, they are making a headset, which really sucks. Even the controller was developed for the headset. But really, headsets do not replace keyboards. Ever try a public chat where everyone is trying to talk at once? It's such a stupid idea.

And to avoid lag from when you talk, ya, broadband would be needed. but the signal can be transfered from 56K, i mean, it's possible.

And Unreal Championship won't be any good. Unreal sucks major ass without the keyboard and mouse setup. And the argument that it'll be better than the Pc Unreals is BS. With Unreal 2 and Unreal Tournament 2003 coming out on PC, Unreal Championship will just suck in comparison. I'm sorry, but you ruin unreal by playing it with a controller. The whole fast paced enviorment is lost.

By the time Xbox goes online, we'll be right about the time when we'll see 3ghz P4 chips, with the next generation of graphics cards by nVidia and ATI, which will be twice as powerful as the GF4 Ti 4600. Not to mention we'll be able to use keyboard and mouse, which is the only real way to play the game. And I'm supposed to play Unreal with a controller on a 700mhz P3 with GF3 card? I don't think so.

Gekko, you are placing quality ratings on products that haven't even been released yet and aren't planned on being released for quite some time. Its not a very intelligent thing to do. By this rationale I'll go out on a limb and say that Project Ego and Star Fox Adventures are both crappy games.

If you want to PC game online with a keyboard and mouse, go ahead and do so. MS doesn't want to do that. Online gaming does not necessarily mean PC gaming.

Also, you might be able to upgrade to a state of the art PC every year, but normal human beings can't. But I'm happy to see you have 2-3 thousand bucks to throw around every year.:rolleyes:

In short, lets all stop talking about how much next generation online gaming will suck BEFORE IT EVEN HAPPENS. With the small amount of info out right now about what it will actually be like, thats a pretty dumb thing to do.

Dammit, why can't they just go with nerv stem senser plugged directly in your spine from a bio-wear machine creating the game in your brain blocking out the real world. Exgistance was a good movie...

Hmm.. good idea, and that was a good movie :D

I believe it was actually spelled Existenz, but yes it is a very good movie. One of the trippier movies I've seen in a long long time.