Sony pulls a Microsoft in Europe...

[AlexMax]

What the fuck...?


Cube-Europe came out of the closet and said:
Prince of Persia and Beyond Good and Evil, two highly anticipated games with good reviews, both only on PS2 at the moment. And it may stay that way.

Towards the end of last year Sony obtained the rights for both of these games to be exclusive for the PS2 during 2003 in Europe. This was seen as a good thing for them, but the titles have not been selling well.

Ubisoft's official website have removed the Xbox and GameCube game pages for these two titles, and Amazon do not have them listed either.

Ubisoft seem to have cancelled both of these titles for the Xbox and GameCube. The only way you can buy them is to import them or buy the PS2 versions.

Ubisoft have not officially spoken about it yet.

...

Again, what the fuck? Both are stellar games, so someone at Sony just decides to "Hey, we already have EA sucking our dick in terms of online play, so let's screw European gamers who just don't happen to have one of OUR PLAYSTATION2's by buying the rights to two great games and releasing them only on the PS2".

Seems that Sony has been taking a page or two from Microsoft's (the non-xbox side of Microsoft, that is) book recently.

Yeah, it's only two games, but damnit, you just can't fuck Prince of Persia like that.

[vegeta1215]

Yeah, that is pretty messed up.

About online gaming: Sony has a different approach to online games (and games in general) than Microsoft. Sony makes the hardware and lets everyone else make games and do what they want. Microsoft on the other hand makes the console and runs the entire online service. EA just didn't want MS calling the shots for their online play. I don't blame them. (even though they'll lose sales because of it)

[Pablo]

Smart gamers would just import them...admittedly it'd cost them more, but hey, what's another $10-$20 for the chance to play Prince of Persia?

[AlexMax]

Originally posted by Pablo
Smart gamers would just import them...admittedly it'd cost them more, but hey, what's another $10-$20 for the chance to play Prince of Persia?

You understate how hard it is to modify most consoles to play games that are out of region. And in europe, factor in possible NTSC -> PAL conversion, which you have to buy stuff for.

I got off easy with a slide card with my PS2, but I doubt that it's as easy for other consoles.

[Ian]

There's a disk for GCN in which you can play imported games with. Stick in te disk, turn it on, and wait till it tells you to put in the game. Dunno about X-Box though.

That really blows, though it's only two games, they both *look* like awesome games (I've never played them yet. I plan to though) That's just low, Sony.

[DarkDragoonX]

Why are you people blaming Sony? Sony didn't force Ubi Soft to make the games PS2 exclusive. All Sony did was say "Here's a huge pile of money just for you if you only publish those two games on the PS2 here in Europe." Sony only offered the deal, it was ultimately Ubi Soft's decision to accept it. Hence, if you're going to be mad at anyone, it should be Ubi Soft.

Please, people, at least try to point your anger in the right direction.

[Archibaldo]

what the hell! :angry: thats like forcing Europeans to buy PS2s and not GCNs or X-Boxes its kinda unfair to limit games to only one system. All games should be for each system, All three systems probably have the gaming capacity to play every game. of course thats only my opinion.

[Daarkseid]

Originally posted by Archibaldo
what the hell! :angry: thats like forcing Europeans to buy PS2s and not GCNs or X-Boxes its kinda unfair to limit games to only one system. All games should be for each system, All three systems probably have the gaming capacity to play every game. of course thats only my opinion.

Then we may as well just have 1 system.. Really, if the same games were available for all systems, there would be no justification for owning more than 1.

Console developers vie for exclusives so people will buy their systems, and it is better that we have more than one system competing for market share, as it encourage developers to sell their systems for less money and have to have greater specs.. never mind that greater specs doesn't always mean better games.

[Warlock]

I have nothing against Sony, but WTF.. This just doesn't make sense. First off, aren't they already in the lead? It's not like they absolutely need these exclusives just to make mounds and mounds of more cash. Secondly, it would be one thing if this was universal. But heck, these games have come out on every other platform in every other country. That just screws Europe. I mean, this late in the consoles' lifespan are they REALLY going to be selling that many more PS2s? Wouldn't most everyone have choosen which systems they were going to buy by now? (excluding major pricedrops like GameCube's which make them more affordable - but this isn't the case so much w/ the PS2). And as great as these games may be, I don't really see them as system sellers. You don't run out and buy a PS2 for BG&E or PoP.. Heck, it would be cheaper to import and deal with that. It's not like this is Final Fantasy or the Legend of Zelda. They aren't huge money making francises. So yeah, this was kind of stupid.

[Thunderbird]

Case in point to Warlock's post: I hadn't even heard of BG&E until it was mentioned here.

[teddyboy420]

This post is a joke right?

Are you seriously saying that Sony has done something wrong by doing their job and trying to be better than their competition? While Microsoft and Nintendo repeatly do the EXACT same thing? I don't see anyone bitching and saying it's unfair that great games like Zelda, or Halo aren't playable on PS2.

It's buisness, plain and simple. Everyone who's saying this is f'd up, if you were running a buisness, wouldn't you try to do more for your customers than the competition does?

[Warlock]

Originally posted by teddyboy420
This post is a joke right?

Are you seriously saying that Sony has done something wrong by doing their job and trying to be better than their competition? While Microsoft and Nintendo repeatly do the EXACT same thing? I don't see anyone bitching and saying it's unfair that great games like Zelda, or Halo aren't playable on PS2.

It's buisness, plain and simple. Everyone who's saying this is f'd up, if you were running a buisness, wouldn't you try to do more for your customers than the competition does?

Umm no.. you are way off. First off, Zelda is a NINTENDO franchise. They have every right to keep that on NINTENDO systems. Microsoft owns Bungee, hence Halo being Xbox exclusive for awhile (tho I heard the PC version blows chunks and has shitty graphics card support and lags like a madman). But overall, it's not like any of these games were released on all systems in all markets except Europe.

Now look at this. Sony does not own Ubisoft. They paid them some money for exclusives, which would be fine. Nintendo did that for Resident Evil. But what Sony did was screw Europe out of something the rest of the world got. These games are MULTI-PLATFORM. You can buy BG&E and PoP on any platform here in the US right now. The games are done! I mean, they have to be converted to PAL and probably translated (though how difficult is it to adapt a translation of the same game across different platforms if they are definately doing the PS2 version?), but they are done on all three consoles. There is no reason for Europe to get screwed like that. Besides the matter, like I said above, everyone is already working on the next big console anyways. They seriously are not going to be selling a ton of systems between now and next year when I'm sure the PS3 will be out (or whenever). These aren't even super popular franchises that are bound to draw in lots of cash (i.e. Resident Evil, GTA, Final Fantasy, etc - all from companies that had some "motivation" to concentrate on one particular platform, though most are branching out now).

So yeah, this was stupid. Had Sony done this BEFORE these games came out ANYWHERE and did it for every country I would not be so upset. I mean, good deal for them. But yeah, I feel sorry for Europe who always ends up getting screwed in the VG department as it is (though I do think they at least used to get Game Boy Color games before us.. not sure if they still get GBA games earlier or not.. not sure why they ever got the GBC games early to begin with :D)

[vegeta1215]

I think the closest thing Nintendo has done to that, if anything, is having Sonic Heroes come out on the Gamecube first. Sonic Heroes will come out for the PS2 and X-Box though.

[DarkDragoonX]

Originally posted by Warlock
But what Sony did was screw Europe out of something the rest of the world got.

No, no... what UBISOFT did was screw Europe. Sony made Ubisoft an offer, but it was their choice to accept, so the ultimate responsibility lies in the hands of Ubisoft.

Take this little analogy: say a demon appears before you and makes you an offer. You'll be rich for your entire life, but in exchange, your immediate family will die, and the demon gets their souls. If you were to accept, who would be more evil? The demon for making the offer, or you, for agreeing, even though you know the consequences?

The blame here lies with Ubisoft, not with Sony.

[Warlock]

Originally posted by DarkDragoonX
No, no... what UBISOFT did was screw Europe. Sony made Ubisoft an offer, but it was their choice to accept, so the ultimate responsibility lies in the hands of Ubisoft.

Take this little analogy: say a demon appears before you and makes you an offer. You'll be rich for your entire life, but in exchange, your immediate family will die, and the demon gets their souls. If you were to accept, who would be more evil? The demon for making the offer, or you, for agreeing, even though you know the consequences?

The blame here lies with Ubisoft, not with Sony.

You're probably right, but it was still Sony that made the offer to begin with, so it was their idea and they still hold quite a bit of the blame. Ubisoft was idiotic for accepting it, but I suppose when you have money waved in your face, you bite.