PS2 Launches: Are We Doomed?

Well, over the weekend, Sony’s Playstation 2 did launch. Unfortunately, it was not really to Sony’s advantage. You see, they only shipped about 100,000 units to Japanese stores, meaning some stores had less than 40 to go around-and those were mostly pre-ordered. The result? Thousands were crowded in the streets; some since last Thursday.

Several accessories did not ship, and Japanese retailers do not know when they will turn up. But games were certainly in plentiful supply. Some papers quoted there being lines with up to 5-10 thousand people. Because demand was so high, we’ve been getting reports that there have been three thefts so far. That’s right, stealing of Playstation 2 consoles. Depending on how biased you are, this could be a good or bad thing.

So, what does this mean for our Sega fans? Well, if this is any indication, the Dreamcast might very well be in serious trouble. Even with the high price tag, it seems like the PS2’s features will be enough to satisfy consumers in Japan and possibly the United States and Europe. The Dreamcast Technical Pages is holding a ‘reality check’ between the DC and PS2, and we’ll have that part of the story later in the week.