The fallacies in many fanboys is their inability to see from a more broader general viewpoint...

To me, I don't give a crap who wins the console war....

Sony fanboys have a more favorable proposition. Ask yourself, who is actually more biased? The neutral guy or the Sony *fanboy*?

In every single generation of consoles, there is a transcending console that strays from the medium and transgresses to the top.

The top categories that are the focal determining points of a successful console are:

1. Graphics

Sony failed to capitalized on this sector. Simply put, the system looks like crap. 90% of the launch games on the GC and Xbox already looks better than 60% of the games on the PS2. Many fanboys would point out such gems as Metal Gear Solid 2, GT3, and Devil May Cry as a focal graphical standpoint for the PS2. That is the fanboy viewpoint and it is biased as such. The average mean should be the determining factor and not the select few *top* titles. If we used Shenmue and Soul Caliber as the focal graphical standard for the Dreamcast, it would still be the *best* looking console today. My point being is, if the graphics already look this *good* today, imagine the disparity down the line when the developers have fully harnessed both the GC and Xbox. If 2nd generation PS2 games only equal first generation GC and Xbox games, doesn't that mean the system is *technically* one generation behind?

2. Support

The PS2 has an abundance of support but in direct constrast with the Xbox, it doesn't stray too far from any real advantages. Every single franchisee has already found their way or is going to another console. Microsoft and Nintendo both have in house personal developements that can serve as exclusives....although the PS2 has a couple, such as GT3 and TM, it is a relatively small number and is incapable of carrying the system on its own.


That is not a big issue though....

The main problem here is the level of commitment and loyality faithful companies are displaying toward Sony. They are no longer exclusive, and many of the once great, exclusive PSX franchises are finding their way onto multiple consoles.

One factor:

The difficult architect of the hardware. What it boils down to is the preference of the programmers. Preference goes a long way. For years, developers like Treasure stayed with the Sega Genesis because of the easy-to-program architecture. One of the main downfalls of the Saturn was its hard-to-program architecture and one of the greatest advantage of the PSX was its easy-to-program architecture.

Why is Namco praising the GC?

The easy-to-program architecture.

Many fanboys will argue with you and say "it doesn't matter how hard it is, if they are getting paid for it they will do it".....

That is a huge misconception. Microsoft and Nintendo both have the funds to render and match whatever Sony offers to these programmers. Money is not an issue for this generation unlike the past with Sega.

Last factor: History is a cycle.

When you look back at every generation of console, the leading company *never* continues their dominance....

Many will cite "but the PS2 will be different"...

I beg to differ. How is the generation of the Nes compared to the 16-bit be any different from the 32-bit to the 128-bit? It is a cycle. The industrial leader always gets beaten by a newcomer. Nintendo did it to Atari with the Nes, Sega did it to Nintendo with the Genesis, Sony did it to Sega/Nintendo(only because Sega dropped out of the race early to launch the Saturn), and Microsoft *will* do it to Sony.

How do I know? The industrial leader always sticks to a simple, tried and true, no-risk formula. They think they can repeat the same success with the same "rules" in a transcending industry. That is why they fail. They fail to realize the rapidity of growth in a technological industry like ours. Why isn't Nintendo a leader today? They stick to Mario and Zelda and the "child market". Why will Sony fail? They are not transcending the industry forward. We are not playing the PSX anymore and they don't realize that.

Fanboys will also cite "how can anyone top 20 million consoles"...

Simple. Through time. No console ever wins in their first year. How long did it take the Genesis to lead.....2-3 years. PSX? 2-3 years....the cycle will repeat. Microsoft will get a strong hold on the market, and through time, they will carve straight into the PS2's dominance. Nothing happens over night.

I have no doubt in my mind Microsoft will accomplish such a feat from the reasons I gave above. They are a serious competitor and the PS2 will not stand a chance.....not this generation anyway.