PS2 turns 9, Sony declares it’s not dead yet
The PS2 has just celebrated its ninth birthday in the United States, with it originally being released on Oct. 26, 2000. Sony has often spoken of a 10-year life cycle for the console so does this mean the Playstation 2 has but a year left before being put out to pasture? Not at all.
The PS2 was a huge success in its heyday, managing to build on the success of the original Playstation and beating all competition by quite a margin. At the time, Sony announced it was aiming for the console to last 10 years, a comment which was originally treated with derision. But here we are nine years later and the PS2 is still selling reasonably well.
In a press release, Sony made it clear the life of the Playstation 2 still isn’t nearing an end, with GamerTell reporting Abby Reyes, Sony’s Senior Public Relations Specialist, as stating:
There’s no set date for when the life cycle of PlayStation 2 will end. As long as people keep playing, and publishers keep putting out great new titles, the console’s life cycle will continue. The longevity of the PlayStation 2 can be directly attributed to its versatility. Because it’s not only a game console, but a home entertainment hub, it has found its place in one out of every three U.S. households. That huge install base has resulted in consistent developer support and a huge library of titles along with strong retail presence, all of which allows PlayStation 2 to remain the console of choice for years to come.
I’m not sure the PS2 is “the console of choice” these days but there’s no doubting its versatility and lifespan are as-yet-unrivaled in the video game sector. The question now has to be how long the PS2 can continue on for? 12 years, 15, 20? And does the PS3 have any chance of repeating this long-term success or is it a failure relative to its older brother?
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25 Responses to “PS2 turns 9, Sony declares it’s not dead yet”
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October 29th, 2009
I think the PS2 has a couple more years left selling. The console has a massive list of must have games. The quality is beyond perfection i left my PS2 in the SOCOM days for weeks on in a hot area and no problem, well everyone has done this not just me. I hope the new master piece PS3 can at least have a 20 year life streak since is 42 times stronger then PS2. Sony should reboot their old plans with the HDD. I hope they bring here the PSX. Companies are still making PS2 games and seen that sell they will never stop. People should buy a PS2 instead of a Wii because the graphics are better the games are ten times better the controller is awesome and the quality of the hardware and software is beyond this world. Sony needs to put more PS2 ads and more games at least from PSP. There’s so much Sony can do to sell more PS2. I have faith that the PS3 will beat the PS2 Guinness World Record someday in less time then PS2 took… Sony is the most trusted brand in gaming they made game cool.
October 29th, 2009
WOW Ivan, your maths really do reflect the standard of teachings at the “special school” that you attend. If the ps2 has a 10 year lifespan and the ps3 is 42 times (not sure where you get that from) stronger, then it should have a 20 year lifespan!?!?! What? Shouldn’t it have a 420 year lifespan? By which time it might of actually sold as many as the ps2.
The rest of your propaganda rumblings is a bit of nonsense but you are starting to worry me. If you are getting this excited about the ps3, are you going to explode like a virgin in a brothel when the ps4 comes out?
October 29th, 2009
@IVAN
Exibit A (11th Aug 2009) –
gamer.blorge.com/2009/08/11/best-xbox-live-arcade-games-of-2009/
Exibit B (17th june 2009) –
gamer.blorge.com/2009/06/17/ps3-is-obviously-superior-to-the-xbox-360-from-a-technical-standpoint/
Just to remind you Ivan you’ve yet to explain how you had 500GB SSD back in June when it isn’t even out now. Loser
October 29th, 2009
If you consider how dated the PS2 now looks, imagine how bad the PS3 and 360 will look when they reach the 10 year mark. When you consider the graphics quality and features that DirectX 11 now offers and the processing power of the latest nvidia and ATI graphics cards, for less than £180, these consoles will look positively ancient in 3 years time(when they finally get around to releasing God of War 3 and Alan Wake) let alone 6.
October 29th, 2009
Rimmer:
People don’t care much for PC gaming. Is all about consoles. And the PS3 is 42 times stronger then a PS2 according to Sony so it won’t look bad in 10 years maybe in 20 yes. GOW3 is coming for my 23rd birthday March. can’t wait to get it looks perfect. Also i want Alan Awake the only Xbox 360 so call exclusive that i really like because it looks similar to Heavy Rain another game i want. Sick gaming story line.
October 29th, 2009
You can hardly argue with the PS2 now. The Xbox and Gamecube arguments were over once those systems quit selling. It is amazing that it went on that long.
It won’t be long until PS3 and 360 graphics look outdated. I wouldn’t be surprised if the PS3 makes it this long, especially if it drops down to $200 eventually.
October 29th, 2009
Rimmer
I don’t think that the graphics will get any better then what they are now. What are we really trying to achieve in terms of graphics, Real to life? I’m happy where it is now and I don’t think I will ever want real to life graphics if there is even such a thing. Maybe car games but I don’t think I would want anything else like that.
October 29th, 2009
PS2 will not die until the PS3 becomes sucessful. PS2 basically ofsets the money lost on the PS3.
October 29th, 2009
I believe the wii is sustaining some of the life of the ps2.
Since both consoles are so graphically similar, games can be on both without too much extra effort from developers.
October 29th, 2009
You’re probably right Phran.
I was pissed when MS killed the Xbox. I just picked up 2 more Xbox 1s last month. I need time to mod them. The PS3 will not get BC until the PS2 is done or the PS2 ill be done when the PS3 gets BC.
Don’t bother saying the PS3 had that and it didn’t sell because at that time the price wasn’t $299.
“GOW3 is coming for my 23rd birthday” 23? Really? Reminds me of the movie where the smart people put off having kids and the dumb ones multiply like rabbits. Ivan how many siblings (brothers and Sisters) do you have?
October 29th, 2009
LOL… Idiocracy was a so so movie with an AWESOME concept.
can we just call Ivan UPPPPPgrade from now on.
October 29th, 2009
‘I don’t think that the graphics will get any better then what they are now.’
Really?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2c/Cryengine3_screenshot.png
October 29th, 2009
lol SW just blew everyone out.
That is one beautiful picture
October 29th, 2009
WOW that makes killzone and uncharted look bad and GOW2 look like crap
October 29th, 2009
I relate the longevity of the PS2 with the format it supports. Both are alive and well to this day.
October 29th, 2009
“I relate the longevity of the PS2 with the format it supports. Both are alive and well to this day.”
And the BR is going to outlast DVD when everyone moves to HD TVs. And HH don’t bother saying it won’t happen because you know it will and you just sound like a fanboy asshole. This will help the PS3 outlast the 360.
I recall the video stores having just as many DVD as they have BR now and VHS was the standard. That was not that long ago, 8 years max.
October 29th, 2009
i loved the ps2 back in the day lol
October 29th, 2009
I still love PS2 games their was so many exclusives i couldn’t afford before because buy 4 games a month was way too much for me. But now i can afford them all so I’m playing PS2 like hell 24/7. Replaying my GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas with SOCOM 1 & 2. PS2 stll has a long life to live the console is wanted by the world it won’t stop selling is a classic. If you don’t have a PSP get MotorStorm: Artic Edge is an awesome must have game.
October 29th, 2009
@SW
I’ve seen that picture before and it was rendered on a PC. Neither the PS3 or 360 are capable of that kind of graphics (ok maybe at 2 fps).
October 30th, 2009
‘WOW that makes killzone and uncharted look bad and GOW2 look like crap’
Lol RobertCarr316, very subtle fanboy remark there.
If I’m wrong then I apologize but it looks to me like a dig at some Sony exclusives, nice.
October 30th, 2009
CAD:
I think you right PS2 already made Sony all the profit they spend on it. I also think they now using the PS2 to compensate for the loses PS3 had before. But also because people demanded and it sells plus is still has a lot of love and support from gaming companies.
Sony should re-launch the PS2 to compete with the Wii. And people would buy it more because they will just think is a new console.
October 30th, 2009
@oldschool. LOL it’s not it’s just GOW2 is the best looking game on xbox by a big gap IMO but ps3 has two amazing looking games which are very close so I included them….I have been called a ps3 fanboy, a xbox fanboy and a apple fanboy LOL
October 30th, 2009
I was @ walmart the other day and saw a family buying not one but two PS2s. I couldn’t help but think to myself how dumb that was because for a little more cash they could have bought a ps3, or for the same amount a wii. Then the mom commented that now each kid would have a ps in their room and she would too. Then I got to thinking…why not. The ps2 is not only affordable but there are a ton of great games you can buy new and used for cheap. Heck, thanks to lazy wii developers and start up developers there are still new games being made for the thing. Since the success of the wii has shown the average person isn’t that hung up on graphics I don’t forsee the ps2 going down until sony puts it down.
October 30th, 2009
All PS3 exclusives look better then Gears of War 2.
November 3rd, 2009
Gear of War 2 is sooo fucking good! The worm bit with the arteries is amazing lol. End boss was a bit shit tho.