On March 4, 2000, the console world changed forever. U.S. players had to wait until October, and Europe boarded the wave in November, but the effect was the same: the PlayStation 2 swept everything in its path. Officially discontinued in January 2013, this console comfortably holds the top spot among the best-selling models. Educated estimates placed the PlayStation 2 at the threshold of 160 million consoles; however, during the celebration of the 30 years of the PlayStation family, Sony published a new site with historical details of the PS2, where it confirms that number.
Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Grand Theft Auto, Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid, God of War, Guitar Hero, Kingdom Hearts, Need for Speed, Pro Evolution Soccer… some franchises exploded on the PlayStation 2. A true platinum era for gaming, covering a wide range of genres. There were also great “independent” titles (Shadow of the Colossus and The Simpsons: Hit & Run come to mind), and more than 150 projects surpassed the million-copy mark.
But if we return to the hardware, a fact always leaves us stunned: in twelve years (and some change), the console sold more than 160 million units. All that was missing was an official statement, an open confirmation from Sony, and it finally arrived thanks to the new site celebrating PlayStation's 30 years.
160 million reasons to celebrate the PlayStation 2
The site mentions other essential aspects of the console, such as the Emotion Engine processor (internally divided into eight units with specific roles), the adoption of the DVD format (which also turned the console into a player), the Slim model, the variety of colors, and its early steps into online gaming with the dedicated network adapter and the first compatible games.
Sony has also not forgotten backwards compatibility: the PlayStation 2 could run PlayStation games without additional updates, a support that users (fortunately) never stopped demanding. Another section highlights the official accessories for the console, from the EyeToy camera to the SingStar microphones, and of course, the launch of the PSP to move the PlayStation experience to a portable format.
Do you have a PlayStation 2 gathering dust? The good news is that restoring it doesn't require much work, but if access to the hardware isn't possible, its emulator is working very well.
Official site: Click here
