PS2 turns seven years old

62 Comments by Alexander Sliwinski Oct 26th 2007 11:28AM
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3

It may have been a fat baby, but the PS2 has slimmed down and celebrates its seventh birthday in the States today. GI.biz has a nice little rundown of the unit's life. Since Oct. 26, 2000, the heir to the PlayStation name has shipped 120 million units and a billion units in software. Another 10 million PS2 units are expected to sell worldwide by March 2008. Peter Dille, Sony America's senior vp of marketing says, "Never before has an in-home game system experienced this type of worldwide success on such a long-lasting scale." That's absolutely true, PlayStation gave PS2 a good start in life -- now, about the grandkid.

We have the list after the break of the PS2's top-selling titles, but if you ever needed to know how important the Grand Theft Auto franchise is to PlayStation, it becomes quite apparent looking at the list. The top three games are GTA: Vice City (13 million units), GTA: San Andreas (12 million) and Grand Theft Auto III (11 million). Looking at the full list quickly, it's made up of GTA, Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts. Strictly based on PS2 software sales, it appears Sony needs to do what it can to hold on to Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy. But this story isn't about the PS3, it's about the PS2, and nobody can argue its success. Happy Birthday PS2, enjoy the rest of your ten-year cycle.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (13 million)
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (12 million)
Grand Theft Auto III (11 million)
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec (11 million)
Gran Turismo 4 (8.79 million)
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (7 million)
Kingdom Hearts (5.6 million)
Final Fantasy X (5 million)
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (3.7 million)
Final Fantasy XII (3.68 million)

Tags: birthday, ps2, ps3

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(Page 1) Reader Comments

gonk: Oct 26th 2007; 11:35AM

i've only played 5 of those games

ruibing: Oct 26th 2007; 11:56AM

All except the GTAs for me.

jpn: Oct 26th 2007; 11:39AM

I've played all but the GT games.

You also have to remember - most of us are adults/fans of these popular titles, but there's a big section of the market that are little, little kids who play all of those cheap, simple, uncomplicated kids games based off of Nick cartoons/Disney/kids movies. The kind of stuff we (OK, I) call "licensed crap" that little kids love. My friends have a 5 year old daughter who is constantly on her PS2 slim version playing these games, and I'm sure that's really helped the system and the market.

Evan: Oct 26th 2007; 12:05PM

Very good point.

The top ten "heavyweights" only account for 80 million of the billion PS2 games sold! All the titles that sold over a million only add up to about 200 million world wide, which means that over 75% of games sold are "lesser" titles, such as the "licensed crap" kids games you mentioned!

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School): Oct 26th 2007; 2:55PM

More reasons why the Wii isn't "TEH DOOMED!"

NukeAssault: Oct 26th 2007; 11:39AM

Played 3, own 2. And over the course of 7 years. I only own 6 games. Ps2 Obviously wasent my kinda system. =|

Persio: Oct 26th 2007; 12:48PM

Look at it this way: I own less than 10 titles, and six of then are on this list. And I absolutely love my PS2 and all the games I have, and I am very happy to know that most of my choices were the best ones I could've made.

NukeAssault: Oct 26th 2007; 1:25PM

Yeah mine too. Im not saying it was bad. I just choose the best games. I got Shadow Of the Colossus. FFXII (only ff i ever liked thus far), Devil May Cry 3, Guitar Hero 2, Kill zone (well i liked it), and like one other.

johnny g: Oct 26th 2007; 11:40AM

Does anyone know if sony honestly expects to get another 3 years out of the PS2?

AmgKmpsR: Oct 26th 2007; 5:40PM

Nintendo is doing with the "Gamewiicube" lol. Don't flame me! Just saying that a good system even though underpowered for this generation can still do well

Joshua: Oct 26th 2007; 11:42AM

I own zero of those games, I've played one, and I've watched someone play another.

Then again, I only just got a PS3 during the summer, so that was my first PlayStation product. Haha....

vidGuy: Oct 26th 2007; 11:42AM

I've played all of those games and own most of them, but the majority of my gametime with the PS2 was with other games.

It really is a bummer that the PS3 has gone so off track of what made the PS2 a success. I bought a second PS2 after my first died because I enjoyed it so much. Too bad I'll probably never touch another Sony console again since my second PS2 died a few months ago.

AstroZombie: Oct 26th 2007; 11:46AM

I'm actually on my third PS2.

JL: Oct 26th 2007; 12:22PM

I am still on my launch day PS2. 7 Years! Thats pretty f'ing amazing it hasn't died yet.

frozengod: Oct 26th 2007; 1:00PM

Well, my Atari 2600 is still alive.
But of course reading cannons tend to be fragile little things if compared to... hum, sockets.
Yet, a 7 years old PS2 is impressive if put side by side to a 3-Weeks-And-Already-Red-Ringed-XBox360.

Grant: Oct 26th 2007; 1:30PM

i'm on my second, which i had to repair by hand by adjusting the laser distance. if only i had known for my first console, it probably would have fixed that one too.

a link for anyone who is having DREs:
http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/features/45797/PlayStation_2_Disc_Read_Error_Fix.html

FOXHOUND: Oct 26th 2007; 11:42AM

Metal... Gear? o_o *acts surprised to see one... Again*

In all seriousness, I knew the console was going to out-last the Dreamcast back in the day(as much as I loved that console); but I would've never wagered it lasting this long. It's the only system I've ever purchased over 50+ games for.

Grant: Oct 26th 2007; 1:31PM

DC 4 LYFE!!!!

Almadi: Oct 26th 2007; 11:45AM

And at least 40 million of those broke down one year after their purchase.

Numbers are misleading

vidGuy: Oct 26th 2007; 1:59PM

Most creative avatar I've seen in a while!

WedgeTalon: Oct 27th 2007; 7:49AM

My SECOND PS2 is nearly dead. I probably won't get a third. If ff13 remains exclusive (likely), then I'll just pick up a PS3 when they hit sub-$200. More likely before that happens, PC emulation of the PS2 will be mature enough that I could just play my games that way. Besides, who knows if the PS3 will still support BC or not by the time I can afford one.

FrankTheCrank: Oct 26th 2007; 11:46AM

GTA...snoooze....running around...doing stoopid crap. BORING.

PS2, single handidly kicked Dreamcast, Gamecube and XBOX asses and handed it right back to them. Nice.

Skeffington: Oct 26th 2007; 11:46AM

I wonder if the Hot Coffee controversy stopped San Andreas from selling more than Vice City or if on the contrary it helped it sell more than GTAIII.

copa: Oct 26th 2007; 11:46AM

I've been giving Sony the beatdown recently, so I'm glad to take a break, and congratulate the PS2 for being one of the great consoles in videogame history.

FOXHOUND: Oct 26th 2007; 11:48AM

I wouldn't doubt it if they were. Especially since it took the PSone so damned long to fade out. I'd expect it to be completely left for dust collecting by mid-2009; since the system selling "franchise"(FF, MGS, TEKKEN, RESIDENT EVIL, SF4!, etc.) 7th-gen games SHOULD all be released by then on any of the three consoles. At that point, expect the el-cheapo North American developer/publishers to put out more "Ford Racing" budget titles... and the Japanese market to put out sequel-after-sequel of "tried & true" franchise titles for import to end its lifespan.

xXFenixKnight13Xx: Oct 26th 2007; 11:51AM

Never liked the Grand Theft Auto series, it was fun for about 30min. and then what else was there to do. My buddies got a kick out of it though, and they wouldnt even play the story oh well. Guess Im not cool...sigh

Phranctoast: Oct 26th 2007; 12:07PM

finsihed more than 30 minutes of it, but I agree. I never beat it and didnt care one way or the other.

Grant: Oct 26th 2007; 1:33PM

i liked it just because you didn't really have to finish it or follow the story to have a good time with it. Thats kinda the joy of a good sandbox game, you can just play to play.

Danny: Oct 26th 2007; 12:14PM

Cool. The PS2 shares the same birthday as me (I'm 11 years older than it, however).

@Joystiq: You should have used a picture of the original PS2 for that neo-retro look. It would have been so cool.

Grant: Oct 26th 2007; 1:35PM

Happy Birthday!
now you can learn of the joys of voting... lol

Genius: Oct 26th 2007; 12:14PM

Yep I own every game on that list and a lot more. Being a big fan of JRPGs and turn based strategy games the PS2 was the best console I ever owned. Im still on my first and only PS2 she's treated me well these past 7 years. Hell, my original PS1 never broke down on me either.

Slaziman: Oct 26th 2007; 12:18PM

Fucking around in GTA got boring fast... the missions are pretty straightforward, almost MMORPG boring.

JodyAnthony: Oct 26th 2007; 12:22PM

happy birthday to my second favorite system ever (snes will always be my #1)

xXFenixKnight13Xx: Oct 26th 2007; 12:37PM

Yeah SNES was the best!! I still have mine =)

Marioworld
DK Country 1, 2, 3
Killer Instinct
Mortal Kombat 2
the list goes on.....good times

Grant: Oct 26th 2007; 1:51PM

agreed.
but i find it's better to use emulators just so you can smooth out those textures a bit and so i don't have to remove my SNES from it's hermetically sealed Tupperware container.

40 Thieves: Oct 26th 2007; 3:00PM

Man... SNES was the best... I love how Killer Instinct came with that soundtrack cd.

SNES Pilot Wings, Zelda and Super Mario World will always be some of my favorite games.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School): Oct 26th 2007; 3:01PM

SNES will always be the greatest console of all time.

na2ru1: Oct 26th 2007; 7:18PM

naaaah,

SEGA GENESIS FTW!!!!
Best time of my kiddy life

Streets of Rage
Street fighter
MK(with blood)
All Sonic
Even Micky MOUSE!
Oh and thunder force 4!

Thankfully i have all those in ROMS in PC

Sean: Oct 26th 2007; 12:37PM

Happy birthday! PS2 rules.

Shockgamer: Oct 26th 2007; 12:38PM

Played everything on that list except MGS 3 and FF XII. Beat all three PS2 GTAs. I still remember being blown away by GTA 3, one of the few modern games I've beaten multiple times.

It's okay that some people don't like it though. Some people like a little freedom. Others? They're just more inclined to just run to the end of a level.

Cutty: Oct 26th 2007; 1:04PM

Seven years of superb games in my eyes. Without a doubt, the PlayStation 2 is one of the best consoles in history in terms of software, and there's so much of it that my PS2 gets regular use.

chispito: Oct 26th 2007; 1:15PM

It's further evidence of the total depravity of man that Shadow of the Colossus is not on that list. Same goes for Okami, though it was released relatively late.

Loki: Oct 26th 2007; 1:50PM

Did those games even sell a million combined?

PS2 was a great system who's time has passed.

Hashbrown_Hunter: Oct 26th 2007; 1:39PM

Wow I'm impressed with Final Fantasy XII's sales seeing as how it only came out last winter. And I'm also surprised to see Kingdom Hearts on that list. I didn't realize it sold so well.

FM: Oct 26th 2007; 2:15PM

Happy birthday to the best console in existence.

drifter: Oct 26th 2007; 2:17PM

it was yesterday that i actually decided to put my ps2 (slim version) back in its box, to join my other consoles because i needed to save some space in my entertainment center. I didn't even know about it turning 7 years old, but i still enjoy a lot of its games, just that now i play them on ps3. i also did the same with the gamecube since now i use the wii just to display progressive scan.
happy B-day and thanks for delivering 7 years of good entertainment!!!