PlayStation 2 Will Be Available for Under $100

492 0

Hi everyone, the last time you heard from me, I talked about the huge milestone that PlayStation 2 achieved – reaching 50 million units sold in North America. Today I’m excited to talk about another milestone in PlayStation 2’s lifespan. For the first time ever, PlayStation 2 will be offered at a price point under $100 (that’s $99.99 MSRP, to be exact), starting April 1!

Why is this so significant? Well most importantly, this new price means that more people than ever will be able to join in on the fun that so many of you PlayStation 2 owners have been enjoying for years, which means new families will become part of the platform’s record-breaking install base. With this new price, we intend to introduce a new generation of consumers – some of whom weren’t even alive when the system was first introduced in 2000 – to the immense entertainment value offered by PlayStation 2.

In the gaming industry, the typical lifecycle for a console is around five years, but because we build each of our platforms for a large and diverse consumer base, we design our platforms differently. With the original PlayStation and now PlayStation 2, we’ve proven that consumers can rely on our platforms for their gaming and entertainment needs for at least a decade. This speaks to the technology and features that were packed into PlayStation 2 from the beginning, as well as to the ongoing support the platform enjoys from the publishing and retail communities and, well, all of you fans.

PlayStation 2’s unmatched gaming library will grow to nearly 1,900 titles from both our first-party studios and publishing partners this year, with a particular focus on the social and sports genres that are so popular with the emerging family demographic. This will include games such as MLB ’09, Ghostbusters: The Video Game, Guitar Hero Metallica and MotorStorm: Arctic Edge…not to mention the 250 titles that have achieved “Greatest Hits” status. With all of that content, PlayStation 2 is a great option for families looking for ways to share their entertainment experiences together; they can rock out to Rock Band, test their trivia knowledge with Buzz!, or simply use the PlayStation 2 as their DVD or CD player.

So to everyone who’s enjoyed PlayStation 2 over the years, thanks for your continued support. And to those who will now be joining the PlayStation family, welcome!

Comments are closed.

492 Comments

  • @145…

    Exactly what Jeff says to his readers here…it ain’t real unless you read it here.

  • @ kenshin- no, i’m not, are you? that’s the only reason i can imagine you not being incensed by this awful, irrelevant, “announcement.”

    enjoy your thirty dollars off a ten year old console that you should have bought= TEN YEARS AGO!

  • WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW great news SONY THANKS FOR NOTHING once again what a BS news update ,, HELLOOOOOOOO we have a PS3 how bout a little attention for the new station not that old crappy thing, how bout fixn some of these dum errors with the ps3 theres still a bunch of stuff yall need to b working on and u guys come out with a price cut for a antique a$$ system wow sony thanks for nothing thamks for listening to alllllllllllll of your consumers thanks for giving us what we wanted …NOTTTTTTTT

  • The PS2 is the console that made me a hardcore gamer! :)

    The first game I ever played on it was Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy…

    Still one of my favorite games too! Naughty Dog is one of my favorite developers too!

    Wow… some things never change!

    I can’t wait to see how much further the PS2 will go! I mean, for under $100 just think, basically EVERYONE can afford that! And for people looking to buy the wii… this might even curve their purchase over to Sony’s side!

  • Onna76_NL, go the F away retard.

    “Where’s teh BIG ANNOUNCEMENT???”

    “Waaaaaaahhhh!!!!”

    LOL! What a bunch of losers!

  • Seems people here think this is the PS3 blog instead of the PlayStation blog.

  • This is an April Fools Joke. No doubt in my mind. Its to convenient.

  • Well be fair, the internet blew this all thing way out of proportion. Sony never said anything about a “big” or “huge” announcement.

    But still, new firmware would have been nice…

  • wheres our ps3 price drop you owe it to us $ony

    ps3 price drop come on $ony what kind of bussines are you running its been a year know

    come on ps3 $299 i would buy 2 hurry up ill change my mind

    $299 would kill the xbox 360 for sure hurry up

  • boooo

    give my ps3 bc via software emulation

  • @gcube…

    Sony has offered the 80GB at $250 and $299 for MONTHS now in the US. SONY PlayStation Card…look it up.

    Explain to me how SONY ‘owes’ you anything BTW, that would be interesting.

  • wheres our ps3 price drop you owe it to us $ony
    .
    .
    ps3 price drop come on $ony what kind of bussines are you running its been a year know.
    .
    .
    .come on ps3 $299 i would buy 2 hurry up ill change my mind
    .
    .
    $299 would kill the xbox 360 for sure hurry up.
    .
    .
    i waited a week for this now i wont buy one for another year cuz your just wasteing peoples money.
    .
    .
    its not like you cant afordd it you know people have less money know cuz of the economy

  • @DMAPacket, no your comment sounds very mature and non retarded, sure dude.

    I already apologized alright? Because like anyone else I believed those stupid websites and therefore Sony shouldn’t post to a website that they’re planning an announcement, so others can pull it completely out of contest. Just make the announcement when you want to make one and don’t inform anyone beforehand.

  • wow what a big news /sarcasm

  • @159

    amen to that

  • @KSPRAYDAD $ony owes me money cuz i bought 2 80gb motorstorm bundles and the bluray drives went in them and i sent 1 back to them and they lost my info and said that i never sent it in for repairs a 3rd party fixes them in canada for sony and i bought a pay as you go mastercard and took my money and never recived my content i got proof i printed the statment so there you go

  • well i was expecting something ps3 related , price drop or new firmware or even a new game oh well , i guess is good news for the people who want a ps2

  • @162 mafecto thanks for being on my side [the good side] $ony evil

  • @164

    sony’s not evil, i just wish they’d cut the cord and focus on ps3 going forward. other than that my ps3 was the best purchase i’ve made thus far

  • Wow, $ony needs to get a grip. They still rely on a 10+ year old system to make them money! Yet their flag-ship console has been out over two years, is in third place and they still won’t drop the price! Wow, Sony management gets an “F” for business sense, especially in this economy!

    If the price does not drop by at least $100 before this holiday season, sony deserves to go away like Circuit City. So much for supporting the gamer with the PS3, let’s be happy with movies, we make more from them!

    Meh, they should be losing this generation, they treated gamers like a bastard child!

  • was hoping for something of more ps3 significance. even a psp2 news would have made people go bananas…

  • Gay!!!!!!

  • i think we can chalk all this hate up to internet hype. you can thank your favorite crappy gaming blog for blowing this out of proportion. later folks!

  • if you dont have a ps2 by now then you should go to the doctors and see whats wrong with you $ony fuked up again i dont have a ps3 anymore and i was going to buy 2 yes two if the ps3 price droped to $299 but im not know cuz thats just stupid things get cheaper the longer they are out and i thought $ony would catch on cuz pc parts are like that and $ony claims that the ps3 dose most of the stuff that a pc dose internet broser install larger hdd instal linux play games and chat to your friends print pitcurs card readers send a pic to your friend shall i go on

  • (not this blog of course. kotaku, joystiq, etc…)

  • All this shouting about “NOW NOW NOW!” and being concerned about instant-gratification… isn’t this the same sort of mentality that screwed over our economy? I think it’s important for companies to take the long term approach just as it is important for ANY individual to take the long term approach. Clamoring for a price drop isn’t going to help when the supplier is working its ass off to simplify the manufacturing process. Furthermore, it’s not like there aren’t any bargains for a PS3. Dell was offering the PS3 at $319, I believe. Sony has the Sony Card thingy that deducts roughly 100-150 bucks off of the PS3.

    If you want a PS3, why not just save up for it and buy it? I had to save up for my launch PS2 and ration my meals when it got stolen (purchased another one).

    I think what would be nice is if Sony could deliver PS2 Backwards Compatibility as a software and make it available via the PSN. The other nifty thing that Sony might want to look into is 1080p upscaling technology for existing multimedia systems. I think that would be great for existing PS2 owners to be able to enjoy upscaled graphics on a higher definition screen.

  • Hopefully, this is only the “beginning” of the big announcement.

    I think this is a nice step, but in all honesty, lets focus on the PS3!

  • Ok, now add Backwards compatibility to every PS3 so all those PS2 owners can make the jump instead of going to MS or Nintendo

  • Is this Sony’s big news? If so, congratulations, I guess. I assumed it was inevitable, though. I sure wouldn’t pay for a decade old console for over $100, I didn’t even pay $100 for mine when I got in 2002 used.

  • @PsychoMacross on dell.ca [canada] the cheapest ps3 is $459 comes with

    PS3 Playstation 3 80GB Gaming Console Bundle with 2 DualShock3 Controllers and HDMI Cable

  • @174

    that’s what i’m saying

  • ha people are getting mad over internet speculation. That’s a joke. Anyways it’s about time the PS2 got a price drop but I don’t know how much it will help sales since almost every have bought one or two ps2s over the years

  • Wow, so this was “The Big Announcement”?
    Lame.

  • Good gd stop trying to milk the ps2 its friggin 10 years old, sure its done well but its reign is over.

    You need to concentrate on the ps3 and find ways to slash prices on that so you can pull yourself from being third in the console race.

  • I forgot to mention that Sony COULD cut corners like what Microsoft did but that would be suicide and no one would enjoy it. Thing is, I have a launch PS1 and a 7-year old PS2, both of which still work wonderfully even after I’ve played countless RPG/DDR/Adventure/Shmup games on both platforms.

    So quality has never been an issue with Sony. Nintendo also makes very reliable systems (I have: original GameBoy, GB Color GBA, GB SP, DS Lite) and am currently enjoying my PSP Slim more than my DS Lite (woohoo for Class of Heroes). I’ve also enjoyed the quality games that have appeared on the original Xbox and the titles that have appeared for the 360, but I have been severely disappointed with Microsoft’s manufacturing process for the 360. Getting all excited at a Halo 3 party only to have the 360 red-ring is not fun (I was the next one up for the controller, too).

    Anyway, I now have a BC-capable PS3 and I haven’t had any issues with it so I think the pricing on the PS3 is fine the way it is.

  • A $30 price drop on the PS2 isn’t big news. There was no need to preannounce this except to once again disappoint your dwindling fanbase. Every time something like this happens, it reinforces the idea that SCEA management needs a complete overhaul.

  • at 166 hey relax there you are making it sound worst than it is , considering they introduced new technology (blu ray , cell processor) , built in wi fi , hdd and free online play ( dedicated servers for major games) , new ips ( resistance,motorstorm, heavenly sword, uncharted,little big planet, flower, folklore and more) with old franchises( metal gear solid, warhawk, ratchet and clank ,killzone , socom and others) i’d say they have done good not great not bad either but good , can they do it better??? you bet , i expect to see more games , this is sony we are talking about for christ sake , they own a lot of studios so i expect to see the ps3 software to really hit stride this holidays and continue till next year and perhaps longer , it hasnt been as bad as you make it sound to be but it hasnt been great either, the ps3 needs rpgs and i think they are coming but other than that the library is very diverse

  • A PlayStation2 price drop is nice, but the hype went further than it should have been. I don’t think SONY needs to cover all of their basis before making any kind of announcements, but they should have at least specified that it was PlayStation2 related when doing a pre-announcement. I cannot see where SONY could not have very easily done this.

  • I loved my PS2 until the day I bought my PS3, although it’s great news that the PS2 is now cheaper. It’s bad news for PS3 because now instead of growing the PS3 base we are growing a base that will be dead in less then two years.

    Keeps supporting the PS2 with games and all but don’t forget the PS3 crowd since we are the ones really supporting sony. We all upgraded to PS3 because we support the brand and the games.

    Please don’t let this be the big announcement.

  • … I hope this isn’t the big news that was supposed to come.

    I think you reduced the price on the wrong console…

  • As much as I loved the PS2, it’s time to let go, Sony! :p

    Concentrate on PS3! ;)

  • @ #176/gcube:
    Nice! Two DualShock3 controllers plus HDMI cables. I had to hunt for my 4 USB, memory card reader, software emulation PS3 from various GameStops and it only came with the original SixAxis controller. I’ve had to pick up my two DualShock3 controllers (white and silver) for $40 separately.

    It’s not that bad, all things considered. Now I need to hunt down a copy of Demon Soul.

  • This is not the “big” announcement, is it? No, it can’t be…

    Why should anyone care about PS2 price drop when PS3 is the current system? I don’t understand. I thought it was something (anything) related to PS3.

  • I’m starting to think/hope that even though the announcement was made TODAY the fact that it isn’t put into effect until tomorrow (the 1st) means this is just some huge freakin’ april fools joke and that they’ll reveal the true announcement later. This way they let us all down so that any other announcement will seem FREAKIN’ AMAZING by comparison.

  • If this is the only big announcement, Sony’s just giving another reason why to short their stock. They really want to fail. They should make up their minds as to what their Flag console system is.

  • I was hoping for a PS3 price cut instead so that some of my friends would jump on and join me on the Playstation band wagon. Hopefully that will come soon

    SPARDA

  • The PS2 start off rough (I went through 3 in 8 months) but has been a great system, has been.

    WE are 2+ years into the next-gen PS3 and in last place with developer support either dwindling (economy) or doing mutli-platform (not saying that’s bad). You have to admit, blu-ray was not a necessity nor was the cell. Had they not forced this upon us, we could have had a $300 or less system that was made for gamers, not movie watchers. Sorry, but blu-ray built in was not needed. I would have like the choice, much like the HDVD addon the 360 had. I bought a console to play games, not watch movies.

    This could have all been avoided. We coyuld have had the PS2 ability and still be in the $300 price range.

    Sorry, Sony has made to many bad decisions this gen. And they are still making them. They must drop the price by $100 or not sell PS3s, lose developer support/exclusivity even more.

    At least we can hope they learned their lesson for the PS4, which may be sooner than the 10 year cycle hoped for!

  • this better not be the big annoncement thing and who would want to buy a ps2 not its all about the ps3

  • I know this isn’t a big deal for most, but I think this is great for fighting the wii, most entry level gamers are looking to get started the cheapest way possible, and this new price point extends the PS2 value. If the PS3 were to drop $30, it would not put any pressure on the wii at all. And if people this holiday season are spending less on presents, than a PS2 may be a great buy.

  • Ok, Im sorry i have to complain why would you make a pre-announcment about this weak announcement.

Please enter your date of birth.

Date of birth fields