Hi PlayStation fans!
It’s great to kick start the year with some exciting news. I’m thrilled to share that we’ve hit a remarkable milestone on the PlayStation 2. In December, PS2 officially broke the record as the first video game console in history to sell over 50 million units in North America. This is a tremendous achievement and truly reinforces PS2 as the best-selling gaming platform and one of the most successful technology products ever released. On behalf of everyone at SCEA, I want to thank all of you, our loyal fans, for supporting the PlayStation 2 platform since its launch.
We know that PS2 owners have a deep love for their system, primarily due to the engaging and diverse gaming lineup. To date, PS2 owners bought more than 500 million software units and it remains the most-played console on the market. We’re very proud of the success the PS2 has accomplished, and it’s a testament to the content and value that the platform offers. The fact that the PS2 is in its ninth year and continues to engage consumers further validates our mission of delivering ten years of entertainment value with all of our platforms.
Introduced on October 26, 2000, the PS2 rocked the gaming world with the then-fledgling DVD format and software titles that went on to become some of the biggest franchises in gaming history. Titles such as Grand Theft Auto, Madden NFL, Gran Turismo and Jak & Daxter defined what entertainment meant for the PS2’s generation of gaming and beyond, marking the platform as one of the most successful for game developers. Used as the de-facto DVD video player in tens of thousands of living rooms across North America, the PS2 also helped establish the DVD format in the market. The combination of killer titles, advanced technology, and innovative applications is what set the PS2 apart as the dominant gaming system and helped pave the landscape for SCEA today.
This milestone showcases the significant impact that PlayStation has made on the gaming industry and reinforces what is to come on PlayStation 3. No other video game console has come close to what’s been achieved with the PS2 and we’re on track to do this again on the PS3.
PS2 owners still have much to look forward to in the coming year. We’re thankful for your loyalty and look forward to providing the same engaging PlayStation experience as you gravitate to PS3. Given there are 50 million PS2 units out there, we know that you have a lot of fun PS2 moments to share – we look forward to hearing about them on the blog. Thank you all again for your support!
– John
I know, I know… late to the party as usual. My hat’s off to you, Sony.
I’ve one of the original 35001GT units from way back in ’03 when they still had FireWire connectivity. ‘Course, I’ve added the hard drive and network options over the years, but it still works in a pinch when my 80 gig PS3 (used–with PS2 support) starts acting crazy on certain games. Sure, it’s a little slower these days, what with years of use and all, but I’ve not had one serious issue that hasn’t resolved itself (had a brief scare with discs not playing some time back, but it worked itself out).
But one thing’s been nagging me for a while since I’ve used it on my latest flat-screen set: the unit’s output over RCA cables is terribly dark compared to the PS3 over HDMI playing the same games.
i wish ps3 had the success ps2 had. Playstation is falling apart now. : /
I never had a PS2 but I played it in my friend’s house. I play PS2 games on my PS3 now.
if u want a bc ps3 go on ebay i belive they still have one, otherwise u shud have bought earlier now its to late. and bc cannot be added in threw firmware its impossible its not even in the systems programming ne more its not a firmware issue at all so stop asking.
p.s my ps3 is bc xD
@vl_timmy
Not everyone is rich or has parents to mooch off of, some of us have to work hard for our money.
As for it being impossible to make an emulator, it seems you forgot the ps1 is emulated in the ps3, the only way a ps2 can’t be emulated is if the ps3 isn’t powerful enough, are you saying the ps2 is more powerful?
I’ll say it again, sony has alienated a large portion of it’s fanbase over the removal, try to sweeten it all you want, it’s the truth.
That’s great! really it is, who else but Sony could say that?
That being said, I think the PS3 needs a bit more of love from your behalf, I’m saying this because it already gets a whole lot of love on my behalf. And although I know its probably teasing for me to say what so many others have said already, Backwards Compatibility would kick start PS3’s sleepy heart, the figures you just provided to us prove that fairly enough, I’d say.
And who knows… maybe, playing the same chickensht game Microsoft plays by buying our exclusives, the games we grew up with, games that are parts of our lives already, God I hate them! Well I believe every Sony fan, particularly PlayStation fans, would not hesitate if we organize… I don’t know, something like the Stanford University project on our PS3s, but only instead of giving the PS3’s horsepower we give out a pound or a buck to a hitman to assassinate Bill Gates, I mean I’d do it for free, but lets face it, most of us are only good killing on our PS3s.
Little daft I know, but who knows, maybe there’s a hitman-Sony fan out there reading this.
Well done Sony! I still have mine for back
up. in the spare room. Right next to my all black SEGA Dreamcast.
Well Congrats on the victorious goal that is 50 Million units in Northern America alone. this goes to show that even new consoles after and before the PS2 (Including the PS3, but no offense) can’t beat it.
but still, like the other PS3 users, we hope to see the BC back on PS3’s, in the form of both the PS2 and PS3 disks sharing the same technology. I mean, the Cell Broadband Engine can also accommodate the power of the PS2 if shared. (I wish the next update will have the ability for both PS2 and PS3 games to share the power of the Cell Broadband engine.)
but still the PS2 has games for everyone. some games I tired on a PS2 include Gundam SEED: Never Ending Tomorrow, Hannah Montana Spotlight World Tour and Marvel VS Capcom 2 (even though it was available temporary) .
so from me to all of you @ Sony, God bless your victory.
so maybe now that sony have made buckets of profit off of this damn thing they can reactivate BC on non BC consoles!!! we all know its there we all saw the video. and b4 you all go saying its a fake, no its not. i have a very good friend who invited me over to watch him do the very same thing with his 40gig console in service mode. obviously with some other mucking around of which i have no idea how or what to do. but yes i have seen it done! no i’m not lying. i have nothing to gain from lying.
I have a ps2 its great I even have a ps3 and psp WAY TO GO SONY AND STARWARS GAMES!
I agree with #50 the PS3 has all that power and all that versatility but none of the developers are takeing full advantage of it. Even HOME Launching is only supported by a few Sony developed first part titles. The Mic issues still kill it for many PS3 gamers, and HOME is still too buggy for most people to bother with.
I love my PSP, and I loved the orignal PlayStation, and the PS2. I also think Microsoft got it right with the Xbox360, and that PCs are still where it’s at. but eh I still have a large list of PSP games to get.
What we need now is for Sony to announce some of those third party exclusive titles they have been trumpeting and we know nothing about. Maybe then the systems will get back into the public eye once more.
so backward compability now please i mean u guys probably don’t have ps2 in stock so yea NOW
I don’t know if PS3 will ever sell like PS2 but it’s definitely a better system. 50 million consoles sold…man, that’s a lot.
I purchased my PS2 in December 2001. I enjoy my PS2 and still use it to play old games like Kingdom Hearts & God of War and newer games like Guitar Hero I, II, and III.
It amazes me every month when I see PS2 selling over 100,000 units consistently. Software is slowing down, but I still see plenty of new PS2 titles coming along.
I have a few complaints about the PS3, but the most relevant to this post is the lack of PS2 game support in the newer models. I purchased a 40GB PS3 in July 2008. It does not have PS2 backwards compatibility.
I collect my game systems and I have many older consoles safely packed in the garage. I’d like to put my PS2 to rest with the PS2 games I don’t play. But I’d also like to use my PS3 to play the PS2 games I still use. I need that extra space on my entertainment stand.
Please Sony. Add the PS2 emulator to the PS Store as a pay-for download. I would gladly pay for this emulator and offering it as an option is better than forcing it on people who don’t want it (like Microsoft does).
This post alone proves that people still play their PS2 games, even when they own a PS3. Please continue to support your community with the option to pay for the PS2 emulator on the PS Store for PS3.
Thank you for all the wonderful memories. I had my ps2 since it came out and took everywhere with me. Recently I of course replaced it with the ps3 with backward compatibility so now the ps2 is just collecting dust, but it still works.
I love the Playstation 2, it is one of the greatest sytems out there and currently I play that and my PSP eventually i will get a playstation 3 but i defintly will still play my playstation 2.
My PS2 is getting the most playtime out of the three consoles I own, (PS2, PS3 & PSP). This is because I’ve finished playing most of my PS3 games.I busy playing “Dragon Quest 8″and “Street Fighter EX2” at the moment. My PS3 will be getting some love every soon, when “Street Fighter 4” is out, this month.
i just bought a ps2 and now they plan to discontinue it. Sad sony, sad seeing as ps3 sucks
@169: That’s your opinion. But you have to admit that ten years is an exceptional lifespan for a game console. If you like your PS2 and it works, keep it. You’ll still be playing the stuff you like.
And if you really hate PS3, there are other consoles from “those other guys” you could get. Yeah, some of ’em have great games from the looks of it, but none of ’em are quite as versatile as a PS3 is. I mean, you got a movie player, an Internet terminal, a media browser and, with the right gear, you can build the world’s most powerful desktop computer under $1,000. No other console comes close.