10 Years of Playstation 2

[StorminNorman]

While we're all rabbiting on about the PS3 and the PSP, it's interesting to note that today (actually yesterday) marks The PS2's 10th birthday. (http://kotaku.com/5485489/happy-birthday-ps2)

The PS2 is pretty important in terms of videogame history, as it was the first genuinely mainstream home console. The first console you could reliably say that everybody had. With global lifetime sales of over 140 million, it is the biggest-selling home console of all-time.

Famously, the console promised a lot, but delivered a lot less. Early videos of the console's capability far oversold the hardware: The infamous ballroom scene video and the "old man" render test were both rendered on MIPS workstation hardware, not final PS2 hardware.

Sony claimed that the console would bring an entirely new level of realism and depth to the video game experience. They were so convinced of this that they named its CPU chip the "Emotion Engine", promising that it was capable of delivering emotion to us. This was coupled with the "Graphics Synthesiser" (not just a GPU, but a chip capable of synthesising graphics!). While these were both quite powerful for their time, they were soon trumped by the more-powerful Nintendo Gamecube and the twice-as-powerful Microsoft XBox.

Despite this, however, the PS2, backed by Sony's marketing and development clout, easily outsold its two competitors. In fact, it had virtually killed a third competitor— The Sega Dreamcast— before it was even released. Sony announced the console soon after the Dreamcast launch in a desperate attempt to torpedo Sega's next-generation system. Rumours of Sony convincing developers to stop development of key Dreamcast titles, or to not commit to the system at all abounded, and when the PS2 launched, the writing was already on the wall for Sega's hardware. A year after the PS2 launch, the Dreamcast was dead, and the PS2 was looking like it would take over the world.

That's exactly what it has done since then. For a time, the PS2 was the go-to console for any kind of game you could want. It simply made no sense for developers to release games for the other systems without also releasing a PS2 version. The system may have been slower, weaker, and much harder to develop for, but it also had the biggest market, and that was the most important thing in the eyes of publishers.

Now, four hardware revisions and ten years later, it's almost easy to forget the dominance of the PS2 in its heydey. Sony's missteps with its successor, the PS3, are reminiscent of the hubris they showed at the PS2's launch, but the gaming public weren't fooled a second time. Sony went from market leader to a desperate game of catch-up within just a couple of years, and now the entire company is in such trouble that people even doubt that there will be a Playstation 4.

If the PS2 has a successor, it isn't the PS3, but rather Nintendo's Wii. The Wii has take on the "go-to console" role that the PS2 had, and is now the home of the same huge variety of games that the PS2 enjoyed half a decade ago. Developers see it as the go-to console for their new titles, just like they did with the PS2, and the system has the same kind of mainstream "mum-and-dad" appeal.

In all, the PS2 may just be the most important games console ever released, because it was the first console to genuinely bring gaming in the mainstream. It built on the groundwork laid by the original Playstation, and ran with it. An entire generation of people— not just gamers, but people in general— have grown up with the PS2.

For all its charming quirks (lack of FSAA, severely limited storage, horrid controller, weak hardware), the PS2 has a special place in the heart of almost every gamer, and everyone has at least some fond memories of the system. Whether or not it's drunken SingStar nights, destroying a towering Colossus, defeating Sin once and for all, shooting up downtown San Andreas, Teaming up with Dante to destroy God, or fighting against The End, the PS2 had moments for all of us.

Long live the Playstation 2.

[Lazlow]

The Wii may have cornered a similar mainstream market share, but it is far from the "go to" console for developers.

I also disagree about the controller, I thought it was great.

[Stevorooni]

I got my PS2 for my 21st birthday. I wanted a DVD player (can't believe I never had one back then, now I think there's about 15 things in my house I can play a dvd on) and got enough money to buy one, but chipped in some of my own cash to get a PS2 instead so I could watch DVDs AND play the latest games..

It came with a demo disc, and I also had Soul Reaver 2 which I had won in a competition and lent to someone who actually had a PS2, so after stealing that back I was set for a while!

Til this day it is still hooked up to the TV for the occasional PS2 game, mostly because the PS3 doesn't have backwards compatibility, and despite the Gamecube I later purchased also stealing some loving during that generation, the PS2 was a well played machine.

Happy Birthday PS2

[Clockw0rk]

PS2 was awesome, I still occasionally think of getting one for that sweet back catalogue. We borrowed one off a friend, my flatmate sank nearly 60 hours into DQ8 last year before it was stolen.

I rented a PS2 after GTA3 came out and played it for a whole weekend, that game was absolutely incredible.

[Lazlow]

Got mine in 2001 (i think) during the first price drop down to $500, first big purchase of my life using money I earned working the Fruit & Veg at Coles. Got it with F1 2001 and either Madden or NHL... can't remember now.

I remember I couldn't get any of the local video shop's 3 copies of The Mummy Returns to play on it. Nowadays its struggles to read anything near the layer shift on a dual layer disc. It can read much further along into the second layer though :/

My neighbour on campus in my first year of Uni had one as well, with the same edition of Madden. Over the 4 years there were many a heated contest. Another mate had a Dreamcast, but indicative of the Dreamcast's failings, the majority of his collection was pirated.

Whilst I thought the process was incredibly stupid, I ended up getting Swap Disc Magic 3 with a slide card so I could play imported games. Using it required taking the from lip off the drive tray and using the card to forcefully unlock the drive so you could swap discs without the system knowing. In the ended it hasn't appeared to damaged the console in any way.

[T Strife]

It came with a demo disc, and I also had Soul Reaver 2 which I had won in a competition and lent to someone who actually had a PS2, so after stealing that back I was set for a while!

Evil contraption!

http://art.penny-arcade.com/photos/214606888_Lva4x-L-2.jpg

A part of me still hates Sony for the way they bloated the promises of the system to such a ridiculous extreme, especially considering how great the Dreamcast was. Trying it again was never going to work, though - Microsoft have a lot more money than Sega.

Still, props to the console for actually making it to ten years, even if it really is mostly a karaoke machine (and home for greatly delayed Sakura Wars games) from a new release standpoint now.

[igotnewsuper8systemWRONG!]

Pretty impressive that Sony can release the best console for 3 generations straight

[AranchineD]

Bless the PS2 for being a stupidly easy console to get chipped

[consoul]

Amazing system. No other system has a library of games that can compare with PS2's. I have over 260 PS2 games and that's not even close to all the good ones.

[freeradical]

It had some good games. My experience with the console itself was less than positive. First unit had a fan that produced a very pronouncer 'whoar' from the very first time it was turned on. Returned that day and swapped for another unit, which was fine. That unit lasted approx 16 months before suddenly dying. I replaced that (eventually) with one of the Silver PS2's (after it was discontinued and the local retailer was literally giving them away). I still have it somewhere, has not been used since the 360 appeared. No experience with the PS2 Slim

[borgster101]

I didn't have a PS2 back in the day, basically because I chose to get the GCN and later Xbox as well as a lack of funds to buy every console .. it satisfied most needs. But I eventually got a PS2 ... and have been "catching up" on some of the best to offer titles ... they're still great to play even now and will continue to be :)

Better late than never! :)

[AranchineD]

*Better nate than lever

[Ryan Hayward]

Final Fantasy 12 and God of War 2 showed that the PS2 could actually pump out some very impressive visuals.

[RunningMild]

PS2 was the best console ever IMO. So many of my all-time favourite games/moments were experienced on that console- Jak 2, Devil May Cry 1 and 3, God of War 1 and 2, Resident Evil 4, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Dropship: United Peace Force (which singlehandedly made up for the cancellation of Harrier 2001, my most wanted N64 game for a while ;) ), Aggressive Inline, Tony Hawk 3, Burnout 2 and 3, Transformers: Armada, Shadow of the Colossus, God Hand, Guitar Hero 1 and 2, Rugby League 2: World Cup Edition, Pro Evolution Soccer 4, 5 and 6, Smackdown vs Raw '06 (the GM mode at least), GTA: San Andreas, and so on. Not to mention I loved the controller (Power Wave > official).

I still haven't traded it in because I still have games that I want to play on it, such as Okami, Final Fantasy XII, POP: The Two Thrones, Jak 3, Scarface and a few others. PS2 will be awesome for many years yet!

[Ryan Hayward]

You really need to get started on Final Fantasy 12. There are few games that have made me feel totally excited like that one. Dragon's Quest 8 and Suikoden V are unbelievably fantastic rpgs as well.

[StorminNorman]

Final Fantasy 12 and God of War 2 showed that the PS2 could actually pump out some very impressive visuals.

I honestly think the best-looking game on the system is Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria, which manages to outshine both of those games at times. It's really am impressive-looking game.

Shadow of the Colossus is also amazing to look at.

Interestingly, all of those games, as good as they look, also show up the serious limitations the system had in terms of antialiasing. I always felt SotC should have been on a more powerful console, because it's pretty obvious when you play it that the PS2 is holding it back I would have loved to have seen it show up on the XBox, for example.

[TrinityJayOne]

'Tis a fine console indeed! I'm aware of the old man tech demo, but what is the ballroom scene you speak of? All I could find on youtube is a tech demo of Squall & Rinoa's dancing scene from FFVIII, unless you infact mean that movie, in which case you may disregard my enquiry.

[Ryan Hayward]

I honestly think the best-looking game on the system is Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria, which manages to outshine both of those games at times. It's really am impressive-looking game.


What did you think about Silmeria gameplay wise? I thought it was very good up to a point where it really made you have to start to be hardcore about using battle movements/ tactics and item creating. Great game with some fantastic characterization and storyline though.

[igotnewsuper8systemWRONG!]

I always felt SotC should have been on a more powerful console, because it's pretty obvious when you play it that the PS2 is holding it back I would have loved to have seen it show up on the XBox, for example.

Blasphemy!

I will cry if they don't release a HD remake to get people warmed up for the Last Guardian though.

[Starscream]

Still play the PS2 to re-live the PES glory days. Still have some backlog to go on some PS2 games as well. :(

[T Strife]

I'm aware of the old man tech demo, but what is the ballroom scene you speak of? All I could find on youtube is a tech demo of Squall & Rinoa's dancing scene from FFVIII, unless you infact mean that movie, in which case you may disregard my enquiry.

From what I recall, the claim basically came down to the Ps2 being able to render the FMV you were watching, in real time. Amazingly outlandish.

Still, stuff did eventually come along that proved that the Ps2 had more under the hood than the first 'real' impressions may have had us believe.

[StorminNorman]

What did you think about Silmeria gameplay wise?

It's actually my favourite Valkyrie Profile game. I think the combat system is vastly improved over the first one, and they took out some of the needlessly complicated stuff like the insane levels of stat management the first game had.

And yeah, the ballroom scene was the Cloud/Rinoa thing. Sony claimed it was a realtime demo at the time it came out (along with the Old Man demo and the Reiko from Ridge Racer demo).

[Australian Ninja]

Got mine in 2001 (i think) during the first price drop down to $500, first big purchase of my life using money I earned working the Fruit & Veg at Coles. Got it with F1 2001 and either Madden or NHL... can't remember now.

I remember I couldn't get any of the local video shop's 3 copies of The Mummy Returns to play on it. Nowadays its struggles to read anything near the layer shift on a dual layer disc. It can read much further along into the second layer though :/

My neighbour on campus in my first year of Uni had one as well, with the same edition of Madden. Over the 4 years there were many a heated contest. Another mate had a Dreamcast, but indicative of the Dreamcast's failings, the majority of his collection was pirated.

Whilst I thought the process was incredibly stupid, I ended up getting Swap Disc Magic 3 with a slide card so I could play imported games. Using it required taking the from lip off the drive tray and using the card to forcefully unlock the drive so you could swap discs without the system knowing. In the ended it hasn't appeared to damaged the console in any way.

It killed my old model PS2. Would never use that swap magic rubbish again. It basically wrecked the teeth for the cd tray. I got so mad I snapped that stupid card in half so I would NEVER be tempted to use it again. At the time I had no money and could not run out and buy another one.

The PS2 still gets regular play from me, and my most recent games picked up were: ZOE 2, Marvel VS Capcom 2 (cos I never play the dreamcast), Odin Sphere and Resident Evil 4.

I'm on to my 3rd machine (2nd slimline model / current) and bought a brand new one last year after my 1st slimline crapped out - after only 12 months! My 1997 bought PS1 still runs perfectly.

Recently getting back in to - and intending to complete - Okami, Viewtiful Joe 2. The PS2 is one of my all time favourite consoles, along with the Mega Drive, X360, GBA and SNES.

It also hosts 3 of my all time favourite games of the last 30 years or so: Vice City, Deus Ex (yeah the PC version is way better, but I didn't have a PC then) and Shadow of the Colossus.
I'd say my collection is about complete, I may pick up another Capcom VS SNK 2, because my Xbox#1 is in retirement.

God knows how many great games I've played on it over the years, but I've sold/trade in a good number of the lesser titles, so the ones left are only the best of the best - plus other obscure titles. The thing I LOVED about the PS2 machine was that 99% of the games I wanted to play actually got released in this country - even the updates / special editions - unlike the previous generation.

Most of the good games I played on PS1 were NTSC format, and the PAL versions were often inferior (hello tekken 3). Not so with the PS2, thanks to having the 50/60HZ option on many games, and a good number of PAL releases of obscure games that most people are not into.

[Ryan Hayward]

The best PS2s are the older models. I've had mine now for about 5 years and have about 50 titles for it, and its still going strong with regular play. Never had it serviced....

[Mr Pie]

Yeah, i got one of the first models, a thing of beauty that, still works perfectly, only needed a service once because my dogs decided to munch a cable, still, nothing a soldering iron can't fix.

[Ryan Hayward]

My new dog chewed up a memory card. Luckily it was a gamecube's and I had no unfinished games saved on it.

[Space_Monkey]

Famously, the console promised a lot, but delivered a lot less. Early videos of the console's capability far oversold the hardware: The infamous ballroom scene video and the "old man" render test were both rendered on MIPS workstation hardware, not final PS2 hardware.

Sony claimed that the console would bring an entirely new level of realism and depth to the video game experience. They were so convinced of this that they named its CPU chip the "Emotion Engine", promising that it was capable of delivering emotion to us. This was coupled with the "Graphics Synthesiser" (not just a GPU, but a chip capable of synthesising graphics!). While these were both quite powerful for their time, they were soon trumped by the more-powerful Nintendo Gamecube and the twice-as-powerful Microsoft XBox.

In regards to first generation games certainly. But by the end of the Playstation 2's life it was more than capable of convincingly rendering facial animations and subtle changes in expression. That "emotion engine" powered many advances in emotional connection with computer generated spriets, Metal Gear Solid 3, Final Fantasy 12, Final Fantasy 10 although somewhat dated now was a serious leap forward. Even cheaper titles like Wild ARMs 4 got in on that action.

Despite this, however, the PS2, backed by Sony's marketing and development clout, easily outsold its two competitors. In fact, it had virtually killed a third competitor— The Sega Dreamcast— before it was even released. Sony announced the console soon after the Dreamcast launch in a desperate attempt to torpedo Sega's next-generation system. Rumours of Sony convincing developers to stop development of key Dreamcast titles, or to not commit to the system at all abounded, and when the PS2 launched, the writing was already on the wall for Sega's hardware. A year after the PS2 launch, the Dreamcast was dead, and the PS2 was looking like it would take over the world.

The Dreamcast's death was a combination of mis-management, poor marketing and Sega not even building enough consoles to meet demand until consumer interest had moved onto "the next big thing."

Sony's marketing spiel and at times out right lies may have been another nail in the coffin but it was a coffin already nailed pretty tight.

Now, four hardware revisions and ten years later, it's almost easy to forget the dominance of the PS2 in its heydey. Sony's missteps with its successor, the PS3, are reminiscent of the hubris they showed at the PS2's launch, but the gaming public weren't fooled a second time. Sony went from market leader to a desperate game of catch-up within just a couple of years, and now the entire company is in such trouble that people even doubt that there will be a Playstation 4.

Last I heard after the price drop sales were pretty strong nothing like the Wii but strong.

Also to think Sony would let such a well recognized and profitable brand such as Playstation die in a matter of one generation is just unrealistic.

If the PS2 has a successor, it isn't the PS3, but rather Nintendo's Wii. The Wii has take on the "go-to console" role that the PS2 had, and is now the home of the same huge variety of games that the PS2 enjoyed half a decade ago. Developers see it as the go-to console for their new titles, just like they did with the PS2, and the system has the same kind of mainstream "mum-and-dad" appeal.

:confused: What? You can't be cereal?

Happy Birthday Playstation 2

[Australian Ninja]

The Dreamcast's death was a combination of mis-management, poor marketing and Sega not even building enough consoles to meet demand until consumer interest had moved onto "the next big thing."

Sony's marketing spiel and at times out right lies may have been another nail in the coffin but it was a coffin already nailed pretty tight.



Not to mention SEGA's name was already mud post 32X / Mega CD / Saturn. And consumer's vote with their wallets. I wonder if removing the SEGA logo from the Dreamcast did more harm than good?

[Cubby]

Pretty impressive that Sony can release the best console for 3 generations straight

What's this based on? Apart from your opinion.

Also, the PS2 wasn't THAT mainstream, the general public didn't flock to consoles till the Wii.

And out of the 140m, probably only half actually work.

Agreed that the PS2 wasn't the downfall of the DC either, that failure belongs to SEGA, just like the Saturn.

[Ryan Hayward]

Actually, the PS2 is still much more popular than the wii, its the biggest selling console of all time.
It has sold about 2 times as many units than the wii.
But the PS3 is a total non-event, a complete disaster for Sony.

[Starscream]

Not wanting to derail the thread but....

Actually, the PS2 is still much more popular than the wii, its the biggest selling console of all time.
Until another console comes along to break that record, but do handhelds actually count as a console? :P

It has sold about 2 times as many units than the wii.

How many years has the PS2 been on the market compared to the Wii?

Come on Creedy, I know you can do better!

[Cubby]

Yes, but in the casual/non-gamer market I'm talking about. Plus Wii's don't break like PS2s do/did. That lovely title goes to the 360.

[TrinityJayOne]

I don't think PS2 failures were ever anywhere near as much of a big thing as it was with the 360. Your older 360s could pretty much break at any moment, but the PS2 failures were always due to the laser giving up after years of use, and by that point they were pretty cheap to replace anyway. I'm also still adamant that these failures were brought about quicker by playing DVDs in the things, as my 2nd one lasted a lot longer (still works) when I stopped using it for playing them after hearing such a rumour.

[Cubby]

I guess the Wii lasers will still be working in 100 years lol

[Lazlow]

It killed my old model PS2. Would never use that swap magic rubbish again. It basically wrecked the teeth for the cd tray. I got so mad I snapped that stupid card in half so I would NEVER be tempted to use it again. At the time I had no money and could not run out and buy another one.

I've been using it for 5-6 years now, and there's no sign of wear on the drive mechanism.

[Australian Ninja]

I've been using it for 5-6 years now, and there's no sign of wear on the drive mechanism.

Old model PHAT PS2 died because the CD drive teeth were ****ed. Tried to fix it a few times, but it kept stuffin up and eventually would not open/close. The laser still goes, but pretty worn.

My 1st Slimline PS2 actually works, but there is a fault with the lid, the laser will not spin when it is "open". When you close the lid of my dodgy slim, the laser thinks the lid is still open, sometime it will work, but inevitablly it will stop spinning in the middle of a game.

The problem is that the little points on the under side of the lid need to press ALL the way down when closed, but they don't on my old slim. Messed around with, tried taking it a to a PC shop etc but no good, they could not fix the problem. If it was just a laser issue I could go here:

http://quantronics.com.au/

http://quantronics.com.au/products/ps2/lasers

But it's usually cheaper to just buy another whole machine and create more garbage for the tip, "thanks" forward thinking electronics companies.

[Starscream]

You're in the wrong forum area and thread.

[Ryan Hayward]

Typical fanboy.

[Australian Ninja]

You're in the wrong forum area and thread.

Post needs less correctness and more Gameboy. The true opiate of the masses. And defiantly sexist.

[Knuckle Children]

I've got a launch PS2 with a Messiah chip that's still running a treat 9 and a half years later. It's copped a mighty thrashing during that time, more than any other console (still playing it to this day too).

Occasionally it will take a second attempt to load an NTSC-U original, but it's been rocksteady for the vast majority of its life. No complaints here.

I do have a boxed Pink PS2 slim as its understudy though, just in case it retires...

[Ryan Hayward]

I do hope you only got the pink PS2 cause it was cheaper than the masculine flavour.

[Knuckle Children]

I do hope you only got the pink PS2 cause it was cheaper than the masculine flavour.

Well, it was bundled with 2 controllers and a mem card for less than the basic bundle, it's rarer too. Also, I'm comfortable enough with my sexuality to be able to wield a pink rumbling device without feeling unnerved.

[Ryan Hayward]

I gotta be honest, I have a powerwave pink controller for 2D Fighting games, its brilliant.

[fearofthesky]

So...10 years of PS2! Twas indeed a fine console.

Does anyone feel like it is just being shamelessly whored now? It STILL gets multi platform titles sometimes, that are generally horrid compared to their modern counterparts. There is still big shelf space dedicated to it at JB, mostly on Singstar, BUZZ, Guitar Hero and those horrid 'kidz' games that you don't see on 360 or PS3 (but you do on Wii!).

What I fail to see on the JB shelves are the classics. The games that made the system. I shouldn't have to search for a copy of Metal Gear Solid 2, it should be right there, Platinum and new, for 20 bucks.

When the 360 came out, it rapidly killed the Original Xbox, but this has not happened with PS2. Testament to Sony's embrace of the casual market? They move the core gamers onto PS3 (may have taken awhile due to PS3's idiotic initial expense) and keep the masses on PS2?

I would like to see the PS2 die now, just for dignity's sake. So we can remember the classics and not the ultra budget kidz games.

[Australian Ninja]

So...10 years of PS2! Twas indeed a fine console.

Does anyone feel like it is just being shamelessly whored now? It STILL gets multi platform titles sometimes, that are generally horrid compared to their modern counterparts. There is still big shelf space dedicated to it at JB, mostly on Singstar, BUZZ, Guitar Hero and those horrid 'kidz' games that you don't see on 360 or PS3 (but you do on Wii!).

What I fail to see on the JB shelves are the classics. The games that made the system. I shouldn't have to search for a copy of Metal Gear Solid 2, it should be right there, Platinum and new, for 20 bucks.

When the 360 came out, it rapidly killed the Original Xbox, but this has not happened with PS2. Testament to Sony's embrace of the casual market? They move the core gamers onto PS3 (may have taken awhile due to PS3's idiotic initial expense) and keep the masses on PS2?

I would like to see the PS2 die now, just for dignity's sake. So we can remember the classics and not the ultra budget kidz games.

It's exactly the same as when the PS1 retired. The real games are done with, on occasion there will be a semi-decent port of a next gen game, and it lives on with shovelware that makes money for SONY, I don't mind seeing as the more crap they sell, the more money they have to make more games.

Anyone who wants the real games will go online or to a second hand shop. As long as shovelware sells (and the end of the lifespan when many people own the machine is ideal) the console will live until they decide it's not profitable/ worthwhile.

You'll see the same thing happen when the PS3 retires down the line.

[Australian Ninja]

What's this based on? Apart from your opinion.

Also, the PS2 wasn't THAT mainstream, the general public didn't flock to consoles till the Wii.

And out of the 140m, probably only half actually work.

Agreed that the PS2 wasn't the downfall of the DC either, that failure belongs to SEGA, just like the Saturn.

[bold added]

"1994 is on the phone? Something about a Play.. Station and non-gamers, whatever that means?"

[Mr Pie]

"1994 is on the phone? Something about a Play.. Station and non-gamers, whatever that means?"

Tell 1994 Hi for me.

[Cubby]

[bold added]

"1994 is on the phone? Something about a Play.. Station and non-gamers, whatever that means?"

My point was, that the Wii is considered a perfectly normal device to have in the home, every other console was considered to be owned by a nerd without a life by the masses.

Also, using the "hello, the past said blah blah" joke is a little lame when you wait a month to say it.