Jump to navigation
Advertisement

Around 140 million PS2s now sold News

PlayStation 2 News by Ellie Gibson

29 October, 2009

Sony has released a bundle of treats for stat fans to celebrate nine years of PlayStation 2.

Around 140 million people across the globe own a PS2. In the US alone more than 500 million games have been sold and there's a PS2 in one in three homes.

More than 485 developers have produced nearly 10,000 games for the console. SOCOM is one of the most popular franchises, with more than 530 million hours of online play logged - equivalent to 60,000 years.

Happy birthday, PS2. Here's to another nine years. Unlikely though.

Advertisement

Want to comment on this article? Log in, or register!

Comments: 1-38 of 38 in total

Poster
Comment Low-scoring comments hidden. Log in to see them!
MeBrains
29/10/09 @ 09:11
#1
+12
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
still have the launch model PS2 sitting right beneath the telly. it still works too. well engineered as far as I'm concerned.
sfp_noodle
29/10/09 @ 09:14
#2
-5
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
ill be honest, whilst i love my ps2, i think its time they put it to rest. i only use it for the classics and there are only a few games tht i have still yet to play on it. i think sony shud take a leaf out of konami's book and re-release some of their best games to give it a final swansong before retiring it
Thornhillboy
29/10/09 @ 09:17
#3
+4
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
I also have my original launch PS2 sitting my my tv alongside its younger relatives. Really happy that it still works.
Goodfella
29/10/09 @ 09:24
#4
+8
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
I'll never forget the day I sold my PS2 'fat' and bought a slim. I knew it was meant to be a lot smaller but was gob smacked when I got it out the box, the thing is tiny and still a surprising feat today.
markymark22
29/10/09 @ 09:30
#5
+6
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
The ps3 and xbox 360 will never reach the heights ps2 did. The wii may beat the sales eventually but will always go down in history as a fad childs toy. Fantastic console. Deserves some sort of lifetime achievement award!
djronz
29/10/09 @ 09:30
#6
+2
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
its amazing that its still going and that people are still buying them!! good ol' ps2, still got my original working launch ps2 aswell!
djronz
29/10/09 @ 09:35
#7
+3
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
markymark22
The ps3 and xbox 360 will never reach the heights ps2 did. The wii may beat the sales eventually but will always go down in history as a fad childs toy. Fantastic console. Deserves some sort of lifetime achievement award!

its a very different market now though, ps3 and xbox directly competing while wii hoovers up some casual sales and attract video game virgins alike, ps2 was well established before gamecube and xbox offered feeble resistance, its a much leveler playing field now.
bad09
29/10/09 @ 09:45
#8
+4
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Still playing mine today (just starting Yakuza), although I would like to do it upscaled and wireless Sony ;)

I remember going to the Sony wicked PS2 expo and baggin loads of freebies (hint, hint EG) and.....watching Blazin' Squad......

*cough*

....Anyway great console, gave me GTA and made the death of my DC a little easier. It will never beat my PS1 for a place in my heart though, THAT was a truly awseome time to be a gamer, it was all so new! :)

Oh, speaking of good old PS2......GETAWAY 3 SONY YOU FACKIN' SLAGS, OR THE BOY DIES!!!!!
light&shadow
29/10/09 @ 09:52
#9
+2
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Alhtough they might not individually reach the sales number of the PS2, current gen consoles will certainly exceed the previous gen numbers in total, showing the good health of the industry as a whole, even in these difficult times, which is good. Next gen we might even see more player if the rumours about Apple are right. A dynamic and always interesting industry indeed.
gmmonkey
29/10/09 @ 09:57
#10
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
I've got 4 sitting in my cupboard. One is mine and the other 2 are ex flatmates and I don't know where the other one came from. I was thinking of getting some more and building a fort out of them. They don't build them like they used to. My flatmates ps3 is dead and my 360 is rrod'd with a half assed repair. The covers off it so it doesn't flex the board.
Maledictus010
29/10/09 @ 10:00
#11
-3
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Still have PS2 as my main gaming device. Won't be buying anything current gen anytime soon, the quality of games is appalling (as are the machines themselves, it seems). I have loads of games for PS2 that still make me feel warm and fuzzy inside, PS3 won't do that. I guess this is mainly fed by nostalgia, but there honestly isn't anything on PS3 yet that can compare to the things i still play on PS2. It's really too bad that retailers are killing PS2 right now. Sony proudly says that PS2 is still available and a good buy, but no-one sells games for it anymore. With the exception of some license crap. If you didn't buy a PS2 and the games for it since launch, there's little reason to buy one now. So yes, PS2 will soon be gone, i'm afraid. Better buy one or two of 'em before they're gone so i can keep playing my great games...
Edited 1 times, most recently on 29/10/09 @ 10:01
Fab4
29/10/09 @ 10:29
#12
+1
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
I gave my PS2 to my two nieces a few years ago, and they prefer it to their Wii. So there's still life in the old dog yet...now if I can only get them to like PES4 ;)
markymark22
29/10/09 @ 10:30
#13
+2
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
djronz
Yeah that's a very good point. But ps2 still had to convert ps1 players and try beat down the poor dreamcast.
I still pity the xbox, microsoft really showed how little they cared by just killing it off. Still had few more years in it.
jimmyhill11
29/10/09 @ 10:46
#14
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Without doubt my favourite console on of time. I know it didn't do shooters as well as the xbox, but I don't really care for FPS games so that didn't bother me. The amount of quality and innovative games for the PS2 is staggering - the GTA games; the most sublime PES games; ICO; Okami; MGS3; Dragon Quest 8; Persona 3 - the list goes on and on, and these are games that still attract me to play on my lauch model ps2 even when I have the likes of Uncharted to play on the PS3.
djronz
29/10/09 @ 10:47
#15
+1
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
@ donnie....well at current rates ps3 would sell about 72m in 9 years (using your 24 in 3 years number if thats right?) but its still a premium priced console, when it reaches a budget price you could rightly expenct more to buy one..i dont think a figure of around 100m is ot of the question for ps3 ??

@Maledictus010
im not sure what sort of games you like but there are plenty of great games for ps3 (or any current gen console) so i really think your missing out if your still on ps2. games like lbp, motorstorm, uncharted, cod4 have offered experiences far in excess of what ps2 ever did imo, not to say ps2 does nt have great games but lets face it there was/is an awful amount of dross on that too!!
Bigglesworth
29/10/09 @ 10:47
#16
+3
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
@noodle: there have been games out on the ps2 over the last few years that rival current-gen offerings for overall experience!

@markymark / djronz: true dat. Xbox coming up against the PS2 was kinda like an ant trying to push over a skyscraper. PS2 had the momentum, despite the Xbox, I think, being technologically superior (it was newer, of course).
chrisjm
29/10/09 @ 10:49
#17
+1
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
i wonder how many of those are in a landfill
El-Dev
29/10/09 @ 10:51
#18
+1
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
This current gen of consoles has more than 9 years between them and has just about broken the 100m mark. It appears quite a few haven't moved on from their PS2 and rightly so.
El-Dev
29/10/09 @ 11:00
#19
-1
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
"standing at a pitiful 24 million after 3 years. "

http://vgchartz.com/hwlaunch.php?cons1=X...
brod
29/10/09 @ 11:07
#20
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
@Goodfella: Likewise. I eagerly await the REAL PS3 slim that is inevitable to come out in a few years. Sony cleverly avoided using the word slim for the recent revamp.
griffjoshua
29/10/09 @ 11:30
#21
+1
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Sadly my PS2 died months ago. I'm actually saving up for a slim.
CliveJames
29/10/09 @ 12:14
#22
-2
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
I'd rather hack my penis off with a lollipop stick than celebrate PS2's willing genocide of Sega when they were good. DC 4 evah. Until the cd lens fucks out that is.
Slipstream
29/10/09 @ 12:27
#23
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
So not ready to let go of my PS2 yet. The quality of games has yet to be matched, I have SO many quality games for that baby. God Bless 60GB.
drewman5150
29/10/09 @ 12:59
#24
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
I wish I'd sold a "pitiful" 24 million widgets over three years
BlueHaze_Sean
29/10/09 @ 14:03
#25
+1
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Anyone know where you can still buy a new one in the UK?

I'd like to add to the the number

dr_faulk
29/10/09 @ 14:05
#26
+1
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Yeah, we have the original PS2 still in working order. Was tempted to buy a slim one the other week for €50. I can understand why sales are still up.

In saying all that, I hated all but a very few PS2 games. Shitey PS2 controller pushed me towards PC gaming.
markymark22
29/10/09 @ 14:27
#27
+1
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
There certainly was a lot of crap games as well. But most consoles are like that. I was in my local game shop last week and the ds has so cack! Imagine cookery, imagine babies, imagine weddings....seriously now it's a joke!
Maledictus010
29/10/09 @ 14:27
#28
+1
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
"with the industry worth big bucks now ,production values are amazing."
This is as always a matter of opinion but i very much disagree. Games may look good these days but i'm not at all interested in HD and hi-res graphics. The simple fact is that there are no games like Dark Chronicle (or any of the level 5 gems), no decent RPGs, nothing like the Team-ico stuff, etc. There are some shiny license titles and some shooter stuff for the adhd generation, but the old fashioned deep stuff i haven't seen yet (in Europe, that is. One exception being Fallout3, but that's not my thing. And it was buggy as hell on the PS3). Things like LBP make me vomit. I will admit though that i'm looking forward to god of war 3, that may just be a reason to buy a PS3. That, and the new level 5 rpg. But, as stated, it remains a matter of opinion.
markymark22
29/10/09 @ 14:30
#29
+1
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
bigglesworth
Your right the xbox was more powerfull than the ps2. I'm not sure by how much but if i remember correctly it ran a version of half life 2!! Anyone correct me on this? Its like a dream to me.?!
Edited 1 times, most recently on 29/10/09 @ 14:35
trebell
29/10/09 @ 14:31
#30
+1
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
"Anyone correct me on this? Its like a dream to me.?! "
Yes, HL2 did come out for Xbox.

PS2.. well deserved. A console with a stunning library.
electrolite
29/10/09 @ 15:00
#31
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
The XBox had as good a shot at HL2 as anything from that generation could have possibly managed.

10,000 games!! I loved the PS2, apart from early on as I wasn't a huge PS1 fan, and through 2000 the DC was much better. Christmas 2001 though, the PS2 (and I) got Jak and Daxter, Pro Evo, GTA III, SSX Tricky and Burnout. Never looked back, awesome machine....
djronz
29/10/09 @ 15:46
#32
+2
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
donnie080208
29/10/09 @ 14:04
this gen imo is the best its ever been for quality games with the industry worth big bucks now ,production values are amazing. also this is the first gen where online is essential to the consoles and MP gaming adds years to some titles. plus theres HD,DLC etc...the ps2 was great but its had its day except maybe for the under 12 year olds market.

bloody hell!! i actually agree with donnie on this one!!

looking at the graphs of ps2, ps3 and 360 sales it seems ps3 is actually faring a bit better than 360 if you look at the sales pattern since their respective launches (not bad considering the ps3's higher price, established competition and sonys supposed incompetance) ps2 however murders both!! the wii also but that seems to have tailed off a bit recently.
Tyrell
29/10/09 @ 16:02
#33
-1
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
@donnie080208

Dude, seriously, you should go back to school!
CitizenGeek
29/10/09 @ 16:29
#34
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
60,000 years of SOCOM played online? It sounds crazy in those terms.

Anyways, I'm still not even nearly done with my PS2. There are loads of games I have yet to play :)
Sparkplug
29/10/09 @ 16:52
#35
+2
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Had many years of gaming fun on my phat PS2, well worth it's money. Still under the TV now. So many great games available for it, and so many going for buttons on E bay now as well. Many thanks Sony for a great bit of kit.

Whether it's brother, the PS3, will sell as many depends how your marketing department fairs, so far they have failed to find their ass with both hands. Only time will tell.
malexous
29/10/09 @ 18:36
#36
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Still bitter towards Sony because of the DRE fiasco.

I'm playing MGS3 for the first time, at the moment. I lie the PS2 on its side and as soon as the tray closes, I turn the PS2 vertically. Best way to get my PS2 to read a disc.
Edited 1 times, most recently on 29/10/09 @ 18:37
JamieR
30/10/09 @ 07:55
#37
-2
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
I think the ps2 is good for peaple who cant afford a ps3
Bigglesworth
30/10/09 @ 12:48
#38
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
@donnie
The article is about a Sony machine reaching its 9th birthday. Why would you not 'believe [their] 10-year plan'?

Comments: 1-38 of 38 in total

Want to comment on this article? Log in, or register!

Get Games.  Download Great PC Games!

X View gallery