PAL PS2 closes in on 20 million units

By Tom Bramwell Published 9 September, 2003

With 60 million worldwide.

Sony's PlayStation 2 passed another milestone on Saturday as the worldwide cumulative shipping figure struck a massive chime at 60.03 million units. In terms of breakdown, that's 14.17 million in Japan (where it launched on March 4th, 2000) including Asia, 26.42 million in the US (October 26th, 2000) and just under 20 million - 19.44 million units - in Europe (November 24th, 2000).

From the machine's Japanese launch to the present day, that's three and a half years - making the 60 million figure 1.6 times more volume than the original PlayStation managed in the same period. As a result, Sony has upped its monthly production/shipment to more than three million units from this August in order to capitalise on the Christmas period.

It's been quite a haul for Sony, who shipped their 50 millionth PS2 on January 15th 2003, having hit 40 million just four months previously and 30 million four and a half months prior to that. Sales can be expected to accelerate over the Christmas period of course, but it'll be interesting to see what sort of legs the console has left...

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (36) Latest comment 9 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Tiitiz #1 9 years ago

    shed load

  • Errol #2 9 years ago

    PSII will sell LOADS at christmas. The lure of GT4, Pro Evo 3 et al will be impossible to resist.
    Edited by 1 at 09/09/03 @ 12:33

  • Blerk #3 9 years ago

    I see no reason why the PS2 won't continue to dominate this Christmas. No reason at all.

  • Nemesis #4 9 years ago

    Me neither Blerkie.

    60mil. Bl00dy hell.

  • renzo #5 9 years ago

    Pretty soon it'll be a case of who doesn't own a PS2 :)

  • Blerk #6 9 years ago

    Sounds like bollocks to me. Since when did they ask you why you were buying a PS2 when you go into a shop?

  • Errol #7 9 years ago

    PS2 roxxor.

    Xbox suxxor.

  • Rizo #8 9 years ago

    is there anyone left on the planet without a ps2?

  • cynic #9 9 years ago

    Pretty soon it'll be a case of who doesn't own a PS2 :)

    I don't own one yet, but according to BGiE Microsoft 0000WWWwwNNZZzzz PS2
    Edited by 1 at 09/09/03 @ 12:41

  • FWB #10 9 years ago

    is there anyone left on the planet without a ps2?

    Hmm. Over 6billion on the planet, ~50million PS2. Now I'm no Mandelbrot but even I can answer that one for you.

  • Monkey #11 9 years ago

    Cynic, hahaha good one
    :)
    Edited by 1 at 09/09/03 @ 12:44

  • FWB #12 9 years ago

    No, the Queen has one.

  • Marcus #13 9 years ago

    Oddly enough, I haven't got one, but probably will do when the price drops.

  • jeff #14 9 years ago

    there's only 2 reasons for me keeping my ps2,gt4 and pro evo 3.

  • Zaccix #15 9 years ago

    Originally posted by Bill Gates Is Evil in the "Eidos Attacks Gamecube" thread:

    "Microsoft WILL dominate. I promise each and everyone of you. There is no way in hell Microsoft can be stopped. Nintendo? Doomed. Sony? Doomed."

    Indeed, Sony are doomed... I'll just let that comment stand on its own. :)

    I don't own a PS2, and have no intention of buying one right now; not because of any kind of hate towards Sony or fanboyism towards Ninty (I own a Gamecube), but because I just don't feel any great need to get one in the near future.

  • Blerk #16 9 years ago

    Everyone who says 'I only keep my PS2 for one/two game/s'... wtf kind of games do you like? Surely the PS2 has the greatest choice of games of all the platforms... if you can't find something you like on PS2, what chance do you have with the others?

  • Urabus #17 9 years ago

    Roll on PS3 and we can start it all over again......

    Still creaming at the though of a GTA on the next-next gen consoles.

  • Takashi #18 9 years ago

    if you can't find something you like on PS2, what chance do you have with the others?

    They're attempts at proving they're advised gamers.
    I've got me PS2, and bloddy hell, I buy every (playable) game I can afford for it - isn't that the purpose of having a highly sucessfull console?
    Edited by 1 at 09/09/03 @ 14:42

  • Tiger_Walts #19 9 years ago

    I still do not have a PS2 yet, but will be getting one when the price drops, feel free to recommend your favourite games so I can start hunting for them in 2nd hand stores. These are already on my list...

    Ico
    PES3
    Rez
    Sly Cooper
    GT3

  • howboring #20 9 years ago

    Wipeout fusion
    gt concept (I like the concept cars)
    Ace combat
    Silent hill 3
    Tekken 4
    err.. and many others i can't remember!

    and err.... *whispers* dragon ball z...

  • renzo #21 9 years ago

    Anyone who buys a console just to play two games is pretty thick. Surely you're keeping your PS2 for more than just two games? If not, you probably don't really like games in the first place.

  • Blerk #22 9 years ago

    Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
    Dark Cloud
    Final Fantasy X
    Grandia 2
    Grand Theft Auto 3
    Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
    Jak and Daxter
    Kingdom Hearts
    Legaia 2 : Duel Saga
    Project Zero
    Resident Evil - Code Veronica X
    Shadow Hearts
    Silent Hill 2
    Wild Arms 3

    Er... off the top of my head. :-)

  • howboring #23 9 years ago

    Be one with the PS 2

  • cynic #24 9 years ago

    Just to show how popular the PS2 is, I saw a 2nd hand PS2 in Game for 129squid, thats the same price as a brand new Xbox!
    Oh and Tiger, get tekken 4 if you get PS2 I think it has gone platinum... much much cheapness :)

  • Blerk #25 9 years ago

    Be one with the PS 2

    Uh... but be careful not to get an electric shock!

  • FWB #26 9 years ago

    Just to show how popular the PS2 is, I saw a 2nd hand PS2 in Game for 129squid, thats the same price as a brand new Xbox!

    Yeah, and? I'm selling my GC for £377. That's three times the price of a brand new Xbox (or a second hand PS2).
    Edited by 1 at 09/09/03 @ 15:10

  • cynic #27 9 years ago

    Yeah, and? I'm selling my GC for £377. That's three times the price of a brand new Xbox (or a second hand PS2).

    Really? you ain't as stoopid as you sound ;P

    Edit: Will you sell my GC for me too, then I could buy a 2nd hand PS2 and two new Xboxes....... FWB roxxxors!!!!!111!!!1111!
    Edited by 1 at 09/09/03 @ 15:36

  • howboring #28 9 years ago

    Uh... but be careful not to get an electric shock!


    Err... oh yes... I forgot to mention that :p

  • howboring #29 9 years ago

    hmm dunno what to do with my Gamecube.... probs not worth much and not worth selling..... Football? :p

  • inpHilltr8r #30 9 years ago

    "Anyone who buys a console just to play two games is pretty thick.:

    Halo, KotoR... oh shit.

  • Khab #31 9 years ago

    I like owning one, mostly for PES2 and just KNOWING there's this immense wealth of game savailable to you.

    But I got mine for 50 euros, so....:)

  • Scimarad #32 9 years ago

    - "Anyone who buys a console just to play two games is pretty thick.:

    - Halo, KotoR... oh shit.


    Especially as one of them is total bug-fest, I've heard...

  • Sir Icey #33 9 years ago

    This means that 1% of all people on this planet own a ps2?
    One percent may not sound like much ... but it does when you say "OF ALL PEOPLE ON THE @[@#| PLANET"!

  • brutal #34 9 years ago

    Renzo - I'm keeping my PS2 because of 2 or 3 games. The suggestion that I probably don't like games is frankly ridiculous. The other consoles have better examples of most the software available. The only thing worth keeping my ps2 for is pro evo, the next gta and possibly gt4 (but probably not).

    However, if i were to buy a PS2 now just for 2 games, that would be a bit strange.

  • mal #35 9 years ago

    Noone's mentioned VF4 Evo yet? I might be seeing that in the sales soon then!

    PS2 games I've picked up despite still waiting for the price drop:
    Ico
    GTA: Vice City
    Virtua Fighter 4
    Frequency
    Eyetoy

    Those are the games I considered essential enough to buy a console for. I'd probably also have Project:Zero already if I was anything of a survival horror fan. True, you can pick that up on the xbox, but it's ten quid more for pretty much the same game.

  • Blerk #36 9 years ago

    Silent Hill 2 is a very easy game. You don't need to cheat.