'Flog PS2s, not war,' says Sony

With PlayStation 2 still firmly outselling both of its (cheaper) rivals, it's been confirmed to us unofficially that the console is not about to undergo a price cut. Sorry about that. However, it has become apparent that Sony is planning a few little schemes to encourage sales.

Firstly, as reported by C&VG on Friday, the PS2 will soon be bundled "with several of our first-party games" according to a spokesperson. With the Ratchet & Clank bundle already very popular in Japan, Sony may attempt that here, or aim for a more adult market with The Getaway and other recent hits.

Speaking of the adult market, we came across a rather curious new marketing campaign by the black brick's increasingly hippy-esque handlers last week. It's a television advert (download - 1.87MB) destined for screens somewhere in the world, which shows PS2 characters including our old pals Hammond and Vercetti throwing down their guns before the screen fades to "No war, please" with a peace symbol.

When asked if this was about the console war or events in Iraq, a Sony spokesperson seemed confused.

"There's a console war?"