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PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on October 26, in Europe on November 24, in Australia on November 30, and other regions thereafter. It is the successor to the original PlayStation as well as the second installment in the PlayStation brand of consoles. As a sixth-generation console, it competed with Nintendo's GameCube, Sega's Dreamcast, and Microsoft's Xbox.
Announced in 1999, Sony began developing the console after the immense success of its predecessor. In addition to serving as a game console, it features a built-in DVD drive and was priced lower than standalone DVD players of the time, enhancing its value. Full backward compatibility with original PlayStation games and accessories gave it access to a vast launch library, far surpassing those of its competitors. The console's hardware was also notable for its custom-built Emotion Engine processor, co-developed with Toshiba, which was promoted as being more powerful than most personal computers of the era.
The PlayStation 2 remains the best-selling video game console of all time, having sold 160.63 million units worldwide, nearly triple the combined sales of competing sixth-generation consoles. It received widespread critical acclaim and amassed a global library of 10,987 game titles, with 1.54 billion copies sold. In 2004, Sony revised the console with a smaller, lighter body officially known as the "Slimline". Even after the release of its successor, the PlayStation 3, in 2006, it remained in production and continued to receive new game releases for several years with the last game for the system Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 being released in Europe in November 2013. Manufacturing officially ended in early 2013, giving the console one of the longest lifespans in video game history.
Released in 1994, the original PlayStation proved to be a phenomenal worldwide success and signalled Sony's rise to power in the video game industry. Its launch elicited critical acclaim and strong sales; it eventually became the first computer entertainment platform to ship over 100 million units. The PlayStation enjoyed particular success outside Japan in part due to Sony's refined development kits, large-scale advertising campaigns, and strong third-party developer support. By the late 1990s Sony had dethroned established rivals Sega and Nintendo in the global video game market. Sega, spurred on by their declining market share and significant financial losses, launched the Dreamcast in 1998 as a last-ditch attempt to stay in the industry. Fuelled by a large marketing campaign, it sold over 500,000 units within two weeks.
Though Sony has kept details of the PlayStation 2's development secret, Ken Kutaragi, "the Father of the PlayStation", reportedly began working on a second console around the time of the original PlayStation's launch in late 1994. At some point during development, employees from Argonaut Games, under contract for semiconductor manufacturer LSI Logic Corporation, were instructed to design a rendering chip for Sony's upcoming console. Jez San, founder of Argonaut, recalled that his team had no direct contact with Sony during the development process. Unbeknownst to him, Sony was designing their own chip in-house and had instructed other companies to design rendering chips merely to diversify their options.
By early 1997, the press was reporting that a new PlayStation was being developed and would have backward-compatibility with the original PlayStation, a built-in DVD player, and Internet connectivity. However, Sony continued to officially deny that a successor was being developed. Chris Deering, then-president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) recalled that there was a degree of trepidation among Sony leaders to produce a console which would recapture or exceed the success of its predecessor. As such, Sony aimed for a consecutive market success, noting that neither Nintendo nor Sega had achieved back-to-back console victories. Deering compared the goal to winning "two gold medals in two back-to-back Olympics".
Sony officially revealed the first details of the PlayStation 2 on 2 March 1999, confirming in a press release that its processor would ensure full backwards compatibility with original PlayStation software, significantly boosted performance, four-fold increase in data transfer rates, and a 20-times faster serial interface. Kutaragi affirmed that the new console would allow video games to convey "unprecedented emotions". Indeed, Sony estimated the PlayStation 2 could render 7.5 million to 16 million polygons per second, whereas contemporary independent estimates ranged from 3 million to 20 million, compared to Sega's estimates of more than 3 million to 6 million for the rival Dreamcast. Later in the year, Nintendo announced their next console, the GameCube, and Microsoft began development of their own console, the Xbox.
Rumours soon emerged suggesting that, despite its technical capabilities, the PlayStation 2 was notably difficult to develop for. Capcom designer Shinji Mikami, known for creating the Resident Evil and Dino Crisis franchises, criticised the lack of adequate development tools provided by Sony. Having worked on titles for multiple fifth-generation platforms, Mikami described the PlayStation 2 as the most challenging system he had encountered. Likewise, Konami's Hideo Kojima expressed disappointment with the console's power, feeling it had not met his expectations.
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PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on October 26, in Europe on November 24, in Australia on November 30, and other regions thereafter. It is the successor to the original PlayStation as well as the second installment in the PlayStation brand of consoles. As a sixth-generation console, it competed with Nintendo's GameCube, Sega's Dreamcast, and Microsoft's Xbox.
Announced in 1999, Sony began developing the console after the immense success of its predecessor. In addition to serving as a game console, it features a built-in DVD drive and was priced lower than standalone DVD players of the time, enhancing its value. Full backward compatibility with original PlayStation games and accessories gave it access to a vast launch library, far surpassing those of its competitors. The console's hardware was also notable for its custom-built Emotion Engine processor, co-developed with Toshiba, which was promoted as being more powerful than most personal computers of the era.
The PlayStation 2 remains the best-selling video game console of all time, having sold 160.63 million units worldwide, nearly triple the combined sales of competing sixth-generation consoles. It received widespread critical acclaim and amassed a global library of 10,987 game titles, with 1.54 billion copies sold. In 2004, Sony revised the console with a smaller, lighter body officially known as the "Slimline". Even after the release of its successor, the PlayStation 3, in 2006, it remained in production and continued to receive new game releases for several years with the last game for the system Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 being released in Europe in November 2013. Manufacturing officially ended in early 2013, giving the console one of the longest lifespans in video game history.
Released in 1994, the original PlayStation proved to be a phenomenal worldwide success and signalled Sony's rise to power in the video game industry. Its launch elicited critical acclaim and strong sales; it eventually became the first computer entertainment platform to ship over 100 million units. The PlayStation enjoyed particular success outside Japan in part due to Sony's refined development kits, large-scale advertising campaigns, and strong third-party developer support. By the late 1990s Sony had dethroned established rivals Sega and Nintendo in the global video game market. Sega, spurred on by their declining market share and significant financial losses, launched the Dreamcast in 1998 as a last-ditch attempt to stay in the industry. Fuelled by a large marketing campaign, it sold over 500,000 units within two weeks.
Though Sony has kept details of the PlayStation 2's development secret, Ken Kutaragi, "the Father of the PlayStation", reportedly began working on a second console around the time of the original PlayStation's launch in late 1994. At some point during development, employees from Argonaut Games, under contract for semiconductor manufacturer LSI Logic Corporation, were instructed to design a rendering chip for Sony's upcoming console. Jez San, founder of Argonaut, recalled that his team had no direct contact with Sony during the development process. Unbeknownst to him, Sony was designing their own chip in-house and had instructed other companies to design rendering chips merely to diversify their options.
By early 1997, the press was reporting that a new PlayStation was being developed and would have backward-compatibility with the original PlayStation, a built-in DVD player, and Internet connectivity. However, Sony continued to officially deny that a successor was being developed. Chris Deering, then-president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) recalled that there was a degree of trepidation among Sony leaders to produce a console which would recapture or exceed the success of its predecessor. As such, Sony aimed for a consecutive market success, noting that neither Nintendo nor Sega had achieved back-to-back console victories. Deering compared the goal to winning "two gold medals in two back-to-back Olympics".
Sony officially revealed the first details of the PlayStation 2 on 2 March 1999, confirming in a press release that its processor would ensure full backwards compatibility with original PlayStation software, significantly boosted performance, four-fold increase in data transfer rates, and a 20-times faster serial interface. Kutaragi affirmed that the new console would allow video games to convey "unprecedented emotions". Indeed, Sony estimated the PlayStation 2 could render 7.5 million to 16 million polygons per second, whereas contemporary independent estimates ranged from 3 million to 20 million, compared to Sega's estimates of more than 3 million to 6 million for the rival Dreamcast. Later in the year, Nintendo announced their next console, the GameCube, and Microsoft began development of their own console, the Xbox.
Rumours soon emerged suggesting that, despite its technical capabilities, the PlayStation 2 was notably difficult to develop for. Capcom designer Shinji Mikami, known for creating the Resident Evil and Dino Crisis franchises, criticised the lack of adequate development tools provided by Sony. Having worked on titles for multiple fifth-generation platforms, Mikami described the PlayStation 2 as the most challenging system he had encountered. Likewise, Konami's Hideo Kojima expressed disappointment with the console's power, feeling it had not met his expectations.
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