Sony’s PlayStation 2 console was released in North America on October 26, 2000—exactly seven years ago today. The game system continues to be the dominant console in video gamer’s arsenals, having sold more than 120 million units during its lifetime. Although Sony is ostensibly focusing on the new and more powerful PlayStation 3, the company shows no sign of wanting to bury the reliable PS2—and to celebrate the console’s seventh anniversary, the company will begin offering a limited edition Ceramic White PlayStation 2 in North America this November, bundled with SingStar 2 and two USB microphones, for $149.99. (That price applies to both U.S. and Canadian dollars: another sign of the times!) The white version of the console should be available from retailers in early November.
“While today’s anniversary celebrates PlayStation 2’s past, we’re very excited for its future,” said SCEA president and CEO Jack Tretton, in a statement. “We look forward to the platform’s continued growth and expect to sell approximately 12 million units worldwide by the end of March, leading us to anticipate that PlayStation 2’s lifecycle will exceed that of the original PlayStation.”
Even folks enamored of the newer PlayStation 3 might be tempted to pick up a PS2, since Sony’s new 40 GB PlayStation 3 model has no backward compatibility with PS2 and PSOne games, whereas the original PS2 is (naturally!) all about the massive existing library of PS2 and PSOne games: over 1,500 titles have shipped for the PS2, and another 160 new PS2 games are expected to land in North America during the upcoming holiday season.
