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Nov 2, 2023 · Even 20 years later in the 2020s, the PS2 still retains significant collector and player value. Driven by its record-breaking popularity, a diverse and deep game library, hidden gems, and homebrew potential, the humble PS2 is still a console worth investing in for retro gaming fans.
- (5)
- Overview
- Cultural changer
- Grand Theft Auto 3
- Gran Turismo 3: A-spec
- Metal Gear Solid 2
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By Patrick Goss
last updated 11 November 2021
Sony's PS2 fundamentally shifted attitudes to gaming
(Image credit: Sony)
Consoles are still in their infancy, and yet in hundreds of years’ time people will look back and pick out the PlayStation 2 as a console that changed the very face of gaming; at the heart of dragging an industry out of the basement and into the mainstream.
But, in truth, the PlayStation 2’s biggest impact was cultural. A generation of gamers were not prepared to hang up their joypads as they got a little older, and the PS2 gave them permission to keep on gaming.
This was a console for kids and adults alike; reflected in a an broad mix of games many of which were (at least ostensibly) not meant for children.
Incredibly, the PS2 was still being produced up until 2013 – not bad for a console that first arrived in March of the new millennium. And few could make a case that it has ever been surpassed in terms of its impact.
Many consoles had waned after the initial burst of launch publicity, but the PS2 was blessed with a second lease of life.
GTA 3 was an open-world third-person/driving game that cast the gamer as a criminal making his way in a larger-than life world of American stereotypes and gun culture.
Sony presciently secured this most iconic of games as an exclusive for a couple of years on console (and it was years before it made its bow on Windows).
Although San Andreas was the better game, it was GTA 3 that transformed the gaming landscape, introducing the world to the ‘sandbox’.
GTA created a game universe that was jam packed with often puerile but just tongue-in-cheek enough humour that even the adverse headlines only served to make it more attractive to its fans.
The Gran Turismo series was already hugely popular, but the third incarnation served as the perfect showcase for the generation’s graphical capabilities.
Perfectly modelled cars and brilliant game (ahem) mechanics came together to create an immersive, beautiful driving experience that showed that gaming was now way beyond the era of sprites.
Looking back, it’s hard to imagine that MGS2 was anything other than lauded - but this was a game that truly divided its audience by demanding a bit more thought and attention to detail.
Hideo Kojima’s greatest game was anything but mindless - exploring themes beyond how much gore could be created when you shot someone in the head.
This was a game that was a microcosm of the gaming world and the PS2, thrusting itself out of the ‘gaming is for kids’ narrative.
Metal Gear Solid 2 was actually the fourth MGS, but established itself as a true classic for the PS2, with an exclusivity deal again allowing it to become an established party of the console’s success.
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- Patrick Goss
- Author
- The PS2 Was Affordable and Accessible. The PS2 wasn’t what you would describe as “cheap,” but it was affordable. Sony launched the PS2 at $299, which is around $500 when you adjust it for inflation today.
- The PS2 Holds the Highest Sale Record of All Time. For over two decades, the PS2 has remained the best-selling console ever. Sony has sold 159 million units of the PS2, leaving a whopping 5-million-unit gap from its runner-up, the Nintendo DS (154.02 million units sold).
- The PS2 Had Better DVD Support Than Xbox. One of the biggest contributing factors to the PS2’s success was how it was an entertainment system for the whole family.
- Sony Gave Us Some Memorable Titles and Series. Frankly, the PS2 didn’t have the best hardware of its time. The original Xbox and Nintendo GameCube both had better specs on paper.
Jan 10, 2013 · It’s taken 12 years, but as the final PlayStation 2 rolls off the production line, I’ve reached the personal conclusion that PS2 is the greatest console in gaming’s history. Its core...
- Justin Towell
Mar 4, 2020 · The PS2 was first released 20 years ago today. Yes, you read that correctly. Feel old yet? The iconic console from Sony went on to become the single best | Trusted Reviews.
- George Storr
Sep 6, 2021 · Well, as you probably guessed based on this article’s headline, my answer to that question is “No.” The PlayStation 2’s position atop the best-selling console chart isn’t an accident and it’s not...
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Mar 4, 2020 · It stands tall as the best-selling console ever - and this week - the PlayStation 2 celebrates its 20th anniversary.
