
With
EA sports announcing that it will be releasing its final title on the
PlayStation 2,
Fifa 14 on
September 24th 2013, this officially ends one of the longest console runs of all time.
The
PS2 took the United States by storm on
October 26th 2000 when it was released in
North America.
Sony’s PlayStation 2 knocked the
Dreamcast out of production, and reigned as the only 6th generation console for a couple of months until the release of the
Gamecube and
Xbox.
Many factors helped the
PS2’s longevity, but what is it about this system that kept developers creating games for this system for
thirteen years, and consumers eating them up? Some people point to the
backwards compatibility which allowed an even more diverse game base. Just like the
PS1, the system was also loaded with amazing
IP’s for every genre you could think of. This allowed them to reach one of the broadest audiences of any system.
Also when compared to the other
6th generation systems, it shined. Many people shyed away from the original
Xbox because of frequent hardware problems and an extremely bulky controller. The
PS2’s hardware however were extremely durable and provided a
smaller controller which allowed for more children with smaller hands to play and less fatigue.
When you look at the pricing of the system compared to its successor, the
PS3, it was extremely inexpensive. The
PlayStation 3 offered the cheapest model at
$499 dollars, which was still
$200 more than the
PlayStation 2 released at. With the
XBox 360 being released at a cheaper selling point, while being released at the same time as the
PS3, many fans jumped ship and purchased a
360. With most games still being released on the
PS2, and ten dollars cheaper than seventh generation games, many stuck with the
PlayStation 2 version.
It has been a great thirteen year run for
Sony with this hit console, and although
September 24th 2013 will mark the end of any type of
PS2 product production, the joy in this system will never end. This is one of the systems that will stick around in bedrooms and living rooms for a very long time.