The Sony PlayStation 2 is widely considered to be the best selling video game console
in history. It was released at the turn of the century in 2000, and competed with the
Sega Dreamcast, Microsoft Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube in the sixth generation of console
gaming. The PlayStation 2 originally sold for $299 in the US, and had a very successful
launch. The console, combined with games and accessories, were able to make Sony $250 million
on just launch day, beating the Dreamcast’s launch day sales by about $150 million. In
fact, the console was so popular on launch day that it caused manufacturing delays, making
some people who didn't want to wait for new shipments turn to sites like eBay, where they
paid over $1,000 for a PS2 console. Taking a look at the console itself, we can see that
the PlayStation 2 can be set up in 2 different ways. There are 4 rubber feet on 2 different
areas of the system to allow for both horizontal and vertical placement. On the top of the
console (or the side if you have it standing up), we see the PlayStation 2 text with the
PS2 logo above it. Moving to the back, we have a power switch, power port, Digital Out
port, and an AV Multi-Out port. To the left of the ports, we have The PlayStation 2 Expansion
Bay, which was known as the BB Unit in Japan. This expansion bay was used for installing
add ons, such as the PlayStation 2 Network Adapter, to the system. The network adapter
added either a RJ45 port for dial-up internet, or an Ethernet port for broadband internet.
This adapter allowed players to connect to Sony’s Internet service for the Playstation
2, and play games that included online functionality. Unlike online services such as Xbox Live, Sony
does not charge any subscription fees for the PS2 online service, and server operation and management
is handled, not by Sony, but by the developer of the actual game. To this day, there are 80 titles that still work over the
PS2 network adapter. Sony also sold a hard drive for the PS2, which connected to the
same expansion bay. The hard drive was used by games to store data and to reduce loading
times from the game disc. The PS2 hard drive actually required the Network Adapter to function
and to receive power, so a fully set up hard drive and network adapter would end up looking
something like this. Taking a look at the front of the console, we see 2 memory card
slots, 2 controller slots, 2 USB ports, which were used to add accessories to the system,
and a S400 port. This port allowed for 2 PS2 systems to connect to each other to play local
games with more players. It was a much cheaper option than buying network adapters for both
systems. Moving to the right, we see the disc drive, as well as both power and eject buttons.
The PlayStation 2 was not only capable of playing PS2 and original PlayStation games,
but it also could be used as a DVD player, which was another major selling point of the
console. Taking a look at the controller for the PS2, we see that it shares a similar design
language to the original PlayStation controller. This time around however, the controller comes
in black instead of grey, and features the same 4 directional pad buttons, 4 action buttons,
2 analog sticks, start and select buttons, and 4 shoulder buttons. New to the PS2 controller
is an “Analog” button, which is used for disabling the analog sticks in certain games.
When turning on the console with a disc inserted, the console beings to load the game or movie
directly. However without a game disc inserted, the system boots to a menu. This menu contains
2 main options, a system browser for looking at memory card and disc files, and a configuration
for changing system settings such as the time, language, and display settings. The PlayStation
2 went under many revisions throughout its lifespan. Sony made revisions to the original
“fat” PS2, but most models were only available in Japan. Some of these changes included minor
hardware improvements and port changes, but some included special color options for different
regions. The first major design change came with the PS2 “slim” model. This model
was a whole lot smaller and thinner than the original PS2, and it even included a built
in ethernet port. Due to its slim design, the power supply is external, and the PlayStation
2 expansion bay is not present. Sony also made improvements to the PS2 Slim throughout
the duration of the console’s lifespan. These included better backwards compatibility
with PS1 games, internal hardware improvements, and a model even made the Slim smaller and
thinner than it already was. The PlayStation 2 has a special place in video game history.
Throughout its long lifespan, there were over 3,000 game titles released for the console,
selling 1.5 billion copies. GTA San Andreas, which was the most popular selling game on the system,
sold 27.5 million copies alone. Even with the PS3 introduced in 2006, Sony still
kept producing and improving the PlayStation 2, and developers kept making games for it.
Finally, on January 4, 2013, Sony officially announced that they would be discontinuing
production of the PS2, a whole 13 years after the PS2’s introduction. This is still,
to this day, one of the longest lasting production runs for a video game console. Even after
Sony’s announcement, some developers continued to make games for the console. The last game
to be released for the PS2 in North America was Pro Evolution Soccer 2014. While it may
have had some minor launch setbacks and a few production issues throughout the years,
the PlayStation 2 remains, to this day, the best selling, and one of the longest lasting
consoles in the history of video gaming. So, I want to hear your guy’s thoughts on the
PlayStation 2. Weather you had fond childhood memories of playing the console, or if you
just picked one up a few months ago, I’d love to hear what you guys have to say, and
as always, thank you so much for watching and I will see you all, in the next video.