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The PlayStation 2 Is Now 21 Years Old

The PlayStation 2 Is Now 21 Years Old

The highest-selling console ever changed the videogame industry, marked a cultural phenomenon and left a legacy

Anonymous

Anonymous

The PlayStation 2 was first released exactly 21 years ago - 4 March 2000.

First sold in Japan, it was the highest-selling, longest life-span console and it marked a cultural phenomenon still considered by some as the defining console of the sixth generation of gaming.

The sixth-generation era has seen great technological innovation. Games were made to use the internet and offer a complete online experience for the first time. No wonder some people are emotional about this console.

Final Fantasy X.
Sony

Following the Japanese release, the PS2 console was released in North America on 26 October. Europe's release followed in the next month.

With a catalogue of over 3,800 games, the PS2 is a classic that saw groundbreaking graphic design, sold millions of games and marked a generation.

Some franchises that made history are God of War, Devil May Cry, Guitar Hero and Kingdom Hearts.

But best-selling canons who revolutionized the industry like Final Fantasy X, Resident Evil 4 and Grand Theft Auto 3 are still going.

Need For Speed.
Sony

The very year of its launch (2000) did not have many big titles, but still saw a couple of arcade racers worthy mentioning like Need For Speed and Midnight Club.

Midnight Club only reached real success five years later (Midnight Club 3).

PlayStation 2 is a fundamental element in gaming history. Speaking to the BBC at the celebrations of the console's 20th anniversary last year, an engineering student and gamer Victoria Powell said: "It was my first ever console and introduced me to gaming."

PS2 helped popularize gaming by using elements of popular culture like singing and allowing you to compete against friends. Games writer Alex Wiltshire told the BBC: "It was home to games which elevated creativity and expanded the games market - like Singstar and Guitar Hero."

He continued: "It gave people who weren't self-identifying as gamers a chance to play things like karaoke and music games."

And added:"It had the best games - the kind that people were most excited about in that era.

"It was the dominating console for its time"

Sony may have stopped producing the console in 2018 but the PS2 legacy lives on.


Words by Cilene Tanaka

Featured Image Credit: GTA San Andreas/Sony