Playstation 2 Best-Selling Console
 

An interesting article over at Yahoo! on why the PS2 is currently the best-selling console: Price is Right for Playstation 2 - Video Game Feature - Yahoo! Video Games

I wonder how much of this is coming from people picking up a back-up console however? If Sony continues backwards compatibility from PS3>PS2 then I'd be good to go, but if they do indeed discontinue it, then I will be picking up one of the new slim PS2s as a back-up in case my current one dies at some point in the future. The PS2 has had an outrageously long life-span, really, considering how fast technology is changing nowadays. (Remember when you read that the upcoming SNES could portray 65,000 colors and that seemed like a graphics miracle? lol...)

I think PS2 is interesting because it was such a jump from the PS1, but the PS3 isn't such an incredible leap from it. Plus factor in the fact that PS2 had the motherlode of exclusive content through its' lifetime, while I can't think of 3 must-have exclusive PS3 games...

I'm probably going to be picking up a new PS2 in the near future, when mine finally dies (7 years though is impressive considering the abuse I put it through. The slimmer ones seem easier to mod as well.

I currently have two PS2 consoles, both the original style. I'd quite like to add a slimline to the collection. I want to continue playing PS2 games for a very long time. There are some amazing games out there.

And see, that is what I don't get. It is THE system. It has so many games...GOOD game mind you, yet Sony decides to eliminate the ps2 completely from its newer descendant. I find no logic there, other than the fact they're just trying to be cheap. Not only that, but they're cheating out many people who have followed Sony buy cutting out the ps2 entirely in it's new system. I'm sorry, I don't find it smart what they did with the ps3 [40 gig].

What were you expecting from the most successful console ever?
I would add "best console ever" too, but I don't feel like starting the stuff that comes with such arguments.

In any case, looks like the ps2 isn't ready to die... but, I don't expect another year (2009) of high sales.

The PS2 is highly unlikely to "die", the endless Singstars and Buzz titles will make sure of that (at least in Europe).

It is/was indeed a wonderful wonderful console that really shone in the games department, despite being a difficult one to make games for. Removing backwards compatibility entirely, or even considering making it through emulation was simply a very, very stupid move on Sony's part. It was further insult to start off with an inferior PS3 off the bat in Europe, not even giving a chance for early adaptors to enjoy hw backwards compatibility.

The lack of PS2 support isn't a reason not to buy a PS3, I have no need to play my old Xbox games on my 360 either. But it is a bit of a kick in the groin for people who have been faithful to Sony.

Okay, I misread the title. I thought you were saying that it is the best-selling console right now, but duh, I just got my PS2 used last summer, so it seems pretty obvious to say that an old console such as it is a bargain.

I've got my own theory. The PS2 is still selling pretty well at the moment. I dare say it's nowhere near the top spot, but the system and the games are still shifting units. Considering that it's an old system, it is probably a lot more profitable than the PS3. The costs have all been covered by now, except manufacturing.

I think that Sony don't want the PS3 to stem the tide of PS2 sales. I bet that when the PS2 really is dead and gone, there will be a PS3 with full hardware-based backwards compatibility for all territories. That won't happen until about a year after the very last PS2 software title is released though. It also won't happen as long as there's a new PS2 coming to market.

Hmm, well isnt the MGS4 Ps3, the 80 gig/emulated ps2 type of ps3?

Sure. I expect that we'll see something better than that eventually though. They could, if they so wished, put the EE+GS chipset back in the new model.

Yeah, poor Europe got a nasty treatment this time... but you guys got a freaking awesome Ico version while USA didn't. YOU DESERVE THIS KIND OF TREATMENT!

Seriously, I think the removal of the BC was/is a pretty nasty tactic made by Sony to keep the console god alive much longer, Not pretty.

Well, the removal of the emulation backwards compatibility itself was an alright move. It didn't work well enough, we got tons of complaints about games not working daily, people kept buying PS2 games with their new PS3 instead of PS3 games (most of which didn't work) and I imagine it was eating tons of resources. So yeah, the PS3 is now for people who want PS3 content, so that's ok. A kick in the groin, but better than a slow, shit and broken glass covered step on nuts.

Deciding to even attempt to do it on emulation was the bad idea :(

As I see it, you can buy a PS2 for £100 and they last for fucking ever and frankly, pretty much everyone has one already. I'd be surprised if anyone who was buying a PS3 and didn't have access to a PS2 would really miss it. Since I bought my 360 I've not even considered playing any of my original Xbox games so the fact that half of them wouldn't work is no biggie at all for me. Admittedly I own a lot more classic games for PS2 (And PS1) than Xbox but if I got a PS3 and wanted to play one, I'd just use my PS2. If removing the backwards compatability lowers hardware costs and improves performance then it's a good move.

Also, lolling at how in both GAME stores in Brighton the PS2 section is still twice the size of the entire Nintendo section.

My 60GB runs all my pretty games perfectly and even better than my old ps2 (Including Ico and SoTC = MWAHAHHAA). In other words, this is what you have to pay for the best Ico release ever!

Seriously, I share your opinion... emulation wasn't the best choice. If they wanted to make it work, they had to put a lot of resources (to fix compatibility issues) that could go in something like more content for the new son... at the end, they have an awkward situation with a half backed BC and a console that isn't doing that well.

Oh well, when the PS2 hits $100 (and the equivalent in euros) there is not going to be a good excuse to not have one at home.

The PS2 indeed is a very successful console. I'm not saying it's the best, but with the amount of games for this system, you can stock up on titles and not run out of games to play for years (like me). And you can even play your old PS1 games on it too! (sup Xenogears). I'm thinking of getting another PS2, but not anytime soon. Give it a year or two, and I'll get another PS2 as a backup.

I actually just picked up a PS2 (original model, I really wanted a Slim, but that was too expensive for me) from eBay for cheap for the sole purpose of going through the lot of gems I missed from Atlus. (Shin Megami Tensei, namely, but quite a few other games from NIS like Disgaea and other strategy RPGs.) I may pick up a Slim when it comes down in price. I really don't want to buy a "backup system" for $100+.

Why specifically do you need the slim?

If you're a terrible human being, you'll be glad to have the original as you can get a nifty little hard drive in there to pirate to your heart's content.

....or you could just get a slim chipped and burn games from the video store, the fact taht the slim loads about 10 times faster saves you any time that would be lost burning.