The PlayStation 2 – Past, Present and Future

There’s no denying it. Sony’s PlayStation 2 was the most successful console of all time. On March 3rd, 2000 the PS2 was released in Japan, and in just 48 hours nearly 1 million PS2s were sold to giddy consumers, making it 10 times more successful than its predecessor. As of June 2005 more than 90 million PS2s had shipped worldwide and by November the PS2 was the fastest game console to reach 100 million units shipped, accomplishing the feat within 5 years and 9 months from its launch (the PS1 taking over 9 years to reach the same benchmark). Last year the PS2 had ranked up 120 million units in sales, which is no mean feat. And it’s still selling strong. Last year the slim line model sold more than 100,000 units every month, and according to vgchartz.com the PS2 has sold an approximate average of 996,730 units a month since August. So what is Sony doing to exploit this steady demand? Not much, it would seem, when you consider the almost complete absence of the PlayStation 2 at GDC, E3, the German Games Convention and TGS.

It’s strange when you think about it, because 2007 – the seventh year for the system – went to show that you can’t keep a good system down. Sure, most of the press was focused on the PS3, but the PS2 sold consistently for months. Perhaps the longevity can be attributed to the high selling price of the PS3, something that is somewhat prohibitive to gamers that don’t have the funds for the system or a high definition television. Or maybe it was because that in 2007 the PS2 enjoyed another solid year of games from beginning to end.

Sony have always succeeded in maintaining momentum with a constant stream of enjoyable, rock-solid, and unfussy entertainment, with blockbuster games continually being released. Sports franchises such as Winning Eleven: Pro Evo Soccer, MLB ‘07: The Show and Rugby 08 shone on the system, while older series made a return to the PS2, including Tomb Raider: Anniversary, Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror and Burnout Dominator. It was also an incredible year for RPGs, with Odin Sphere, Persona 3 and Rogue Galaxy anchoring a deep list of enjoyable games. Furthermore, two Guitar Hero titles were released: Rocks the 80s and Legends of Rock, while Rock Band helped bring rock n’ roll into many a gamer’s home. Add to this GrimGrimoire, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core, Okami, God Hand, and, of course, the gripping God of War 2 and it⿿s obvious that the PS2 still has the grunt to establish an enticing level of play.

Conversely, 2007 also saw the PS2’s servers for MGS3: Subsistence shut down due to lack of interest (the developer’s wishing to focus their attention on the PSP⿿s MGS: Portable Ops) and THQ’s decision to kill its PS2 version of Destroy All Humans! Big Willy Unleashed. The effect Manhunt 2 has had, not only on the industry itself, but also on the PS2 could serve as a further warning for developers thinking about putting their games on the console.

It’s possible that the slew of fantastic games the PS2 saw last year were a swan song, a beautiful goodbye to the machine that gave us so many good times for the past many years. Although the PS2 has hardly outstayed its welcome (indeed, gamers still call for top-quality titles on it) it only makes good business sense for Sony to turn their full attention to the PS3, and utilise the PS2 only for those titles that bring in the most profit. Will Sony do the obvious and focus on nothing but the more lucrative franchises like Buzz! and SingStar? Well, as easy as it would be to say that this is the case, it’s not entirely true.

As far as Buzz! is concerned, the only release so far this year has been Buzz! The School’s Quiz in the UK. Future plans include Buzz! Junior: Dino Den, Buzz! Hollywood and Buzz! The Pop Quiz, but beyond this things get a little hazy. Indeed, the major continuations of the franchise are on the PSP and PS3, with little mention of another PS2 title.

Similarly SingStar is not taking as prevalent a position on the last-gen console as you might imagine. Having already made the transition to next-gen in PAL territories and set to follow in the US in May, only one PS2 SingStar is in development. Concerning the SCEE’s focus on the last-gen console SingStar’s associate producer had the following to say, “We’ll definitely have our hands full, as although we⿿ll be working on the PS3 side of things, we’re still very much focused on the PS2 side on SingStar, and have ambitious that we hope will make our PS2 fans very happy.” It’s an interesting statement, one which casts light on Sony’s plans for the console. The lacklustre treatment the PS3 SingStore has received up to now further compounds the possibility of more titles on the PS2, but there’s been no mention of any plans up to now.

So if we’re not to expect a future of re-hashes of the same franchise, what exactly are we to expect from the console in the coming months? The dawn of a new year brings with it the exciting prospect of new possibilities, especially as developers look to expand on their previous efforts with even more astonishing games. Nonetheless, one look at a PS2 release schedule shows it to be a little thin on the ground. Still, it is peppered with some interesting titles. Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 is to be an exclusive, players can look forward to new LEGO adventures with Indiana and Batman, over-the-top action in Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, and the availability of Yakuza 2. Games such as Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends indicate that big names like KOEI are still willing to give some thought to the system, and Alone in the Dark (to be developed alongside the current-gen version of the game) suggests that many developers aren’t ready to completely forgo the PS2 just yet.

Sting Entertainment’s Baroque, set for release on March 18th, sees the RPG originally developed on the Sega Saturn come to the PS2. It’s not the only Saturn game making the transition, NiGHTS into Dreams being a timely remake that won’t make it outside Japan. The PS2 is the logical choice for re-releasing such titles (XBLA and PSN aside), as it offers the install base to reach as large an audience as possible. It provides a fantastic market, something SNK have clearly picked up on with such titles planned as SNK Arcade Classics Vol 1, Fatal Fury Battle Archives Vol 2, and World Heroes Anthology. It’s a good game plan, and one you can expect to see repeated on the PS2 throughout 2008 by a plethora of developers.

Sports games have found a happy home on the PS2 for many years and 2008 looks to continue the trend. Sega Superstars Tennis, Asterix at the Olympic Games, Biathlon 2008, Major League Baseball 2K8 and MLB 08: The Show are all making an appearance on the console. Many are also available on the PS3, but their availability on the PS2 just goes to show Sony’s confidence in the genre on the last-gen platform.

Licensed games will also certainly find a market. 2008 will see Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Ghostbusters, Star Trek: Conquest, The Incredible Hulk and Jumper: Griffin’s Story hit the system. Movie tie-ins and other such licensed software are something we can expect to see plenty of on the PS2, at the very least until it stops making money.

Game bundles are also likely to be found in abundance, something that can already be seen with the planned Karaoke Revolutions Presents: American Idol Encore and the aforementioned SNK titles. The upcoming release of the Metal Gear Solid Essentials Collection only goes to support this theory. It’s probable that the PS2 will find a new role in publicising and building support for current-gen games, showcasing that which has come before. To anticipate God of War 3’s release the natural move would be to sell the game’s two predecessors in a collector⿿s edition package for the PS2 – a fantastic marketing ploy. Maybe something new is coming from Team Ico? An exclusive to PS2 collection containing Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, replete with additional artwork and makings-of would sell like hot cakes. Personally, I’m drooling at the mouth already. It’s not hard to imagine Sony finding an easy market here. The PS2 is perfect for such a venture, what with its huge install base and legions of fans eager to eat up any such offers.

And if we’re to expect re-releases and re-hashes of old games, it’s not a huge leap of the imagination to expect PSP ports in abundance, especially considering they⿿ve done this already with titles like Vice City Stories and Liberty City Stories. Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters is set for a March release and Silent Hill Origins and Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon are not far behind. SCEA have also recently announced the highly anticipated Twisted Metal: Head On: Extra Twisted Edition for the console. God of War: Chains of Olympus and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII – although not yet officially announced for the PS2 – will almost definitely be making an appearance on the console.

Still, these are all only possibilities, and the titles will know about for sure are gems in an otherwise throwaway selection of games. The release schedule is anaemic to say the least, fleshed out with such titles as Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure, RC Mini Chopper and Obscure: Aftermath. True, there have always been a plethora of terrible titles on the PS2, but their profusion is now magnified by the lack of true quality titles. Even the better-looking software can be found in a more attractive format on newer, more advanced technology. It doesn’t exactly paint a healthy picture for a system that relies heavily on its games. The lack of killer titles, combined with a somewhat fluid release list indicates that, although sales are reasonably high for now, these could truly be the last good days of the PS2.

Sony is staying relatively tight lipped on their plans for the console, but clearly have poised their attention firmly on the future of the PSP and PS3. The PS2 isn’t receiving nearly as many triple AAA titles as it did in 2007, and third party developers are going to start looking more and more towards the newer systems to publish their high profile titles. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Microsoft and Nintendo can put a stake though the PS2’s heart just yet, considering the system’s consistent sales and 110 million user strong install base, but it remains to be seen if the PS2 can stick it through to 2009. Even with a new model coming in 2008 it seems Sony is squeezing out the last drops rather than enticing a new generation of gamers to the console. The PS3’s slowly gathering momentum means sales may soon drop, as both developers and gamers alike begin to unlock the power of the PS3.

The PS2 is a console that redefined many things about the industry, and it’s hugely responsible for moulding it into the shape we know today. It will be hard to say goodbye, but one thing most gamers can probably agree on is that we’ve all had an astounding time during our adventures with the PS2.