PlayStation 2 turns 10 years old
Oct. 26 marked the 10th anniversary of the birth of the 'next generation of consoles.' In 2000, the PlayStation 2 was released to the public. According to 1up.com, the PS2 still holds the record for the highest selling video game console with 145 million consoles sold.
I mention this because, in the world of video games today, the pioneer of the century’s hit consoles and games can be traced back to the PS2. Before 2000, most gamers played Game Boy, Nintendo 64 and PlayStation. Sure, loads of fun and great titles were released for each console, but people wanted something more. The 8-bit games and 3-D graphics at the time weren’t enough to satisfy players.
With the PS2, everything changed. The graphics were better, more features were added and many developers flourished by developing games for the PS2. When it was released, it sold for $299 and only had 26 titles available. Flash forward to now and the PS2 is still being sold (cheaper, of course) and games are still being released for the system.
The PS2 also signified the beginning of a rivalry between the two most well-known consoles. A year after the PS2's release, Xbox was revealed to the public and the console war as we know it began. Xbox was successful with its trademark franchise, “Halo.” Both consoles were evenly matched and hit franchises were made for each console.
With the PS3 and Xbox 360 ruling the gaming world, it’s hard to even remember all of these events. It has been an amazing ten years for the gaming industry. What was once a small and unnoticeable medium has become one of the most popular forms of entertainment today. The graphics, gameplay, creativity and innovation have all taken a giant leap forward. And there are more and more titles released every week. The industry has come a long way from its early developmental stages, but the 21st century is where gaming evolved into something much better, all thanks to the PlayStation 2.
