How is the PlayStation 2 doing after all these years?
When Sony argues, as it frequently does these days, that its video game consoles have a 10-year life cycle, critics often assume the company is just trying to make the point that its PlayStation 3 has many years left in which to become the dominant machine of the current generation.
The PlayStation 2 has been on the market for nearly nine years, proving there may well be truth to Sony's claim of a 10-year console life cycle.
(Credit: Sony Computer Entertainment of America)There may be some truth to that interpretation, but at the same time, Sony does indeed have a point, as evidenced by the continued strong performance of its PlayStation 2, a console it has sold more than 140 million units of since launching it in 2000.
Even now, the PS2 is still selling fairly well, moving 188,000 units in June, just 14.1 percent less than the 219,800 Xbox 360s Microsoft sold in the same period, according to industry analyst the NPD Group.
With all that in mind, the good folks over at IGN ran a recent story looking at the "state" of the PS2. And the general conclusion? The PS2 is doing just fine, thank you--even after all these years.
"For the time being, the PS2 doesn't seem to be left in the lurch and seems destined to actually live up to the much-vaunted '10-year life cycle' that Sony keeps talking about," IGN's Sam Bishop wrote. "Some developers like Atlus and Sega, are still supporting the system with new, exclusive games like Persona 4 and Yakuza 2, respectively. With no shortage of Guitar Heroes or Maddens, the system's library isn't nearly as bleak as one would assume for a console entering the full decade stretch."
The article goes on to make the case that the PS2 still offers a full spectrum of games in all categories, and that with the success of Nintendo's Wii, the PS2 is very well positioned as a more casual game machine.
"The bottom line is that the PS2 is hardly down and out," Bishop wrote. "It's a little surprising, really--even to us--that the library has this much steam. Chalk it up to plenty of familiarity with the hardware...,an absolutely epic install base that's still growing, and the fact that the PS2 is just plain awesome, and you can see why we're still staring down another monster end of the year."
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I can say that the ps2 was an amazing machine. But the reason it's lifecycle is truly 10 yrs isn't due to sony making an amazing machine, the xbox could've outlasted the ps2 but microsoft decided to make the 360 and make the 360 the new ps2. The ps2 has new games because developers see that the ps2 is easy to develop for and has a huge installer base.
The ps3 will not last 10 yrs because in 3-4 yrs down the road when the next gen comes out developers won't want to keep making games for the ps3 b/c it's not the biggest installation base. The ps3 is the best hardware but to be fair the xbox was the best in last-gen but xbox died almost 2 yrs ago now.
Basically, sony can't brag about the ps2 and say the ps3 will be the same because the environment is completely different. In last-gen they were always the leader, no question there, this time they are currently last. Maybe if sony stopped putting resources towards it's ps2 then we might be seeing more exclusive content coming to the ps3. Microsoft and Nintendo moved on and look where they are now (Nintendo moved on pre-maturely but the wii is the newest and greatest in gaming).
Now, I bought a ps3 new at launch and the hardware is magnificent, but I want some great games, the first game that I really wanted was Heavenly Sword; which was too short, next is LBP and FF13. Hopefully we'll be seeing some new stuff like something from team ICO to make me justify the ps3 and put it back at it's 10 yr outlook.
End of story is the ps2 was great, but the ps3 is anything but as of now, if they want 10 yrs they're going to have to finish the ps2 and but everything they can into ps3 before the lifecycle is 5 yrs.