PlayStation 2: How Sony’s crown jewel became the best-selling console of all time

On March 4, 2000, gamers queued outside shops to get their hands on the PlayStation 2, the latest console from Sony. Five years after the release of the first PlayStation, which won the console war against Nintendo, the company was ready for its next big innovative step.

During its 13-year lifespan, the PlayStation 2 sold more than 160 million units, which makes it the best-selling console of all time despite going out of production in January 2013. With more than 4,000 games produced for the system, The National looks back at the history of the PlayStation 2 to see what made it so popular.

Bringing in David Lynch

To promote its newest console – one that was different to its first in identity and character – Sony hired the auteur David Lynch to produce an advertisement. The choice, at least initially, might seem odd and mismatched. After all, what does Lynch, a filmmaker known for his surreal art, have to do with a gaming system?

For Sony, the PlayStation 2 was not only meant as its new machine but also the next evolution in gaming. Thanks to its first console success, becoming the dominant video game company in a competitive space was a huge achievement. This meant the PlayStation 2 not only needed to replicate that triumph but surpass it.

The collaboration resulted in a one-minute video that did not showcase the console. Instead, it is practically a short film made by Lynch that could have fit in with his oeuvre. But the objective evokes a feeling, one many would not have felt before. The message is simple – prepare to experience something new.

Titled Welcome to the Third Space, the commercial refers to a place, other than home and work, where people can interact socially – hence, a third place. With this surreal commercial, gaming was about to change forever.

Queues around the block

The system launched on March 4 in Japan, while gamers in North America had to wait until October and those in Europe had to wait until November. Most of the excitement for the PlayStation 2 came from advertisements on television and reports in magazines.

On release, a more succinct slogan was used in the market: "Live in Your World. Play in Ours". On the first day of its release in Japan, the PlayStation 2 made more than $250 million in sales of the console, games and accessories, setting a record that had been previously held by the Sega Dreamcast, which took in $97 million on the first day of its release in 1998.

After its release around the world, inventory would immediately run out, making it a difficult system to purchase in the first months. Manufacturing delays and high demand only fuelled the PlayStation 2’s reputation as a must-buy.

News reports from release day in Japan show excited masses crowding into video game shops, almost creating a stampede. In the US, however, a console reservation system was put in place to avoid such crowding.

Gaming’s reigning monarch

In what is known as the sixth-generation console war, PlayStation 2's only competitor was the Sega Dreamcast. Despite being released more than a year before its rival, the Dreamcast faced issues with the quality of its console, with many users returning it due to chip malfunction. Sega discontinued the Dreamcast in March 2001.

During this time, the PlayStation 2 was the only sixth-generation console on the market. The Nintendo GameCube and the Xbox would not be released until six months after the Dreamcast was discontinued. Despite the head start, a three-way competition was still on the cards, as Xbox released a more powerful system while Nintendo had more popular exclusives.

In 2004, Sony released a slimmer, cheaper version of the PlayStation 2. It could play all the same games without suffering for its size. By that point, the larger version had sold more than 70 million units worldwide.

Despite the competition, three factors ultimately helped Sony and the PlayStation 2 remain popular – even after the release of the PlayStation 3.

The PlayStation 2 had backwards capability, at the time a first in gaming, allowing players access to the first PlayStation’s library of games. It also had a built-in DVD player, which allowed gamers to play films without needing another dedicated device.

Finally, and perhaps more importantly, the PlayStation 2 was built very well, both in its hardware and software. It was sturdy and hefty, and the console’s advanced systems allowed developers to keep innovating and pushing the envelope of what is capable for a gaming machine.

PlayStation 2's legacy

Looking back more than two decades, the PlayStation 2 felt perfect in many ways. The system kept delivering incredible gaming experiences that felt continuously improved somehow. There are still places in the world that use the console – and not as a retro experience, but one that is reliable to play any of the classic titles in its library.

This includes games such as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Metal Gear Solid 3, Silent Hill 2, Pro Evolution Soccer, Gran Turismo 3 and God of War. While many of these are now available on newer consoles or through emulation, it will always be special to play them on the PlayStation 2.

The first PlayStation laid down great infrastructure for Sony's future as a gaming juggernaut, but it is the PlayStation 2 that is fondly remembered by several generations all these years later.