Gadgetory

they say sequels are never as good but the PlayStation 2 proves that's just not the case place your brain in the nostalgia position as adventures in tech reminds you why Sony's second console was the most popular games machine ever by the turn of the millennium it was clear that a thousand years of human endeavor had been leading to just one thing Sony's sequel to the 1995 PlayStation console the first PlayStation had been a huge hit but dominating two consecutive console generations was unheard of Sony needed something special and in September 1999 that's exactly what it showed off the ps2 had style gone was the office equipment gray of the PlayStation 1 in favor of stealth bomber black this was a fashion conscious living room accessory right down to its swiveling logo while inside the emotion CPU built by Sony and Toshiba promised to provide gorgeous visuals that wasn't all the ps2 had to offer however apart from a new look and swanky new hardware Sony's machine had two secret weapons to help it win the console war firstly it was backwards compatible so the millions of PlayStation 1 owners could keep playing their old games that gave it an edge over the Gamecube an Xbox whose predecessors were the incompatible n64 and nothing respectively the ps2 could also play DVDs but as time when the format which was co-developed by Sony was just becoming popular it's hard to imagine anyone could have doubted the ps2 s powers but at the time its position as future gaming champion didn't feel quite so assured one concern was the lineup of launch games the excellent SSX and timesplitters would eventually prove to be winners but with Grand Theft Auto 3 still a year away early shoppers were understandably cautious about a smattering of sports titles or fireworks puzzler fanta vision meanwhile hardware shortages meant that only half of the planned 1 million consoles made it to the US in time for launch while international game has been moaned the comparatively high price of Sony's machine especially in the UK how much these things were obstacles for Sony but there was one thing beyond Hardware beyond games that bolstered the system's success the ps2 was really really cool Sony had a machine that could appeal to a more mature crowd and it pursued this idea relentless cooking up bizarre edgy promotion for the console including a series of unsettling ads from surrealist director David Lynch place savvy marketing made PlayStation part of millennial pop culture as essential as the matrix Napster all those Budweiser ads in October 2000 it all fell into place when Sony's cool console games and accessories raked in two hundred and fifty million dollars on launch day hits games followed as did quirky accessories and a slim version while rivals fell by the wayside the ps2 sold more than 150 million units before it was discontinued in January 2013 a phenomenal achievement but even if the ps4 or Xbox one somehow sells more nothing can outstrip the importance of the PlayStation 2 Sony's second console is more than just a great piece of tech it's a cultural artifact the machine that was at the forefront when gaming grew up and the medium began to entered the mainstream for services to video games PlayStation 2 we salute you what are your ps2 memories did you have a favorite game or did you prefer the GameCube or Xbox let me know and check back next time for another adventure in tech you