The PlayStation 2 or PS2 was
the successor of Sony’s ever nostalgic PlayStation One, being the console so
many of us remember fondly. From the graphics and the aesthetics of the console
itself to the amazing franchises released on the platform, they all made the
PS2 a winner in so many people’s books. However, after the mind blowing success
of the PS1 the gaming world was, at least to begin with, both excited and
sceptical about the release of the PS2. Sony knew this was the case and put a
lot of work into making sure the PS2 matched up and actually surpassed the PS1 in terms of support and the gaming
experience. The PlayStation was such a huge success in fact that, after its
release in 2000, in Japan alone it sold over 1 million units. Here we’re going
to look at 5 fun facts about the PS2!
The PS2’s last game was
released in 2013
The PS2 over its lifetime had
3,874 titles and sold 1.5 billion copies. The last games to be made for the PS2
reached way into the life of its successor, the PS3. Fifa 2014 was the last game to be made for the PS2 in
the US on 24th September
2013 but Pro
Evolution Soccer 2014 was
officially the last ever game for the PS2 being released later in the same
year. Grand
Theft Auto San Andreas was and
still is one of the best games I and so many others have ever played and was
also the best-selling game for the platform with over 17 million copies being
sold.
The towers during startup
actually had a purpose!
Anyone who has ever owned this
console remembers them for many things but the random white towers shooting up
and down during the loading screen is something that springs to my mind first.
This screen, although appearing completely random, had a secret purpose. The
towers represented saved game data, so the more towers appearing on the screen,
the more saved data you had. Try it, if you still own one, turn it on with the
memory card in and count how many towers you have then restart the console with
the memory card removed, the towers would have disappeared. This didn’t really
have any well-known purpose apart from being a great way of knowing if the
saved data was being detected or not when troubleshooting.
A man legally changed his name
to PS2
Now I know we all do some crazy
things when we find something we love deeply but have you ever thought of
changing your name to your favorite piece of technology? No? Why not? Because
it’s crazy that’s why! In 2002, a British man named Dan Holmes loved his PS2 so
much he legally changed his name to Mr PlayStation 2. Dan (Mr Playstation) said
he would take the console on holiday with him and had already spent over £7000
on games alone so who knows how much he’s spent by now! Dan even asked the
church to marry him and his console. That’s what we call a diehard fan!
The shape of the PS2 wasn’t
Sony’s brainchild!
The actual console itself, with
its box-like shape and perpendicular lines across the body, was based on a
computer from 1993. The Atari Falcon Microbox 030/040 was the final computer
released by Atari and quickly became a massive flop. PlayStation – 8 years
later – for whatever reason, decided they loved the design and when the 2 are
placed side by side the similarities are uncanny, from the perpendicular lines
to the smaller and larger connected rectangles making up the overall design.
The PS2 allowed the customer to have the console either led down or upright
with the help of a blue triangle stand that the device simply slotted into,
this was exactly the same as that of the Falcon just in a different color. Sony
even mentions Atari in their patent for the PS2.
The PS2 wasn’t just a console
it was also a Linux computer
The PS2 had many quirky add-ons
throughout its lifetime, the eye toy being one of them. This was the first real
motion based gaming experience, allowing users to play games without a
controller. The PS2 most impressively had an optional kit to convert it into a
Linux computer. The kit cost around $200 and included a Linux distribution on
DVD, documentation, an Ethernet adapter, a USB mouse and keyboard, a hard drive
and a computer monitor cable. This allowed users to develop their own games
without the need for expensive developing licenses from Sony. Obviously they
didn’t have full access to the developer suite but for many it gave them the
chance to develop games on a major gaming platform. Sony kept this product
quiet as they didn’t want to confuse their customers or give them the
impression that they wanted the PS2 to be used more as a computer than a
console.
So there we have it, as we all
know the PS2 was an immense machine, surpassing sale expectations and holding
the number one game console top spot for a long time. There are so many more
astounding facts for example, ManHunt 2, a game for this
console, was banned in the UK and watered down prior to sale everywhere else.
Whatever your opinion, or wherever your gaming affiliations lie, you have to
admire the success and sheer gaming experience of the PS2, it truly was great.
Even with the PS4 sat on the shelf in front of me right
now with its superior graphics, amazing online capabilities and plethora of
potential, I would love to have a PS2 sat there and a copy of San
Andreas ready to
play!
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