Platform Momentum Continues Heading Into 2008 with the Release of More Than 160 Software Titles and a New, Limited Edition Hardware Model
Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today celebrates the seven-year anniversary of its PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. Since its release in North America on October 26, 2000, more than 120 million hardware units and more than a billion units of PlayStation 2 software have sold worldwide, making it the best-selling gaming platform ever released. While other game systems have vanished from the market, PlayStation 2 continues to exhibit strong momentum, a testament to the design and technology at the core of the product and demonstrating SCEA’s commitment to a 10-year product lifecycle.
“While today’s anniversary celebrates PlayStation 2’s past, we’re very excited for its future,” said Jack Tretton, President and Chief Executive Officer for SCEA. “We look forward to the platform’s continued growth and expect to sell approximately 12 million units worldwide by the end of March, leading us to anticipate that PlayStation 2’s lifecycle will exceed that of the original PlayStation. Never before has an in-home game system experienced this type of worldwide success on such a long-lasting scale.”
Since its inception, PlayStation 2 has had a tremendous impact on the industry, helping to establish the DVD format as well as giving gamers some of the most popular software titles in video game history, spanning all genres. Currently there are nearly 1,500 titles in PlayStation 2’s software library and this number will continue to grow with more than 160 new games expected in North America throughout the holidays and by the end of March 2008 including Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, High School Musical: Sing It, Madden NFL 08, Manhunt 2, NBA ’08, Rock Band, and Buzz™.
SCEA is also bringing a whole new look to PlayStation 2 this holiday with the release of a limited edition Ceramic White PlayStation 2 bundled with SingStar™ Pop and two high-quality USB microphones. The new PlayStation 2 bundle will be available in North America in early November for a suggested retail price of US $149.99/C$149.99 and features the same, ultra-sleek design and functions of the current PlayStation 2 including access to the large catalog of PlayStation 2 and PlayStation software titles as well as DVD and CD playback, digital surround sound, two memory card slots and an integrated Ethernet port for network gaming.