25th Anniversary of PlayStation 2

 

Back in the past in the year 2000, if anyone was born at that time or remembers, at that time there were rumors about the shutdown of computer systems worldwide on December 31, 1999, called Y2K and the story of the end of the world, which in the end did not happen. And in March, we saw a new game console from Sony, which was the PlayStation 2, which was previously released in various magazines to entice gamers all over the world who wanted to own this game console. So much so that there were people sleeping in front of game stores in various places to be among the first to queue up to reserve a PlayStation 2. And on March 4, 2000, it was the 25th anniversary of the release of the PlayStation 2. Let's go back in time to see this story and see what's interesting about it. Let's take a look together.

The PlayStation 2 has been rumored to be in the works since 1997, with Sony keeping the details of the PlayStation 2's development a secret. However, PlayStation Design Chief Ken Kutaragi said that he began working on the new console immediately after the PlayStation's launch in late 1994. During development, employees at Argonaut Games, who were under contract to semiconductor manufacturer LSI Corporation, were ordered to design a rendering chip for Sony's next-gen console. Then, in 1997, various media reported that a new PlayStation was in development, likely leaked by Argonaut Games, that the new console would be able to play original PlayStation games, play DVDs and connect to the Internet.

But at that time, Sony still denied that there was really no development of the next generation of the console. If they were lying, I hope the PlayStation 3 doesn't sell well (just kidding). Mr. Chris Deering, who was then the president of SCEE, said that the leaders of Sony at that time were concerned about the production of this console, whether it could be successful again or not. Because at that time, the second generation of game consoles or electrical appliances that came out did not sell as well as the first generation. Until Sony officially announced the launch of the PlayStation 2 on March 2, 1999, Sega rushed to release a new game console, the Dreamcast, on September 9 of that year. It can be said that first come first served to compete for the market.

Upon its release in early 2000, the PlayStation 2 received rave reviews. The media, particularly critics, praised the PlayStation 2's hardware and graphical capabilities, as well as its DVD playback capabilities and compatibility with the original PlayStation hardware. Some criticisms included the lack of online support at the time, the limited number of controller ports, and its price tag compared to the cheaper Dreamcast. In 2001, PC Magazine called the console "a real steal," citing its Emotion Engine CPU, 32 MB of RAM, IEEE 1394 support, and the console's two USB ports. However, it was also critical of the console's high price tag, saying that the games it sold for were "a bit overpriced."

It's been 25 years since the PlayStation 2 was with us. We believe that many people must have some good memories of this game because at that time there were many good games released such as Final Fantasy X or Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty and many other games that are in the memories of many people. If you still have a PlayStation 2, try opening it up. We believe that 100 out of 100 will still be able to turn it on and play it until now. Try going back and playing it. Who knows, old memories from before might come back again.