History of video games/Platforms/PlayStation 2
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An original PS2 -
A PS2 slim model
History
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Development
[edit | edit source]Sony first announced a successor console to the original PlayStation on March 2nd, 1999.[1] The announcement of the PlayStation 2 alone was enough to create a small boost to stock prices.[2]
Development kits for the PlayStation 2 were said to cost around $20,000.[3]
Launch
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The PlayStation 2 was released in Japan on March 4th, 2000.[4] An highly anticipated launch with consumers sleeping outside in line to buy the console in spite of police orders to disperse, between 1 and 2 million PlayStation 2 consoles were sold in Japan on the first day of sales.[5][6]
The PlayStation 2 saw release in the United States on October 26th, 2000.[7]
The Slim PlayStation 2 was released in September of 2004.[8][9]
In December 2010 a Sony Bravia KDL-22PX300 TV was shown, featuring an integrated PlayStation 2.[10]
Legacy
[edit | edit source]The PlayStation 2 was followed by the PlayStation 3. Early models of the PlayStation 3 retained backwards compatibility with the PlayStation 2, with later models slowly reducing support and later drooping this system entirely. The immense library of the PlayStation 2 was a major selling point during the early days of PlayStation 3 sales, however the high price of the PlayStation 3 lead many gamers to stick to their PlayStation 2 for some time after the launch of the PlayStation 3. This, coupled with the major prior popularity of the system, lead publishers to continue to produce major PlayStation 2 games long after the launch of the PlayStation 3.
The PlayStation 2 had strong market performance into the seventh generation of consoles.[11]
Manufacturing for the PlayStation 2 stopped in 2013, having sold 150 million consoles.[12] The console maintained enduring popularity past that point however. New unofficial hardware mods were being developed for the PlayStation 2 late as 2021.[13]
Unorthodox uses
[edit | edit source]A PlayStation 2 based rendering computer, the GScube, was made by Sony for production of movie CGI.[14]
Technology
[edit | edit source]Compute
[edit | edit source]The PlayStation 2 uses the 128 bit Emotion Engine processor clocked at 300 MHz.[15] The Emotion Engine includes the MIPS III architecutre CPU, two vector units, as well as DSP functions.[16][17] The Emotion Engine has ten floating point multiply accumulators that help it send approprite data to the graphics processor quickly.[18] The console's floating point unit co processor is capable of 6.2GFLOPS.[15][19]
The PlayStation 2 has 32 megabytes of RDRAM and 4 megabytes of VRAM.[15]
The PlayStation 2 had a dedicated IO processor in a MIPS R3000A processor, which was replaced by a PowerPC 405GP emulating the former on late release (~2007 and later) slim models.[20]
Hardware
[edit | edit source]The logo on the disk drive of the PlayStation 2 can be manually rotated for either a horizontal or vertical console orientation.[21]
Early models of the system lacked a remote control sensor.[22]
Early "Fat" PS2's had an expansion bay, using either IDE or PC Card format devices.[23]
Some smaller PS2 games were printed on CD-ROMs, rather then on DVD.[24]
Notable Games
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2000
[edit | edit source]Ring of Red
[edit | edit source]A turn strategy game set in a unique alternate history setting where Japan is divided after World War II following Operation Downfall,[25] instead of remaining a united country as it had in real life.
Read more about Ring of Red on Wikipedia.
2001
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Metal Gear Solid 2
[edit | edit source]This game is noted for it's deep postmodern themes, especially in relation to memetics and informatics in general.[26][27]
Read more about Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty on Wikipedia.
2002
[edit | edit source]- Kingdom Hearts
- Silent Hill 2
- Xenosaga Episode I
- Final Fantasy XI - MMORPG with cross platform play to Windows.
2003
[edit | edit source]- Drakengard - Action RPG
- Beyond Good & Evil - Action Adventure
- Disgaea: Hour of Darkness - Tactical RPG
- Final Fantasy X-2 - JRPG
- Neon Genesis Evangelion 2 - Action RPG
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Playstation at E3 2003. -
Gran Turismo 4 display at E3 2003.
2004
[edit | edit source]- Spider-Man 2
- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
- Katamari Damacy
- Xenosaga Episode II
- Killzone
- Phantom Brave
Michigan: Report from Hell
[edit | edit source]A unique survival horror game made by the Japanese studio Grasshopper Manufacture. The player takes the role of a cameraman on a news team as a mysterious invasion of monsters overtakes Chicagoland.
Read more about Michigan: Report from Hell on Wikipedia.
2005
[edit | edit source]Guitar Hero
[edit | edit source]The first Guitar Hero was a PS2 exclusive.
Read more about Guitar Hero on Wikipedia.
2006
[edit | edit source]God Hand
[edit | edit source]A cult classic in the beat em' up genre and the final game released by Clover Studio.
Read more about God Hand on Wikipedia.
Persona 3
[edit | edit source]Persona 3 notably revamped the formula for the Persona series.[28]
The game is known for it's artwork made by the Japanese artist Shigenori Soejima.[29]
Read more about Persona 3 on Wikipedia.
2008
[edit | edit source]Persona 4
[edit | edit source]Released late in the console's time on the market for a major title, Persona 4 proved to be an enduring Jungian JRPG. Set in the sleepy rural town of Inaba in Japan, this game is noted for its unorthodox plot revolving around investigating a series crimes which are connected to a rumored supernatural "Midnight Channel". Persona 4 featured a notably happier tone compared to it's predecessor.
Two major characters in the game sparked much interest and debate in the LGBTQ gamer community.[30][31]
Read more about Persona 4 on Wikipedia.
2013
[edit | edit source]Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 / PES2014
[edit | edit source]This late cross platform release was the last title officially developed for the PlayStation 2.[32] This Konami made game is a landmark release due to this fact.
Read more about Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 on Wikipedia.
Console Hardware
[edit | edit source]Original PS2
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Slim PS2
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Updated Slim PS2
[edit | edit source]An updated slim PS2 with integrated power supply.
Other Models
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The PSX, a rare DVR PS2 combination unit. -
A Test PS2 used by the publication Gamepro.
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Accessories
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DualShock 2 controller -
The PS2 Multitap -
Official PS2 Memory Card -
PS2 Eyetoy -
PS2 DVD Remote -
PS2 40GB Hard Drive -
PS2 Hard Drive and Network Adapter -
PS2 Network adapter (Modem & Broadband) -
PS2 Network adapter back
PS2 Linux Kit
[edit | edit source]The PS2 Linux kit was an official kit that cost $200.00,[33] including a 40 gigabyte hard drive, ethernet adapter, and keyboard.[34]
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A deployed official Linux for PlayStation 2 Kit -
Kit contents -
Kit contents
Internals
[edit | edit source]-
30001 Motherboard -
70001 Slim PS2 Motherboard top -
70001 Slim PS2 Motherboard bottom -
HD7 lens used by the PlayStation 2. -
A disassembled PlayStation 2.
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External Resources
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- Video Game Console Library - PlayStation 2 page.
References
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Parts of this page are based on materials from: Wikipedia: the free encyclopedia. |
- ↑ "GameSpy.com - Article". web.archive.org. 21 June 2006. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
- ↑ "Wall Street pulvérise son record historique" (in fr). Le Monde.fr. 7 March 1999. https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1999/03/07/wall-street-pulverise-son-record-historique_3565156_1819218.html.
- ↑ Kingman, Henry. "Indrema invites gamers to become game developers" (in en). ZDNet. https://www.zdnet.com/article/indrema-invites-gamers-to-become-game-developers/.
- ↑ "BBC News The Company File Sony's new weapon: Playstation 2". news.bbc.co.uk. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/445933.stm. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
- ↑ "En deux jours, un million de Japonais ont acheté la PlayStation 2" (in fr). Le Monde.fr. 7 March 2000. https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/2000/03/07/en-deux-jours-un-million-de-japonais-ont-achete-la-playstation-2_3684926_1819218.html.
- ↑ "Playstation2 mania upsets Japan's normal reserve" (in en). The Irish Times. https://www.irishtimes.com/business/playstation2-mania-upsets-japan-s-normal-reserve-1.252131.
- ↑ Marriott, Michel (26 October 2000). "PlayStation 2: Game Console as Trojan Horse (Published 2000)". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/26/technology/playstation-2-game-console-as-trojan-horse.html.
- ↑ Falcone, John. "Sony PlayStation 2 (slim form factor)". CNET. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ↑ "The Evolution of PlayStation Consoles". GameSpot. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ↑ Trenholm, Richard. "Sony Bravia KDL-22PX300 TV with PS2 built-in parties like it's 2000" (in en). CNET. https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/sony-bravia-kdl-22px300-tv-with-ps2-built-in-parties-like-its-2000/.
- ↑ "Surprise Winner in the Video-Game Console Wars" (in en). NPR.org. https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6858229.
- ↑ "PlayStation 2 manufacture ends after 12 years" (in en). the Guardian. 4 January 2013. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/jan/04/playstation-2-manufacture-ends-years. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
- ↑ "PS2 Gets Integrated HDMI". Hackaday. 18 February 2021. https://hackaday.com/2021/02/17/ps2-gets-integrated-hdmi/.
- ↑ "Sony Unveils the GScube". GameSpot. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-unveils-the-gscube/1100-2606952/.
- ↑ a b c "How PlayStation 2 Works". HowStuffWorks. 20 October 2000. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
- ↑ "Ars Technica: A Technical Overview of the Emotion Engine - Page 1 - (3/2000)". archive.arstechnica.com. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
- ↑ "Ars Technica: A Technical Overview of the Emotion Engine - Page 3 - (3/2000)". archive.arstechnica.com. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
- ↑ "Ars Technica: A Technical Overview of the Emotion Engine - Page 2 - (3/2000)". archive.arstechnica.com. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
- ↑ "THE WAR FOR America's thumbs -- (Rebuttal)". www.gamezero.com. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
- ↑ "PlayStation 2 input/output processor (IOP) modules". 14 July 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- ↑ "Did you know you could turn the PlayStation logo on the PS2?". Twitter. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ↑ Byrd, Sheloman (September 14, 2005). "Pimp My Console" (in en). Tom's Hardware. https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/pimp-console,1117.html.
- ↑ "Installing Linux on a PlayStation 2!". Retrieved 5 February 2022.
- ↑ "An American Tail: Fievel Goes to Video Game Hell" (in en). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--SXFB7m6mk.
- ↑ "Ring of Red: Wait, This Mech Was Made By Nazis?". TheGamer. 28 July 2020. https://www.thegamer.com/ring-of-red-srpg-ps2-obscure-gem/.
- ↑ Iovanovici, Zoran. "Analysis: What Metal Gear Solid 2 Teaches Us About The Information Age" (in en). www.gamasutra.com. https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/119999/Analysis_What_Metal_Gear_Solid_2_Teaches_Us_About_The_Information_Age.php.
- ↑ "Critical Close-up: Metal Gear Solid 2 - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
- ↑ "It's Always A Good Time To Play Persona 3" (in en-us). Kotaku. https://kotaku.com/its-always-a-good-time-to-play-persona-3-1846768802.
- ↑ "Persona! The Art Of Shigenori Soejima" (in en-us). Kotaku. https://kotaku.com/persona-the-art-of-shigenori-soejima-477580840.
- ↑ "How the Persona 4 Themes of Identity Fail Kanji and Naoto". PlayStation LifeStyle. 2019-04-16. https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2019/04/16/persona-4-themes-identity-crisis/.
- ↑ Xu, Samantha. "Opinion: Sexuality And Homophobia In Persona 4" (in en). www.gamasutra.com. https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/112965/Opinion_Sexuality_And_Homophobia_In_Persona_4.php.
- ↑ "Playing the last PlayStation 2 game ever made". VentureBeat. 2014-02-02. https://venturebeat.com/2014/02/02/playing-the-last-playstation-2-game/.
- ↑ "Linux for the Sony PlayStation 2: Dilemma or Dream System? Linux Journal". www.linuxjournal.com. https://www.linuxjournal.com/article/5792.
- ↑ "Linux: Xbox Got More Than Game" (in en-us). Wired. https://www.wired.com/2002/07/linux-xbox-got-more-than-game/. Retrieved 29 October 2020.