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What 40 games made our most sought after titles of '04? Find out!
GameSpy Grudge
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 A timely look at all the important events that ushered in the PS2 and have kept it alive and well. By Steven L. Kent | Feb. 18, 2004 In late 2002, when a number of reporters were asked about the success of PlayStation 2, one reporter commented, "Sony can do no wrong, even when Sony is very wrong." This pretty well summed up the early life of PlayStation 2, a console that will very likely go down in history as the most successful game console of all time.  Here she is, the PS2. And then there was the competition. Nintendo, the most veteran company in video-game hardware had GameCube. Microsoft, the richest company in the world, had Xbox. Both systems were more powerful than PlayStation 2. But compared to the things Sony did right, the glitches were minimal. Sony had a slick system with a sophisticated electronics feel. There was no mistaking PlayStation 2 for a toy -- this was a component for your home entertainment system. Sony helped mature the market with the original PlayStation, then took advantage of that matured market with PlayStation 2. "The PlayStation 2's first two milestones are easy to see -- the launch in Japan followed by the U.S. launch," says Michael Gartenberg, vice president and research director of Jupiter Research. "The launch boom was unbelievable in terms of market enthusiasm and the excitement that was generated by that launch initially." Advertisement
The biggest surprise, of course, would be Grand Theft Auto III. Not many people noticed GTA3 at E3, 2001. When it came to Rockstar Games, the big news seemed to be State of Emergency. Shortly after GTA3 hit retail, however, it became an industry-driving phenomenon. "The release of Grand Theft Auto III was a major coup for Sony," says Gartenberg. "That is the kind of software that sells systems. "The cool part about a hit-driven industry is that it doesn't matter if you plan for it ... it just matters if you had it. At E3, nobody was talking about GTA3, and at the next E3, every publisher was talking about how they had a title that was just like GTA3, but … and you fill in the word."  The PS2 is also a DVD player. Sony also emerged as a versatile game publisher in its own right after releasing PlayStation 2 and cemented its place as an industry leader by offering free online support with its moderately-priced Network Adaptor. "When Sony introduced the Network Adaptor online services, that sort of set the stage for the next generation," says Gartenberg. "I think people are going to look back and see that as a real milestone." Next: Unveiling the next PlayStation » Page: 1 2 3 4 5 |
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