Why Did PS2 Sell So Well?
A few consoles were dominating impeccably late nineties, then came a production of Sony Electronics that turned the table. Yes, PS2, to which records were nothing but some numbers. The groundbreaking launch of PS2 declared its triumph right after it its release. It is the sixth generation game console that remained popular until the seventh generation. Even today, former PS2 players hold a soft corner for it. It is the best selling game console ever that has sold 155 million units worldwide. It competed with Sega’s Dreamcast, Gamecube, and Xbox and overthrew them all. We know about its popularity but today let’s dig out the core reasons behind its success. But, some of its games can support HD resolution through a PS2 to HDMI converter cable.
1- Strategic Marketing:
One of the biggest reasons why PS2 become a major success in the late nineties is its strategic branding. Sony did the marketing of PS2 before its release therefore, people were anxiously waiting to experience its advance features. Furthermore, the Playstation 1 had built a reputation of being a console for adults. However, Nintendo’s Gamecube was considered a game toy for kids. Sony strategically used its reputation to attract more adult customers towards upgrading their game consoles. Sega’s Dreamcast had remarkable features and said to be far ahead of its time. But due to lack of marketing, it fragmented against PS2. Concisely, PS2 did not gather success only because of its features, but branding too played a major role in its success.
2- Backward Compatibility:
Backward compatibility is a feature in a device, product, and system that sustains the status quo of its older systems for increasing adaptability. PS2 supported the backward compatibility with the original PlayStation. It was a well thought out step taken by Sony. Playstation one had some of the classic games which were playable on Playstation two. It made it easy for gamers to switch from Playstation one to two without compromising their favourite games. Its competitors did not have this feature, which gave it another edge over them. The Xbox was the first production of Microsoft, so it could not have this feature. And Nintendo’s Gamecube did not support this function.
3- Potential Hardware:
Not only the software of Playstation 2, but its hardware is also worth to talk about. PS2 had 32 MB of RRAM, 4 MB eDRAM, and its memory card had 8 Megabytes of capacity. While this may look ordinary today, it was an extraordinary feature at that time. While Playstation can itself support output resolution from 480i to480p.
4- Exclusive Games:
PS2 had some of the exclusive and high-quality games and game titles that became true classics. God of War, Devil may cry, Ratchet and Clank, Shadow of the colossus, and Ico become immensely loved among players. The exclusive game titles compelled the players to play them in a go. Although the exclusive games did not play a factor in its success helped in enhancing its popularity.
5- DVD Player:
In a time when consoles were able to provide CD-quality audio, PS2 curbed on DVD. The DVD was pretty expensive at that time, but PS2 giving the DVD feature gave it a top edge. Xbox also had a DVD player that made it distinct from Sega’s Dreamcast and Nintendo’s Gamecube.
6- Better design:
Though PS2 did not have a stylish and sleek body, it was a lot better than its competitors. Sixth generation consoles had an odd and boring design; some looked like real toys, and some were not attractive at all. But PS2 provided an overall better design.
Comments
Post a Comment