The PlayStation 2 chronicles, redefine modern consoles | A PlayStation 2 Documentary

In late '94, after a completely wild development journey, Sony releases the PlayStation in Japan, followed by launches in the United States and Europe a year later. Despite a rocky start, the console gains traction, benefiting from an extensive promotional campaign, the piracy rampant and, more importantly, Sega's numerous missteps with the Saturn and the lack of games on the Nintendo 64. Gradually, the PlayStation establishes itself, eventually dominating the market and overshadowing the competition, thanks to omnipresent third-party publishers and a continuous stream of game releases.
However, after this resounding success, Sony faces an even more challenging task than conquering the video game market-doing it a second time in the most competitive context in history. Sega gains ground with the Dreamcast, Nintendo continues its streak of legendary games that revolutionized the industry on its previous console, and a new player enters the scene: Microsoft, with its highly anticipated and promising new console. This marks the epic journey of the wildest console in history, the one that completely redefined the standards of a gaming console, this is the story of the PlayStation 2.
Made by Sakharu, voiced over by Brad Ziffer.
To better understand the architecture of the PlayStation 2 and the source of some diagrams used in this video : www.copetti.org/writings/cons...
00:00:00 • Introduction
00:01:16 • The console that doesn't exist
00:19:21 • A breath taking revelation
00:34:01 • A bright and revolutionary idea
00:50:21 • Racing against time
01:05:21 • Above the fray
01:19:36 • The console that refuses to die
Music used :
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[@sakharubaguette]

I sincerely hope you enjoy this video, I loved working on it ! Sorry that my English is not perfect, it's not my native language. Made by Sakharu, voiced over by Brad Ziffer.

[@EvaFull]

Making a great team so far. I was so impressed with your previous two uploads that I instantly subscribed even though those were the only two videos at that time. Keep up the amazing work. Very well researched & documented compared to most out there. Especially with the “Rare/Lost Media” clips you are currently using in your videos.

[@mandisc]

Genuinely excellent documentary. Your research is clearly very thorough and you present the information in a balanced format. I watched since your N64 video and look forward to more. Thanks for your efforts

[@mbe102]

This is fantastic. There is tons I had no clue about! Can't wait to see more of your work!!!!

[@DogDad79]

This was excellent. I'll be here for every video.

[@cubefreak123]

Couldn’t even tell English wasn’t your first language, honestly. This was a great watch and I really look forward to your future documentaries.

[@jameslarryaaaaaaaaaaaqasaa1233]

How many people still have a ps2 at home? Me🖐

[@kilerdd]

Me to😅

[@Milkiy-Hazard]

and still in use

[@MiBrCo4177]

Me three. Found an old Sony Trinitron 24in too to use it on. Couldn't be happier!! Love the damn system.

[@jameslarryaaaaaaaaaaaqasaa1233]

@MiBrCo4177 alot of fun memories.

[@Sneif7]

Def me, too! 😊

[@mr.electronx9036]

The DVD function was the main selling point for most buyers. Here in Europe, DVD players were expensive. I remember how my dad bought a DVD playerr from JVC for 1200 euro. Year later i bought my PS2 for 600 euro... He was blown away...and i needed to buy second controller for him. This is how i got my dad to gaming lol sry 4 my english

[@MegaDrainProductions]

Same deal for the ps3. Even though the ps3 was very expensive at launch, it was still the cheapest blu ray player on the market with Sony's first dedicated blu ray player being $1000.

[@jase276]

The same is true for me even now, I use my ps4 and even ps5 more for watching movies than playing games, lol. Even though I'm a bit dissatisfied with the PS5, it's very useful for playing CDs, DVDs, and blurays

[@NintenDub]

​@@jase276wasn't CD.functionality stripped from the ps5?

[@NintenDub]

​@@jase276yea. It doesn't do CDs. Your cappin

[@minmogrovingstrongandhealthy]

Not really just the DVD but also that the PS2 was backwards compatible with PS1 and was mod chiped almost from day one unlocking it to be able to play thousands of formats and emulations. PS2 was my 1st PC and PS2 ran all the old games, home or arcade same thing. It was our dream machine and still to this day is. PS3 certain models come close but not as much, since that was the gen where dlc, online locking and microtransactions so as backwards tech downgrades creeped in. PS2 was the 1st actual gaming bloom and last gen where we actually bought games that we owned and plug n played. The later generations ruined everything. So whatever said in the video like "people complained about not enough games for PS2" is completely false and stupid because if you go to what I said 1st, why the F would we complain when we could play millions of games on one system in the 1st years alone ... They are games, it didn't matter if it's old or new THEY WERE PLAYABLE GAMES AND WE PLAYED THEM !!! It wasn't like today where expectations are astronomical, back then you were happy if you could play ANYTHING because gaming before PS2 was insanely expensive and hard to come by. PS2 made major changes on that and basically created gamers. So who "complained" IF those people even existed at all that joke is on them ... we actually had tons what to play and later years released gems on PS2. Also it is true about PS2 that they were used in LAN as server processing units. For example I seen it with my own eyes because in the army I was tasked with server maintainance in some bases and hospitals, sure enough we had few server hives running PS2s with Linux running custom programs. Even in 2010s this was still a thing. It was because it was cheaper and more reliable then a PC or any console out there. Later there were same things with PS3. So someone didn't made it up as a joke instead it was an actual thing. Also just to clear it up I am from Europe and been all over the globe and seen plenty of "weirdness" thank you very much ...

[@NeoKokoro20]

The PS2 is near and dear to me, because this was the console that changed how I play video games forever. It made video games one of my main past times, whereas before the PS2, gaming was more of something I just did on the side. Out of the first four Sony consoles, it's the one I'm willing to go back to the most.

[@Yeen666]

I was looking for a PS2 documentary yesterday and today my prayers were answered

[@SaigonBrit]

Why is he speaking in the present simple tense?

[@gustavson1985]

Cookies

[@Yeshua_is-Cool]

God is great like that

[@cvnavalew3]

I was 6 when I got my PS2 on Christmas 2001. My first game was Batman Vengeance, which is still criminally underrated to this day. Jak & Daxter and Kingdom Hearts kept me entertained for the next 10+ years. What a console

[@Wearywastrel]

My first ps2 game was Summoner, I don't think I ever beat the game, but I remember falling asleep with a controller in my hand for months after getting it.

[@mistabrown830]

I find it interesting that ps2 was dominant during its generation that it pretty much shaped the 7th generation into being the most competitive generation in console history.

[@doriftuh7331]

The ps2 is the the goku of consoles its unbeatable.

[@BlueEyedVibeChecker]

It definitely had plot armour on its side lmao. The amount of slip ups the others made was uncanny.

[@WizzleMan92]

The amount of effort with content from the 90s-2000s and the learning ability man this is a good underrated channel.

[@wikedvw]

E3 2001 was unbelievable. Such good times. And the Sony party was epic. 🍾

[@Punisher6791]

Still the best selling console of all time at 155 million units sold. Rip to the guy who jumped off a building because he didn't get a PS2... He'd be alive today to get a PS5.

[@bartsimpson83]

I bought my PS2 from Gamestop when they were getting rid of them and dumping all the games in bargain bins for five bucks or less apiece. I got a lot of the ones on my want list disc only for next to nothing and I was glad to get it. Hail Gamestop!

[@Portuguese-linguica]

Bought mine new after it had been out for a year . I bought metal gear solid 2 on the PS2 at its launch day . Two years later I sold it all to make ends meat with a new born and my wife . 20 years later I'm still married to the same lady and my daughter still loves me. Still wish I had that PS2 and metal gear solid.

[@sportsfan1496]

@@Portuguese-linguicawell now that's you're all settled. Do yourself a favor and buy a PS2

[@castorchua]

@@Portuguese-linguica Never too late to sell the wife and kid

[@gustavson1985]

PS2 had TTT and RR5 on launch. That was more than enough. People actually purchased console for one of those two games, mostly Tekken.

[@brunoutechkaheeros1182]

and now i will buy PS5 Pro because of GTA 6 😂😂

[@HollowRick]

Yup I had Tekken tag tournament and TimeSplitters

[@digerati808]

I got a PS2 on launch day in the US. I was going to wait until the second wave came through but I needed a DVD player. That was the immediate selling point for me.

[@twentysixhundred7813]

I was a young adult working hard, paying bills only a couple years out of my parents house. When the PS2 launched in Australia i had to wait 12 months till i had the money to buy it. But the system was a no brainer and a great time first firing it up. GTA3 was mindblowing and later Vice City. Then games such as Gran Turismo 4, Medal of Honor Frontline and Testdrive Unlimited kept me excited till the PS3 came along.

[@ThunderTHR]

I got recommended this, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Its crazy to think just how much the PlayStation 2 really had luck on its side, with the competition just not knowing how to captailize or deliver the same experience that Sony was giving, despite its own faults. It could've been a different story had Nintendo, Microsoft, or even Sega fully got behind properly on utilizing their machines as a DVD player similar to what Sony did. The library of games it had is not just astoundingly large, but full of perhaps some of the greatest titles that gaming has ever seen, even to this day. Any genre, and you've got just about a plethora of choices to choose from, that could leave you playing for days on end, even if you purposefully binged through it. I'm surprised there wasn't as much conversation about the "Disc Read Error" lawsuit, and how late it came into the video. I remember this being quite a notorious problem with PlayStation 2s for some time, ESPECIALLY with the North American/European launch units. It probably doesn't help that such an issue would get overshadowed come the following generation with Xbox and the infamous 'Red Ring of Death' plague with the Xbox 360 (and even Sony themselves to an extent with the 'Yellow Light of Death' on early PS3 models) becoming such a massive phenomenon due to how frequent it occurred. (I should know, I happened to be amongst many of those unfortunate users at the time.) But yes, definitely will have to watch your future videos, this was very well done!

[@golimonkey]

As a kid, when I heard that you can play Vice city on new PS2 it was immediately the best thing in the world for me. (I tried Vice City one time before and loved it to death) Few years later I would get San Andreas for birthday even though I didn't have the PS2 :(. Few long months later my mom bought me my dear ps2 and it was really amazing and still is.

[@princegroove]

PS2 is still the GOAT two decades later. ☝🏻

[@Yeshua_is-Cool]

Yeah it is it's nuts I still boot it up and play final fantasy 10 metal gear and so forth

[@princegroove]

@@Yeshua_is-Cool Same. I own an original fat model that still works perfectly. I also own several black, silver, and white slim models.

[@saiyanraoh5109]

The greatest system of all time and STILL the all time best selling console. I love the system so much that every device I own that is able has a PlayStation 2 emulator on it. Going retro to me is firing up a random PS2 game. Today's Sony is unrecognizable to me.

[@WhatIsMatter101]

Its not gonna hold that best selling console record for long.

[@EvelineE-001]

​@WhatIsMatter101 how so? Explain

[@Gamevet]

@@EvelineE-001 The Nintendo Switch is about to outsell it.

[@EvelineE-001]

@Gamevet and so? Why is it a big deal? Congrats to Nintendo if they do but I feel it's going to be just by a little

[@Gamevet]

@@EvelineE-001 The same reason it was important for the PS2. There's a lot of sofware on both consoles. And either Nintendo is trying to convince gamers that the successor to the console isn't coming out this year, to keep the sales flowing until that date. It's like any month now it will have sold the most units out of any game system.

[@MrSamPhoenix]

I love this PS2 documentary. I remember buying my PlayStation 2 when I was a young adult (22 years old) back in 2004. By then I wasn’t as much into gaming as I was back in my teens. But man was it nice to have the 2nd-Gen PlayStation. As I used to play certain games I really enjoyed with friends (Soul Calibur 2, Tekeen 4, and others)

[@tomhiggins9743]

The PS2 has so many great games inc Devil may cry, Resiednt Evil, Metal Gear 2, Jak and Daxter, Gran Turismo, Wipeout and many more. I didn't know that Sony relied so much on the Dvd selling ability at first. Many thanks for your video as its fascinating to see how Sony, Nintendo, Sega and Microsoft worked throughout this time and how successful the PS2 truly is. Marvelous and thanks 🎮😄

[@EvaFull]

….Aka “The Story of How the DVD & DVD Players Went Mainstream”.

[@anthonycarlisle6184]

Yupyup 👍 That's the real reason ps2 took off. "Should I get a ps2 for like 400 bucks or a dvd player for 700 bucks?" Hmm🤔

[@NintenDub]

​@@anthonycarlisle6184that's just not the case. The DVD was a bonus. It didn't have to do with it taking off though.a few years in, and it was a great feature for those who would barely play games who didn't even know it was a DVD player. The whole DVD angle is an important feature but it's over emphasized as to why the PS2 was a success

[@anthonycarlisle6184]

...I mean that's the reason I got one then, when they first came out, and I don't think I'm alone in that 😁

[@SWOTHDRA]

Yup

[@MaidenHell1977]

This was joy to watch every minute of. Having actually lived through all this there are a lot memories that resurfaced as result of all this amazing detailed information. The PS2 is is my second favourite console after the SNES. I dropped an absurd amount of money for a Gran Turismo 3 bundle which I still own to this day, box and all. I have since then collected a few more consoles, mostly revisions of the model 1 system plus a Korean market system which is region free with Japanese games. We all knew it was the system to get despite how amazing the Dreamcast and Gamecube were. We were all waiting for Metal Gear Solid 2 and Final Fantasy X so launch games did not matter in the meantime. Vice City is still my favourite GTA game. My favourite ad from the launch was the North American advert showing the PS9, but until then, please welcome the PS2.

[@GTSN38]

I love the ps2 but I've noticed they don't work good after about 6 or 7 years. I think sony purposely made them break down.

[@SomeAngryGuy1997]

​@@GTSN38 You mean the laser?

[@Understeerking]

The PS2 is my favorite system by far. I will always have one.

[@jeremiahwindsor6114]

Oh joy another 90+ min video! I love your content, so well-researched and presented.

[@jay5286]

N64 had great games.. and I love ps2 and never played og xbox but looking back it was way more ahead of its time with built-in hard drive and ethernet and its online play.... but I was all about ps2 lol and then 360

[@hanzobi1926]

I still have my JP Launch 10000 series from back in 2000 with the utility disc 1.0 that had the bug/glitch in the DVD driver (that you saved to the memory card using the disc) and was not any specific peripheral used, which was mentioned in the video, as you only needed the Utility Disc 1.0 that shipped with early Japanese Launch units. It allowed only NTSC video region coded DVD playback (not true region free, as it could not play PAL region 2) but it was later patched in 1.1 and eventually part of the internal code on the US and PAL units.

[@theclassicgamer20]

Sega should have made the Dreamcast a bit stronger and included dvd player even if it needed a add on like the Xbox did

[@eponymous7910]

Completely unfeasible, it launched in 1998 and Sega weren't able to absorb the financial loss on hardware compared to a behemoth like Sony. DVD tech in 1998 was in its infancy and extremely expensive

[@coffeebean_tamer]

Sega was targeting the Arcade experience at home but a cheaper option for those who couldn't afford the Neo Geo.

[@raggersragnarsson6255]

That era of games and gaming was top tier. I prefer it to this day. No messing around. Just play the game without any hassle.

[@SWOTHDRA]

Without a hassle? Memory cards? No wireless controllers?

[@Epic_C]

The PS2 and GameCube were probably the best systems with the best games. Everything went downhill after consoles started connecting to the internet, at least with the quality of games and gameplay. There were quirks still with this generation, but the quality was peaked.

[@CassandraPantaristi]

In my opinion, the 7th generation still had a lot of great games. To me, consoles didn't start going downhill until the mid 2010s.

[@floppytwist]

I strongly disagree. While consoles did converge to PCs and became quite similar, the fidelity of games finally reached a state that is visually acceptable. Games like Death Stranding, Elden Ring, It takes two prove that there is more to games than just figuring out early 3D control schemes. While some games stood out during the PS2 era, I am amazed that nowadays, I can barely keep track with new releases that I want to add to my journey. I just hate the market now - life service games and Nintendo suing private people just to keep their aged system alive.

[@CassandraPantaristi]

@@floppytwist Games today look phenomenal, but a lot of games today are lacking in replayability/engaging gameplay.

[@anthonycarlisle6184]

Yeah, game's today visually can not get better looking, just tweaked for the IP. Issues I have is character moment really hasnt changed much since zelda64. Rockstar tried to switch it up but it just feels like I'm steering a boat down the river

[@legendofswords]

More of the issue with this generation is to do with over monetization and issues with quality assurance with bugs and day one patches. There are definitely some gems of games that have come out you just need to refine your tastes in what you like in games. most Zelda fans are still happy with the current saga. Turn based rpgs are seeing a resurgence.

[@dudefromtheearth]

Thank you so Sakaru for this fantastic documentary that's hard to match versus other ones that I seen between the PS1 and PS2! I really appreciate what you did putting this documentary together about the PS2 that is the most in depth one I have seen to date. I never heard about all that you highlighted about the PS1 and PS2 before seeing this and you definitely just got another subscriber!

[@SamuelCarrier]

These documentaries are the most complete and interesting on the subject I saw on KZbin. You deserve way more subs. Keep it up!

[@Mastakilla91]

Thank you for this rollercoaster back into the times of the biggest console wars. I enjoyed every second!

[@ianbrouwer3937]

Great video, I have been struggling to get a full understanding of the basics until this video. Thanks so much!

[@NickTaylor-Phantom-Works2]

Fantastic content mate. It's rare for me to watch an entire upload of this length, but it was so well done, I didn't even realise I was near the end until you started talking about ps3!!

[@gershonvillamor4490]

I didn't know this side of early PS1 and PS2 having rocky starts I thought these are sold like hot cakes since from the very start, thanks for this documentary.

[@MaxAbramson3]

I was one of the few people who believed that the playstation would be as big a success before it came out. I had been a SEGA kid and that company seemed to be self imploding.

[@Clusters3rdStrikeArc]

​@@MaxAbramson3Lol, yeah, looking back they were starting to seem desperate/irrelevant, sadly. And yeah, at the time what might happen it was up in the air, there was a couple or three other consoles on the horizon at the time.

[@otogiokami]

They did. This isn't the most accurate ps2 doc out there. I was there. It doesn't even mention games that looked mind blowing and above anything available at the time like tekken tag tournament and the bouncer. Also, some dates and events are weirdly inaccurate in the order they happened.

[@jamesstrength21]

Oh yeah, I had a friend that worked there on the PS2 and he'd come home and run to the bathroom screaming "this consoles going to fail!!!" "My life is ruined!!" Every day until he passed out from screaming on the cold tile floor. I'd wake him up and he'd scream " please end this nightmare for me..." I'd just laugh and help him get ready for work. It was a little dicey here and there but sure enough...few months later, they released it and it was a huge success!

[@MaxAbramson3]

@@jamesstrength21 I've been right about pretty much every console ever... except PS2. There were so many s***y FMV games and crap graphics. Those first 6 months really made me question SONY.

[@fixorbricks]

Incredible! It was fun going down memory lane. But also kind of a bummer. I remember how much I LOVED my Dreamcast and how blown away I was by everything about it. It was just so cool in that Sega way. I think that’s how I felt about the PlayStation 1 when I got it. I was mesmerized by Twisted Metal 1. Great doc, can’t wait to see the next one!

[@nixsteps9678]

Your video is one of the best console documentary that I’ve watched. Please keep creating content. Love the passion and effort that you’ve poured into your videos.

[@kuby64]

The PlayStation 2 was the console of my childhood. Yet, I still have the silver slim model from years ago. Those are great times.

[@WusijiDoctor]

this is probably the best video game documentary ive ever watched. great job man

[@StarsAndSticks]

You're doing a great job, brother. I especially love the old throwback video footage, advertisements, and magazine images.

[@blackwolf616]

This is for sure my new favorite channel, please do continue, this is high quality stuff

[@calvin6715]

I remember working on an electronics department and everyone returning their third-party memory cards. I didn't know what went wrong until weeks later.

[@harrywright2408]

I bought my ps2 with my first wage from my apprenticeship ❤ I loved that system. I recently bought another one from the charity shop for £2. Can’t wait to build my library up again

[@htreutel]

Was MGS2 really not touted as a pS2 exclusive? I swear it was. The Xbox port was almost a surprise afterthought that came out a year later.

[@earlusmcdivett]

Another AMAZING retrospective! I absolutely love your videos! Thank you for doing them for us!

[@drew8235]

Love the PS2. Got one as a kid, probs middle school at some point, and it was a mind-blowing upgrade to the PS1. Played sooooo much GTA 3, Vice City, Onimusha, Final Fantasy 11, but my main game was Everquest Online Adventures. Was so important to be able to play an MMO on a home console, and I'm very thankful that I got to be a part of that.

[@Zafarnama111]

Thank you for taking me down memory lane to probably my favourite console generation. I still remember the day I got my PS2 on launch day. I look forward to your future content. Great work 👏

[@ObliqueVisualsNz]

This channel deserves a lot more subs. Narration is A+++ sounds like advertisement level. Easy sub

[@Shannon-ul5re]

Fantastic video, you brought back some amazing memories of the time. I purchased the Dreamcast on day one release here in Australia! It was incredible midnight release with hundreds of people lining up. I did get a PlayStation 2 at launch but I was so disappointed by it, I took it back within the first week and picked up the VGA adapter for the Dreamcast. That definitely destroyed my pc at the time.

[@HollowRick]

I remember my cousin's boyfriend at the time got a dreamcast at launch then later a ps2 and I remember he thought his ps2 was busted as he was using RGB scart for both systems and the ps2 looked so blurry and aliased compared to the dreamcast he took the ps2 back and did exactly what you did and bought the VGA adapter 😂

[@rockapartie]

@@HollowRick Yes, going from Dreamcast to PS2 was quite the shock for me, too. I bought it for the ridiculously high MSRP of ca. € 460,- (NOT adjusted for inflation!) at release here in Austria, hooked it up - with RGB, mind you - only to be greeted by massive blur and texture flickering unlike anything I had ever seen on Dreamcast.

[@johnrickard8512]

Kuteragi sounds like the Japanese Steve Jobs

[@kierenbuckley370]

still to this date my favourite game console nothing beats the PlayStation 2

[@kevinb8614]

Great job with this mini-doc. I really enjoyed how seriously you presented the subject matter. Hoping to see more in the future!

[@Brbos06]

A truly excellent and in depth video game documentary. I was 20 when the PS2 was released and I remember much of what you've discussed here. Great job and I can't wait to see your other docs. Subscribed!

[@craigjoe8691]

The availability of burned PS1 games is the reason I bought 3 consoles as a kid. One for every house that I spent time at. Easy to make a backup copy and use them as needed. Once the PS2 was able to do the same, I bought an additional console.

[@markvandermolen7181]

Truly amazing video. Just your voice and very extensive archival footage. I’m in awe of all the material you compiled together man. 10/10.

[@markvandermolen7181]

Oh, not your voice haha. Anyway, fantastic video.

[@ascendantMethEnjoyer]

I had no idea the launch of the ps2 was so weak. It's a wonder it succeeded at all. How the Dreamcast floundered in the midst of the ps2 weakness is even more of a wonder.

[@gumpyflyale2542]

DVD that's all there is to it

[@Manic_Panic]

You had an install base of 100 million (or 80 million at the PS2's launch) that had a PS1. The PS2 was backwards compatible which meant people could keep their PS1 games and buy more as well while they waited for PS2 games. And of course, the DVD aspect helped specifically through 2000 to 2002 to convince parents to buy it. Once the third party exclusive deals and first party games started rolling, it was over for the Xbox and Gamecube, too many games to compete with just like it was on the PS1. Even if they did have a chance, they messed it up bad. Nintendo with the mini disc format and poor design decisions with their Mario and Zelda games, SEGA drowning in debt and not be able to fund their console anymore and Xbox failing in Japan and to lack anything noteworthy outside of Halo and Ninja Gaiden. PS2 was not that much weaker though. That EE stomps the Xbox's Pentium 3, especially that gigantic pixel fill rate and 16 shader pipelines which allowed PS2 games to have superior lighting and particle effects. It also had much faster RAM even though it was less than the competition.

[@tical2399]

Also. remember this is a pro nintendo channel (look at at the logo and two of the three vids released so far) so you might want to keep that in mind when talking points about other consoles or the people involved with them are discussed here. PS2 launched with a lot of good games. Timesplitter, SF EX3, Unreal Tournament, SSX, Tekken Tag, Ridge Racer 5, some good EA sports games. Again, this is a pro nintendo channel, take the downplaying of competitor's consoles with a grain of salt.

[@JB-tp6uj]

The PS2 launch lineup was seen as weak back then. And that was justified as it didn't have a singular system seller, average to decent filler games, and nothing that looked significantly (or even marginally) better than the Dreamcast at the time. The Emotion Engine was more of hinder to the PS2 in the early days, which negated its power. And it translated to gaming as Xbox and Gamecube's multiplatform games looked and played better than the PS2 in nearly every example possible. Despite all of that, Sony had a lot of positive momentum and goodwill from the PS1. Combined with the DVD functionality, it allowed Sony to stay afloat until the good games started to arrive. Sega, Nintendo, and Microsoft all failed to capitalize on Sony's mistakes and the rest is history. Sega specifically was fighting an uphill battle. They did have the better games at the time, but they also had the baggage of the Saturn, 32X and Sega CD being failures and leaving a bad taste in customer's mouths. And as mentioned before, they were hemorrhaging money.

[@marctech1996]

You have taken some weird lessons away from this. PS2 wasn’t weak (unless we compare to the newer and more expensive Xbox), it was difficult to develop for. Games later in the gen absolutely prove that you could get a lot out of the system and a surprising amount even ran at 60fps. Sega Genesis didn’t even fail by itself. It sold 30mil, which is by no means bad for a console at that time. The system felt unfocused to consumers with a ton of weird expansions and it missed out on games like GTA SA. That meant they had to drop prices like crazy to get it to sell and the company logically asked why they should lose money on hardware if they can just focus on making it through software.

[@chriswhite9399]

This video was incredible. Thank you so much for your time and effort. Can't wait to watch more!

[@dsimpson530]

Those prices listed at 55:00 are not correct for the North American market. Memory cards, Dualshock 2 and the multitap were $35 MSRP each. PS3 raised the controller cost (SixAxis was $50 and DualShock3 was $55 MSRP).

[@Clodd1]

I can imagine how much work you put into this video, it turned out great. Back in the day, I was that kind of Nintendo fan, but I bought a PS2. After some months I realized that Sony's machine wasn't for me, then I bought a GameCube. But I can't deny how great this console is. Jak & Daxter 2, GTA Vice City and Gran Turismo 3 are some of my favorite, just to name a few. Most third party games were better on the PS2. Nintendo made silly mistakes, so it was easy for Sony to dominate.

[@Clodd1]

@@GeorgeTigra What are you talking about?

[@disconnectedfromtheuniverse]

Great video, I might go back and rewatch it from time to time.

[@sidearmsalpha]

While not a big fan of Sony, I did get a PS1 eventually, mainly for the 2D import games so I had it modded. Then I got a PS2 mainly because it was a cheap DVD player and it was my first one. The huge library on it is what definitely keeps me playing it to this day. Didn't really care enough for the PS3 but I will pick one up eventually if I can get one for a decent price. My best friend used to work at Sony in Foster City, CA and got me a refurbished PS4 for XMas one year so that's how I ended up with one but I mainly use it for Blurays since I never got a dedicated Bluray player. I don't have any interest in PS5 at the moment but maybe someday I'll get one. Being more of a retro gamer, I'll definitely be occupied playing Switch games and PS4 downloads but I still have my PS2 with an HD loaded with games to also enjoy.

[@ronniea.7535]

The DVD player in the PS2 is what I believe, got parents to buy it. I remember how my parents were surprised it can do that as well as play games. Didn't use it much for movies, but I bet that helped with sales.

[@uAlienatedIllusion]

I was always disappointed when ps2 stopped using blue discs. Kinda wished they kept them into the DVD discs too. Kinda set the discs apart from other discs.

[@TheCreatorOfPanda]

Very well made, thank you for your time and commitment, i hope you take off. I enjoyed every minute of it.

[@Sognafar]

You have given the only truly great and fulfilling PS2 doc. Ive been searching for months. Id love to learn about PCs, the Saturn, or even the OG Xbox.

[@Sognafar]

@@GeorgeTigra damn that sucks

[@Stoneheart_09]

1:21:14 "Under the guidance of Sephiroth" That got me cracking...! 🤣

[@CanadianComputerCollector]

I love your work and what you are doing bringing these feature-length stories to KZbin. If you ever need someone for voiceover I would love to lend my voice to your channel. Keep up the fantastic work!

[@Cmdr_leadfarmer]

I remember this time, I don’t think we’ve ever had such a generational leap before or after. Plus soooo many excellent games and new franchises. It seemed like something great was constantly coming out. I eventually ended up getting all four consoles from this generation and I still own my Dreamcast and GameCube.

[@RealSkyDiver2]

Love these long form console docus! Looking forward to the next one.

[@farrukhmuhammadtaufiq]

Exactly what I was looking for. What a superbly well put together documentary. Just subscribed to your channel and really looking forward to more doses of nostalgia like this. Please cover other consoles too!

[@josevillouta4588]

Another amazing work! Even I’m not a PS2 fan, it was wonderful to dive in into the story of the console with your great narrative!

[@DeathMetalThrasher]

The PS2 is still an unbelievably based console. There's so many great games on it, there was pretty much something for everyone to enjoy. I still play on them every week. I own the release day fat & slim models.

[@shahrukhagha9319]

Most underated channel I came accross. Loved every bit of it.

[@banjosheek]

This is awesome. I subscribed immediately lol. I cant wait for more documentary videos like this!

[@coffeebean_tamer]

Whether you had a PS2, Xbox, Gamecube or Dreamcast it was and still is the golden era of gaming.

[@SWOTHDRA]

It was fun times indeed

[@chrisramsey6725]

Your vids are all great. Keep up the great work. Also your English is great!

[@brianthomas8411]

YEssssss. I don't know where this guy came from, but I'm not complaining! Great Work!

[@brianthomas8411]

@@GeorgeTigra which one?

[@zenoblues7787]

Okay, these are pretty high quality. I'm subscribing, can't wait for the next one.

[@jadengilmond7913]

I’ve been loving these videos! Keep it up man!

[@rackneh]

I had a giant stack of empty DVD-RW, those were my USB sticks before I got my first USB stick lmao The RW stands for re-writable

[@homerc9101]

Thank you for talking about piracy. Most youtubers, specially Americans love to ignore that. It was a massive factor in many markets, I don't there's a single non-chipped play station 2 in south America

[@Kyur.]

I felt so lucky to know that my Pa bought the PS2 on launch day in the US with Dynasty Warriors 2 and Midnight Club.

[@hoodrichhaul7545]

SOCOM with network adapter started my online addiction not COD. Oh how I miss SOCOM. 😢

[@pesokpesok]

thought id see for 3mins what this video is about and ended up watching the entire thing - great video, hope others willl be as good

[@Sean-lr7lj]

this is INCREDIBLY well done! You earned my sub :) Can't wait to see more from you! PS2 is my favorite system of all time, I grew up with it, having backwards compatibility and a DVD player was a game changer and as a dumb kid you don't realize how lucky you have it with it. Hard to believe it had a rough start.

[@mtunayucer]

damn, only 5k subs? this channel will explode! already subbed

[@gbamck]

This is the greatest video I've seen on the PS2; huge content. Well done!!

[@gbamck]

@@GeorgeTigra ok - I see you made a bunch of comments saying this. At least give us the name of the channel creator so we can see for ourselves.

[@nicktaylor8032]

Absolutely brilliant documentary mate. I wish you every success going forward. Subbed! Ps, can we have a pc engine one next please!?

[@mrflamewars]

PCSX2 FTW

[@96deloused]

I see you reeling me in with the Tim Rogers kotaku font 😂 it worked

[@Hamburgerpimp]

I remember bringing, home and turning on, my PS2 for the first time. It was such a cool, sleek console. They we're pretty heavy too, lol.

[@psychotropictraveler514]

Dude, this was excellent. You deserve way more subs. Cant wait to see whats next.

[@leviwarren6222]

Note that the original designs for the PS2 included four controller ports. Just another reason why Nintendo has always reigned supreme.

[@paulloughlin3732]

You're back!! Love the channel!

[@walter_the_wobot2349]

This is a tremendous video; so much information!!!😮

[@Ayixlia]

PS2 had some great games, but I was mostly on Gamecube and Dreamcast. Dreamcast was very underrated console.

[@WhatIsMatter101]

Sega was basically throwing poop at the wall to see what sticks. And when it did stick, they didnt know what to do with it. Then they threw another. And then another. And the last one stuck. But this time someone already demolished the wall. A fitting end for a Yakuza controlled company (not fake news, its been documented several times in Japanese media).

[@linhza501]

Great documentary. Lots of new information here that is completely new to me.

[@deltasixtwo]

this is sych a great documentary, will be waiting for same about other consoles as well!

[@user-qv8dw2lg6b]

That was fantastic! Cant wait for the next! But it'll be worth it if it's as well put together and accurate as this! Cheers :)