The PlayStation 2 (often shortened to PS2) is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony. The PS2 console is the sequel to the original PlayStation console. The successor to the PlayStation, and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3, the PlayStation 2 forms part of the PlayStation series of video game consoles. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was released a year later in Japan. Its primary competitors were Sega's Dreamcast, Microsoft's Xbox, and Nintendo's GameCube.
The PS2 is the best-selling console to date, having reached over 145 million units sold as of August 18, 2009[2] and a software library projected to exceed 1,900 games in 2009.[6] Twenty games are scheduled to be released in 2010, giving the PS2 a marketable life of over 10 years, thus continuing the sixth generation.
