Today it is almost default to consider the console battle a three-way race between the Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, and Xbox 360.
What is generally forgotten, however, is the substantial hold that the PlayStation 2 still has on today’s market, with the console having sold upwards of 100 million units worldwide. Unlike the GameCube and Xbox, the PS2 is not discontinued and is still churning up quality titles seven full years after its release.
To back this concept up, Crave Entertainment COO Rob Dyer comments, "In fact, we see it more of a four consoles, two handhelds market," as he tells GamesIndustry.biz, “Christmas will be very strong and we see PS2, Wii and the handhelds leading the way for us,"
Those are more than mere words, they are facts and the recent software sales have enough merit to prove so. When Madden 08 released in August, the PS2 version was the second highest selling game in the United States. Also hitting the charts hard were PS2 titles, Guitar Hero II and Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s. Even the PS2 version of FIFA 08 took top control of the charts in Germany as well as Spain by gaining more sales than their PS3/Xbox 360 counterparts.
Furthermore, Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst, Michael Pachter, believes that the September PS2 software sales in the US will sit at USD 101 million, which is not to far from PS3 sales also forecast during the same period.
This means that come this holiday season, not only is Sony expecting huge returns in revenue from the PlayStation 3 and PSP, but they are expecting the PlayStation 2 to compete heavily with the current generation of consoles and handhelds.
So for those who nabbed up the PS2 years ago at its expensive price, your purchase is holding good insurance.