Playstation 2 officially turns 10 years old March 5, 2010

So it was exactly 10 years ago tonight at midnight that the Sony Playstation 2 was released in Japan. About this time stores in Japan had customers lined up for blocks just to get their hands on the hottest new game system. I remember I had to have one at launch too.

My launch unit is still working fine after all these years. Around 2002 it stopped playing the blue-backed cd games and I sent it to Sony for a free fix. Been working ever since. I still remember getting it on launch day. I drove around that night looking for a store that didn't have too long of a line, Walmart, K-Mart, Target, Toys R Us ect. All had ridiculously huge lines when I went looking around 9pm. I went home to bed disgusted. I couldn't sleep. I had to get one somehow.

So I had a thought in my brain. Being active duty military I wondered if the local Base Exchange might be getting any units. I drove to the BX at about 4am. There was only one guy in line camped out in front of the door. I parked the car and walked up excitedly and asked him how many units they were getting. To the best of his knowledge it was 4 units. We waited and chatted about games for hours and gradually more people started to show up and wait in line.

By the time they opened at 9am there was a sizeable line of hopefuls. The store opened and they regretfully informed us they had no units yet and were still waiting on the shipment. They took down our names in the order we arrived and we walked out. The first of us four walked out and stood around the front of the store. We didn't know what to do. Should we go home and come back? Should we stay and wait? Just then a UPS truck arrived. Were our consoles within this last beacon of hope?

They were. After waiting a few minutes for some packages to be unpacked and walked into the store we followed nervously. The store workers signed for the packages and started unpacking them immediately because they knew we were anxiously waiting. Finally one of the boxes shown a beautiful blue set of 2 PS2 systems when it was opened. There were two boxes for a total of 4 units as promised. We happily made our purchases. Some bought games and controllers too, I just purchased the console. I had already bought a memory card and extra controller a week prior at Target in anticipation of my purchase. I was lucky to have done so as memory cards were in high demand and short supply at launch.

After we made our purchases the store employees wanted us to gather around and have our picture taken so they could hang it on the wall. It was an honor to us and we were extremely happy just to have our units for $300 with no tax on launch day! As we walked out I heard other customers coming in and asking if they had any more PS2s and the employees beginning what I am sure would be a long day of answering the same question over and over.

Once I had my PS2 I carefully placed it in my trunk and looked around to make sure no one was following me. I had serious thoughts that I might get jumped for my PS2. I drove off base to Target where I had a coupon to get a discount on some PS2 games. I selected Street Fighter EX3 and SSX as my go to titles.

As I got home and hooked up my system and booted it on for the first time, I was blown away. Both titles blew my mind and I spent the whole day amazed and happy that I had called in sick for that day.

I was working on the U.S. release date and went to a local Toys R Us during my break. They had about 4 left over in stock around 4 p.m. Eastern. I left my debit/cc at home and was kicking myself for doing so when I left. I figured that all of the stores would be sold out in the morning due to the high demand.

Man I feel old. My launch PS2 still works. My friend was the store manager at Software Etc back then and he held it for me to pick up after school with my launch games- Kessen and Orphen. :lol:

my launch ps2 still works, i had to open it once to clean the lens a couple of years ago, but it is still kicking. i lost my job the day before launch, and still drove up to best buy. i was number 119 out of 145 units. my launch titles were tekken tag , ssx, and street fighter ex3. and orphen a couple days later. i still shudder at that one

Happy decade PS2!

Yeah Orphen was the classic shitty launch title. Great graphics and crap everything else.

My launch still works after only 1 repair to Sony.

My launch PS2 probably would have still been working, never had any DRE's except with a scratched disc for over 6 years until we had a flood in our basement which killed the system. I have a slim ceramic white PS2 now and a 20GB PS3. I use the PS3 for most PS2 games but still need the PS2 for games with special controllers like DDR, Guitar Hero and Rockband (I like using the Kramer Striker that isn't available for PS3).

It's hard to believe it has been 10 years already, I remember reading and seeing pictures of the Japanese PS2 launch online and in OPM.

I remember when that little sucker came out in the states. Man was there ever a demand for that thing. Definately the best selling console of all time. That record will never be touched.

My launch PS2 has trouble playing CD-ROMs, but turning it upside down works. It's not really a big deal.

I remember being in 8th grade, and making my dad take me to the midnight launch at Babbage's (had it reserved). I'm pretty sure I was the youngest person there. We had to wait outside of the mall for a few hours, but it was fun. I got Madden 2001 the week before, and picked up TTT with the system. I wound up buying a new PS2 about a year later, and selling my launch console to my mom, which she's used as a DVD player ever since.

I didn't get a PS2 until the summer of 01 because I felt the Dreamcast was the superior console. I got the GT3 Bundle.

Wow -- happy 10th anniversary, PS2 -- certainly one the best gaming systems to come around in a long time. I won't say it's the "best" console ever but it at least ranks among the best.

I didn't pick up a PS2 at launch, either. I recall getting it when MGS2 finally hit the scene. And after 180+ games later, I have to say that I doubt any console this gen will have the variety, quality, and depth we saw with the PS2 era.

I can't believe its been 10 years. I bought mine in 2001 for my birthday, with Tekken Tag and Tony Hawk 3. Such amazing games. Everything about the PS2 blew me away. I still say Tony Hawk 3 is one of the best games on the system. I couldn't believe how awesome it was.

Tony Hawk 3 is still my favorite Tony Hawk game, I don't really like the newer games that much.

My fatty PS2 (original SKU) still works great. I haven't played it since last summer though. I should break it out to celebrate the recent anniversary.