On April 20, Sony announced a significant reduction in the retail price of its PlayStation 2 gaming console, lowering it to just $130 from the previous price of $180. Sony aims to attract the remaining PlayStation fans before the release of the next-generation PlayStation 3.
The PlayStation 2 is still regarded as the most popular gaming console in the world today, especially in North America, Australia, and Asia, particularly Japan. To date, a total of 101 million units of PlayStation 2 have been sold globally, accompanied by nearly 1 billion game copies consumed. This record for a professional gaming console is unlikely to be surpassed in the near future.
The NPD Group reports that the PlayStation 2 holds a 55.6% market share of gaming consoles in the U.S., while its game titles have reached a dominant market share of 70% as of March.
Kaz Hirai, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, stated: “While continuously refining our next-generation gaming console, PlayStation 3, prior to its market launch, we remain dedicated to our customers by providing optimal opportunities for everyone to own a PlayStation 2 and continuously releasing new game titles to meet the growing demands of gamers.” Sony is currently focusing on the online gaming sector for its PlayStation 2 consoles, launching popular games with groundbreaking styles such as EyeToy…
Sony is preparing to launch a massive promotional campaign for this “big price drop” on April 27, aiming to reach even the last remaining fans. This strategy also serves to attract customers from Xbox 360 before the PlayStation 3 hits the market later this year.
THUY KHANH
