PlayStation 2 Gets Cheaper, Pinker

Sony drops the price on the PlayStation 2, announced new colour for later this year.

Sony has sold more than 100 million PlayStation 2s since the console debuted in 1999, leaving just a few billion people without one. Adam Sandler's recent generous donation of 400 PlayStation 2s to Israeli kids will help, but a soon-to-be-announced price drop will probably be more effective.

Later this week, at Games Convention 2006 in Leipzig, Germany, Sony will officially drop the price of the PlayStation 2 to £95. The Memory Card will also get a price cut.

It's precisely this sort of aggressive strategy that many observers think will let Sony squeeze 10 years of life out of the console.

"With this attractive new price point and a vast portfolio of over 2,200 software titles, we believe there has never been a better time to join the community of PlayStation 2 users," said Sony's David Reeves. "At this new price point, the market leading PS2 should remain the computer entertainment system of choice for an even wider and more diverse audience."

The console is also getting a visual makeover. A new, limited edition pink PlayStation 2 will be out in Europe on 8 November, Sony said.

The "funky, fresh, and fashionable" (according to Sony's Dan Hill, at least) new bundle will include the system, two controllers, and a memory card, all decked out in lady-friendly pink.

In the UK, the pink PlayStation 2 will come bundled with SingStar Pop. The entire package will cost £130.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games