Much more than just a console, PlayStation®2 is an entertainment hub allowing you to play games, watch movies and listen to music.
The PlayStation®2, which became available to consumers in November 2000, had the exciting ability to play CDs and DVD movies, while its increased graphic power made it possible for smooth, lifelike animation to be shown in real time.
Developers within Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) and outside were eager to exploit the technology of the new platform, and games such as the Grand Theft Auto series, Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid and Gran Turismo rapidly became benchmarks of excellence, and effective advertisements for the PlayStation®2 console's advanced capabilities.
Then in August 2002, SCE introduced the option to play games online with the new Network Adaptor. Games like "SOCOM: US Navy SEALs", and "Twisted Metal Black Online" were quick to take advantage of this new technology and pioneered and defined online gaming for a generation of PlayStation® owners.
In 2003, the EyeToy® video camera peripheral for PlayStation®2 was launched, along with the first camera-based video game - "EyeToy®: Play™". Together with "SingStar" first released in 2004, and also from SCE's own London Studio, these innovations brought PlayStation®2 gaming to a new, wider audience and helped to kick-start the social gaming boom.
SCE's other studios also pushed the boundaries of the PlayStation®2 console's capabilities, with "Shadow Of The Colossus" and "Ape Escape" developed in its Japan Studio and the "God Of War" and "Ratchet & Clank" series from SCE America.
In 2006, it surpassed the shipment figures of the first PlayStation® to become the most widely-sold home entertainment platform in history.
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