Seven steps of success

Since its launch, PlayStation 2 has done a lot for games in the past seven years. So why not join the celebration of some of its most notable achievements.

It takes something special for a games system to reach seven years of age and still prosper. PlayStation 2 has done exactly that as it celebrates its seventh birthday and a mass of milestones with it. So don your party hat, grab some cake and indulge in seven highlights, achievements and innovations the sleek machine has accomplished over its rich and influential history.

Still a wind in its sales

In its seventh year PlayStation 2 is still going strong with a colossal 120 million units shipped around the world, making it one of the most successful games consoles ever created. This isn't the first time it has entered the record books - it's also the fastest console to reach 100 million units shipped, accomplishing the substantial feat within only five years and nine months from its original launch in 2000.

With a games catalogue spanning thousands across all genres, there's never been a better time to pick up a PS2.

DVD for all

PlayStation 2 isn't just a games machine. Its inclusion of a DVD player gives users the ability to watch movies without the need for expensive add-ons, something few systems prior to its launch could boast. Released at a time when DVD penetration was growing slowly, PS2 simultaneously gave the format a boost while offering developers more storage space and potential for their games, and multimedia capabilities to its audience - something that's easy to take for granted now, but wasn't a standard feature in games consoles until then.

As easy as USB

Innocuous as they may seem, the tiny USB ports on PlayStation 2 are a gateway to a wider world of games entertainment. Prior to their inclusion, games consoles lacked USB compatibility which limited the range of accessories that could be used. The insightful decision to provide PS2 with USB functionality meant easy and trouble-free interaction with external devices that were often more associated with PCs. As a result, a host of printers, storage devices, mice, headsets, lightguns and more can be plugged in without sacrificing any DUALSHOCK 2 controller or Memory Card ports in the process. This useful inclusion was soon mimicked by others to become a traditional feature for contemporary games consoles.

On PlayStation 2, USB support opened up a world of potential that was quickly explored in ways that offered even more originality to the industry...

An Eye for innovation

USB support on PlayStation 2 soon made way for the invention of EyeToy, a cute digital camera that sits on top of your TV and unleashes an abundance of possibilities. By taking your image and projecting it on to the screen, the clever device allows you to interact with games using motion (and sound through its built-in microphone). A whole domain of revolutionary gameplay immediately became a reality.

EyeToy launched an assortment of successful titles, including the multiplayer Play series, the exercise themed Kinetic series, SpyToy and many more, as well as being compatible with a large number of other games and providing the design foundation for the PlayStation 3 system's PlayStation Eye camera.

A sweet song of success

Not content with broadening gameplay horizons with EyeToy, PlayStation 2 presented another new way to play with SingStar, heralding a new age of accessible song-based entertainment. Packaged with two microphones that slot directly into - yes, you guessed it - the PS2 system's USB ports, you sing along to a massive selection of music videos to score points based on your voice, accuracy and timing.

SingStar's inventiveness was commended with a BAFTA award for originality in 2005. It's since gone on to be one of the most well known music games ever released, through its ever-growing library of genres, artists and tracks.

Forever creating a Buzz!

Multiplayer party gaming gained a massive boost when Buzz! was created on PlayStation 2, bringing the big quiz atmosphere straight to your home. Coming with four buzzers that slot into the USB ports, Buzz! offers unrivalled immediacy for players by gifting everything you need out of the box ready to go, allowing you instantly to get into the quiz and answering questions, while titular host Buzz parlays his good-humoured wit and wisdom.

As with SingStar, Buzz! expanded a genre of games which had previously been left unexplored, creating a series that has gone on to triumph with every new iteration designed to test your brainpower from music and films, to sports and general knowledge. The Buzz! Junior range increases the already massive family appeal with a host of games designed for a younger audience, making Buzz! something of a rarity in games: fun for everyone of all ages.

Brand new world

Buzz!, SingStar and EyeToy all share another proud prize on PlayStation 2 - they're the top three new intellectual properties in the games industry since 2000. It's something that can be underappreciated, but in a market where there's immense risk and pressure to be commercially successful (as it's perceived to be safer to work on established names and sequels - something which holds true in most entertainment mediums), SingStar, EyeToy and Buzz! all ventured forth with something perilously new and uncharted.

The rewards for such daring were massive for the industry as a whole, as these series continue to bring in fresh audiences who may have never picked up a videogame before, while becoming thriving series in their own right. On top of their quality, EyeToy, SingStar and Buzz! represent the growth of the games medium and its willingness to embrace something worthily different - and that's truly something to be celebrated.