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[Mozza]

Its a 10 second part of an hour long podcast. I don't think Sony put this whole podcast together just to announce this new number.


Us getting sales information is a good thing no? There's nothing desperate about this at alSo if it's just a 10 second bit of the overall podcast, why even announce this in the first place, not trying to ve overly cynical here, but it does seem very convienient as the Switch is closing i on the PS2'S s

Its a 10 second part of an hour long podcast. I don't think Sony put this whole podcast together just to announce this new number.


Us getting sales information is a good thing no? There's nothing desperate about this at all.

Like I said updating sales numberson a 3 generations old console, has this ever been done before?, not sure. Yes I am probebly being overly cynical with all this, but you must admit the timing is a little on the conveinient side, with the Switch homing in on the PS2's total........ but like you said, just giving the information and final sales figures, as we all did need the update, and we were all dying to know how much the PS2 had actually sold, as we all knew it was bound to be over 155 million, so glad they told us.

 

[apple_of_enlightenment]

Even if King Charles III said it, mentioning something in conversation in a podcast isn't 'Official'. These sales were 20 years ago. What are the actual official numbers? (that would have been know for at least 15 years)

 

[Unknown?]

Like I said updating sales numberson a 3 generations old console, has this ever been done before?, not sure. Yes I am probebly being overly cynical with all this, but you must admit the timing is a little on the conveinient side, with the Switch homing in on the PS2's total........ but like you said, just giving the information and final sales figures, as we all did need the update, and we were all dying to know how much the PS2 had actually sold, as we all knew it was bound to be over 155 million, so glad they told us.

It wasn't updated officially though. They didn't put out a press statement, it was a passing comment in a podcast.

 

[Mozza]

It wasn't updated officially though. They didn't put out a press statement, it was a passing comment in a podcast.

I do feel you are all missing my point a little, even though this was as you say, only a small part of a podcast, the information is still be treated as a official release of sales figures, and not just on here. I pretty much feel the figure is correct, but like I said the timing feels very convenient.

 

[Woopah]

Like I said updating sales numberson a 3 generations old console, has this ever been done before?, not sure. Yes I am probebly being overly cynical with all this, but you must admit the timing is a little on the conveinient side, with the Switch homing in on the PS2's total........ but like you said, just giving the information and final sales figures, as we all did need the update, and we were all dying to know how much the PS2 had actually sold, as we all knew it was bound to be over 155 million, so glad they told us.

The timing was about Jim's retirement.

I don't think they planned this podcast around announcing the PS2 sales. It was just something Jim said in response to being asked "what springs to mind when you think about PlayStation in the 2000s?"

I bet the interviewer didn't know that Jim would reply with a sales figure.

 

[R6Rider]

So many good memories with this console.

 

[Nvzman]

PS2 is the greatest console ever made. Insane library, for every genre you like, there's at least 15 fantastic games for it on the PS2. Plus these mostly released within 5-6 years of the PS2 being the main system before PS3 came along, so it was just major hit after major hit after major hit.
That "Holiday 2001" PS2 picture showing like 10 of the greatest games of all time coming out weeks between each other is exactly what I'm talking about. The PS2 was when creativity peaked and shady industry practices were at the lowest. Absolutely the GOAT.

 

[DonF]

PS2 Was a beast, it was cheap, had a DVD player, had awesome games...but I truly believe that what made it have this sales was piracy. At least here in south America, it was sold unlocked in many places. I knew many people that had a ps2, not one person had it locked. It was like a pirates dream. I loved it and had like 5 original games, but over 100 pirate ones.

 

[Mozza]

The timing was about Jim's retirement.

I don't think they planned this podcast around announcing the PS2 sales. It was just something Jim said in response to being asked "what springs to mind when you think about PlayStation in the 2000s?"

I bet the interviewer didn't know that Jim would reply with a sales figure.

Guess you are not as cynical as me, great console and I always remember oicking one up at launch, and playing Timesplitters to death

 

[Woopah]

Guess you are not as cynical as me, great console and I always remember oicking one up at launch, and playing Timesplitters to death

I just don't see what there is to be cynical about. Before this we knew PS2 was somewhere between 158 million and 161 million, now we know more precisely what the figure is.

I don't think this was part of Jim's secret plan to make sure everyone knows exaclty whether the Switch will outsell it or not. This would only make a difference if the Switch ends up in that 158m-161m spot.

And yes I loved TimeSplitters too!

 

[Mozza]

Not so sure how we knew that, I would have suggested somwhere between 155 and 158 million, as those were the only figures we had seen.... upto this point.

 

[Rat Rage]

What a fantastic console. Devs were focusing on making good games instead of DEI and following trends and GaaS bullshit.

True. PS2 was the last good Sony console generation. After that it all has been going downhill and god awful corporate slime managers have taken over.

 

[SirTerry-T]

This is a myth, this is the software tie ratio (games sold per console) of PS2 compared to PS1, PS3, PS4, Switch and Nintendo's console with their highest tie ratio which is Wii.

Hardware/ Software/ Tie Ratio

PS1: 102.49m/ 962m - 9.39
PS2: 160m/ 1.537b - 9.61
PS3: 87.4m/ 999m - 11.43
PS4: 117.2m/ *1.5b - 12.79
NSW: 139.36m/ 1.2b - 8.61
Wii: 101.63m/ 921.85m - 9.07

* PS4 software at 1.5b in late 2020 before Sony combined quarterly software totals with PS5, total now is probably around 1.8b. PS4 includes "digital only" software and Switch does not, digital only software would probably bump Switch's tie ratio up to about 9.5.

It was justa light hearted comment, nothing serious.

 

[thismeinteil]

It will be interesting to see if the Switch can pass it. With the latest numbers we have, it has 21M to go. Last year, the Switch sold 16.8M, a YOY decline of ~12%. If the Switch sees the same 12% drop each year, it would take just under 2 more years to hit that. Of course, outside of Japan, we have seen drops larger than 12% this year, with EU sales described as "sharply declining" this year. And there's the question of how quickly will the Switch decline after the Switch 2 is announced, which should happen this year.

If we look at the last Nintendo console to almost reach the PS2, the DS, some interesting facts emerge. The 3DS was announced in 2010. While the DS was still able to sell 19.5M units in 2010, after 2010 the DS was only able to sell 9.4M units in the next 3 years. I think the fact is, once the newer console is on the horizon, Nintendo HW has a habit of plummeting. So, while passing the PS2 is definitely possible, it is not a done deal.

 

[Inanilmaz]

160-0

 

[Luminoth-4545]

What do you reckon Switch's total software would be with digital only included?

Around 1.35b, digital only would not include any 1st party or big third party. It's basically just indie games but not all indie games because the big indie games like Stardew Valley and Hollow Knight have a physical version.

 

[Woopah]

Around 1.35b, digital only would not include any 1st party or big third party. It's basically just indie games but not all indie games because the big indie games like Stardew Valley and Hollow Knight have a physical version.

I guess it depends on what you would call big.

If I look at the digital only chart on my Switch, I can see titles like Suika Game (which sold over 6 million on Switch) plus Among Us, Vampire Survivor, and many titles that aren't indie ones like Stick of Truth, Dragon's Dogma, Tomb Raider Remastered and the old Final Fantasy games.

I think if you added up all the sales of all those types of games over 7 years, you'd get a pretty high number, or at least more than 140 million.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

I do feel you are all missing my point a little, even though this was as you say, only a small part of a podcast, the information is still be treated as a official release of sales figures, and not just on here. I pretty much feel the figure is correct, but like I said the timing feels very convenient.

What does this "convenient timing" mean?

Still wondering.

 

[MonkeyClaw36]

Indeed.

That was the greatest era of gaming.

I really hate the 360, Wii, ps3 era... That generation was a horror for me

Same. It felt as an "in between Generation" with gross brown graphics across all platforms for some reason.
I did enjoy the start of the 360/PS3 era though, but it was the period in my gaming history that I clocked the least amount of hours.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

Where you around during PS3? Everyone was saying Sony was doomed.

Not anymore at the end of that gen, when it pretty much managed to recover all the lost ground vs X360.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

It will be interesting to see if the Switch can pass it. With the latest numbers we have, it has 21M to go. Last year, the Switch sold 16.8M, a YOY decline of ~12%. If the Switch sees the same 12% drop each year, it would take just under 2 more years to hit that. Of course, outside of Japan, we have seen drops larger than 12% this year, with EU sales described as "sharply declining" this year. And there's the question of how quickly will the Switch decline after the Switch 2 is announced, which should happen this year.

If we look at the last Nintendo console to almost reach the PS2, the DS, some interesting facts emerge. The 3DS was announced in 2010. While the DS was still able to sell 19.5M units in 2010, after 2010 the DS was only able to sell 9.4M units in the next 3 years. I think the fact is, once the newer console is on the horizon, Nintendo HW has a habit of plummeting. So, while passing the PS2 is definitely possible, it is not a done deal.

The Switch has been on the market half of the time the PS2 was. Even if it doesn't equal PS2's numbers when it ceases production, it's a most valiant effort considering how much the market has changed since and the fact that Switch never got a significant price cut.

The PS2 launched at around $299 in the US and something around €400 in Europe (estimate, since the Euro wasn't officially adopted in the EU at the time; it launched at £299 in the UK, when the UK pound was much stronger than the soon-to-be-adopted Euro). The PS2 Slim was sold for $/€99 in its last 4 years. All things considered, what the Switch achieved with its tech at a price that many thought would be DOA is monumental.

 

[Woopah]

Not so sure how we knew that, I would have suggested somwhere between 155 and 158 million, as those were the only figures we had seen.... upto this point.

I'm going to guess this waa aimed at me haha.

I'd suggest reading this post by Daniel Ahmad as he explains the whole situation a lot better than I can:

 

[Mozza]

What does this "convenient timing" mean?

Still wondering.

Well informing us of final sales figures seems moot at this point, we all know the PS2 was very successful, and had probably sold more than the final released figure of 155 million, so Jim then states it had actually sold closer to 160 million. I just do not remember this being done before.... and like I said, seems very odd with the Switch getting closer to the 155 million mark. Pretty sure Sony want to do everything in their power to keep the PS2 as the best selling console of all time... my own personal take on matters...... feel free to disagree, no biggie either way.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

I'm bewildered by the drama around Jim's statement.

 

[Mozza]

I'm going to guess this waa aimed at me haha.

I'd suggest reading this post by Daniel Ahmad as he explains the whole situation a lot better than I can:

I do not disagree with the PS2 selling over 155 million, as this is pretty obvious, if Jim says 160 million... then I guess that's the new figure.

 

[Mozza]

I'm bewildered by the drama around Jim's statement.

I am equally baffled by the lengths some go to on here, to convince us the Switch is not a console or a hybrid, but I guess that's where we are. Pretty sure Jim knew what he was doing with all this.

 

[Woopah]

I do not disagree with the PS2 selling over 155 million, as this is pretty obvious, if Jim says 160 million... then I guess that's the new figure.

The figure was going to be between 158.6m - 161.8m as the tweet explains.

So it's not not that we got a new figure per say, we just got a more exact one.

It has nothing to do with Switch. If it was Jim's intention to prevent anyone finding out for sure if Switch outsold PS2, he'd be better off leaving people in the dark.

 

[Mozza]

The figure was going to be between 158.6m - 161.8m as the tweet explains.

So it's not not that we got a new figure per say, we just got a more exact one.

It has nothing to do with Switch. If it was Jim's intention to prevent anyone finding out for sure if Switch outsold PS2, he'd be better off leaving people in the dark.

I think you hit the nail on the head, with the final part of your post, as for the intention and timing of all this, then I guess we will just have to agree to disagree.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

Well informing us of final sales figures seems moot at this point, we all know the PS2 was very successful, and had probably sold more than the final released figure of 155 million, so Jim then states it had actually sold closer to 160 million. I just do not remember this being done before.... and like I said, seems very odd with the Switch getting closer to the 155 million mark. Pretty sure Sony want to do everything in their power to keep the PS2 as the best selling console of all time... my own personal take on matters...... feel free to disagree, no biggie either way.

Yeah, you might be right.
Tbh, I can see Switch surpassing PS2 lifetime sales eventually.

Which might be a good thing, as it means that Playstation and Nintendo do end up competing directly, with Xbox out.

That way we can move on from that nonsensical "Playstation monopoly" and "$1200 console" fearmongering.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

 

[Yonyx]

Is this photo real? If it were real-official, it would resolve all doubts!

 

[Luminoth-4545]

Where did you get the production number of 160,636,885 from?

 

[Sub_Level]

Where did you get the production number of 160,636,885 from?

 

[GigaBowser]

switch will win sales im sorry my friends cant even believe how crud games are since TOTK I like Peach but games is for girls