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PS2: 40 million served

Justin Calvert, Gamespot UK GameSpot

Published: 19 Sep 2002 11:02 BST

SCEI announces that its PlayStation2 console is as popular as ever, and has just achieved another landmark shipments figure. Sony Computer Entertainment has on Thursday announced that cumulative worldwide shipments of the PS2 game console had reached 40 million units -- only four and a half months after the figure of 30 million units was announced.

The breakdown of shipments by region as of 17 September, 2002, is as follows: North America - 17.01 million units; Europe / PAL - 12.06 million units; Japan - 10.97 million units.

"The PlayStation2 user base across Europe, Africa, Middle East Australia and New Zealand continues to accelerate and to grow the market for computer entertainment on TV-based consoles," said Chris Deering, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. "The recent and forthcoming line-up of new software titles on PlayStation2 is the strongest in our history. Reviews have been outstanding, and the range of choice between now and Christmas is just awesome."

The number of PS2 consoles in Europe is sure to increase as the platform approaches its third Christmas. Not only has SCEE recently announced a price cut for the console, but SCEE's own pre-Christmas software line-up includes the likes of The Getaway, World Rally Championship 2 Extreme, Tekken 4, Ratchet & Clank, and Kingdom Hearts.

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