<P> The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console that was developed by Sony Computer Entertainment . It is the successor to the PlayStation, and is the second installment in the PlayStation lineup of consoles . It was released on March 4, 2000 in Japan, October 26, 2000 in North America, November 24, 2000 in Europe, and November 17, 2000 in Australia . It competed with Sega's Dreamcast, Microsoft's Xbox, and Nintendo's GameCube in the sixth generation of video game consoles . </P> <P> Announced in 1999, the PlayStation 2 was the first PlayStation console to offer backwards compatibility for its predecessor's DualShock controller, as well as for its games . The PlayStation 2 is the best - selling video game console of all time, selling over 155 million units, with 150 million confirmed by Sony in 2011 . More than 3,874 game titles have been released for the PS2 since launch, and more than 1.5 billion copies have been sold . Sony later manufactured several smaller, lighter revisions of the console known as Slimline models in 2004 and well on, and in 2006, announced and launched its successor, the PlayStation 3 . </P> <P> Even with the release of its successor, the PlayStation 2 remained popular well into the seventh generation and continued to be produced until January 4, 2013, when Sony finally announced that the PlayStation 2 had been discontinued after 13 years of production--one of the longest runs for a video game console . Despite the announcement, new games for the console continued to be produced until the end of 2013, including Final Fantasy XI: Seekers of Adoulin for Japan, Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 for North America and Europe, and FIFA 14 for Brazil . </P> <P> Though Sony has kept details of the PlayStation 2's development secret, work on the console began around the time that the original PlayStation was released (in late 1994). Sony announced the PlayStation 2 (PS2) on March 1, 1999 . The video game console was positioned as a competitor to Sega's Dreamcast, the first sixth - generation console to be released, although ultimately the main rivals of the PS2 were Nintendo's GameCube and Microsoft's Xbox . The Dreamcast itself launched very successfully in North America later that year, selling over 500,000 units within two weeks . </P>

When did they stop making games for ps2