Random Roar: Is It Time For a PlayStation 2 Classic?
Short answer, no. But the short answer is not the fun answer.
I suppose the question should instead be, will there at one point be a PlayStation 2 Classic? Eventually, I suppose, there would be a need for it. But we’re likely a few years away from such a device, despite that Classic systems have come out like clockwork so far. There are a few good reasons that it isn’t yet time to release one.
First of all, the PlayStation 2 hasn’t even been gone for very long. We’ve barely just had its funeral, although the official day of the system’s death varies depending on who you ask. When I say it’s too soon for there to be a Classic, this isn’t the same thing as noticing that the oldies stations are playing the Backstreet Boys. The PlayStation 2 nearly outlasted the PlayStation 3. The last game to be released for the PlayStation 2 came out in 2014, and you can still buy a ton of other games, brand new, through Amazon. These aren’t just Square-Enix games, either; everyone knows those don’t go out of print for years. Amazon still has copies of several Shin Megami Tensei games from the PlayStation 2 era, for example. For all intents and purposes, the PlayStation 2 is still a viable system, we’ve not had a chance to even miss it yet.
Another reason why a PlayStation 2 Classic isn’t currently practical is due to the sheer size of the library of games available for the system. If you thought people were upset at the list of games that made the cut for the original Playstation Classic, I don’t think it’s even possible to come up with a list of twenty games for the PlayStation 2 Classic that would satisfy everyone. Even casual gamers likely had more than twenty games they liked on the system.
When comparing the number of games released for the first two PlayStation generations, the second generation had almost triple the number of games that the first generation did. For a Classic to even come close to representing everything the PlayStation 2 had to offer, it would be required to contain at least 50 games, and that itself could be a problem, depending on how big the internal memory is. 500GB hard drives are coming down in price, although admittedly now isn’t really a good time to gauge what the expected price of them for Sony would be, considering everything’s on sale for the holidays… the point is, this alone might account for $50, maybe more, of the price of the system.
Therein lies another problem. The PlayStation Classic had a horrible selection of titles, so it quickly devalued and is currently being sold for just under $50. If a similar situation occurs for the PlayStation 2 Classic, Sony would be losing money on it, if they’re not already losing money on the first one. This reluctance to have a second flop on their hands is likely another reason we don’t yet have one of these systems.
There is another reason we shouldn’t envy whoever has to eventually come up with the list of games for the PlayStation 2 Classic, and it’s not copyright law. If you happen to be browsing the selection of current releases at GameStop (provided your store hasn’t been shut down yet), you’ll notice that some of the best games released on the PlayStation 2 never stopped being released. Resident Evil 4, famously first announced as a GameCube exclusive but promised to Sony as well during its development process, was ported to the Nintendo Switch earlier this year, and appeared on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One almost as soon as the systems were available. The entire Kingdom Hearts series, including non-PlayStation 2 games, keep on being re-released for both the PlayStation 3 and 4, under different collection titles. Despite having under-performed on the PlayStation 2, Okami has been passed around to various Nintendo and Sony systems as well as the Xbox One and PC. Lest we forget the Final Fantasy series, every Final Fantasy game from the PlayStation 2 (except the MMO and the Final Fantasy VII spin-off) have been re-released in HD by now and are available on systems such as the PlayStation 4. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has been re-released for modern systems. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has been ported several times, as recently as 2015. Even games that might not have received a lot of press back in the day, like Legend of Kay, have been re-released in recent years. The PlayStation 2 may be “dead” now, but the games certainly aren’t, and that might undermine the value of a Classic system unless the price can be kept relatively low somehow. Keep in mind, the original system may have contributed to the death of the Dreamcast by being announced at a relatively cheap price. Making the PlayStation 2 Classic relatively expensive compared to other Classic systems would go against the spirit of the system entirely.
Finally, the trend towards releasing a new Classic system for the holiday season seems to have wound down. Just one month ago, Nintendo confirmed that the N64 Classic is a product that just isn’t going to happen any time soon, and who can blame them? For the exact opposite reason that a PlayStation 2 Classic would be challenging to make, the N64 Classic would be just as challenging. Aside from the games everyone considers some of the greatest of all time, Nintendo would have a hard time coming up with enough games people would want in order to fill up the system. Quest 64, anyone? Meanwhile, Sega might’ve waited too long to release the Genesis Mini, for the system has flown under the radar; there don’t seem to be any supply shortages despite reviewing very well… make of that information what you will.
One must conclude that it’s currently not viable to create and release a PlayStation 2 Classic, whether due to market fatigue or the relative newness and continued relevance of many of its most notable games. There may come a point in the future where demand for such a system will increase but for now, we really don’t need a Classic to keep enjoying our favourite PlayStation 2 games.
About The Author
Joseph
Panthera Editus | In the great frozen land in the north known as Canada, a little to the east of that other frozen land in the north known as Alaska, resides the gaming enthusiast whom most people know as Joseph. When he’s not gaming or writing about gaming, he likes to enjoy life’s little ironies. Twitter
