Hi everyone, the last time you heard from me, I talked about the huge milestone that PlayStation 2 achieved - reaching 50 million units sold in North America. Today I'm excited to talk about another milestone in PlayStation 2's lifespan. For the first time ever, PlayStation 2 will be offered at a price point under $100 (that's $99.99 MSRP, to be exact), starting April 1!

Why is this so significant? Well most importantly, this new price means that more people than ever will be able to join in on the fun that so many of you PlayStation 2 owners have been enjoying for years, which means new families will become part of the platform's record-breaking install base. With this new price, we intend to introduce a new generation of consumers - some of whom weren't even alive when the system was first introduced in 2000 - to the immense entertainment value offered by PlayStation 2.

In the gaming industry, the typical lifecycle for a console is around five years, but because we build each of our platforms for a large and diverse consumer base, we design our platforms differently. With the original PlayStation and now PlayStation 2, we've proven that consumers can rely on our platforms for their gaming and entertainment needs for at least a decade. This speaks to the technology and features that were packed into PlayStation 2 from the beginning, as well as to the ongoing support the platform enjoys from the publishing and retail communities and, well, all of you fans.