In October, Sony celebrated the 10th anniversary of the PlayStation 2's North American launch and announced that the console had sold 146 million units worldwide since debuting in Japan in March of 2000. Though the birthday celebration is over, the system has now reached a new milestone. The PlayStation 2 has since gone on a diet.

　　According to Sony's statistics, the PS2 has shipped 150 million units worldwide as of January 31, 2011. This milestone was reached 10 years and 11 months after the system was released in the land of the rising sun on March 4, 2000. Further, Sony said it currently has 10,828 titles available for the system and that 1.52 billion PS2 titles have been sold since launch.

　　The PS2's long tenure saw the introduction of numerous hardware peripherals, including an online gameplay add-on, the PlayStation Network Adapter, in 2002. The system was also augmented by the release of the EyeToy Camera in 2003. Software franchises that flourished on the system included Metal Gear Solid, Gran Turismo, and Grand Theft Auto, which debuted exclusively on Sony's console from Grand Theft Auto III through Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.