Sony wasn't keen on divulging much gaming news at its annual press conference during the Consumer Electronics Show last week. However, one update the Japanese electronics company did share concerned sales statistics for its flagship console and portable, saying the combined user base for the PlayStation 3 and PSP had reached 61 million worldwide. Had Sony added in the PlayStation 2's worldwide sales figures, that number would have made a substantive leap.

　　This guy probably looks familiar. The Associated Press reports this week that Sony's PS2 has broached the 50-million-unit mark in North America alone. The workhorse console celebrated its eighth anniversary in North America last October. A year before, Sony had honored the PS2's seventh birthday by announcing that lifetime sales for the console had reached 120 million. By Sony's E3 Media & Business Summit presence in July, that figure had ballooned to 140 million units worldwide.

　　PS2 sales continue to grow at a steady clip. In November alone, the console sold 206,000 units in the US, up from 136,000 units the month before, according to the NPD Group. John Koller, Sony America's director of hardware marketing, told the AP that the console remains an attractive buy for those looking to get into gaming as well as lower-income households.

　　Currently, the PS2 retails for $130, down from its debut sticker price of $299.