# Recession-Priced Game Systems Playstation 2 Drops to $99.99 to Woo New Gamers By Marissa Brassfield | Published 2009-03-31 | Business Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/playstation-2 References: [forbes](http://www.forbes.com/feeds/reuters/2009/03/31/2009-03-31T192325Z_01_N31394459_RTRIDST_0_SONY-PLAYSTATION-UPDATE-2.html) & [blog.us.playstation](http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/03/31/playstation-2-will-be-available-for-under-100/) [Sony](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/playstation-4-production) has slashed the price of its [Playstation 2](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/playstation-spartacus) by 23% to $99.99 in a move to woo new gamers to the popular platform. Judging from a post on the official Playstation blog, Sony plans to attract new families and gamers under 10 with this price drop. With 136 million units sold since 2000, the Playstation 2 is the [world's most popular gaming system](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nintendo-switch-2-1). From the looks of things, it seems that Sony is planning to maintain this title for as long as possible. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.8/10 - Popularity: 19% | Activity: 26% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 90% men, 10% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/business) > [Retail](https://www.trendhunter.com/retail) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Affordable Gaming Systems:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop cost-effective gaming systems to attract new gamers and expand the gaming market. - **Family-friendly Gaming:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create gaming platforms and content specifically designed to appeal to families and young gamers. - **Longevity of Gaming Systems:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore ways to extend the lifespan and popularity of gaming systems to maintain market dominance. ### Who This Affects Most - **Gaming Hardware:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Innovate and manufacture affordable gaming hardware to tap into a wider consumer base. - **Entertainment Software:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop family-friendly and educational gaming software that caters to young gamers and families. - **E-commerce:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create online platforms that offer discounted gaming systems and game titles to attract price-conscious consumers. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Refocused Gaming Console Productions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/playstation-4-production.md) - [Retro-Style Gaming Consoles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/playstation-5-30th-anniversary-limited-edition.md) - [Slim Modular Consoles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ps5-slim.md) - [Plug-and-Play Consoles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/super-console-x2.md) - [AI-Driven Video Game Consoles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-playstation-5-pro.md) - [Cost-Effective Handheld Consoles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/evercade-exp-r.md) - [Heritage-Inspired Game Consoles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/playstation-30th-anniversary-collection.md) - [90s-Style Gaming Console Skins](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ps5-retro-darkplates.md) - [On-Demand Gaming Services](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/playstation-spartacus.md)