The PS2 is old.  How old?  Well, when it was first released, we were still talking about things like AOL’s takeover of Time-Warner, the Bush-Gore campaign, and Elian Gonzalez.  Remember that kid?  He’s gotta be like forty by now.  Despite the system’s advanced age, it’s still a somewhat major player in the gaming landscape, and new PS2 titles still trickle out every month.  Software is one thing, but trying to sell decade-old hardware at this point would be just plain ridiculous.  Guess what; Sony is doing something ridiculous, and releasing a new Toy Story 3-themed PS2 bundle.

The limited edition bundle will include a PS2, a wired controller, and a copy of the Toy Story 3 video game.  Sony’s associate marketing manager for the PS3 and possessor of an awesome Star Wars name, Ami Sheth, explained the odd bundle on the PlayStation blog;

“Nearly 10 years since it first launched, the PS2 continues to be a force in gaming and to date is in more than 146 million homes worldwide. At $99, the PS2 provides great entertainment value for new gamers and families with its built-in DVD player and a deep library of more than 2,000 games.”

This is an okay way for Sony to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the PS2, which came out in North America on October 26, 2000, but I think most fans would rather have seen the company integrate better PS2 backwards compatibility on all the PS3s out there.  A $99 bundle will likely attract some parents of younger or more casual gamers, but it’s doubtful that any core gamers will bite on it.