On October 26, the long-awaited PlayStation2 finally arrived in the US. Anticipation had been at such a fever pitch that the major question during the Dreamcast launch last September was whether it could withstand the mighty PS2 -- more than a year before it was even scheduled to appear.

Sony's first PlayStation was released as long-shot competition for the Super Nintendo, and given little to no chance of succeeding. Since, it has sold an unbelievable 73 million units, shocking Nintendo and handily dominating the console wars. With a massive base of PlayStation users, technical specs that leapfrog the Dreamcast and the ability to play DVDs, the PS2 is Sony's big shot to end up on top of America's TV sets. So is the next-generation console war over before it even really begins? Not quite.

Trouble in Paradise
The launch was marred by production problems. The initial layout of 1,000,000 units was cut back to 500,000 due to an unspecified holdup just weeks before the launch, and stores and websites stopped taking preorders. As it stands, Sony has pledged to supply 100,000 units a week until Christmas to meet demand, which would bring the total number of PS2s in America to 1.3 million, assuming demand continues -- and Sony can deliver. According to FGN Online, retailers are already being told that more units may not be as easy to come by as initial promises suggested.

Next page: Paranoid gamers and a $2,500 PS2

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