PS2 launched in Europe

The sequel to the Sony PlayStation 2's premier in the US played out in Europe Friday. Sony delayed the European launch of the console because of difficulties encountered manufacturing sufficient quantities of the game systems, and implemented a process of "pre-ordering" in an effort to stop the kind of bidding frenzy that took place in North America. Regardless, many of the first systems bought quickly appeared for sale on auction sites. A half million systems are scheduled to arrive in Europe before Christmas. Europe is reportedly the largest market for game systems and, in Britain, almost one out of four households has a PlayStation.

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