The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console that was manufactured by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is Sony's second installment in the PlayStation Series. It was released on March 4, 2000, in Japan followed by North America and Europe later the same year. The sixth-generation console competed with the Sega Dreamcast, Microsoft Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube. The PlayStation 2 went on to become the best-selling video game console in history, selling over 155 million units. More than 3,874 game titles have been released for the PS2 since launch, and more than 1.5 billion copies have been sold.