The predecessor of the PS3, PS2, is still undefeatable in sales. Despite being released long ago in the year 2000, the PS2 until now is still sold at every gaming shop worldwide, and is still the best-selling console ever produced. Besides having a lot of excellent titles, there is another important factor of why the PS2 is so successful – piracy.

In first world countries like America and Japan, piracy may not look like something important. But in poor countries piracy plays a major role in gaming. The PS3 remains unaffordable by most third world citizens not just because the expensive price of the console itself but also the price of the original games. Unlike the PS2, pirated PS3 games are yet to be produced as ‘pirates’ are still not successful in doing so. An average third world citizen living in a city whose monthly income does not even exceed $500 USD sees no point in buying the console.

The PS2 on the other hand which plays DVD games can be easily modded locally. These modded consoles are able to play pirated games which do not cost more than $2 USD each. Roughly PS3 games cost 30 times more than these pirated PS2 games.

These pirated games only cost less than $2 USD.

Because of the steep increase in the price of games, the Xbox 360 and the Wii become the alternatives to the PS3. Modded Xbox 360s and Wiis can run pirated games just as smooth as the original ones and their games are only as cheap as the pirated PS2 games.