Sony: 'PS3 to outpace PS2'

Sony has claimed that the PlayStation 3 will enjoy a longer lifecycle than the PlayStation 2, according to Edge magazine.

In an interview with the publication, SCE Europe head Andrew House said that the current generation machine will "significantly outpace" its predecessor, due to its additional functionality.

"If you look at the PS2, still in some markets going very strong, especially in North America in its tenth year on the market, we still can't predict where that lifecycle will end," he said.

"I have a theory that with successive generations, and with more value added and built into the console in terms of experience - and let's not forget that the PS2 really didn't offer a tremendously robust network experience - that what you effectively do is potentially lengthen that lifecycle more and more as you get to the next iteration."

The PlayStation 2 is currently in its tenth year, having launched in 1999. Twenty games are currently scheduled for release on the platform in 2010, extending its lifecycle by one year.