Short answers, pulled from the story.
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console created by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was co-developed by Sony and Toshiba, with Ken Kutaragi serving as the primary visionary behind the project.
The PlayStation 2 launched in Japan on the 4th of March 2000. The launch was chaotic with over 10,000 people queuing across Tokyo and some waiting four days in advance to purchase the system.
The PlayStation 2 sold 160 million units worldwide. It remains the best-selling video game console of all time with no other console surpassing this sales figure.
The PlayStation 2 officially ended production on the 4th of January 2013. The last game for the system, Pro Evolution Soccer 2014, was released in the United Kingdom on the 8th of November 2013.
The Emotion Engine was a custom-built processor co-developed by Sony and Toshiba that delivered 6.2 gigaflops at 300 MHz. It was designed to render 7.5 million to 16 million polygons per second and consisted of eight separate units integrated onto a single die.
Sony included a DVD drive to make the console a loss leader for the DVD market and ensure mass adoption. This strategy allowed the PlayStation 2 to expand its appeal beyond traditional gamers and accelerate the adoption of DVD technology in households worldwide.