I have owned the PS2 since about 2003. I would always play my friends, but I didn't actually go out and buy one until late in '03. Anyway, since I bought my first PS2 I have gone through three consoles. All broke the same way, all replaced with a brand new console. Last night I bought the special edition of Devil May Cry 3 and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.

I have played nothing but 360 for the last year so my PS2 had been collecting quite a bit of dust. I go to play DMC and I get through about an hour of it. I shut off the PS2 to go upstairs and do some chores. About two hours later I come back downstairs, turn it on to play and *poof* the back of the system starts to smoke AGAIN! I have somehow managed to fry a fourth PS2. That is like one PS2 a year since I bought the damn thing.

I am just wondering what the failure rate on these things is because I seem to be going through them like a hot knife through butter. I doubt I will be buying a fifth one because the money I have spent on these PS2's could have gone toward a PS3 or something worthwhile like that.

Is it seriously smoking? Or are you exaggerating?

Do you have it plugged in a surge protector? Maybe the power in your house sucks. Do you keep it on the carpet? Do you toss it around in the back yard with your old man?

I bought a PS2 in 2001 and it worked perfectly until I got rid if it in 05. I bought a slim and it's worked perfectly for over a year now.

Mine still works and I got it in 2001. The DVD player, however, always has been crap, not reading movies, etc.

The only big problem I've heard of them having is the disc read error because of the lens. I've had mine for 5 or 6 years and have never had a problem, still works just fine.

No it very much was producing real smoke. Like the power supply was burning up or something. I am not sure about the quality of my electricity but I know I have it plugged into one of those $150 monster surge protectors / multi-tap things. So I don't know whats going.

You are apparently playing the system in a convection oven. Seriously, the PlayStation 2 (after the first generation) is pretty reliable, so consider where it is located and if heat can be trapped in that area.

I've had mine since 2001 too and have had absolutely no issues with it whatsoever.

I guess I am in the minority. The unit itself is located on the T.V. stand shelfs. It is a pretty wide open area and the air flows rather smoothly. It isn't hot as it is in the coldest room in the house being in the basement near the central air ducts. I don't know. I already talked it over with the significant other and she said we might as well save for a PS3. *TWIST MY ARM*

I'd make sure there aren't any other environmental factors in play before you buy a PS3. They are a little more expensive to replace.

I'm still on a first generation and its a gift from a cousin. I gave my first gen to my brother and we have had no problems from either.

Shit can happen unfortunately. The only console I ever had trouble with was the DC, and that was well into it's life cycle. I'd recommend having some sort of extra warranty plan for your next PS2 (and any other console based on your luck!).

And it's not sitting on a TiVo or something?

No Tivo no nothing around it. It isn't getting any excess heat from the television either. The 360 is underneath it on the next shelf down but they aren't on and running at the same time so I really don't know. I thought maybe it may be from excessive dust but the T.V. gets dusted like twice a week so I have no clue whats going on with it.

This might sound dumb but make sure you ps2 vents have room to vent the hot air out. Make sure that hot air has room to dissipate and not just absorb into the stand. Also, make sure the vents on the ps2 are dust free. Dust can collect on them and make the unit run hot.

My launch system is still working fine. Even after years of manually opening and closing the tray to play imports.

The bad lasers on the PS2 are notorious...but smoking? I haven't heard of PS2s literally frying. Normally the disc drive/laser mechanism.

My first guess would be that the power in your house and/or that outlet is bad. A line conditioner might be needed on the circuit panel in the basement. There are voltage regulators on the inputs of console power supplies however if your line voltage is too high or too low this could eventually cause what you are describing. A surge protector no matter how expensive will NOT protect you if your phasing, amplitude, or frequency of the AC voltage is bad.

My advice is to call the local power company to check your house.

See...there's your problem. Your PS2 caught the red rings.