From casual drinks in a London pub to a phone call outside a Chinese restaurant in Windsor, the decisions made in these diverse settings played a crucial role in shaping the success of Sony's PlayStation 2. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in North America today, the PS2's triumph as the best-selling console can be attributed to various factors, including its extensive game library, early advantage over the Xbox, and affordability as a DVD player. However, the exclusive deal that brought three iconic Grand Theft Auto games to the PS2 before any other platform was a key factor in its dominance.