About the ps adverts: I really liked how they really made the ps seem like the "underground" system with things you wouldnt traditionally find elsewhere. The sort of rebel or techno underground vibe you got when you popped in your new demo from the PSU (playstation underground).
Sadly, today, its been very corporate etc, and even the PSU is very polished and refined in attitude and appearance. You just dont see that edge that the ps had. One thing i think that contributes to this in this generation is just the fact that the gaming world is very fixated on graphics and since the ps2 isnt very small dev friendly, we dont get to see all those unique or sleeper hit titles.