Key Highlights:
- Sony has ended production of the PlayStation 2 in Japan after more than 12 years.
- The PS2 had already sold more than 150 million units worldwide by the time manufacturing began winding down.
- Sony confirmed two days later that PlayStation 2 production had ended worldwide.
Sony has ended production of the PlayStation 2 in Japan, bringing the console’s remarkable manufacturing run towards its conclusion more than 12 years after its original launch.
The PS2 first launched in Japan on 4 March 2000 before reaching North America in October and Europe in November that year. Sony had sold more than 150 million consoles worldwide by the time production began winding down.
Its longevity meant the PlayStation 2 remained in production throughout most of the PlayStation 3 generation. The console combined games with DVD playback and later supported online multiplayer, while its software library included series such as Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid, Grand Theft Auto and Final Fantasy.
At the time of today’s news, reports specifically concerned the end of PlayStation 2 production in Japan. Speculation also linked the timing to Sony’s next console, which had yet to be officially announced.
The wider picture became clear shortly afterwards. On 4 January 2013, Sony confirmed that PlayStation 2 production had ended worldwide.
The anticipated successor was also close. Sony officially unveiled the PlayStation 4 the following month, on 20 February 2013, before launching the console later that year.
More than a decade after PS2 production ended, Sony revised the console’s lifetime sales total. PlayStation now records more than 160 million PS2 consoles sold worldwide, leaving it as one of the most successful pieces of gaming hardware ever released.
Source – The Guardian
