We've known for a couple of weeks that Sony is laying the PlayStation 2 to rest, with reports in late December that the last official PlayStation 2 game will be released in March of this year. We also heard that Sony will no longer be selling the PlayStation 2 in Japan. Now, we know that applies worldwide.
Sony confirmed the news to the Guardian, which reported on Friday that “all PS2 production has ended worldwide.” The article also explores some of the history of the console, which is “the most successful home games machine of all time” with 150 million units sold in its twelve years of existence, thanks to “cunning design, excellent games and great timing.”
Though the PS2's lifespan had to come to an end at some point, especially if we see a PlayStation 4 soon, it's still a shame to have to mark the passing of this extraordinarily successful console. After all, with the rise of “casual” gaming (smartphones, Facebook), and the subsequent over-saturation of the market (see Ouya, GameStick, the newly announced Project SHIELD, etc.), it's unlikely we'll see a console like the PS2 achieve the same kind of omnipresence ever again.
