Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE) recently put a stop on PlayStation 2 in Japan. According to entertainment website Famitsu, the Japanese tech brand recently decided to halt the production of their best selling game console system. Sony sold over 150 million consoles since it’s debut in March 2000.
Fortunately for PlayStation 2 owners, this doesn’t mean that Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE) will stop making video games for the console. Next spring, the next installment for Final Fantasy will be released. Other games slated for release include “Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time” and “The Last of Us”.
So far there is no report on whether Sony will stop making the Playstation 2 for European and North American markets. This report also adds speculation that Sony may soon release the Playstation 4, most likely in 2013. It’s predicted that Sony will stop selling the second generation gaming console entirely by then.
When the Sony PlayStation 2 made it’s debut in the United States, it originally had 29 games with titles that included snowboarding game “SSX” and “Ridge Racer V”. From there it would expand to even more games and gaming franchises. The Sony PlayStation 2 will go down in history as one of the most memorable video game consoles.
Although Sony’s followup with the PS3 has since caught on, it’s not likely that it will ever enjoy the same magnitude of success the PS2 enjoyed. For one thing, the second generation game console generally changed the gaming industry in a significant way. It also helps that Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE) gave the PS2 a huge upgrade by giving it DVD playing capabilities. Despite Sony’s attempt to upgrade the PS3 by offering Blu-ray capabilities, the gadget has yet to make the exact same splash the PS2 had. Perhaps it’s because people have already moved on from Blu-Ray to digital downloads.
