Sony has ceased production of its PlayStation 2 games console worldwide, it has revealed.
The electronics giant has confirmed that its long-serving machine has finally been decommissioned – 12 years after it was launched back in 2000. The successor to the original PlayStation ended up with a library of more than 10,000 games titles by 2011, with 1.52billion individual games sold since launch.
The console – which saw the release of ground-breaking titles such as Grand Theft Auto III – sold more than 150 million units in its lifetime.
According to The Guardian, Its success was down to three factors: cunning design, excellent games and great timing. Sony’s decision to include a DVD player meant the machine found its way into living rooms, exposing many more to gaming. It trounced its underpowered rivals, the Nintendo GameCube and Sega Dreamcast, and became the exclusive home of must-have games such as Grand Theft Auto III, Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid – dominating an era in which developers were changing the rules of game design, crafting ambitious cinematic experiences and vast open-world adventures.
Grand Theft Auto Vice City (Rockstar): Heavily inspired by Brian De Palma’s Scarface movie, this scorching adventure featured twisted characters, violent action and a great 80s soundtrack.
Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty (Konami): Combining cinematic storytelling with tense stealth action, Konami’s Metal Gear Solid series became one of PlayStation 2’s key brands, showcasing the power of the hardware, but also a new era of mature, sophisticated design.
Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec (Sony): Gran Turismo revolutionalised the driving genre. Suddenly, car manufacturers were battling to get their latest models into racing sims.
Shadow of the Colossus (Sony): A beautiful and enigmatic adventure that proved that there was much more to gaming than guns and cars. In the 2007 film Reign Over Me, the main character uses the game as therapy after the loss of his family in 9/11.
SingStar (Sony): Alongside the long-running rock sim Guitar Hero, this karaoke series attracted a whole new audience of casual users.Sony is currently selling the PS3, but is expected to release the successor to that console next year.
Sony is currently selling the PS3, but is expected to release the successor to that console next year.
