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PlayStation 2 reaches retirement age, is discontinued in Japan
Sony's PlayStation 3 has been on the market so long you'd think that production of the relatively ancient PS2 stopped some time ago. Well, that wasn't true, but according to the Japanese PlayStation website, the PS2 has now officially been discontinued in the region. Japanese site Famitsu adds that shipments of the console have ended, so once the remaining stock has been depleted in Japan, there'll be no replenishment. It's a sad thought, but let's remember the good times -- the PS2's various iterations have been entertaining gamers for 12 years, and with over 150 million units purchased worldwide it's become the best selling console in history. We're not sure if the PS2 is still shipping to other regions, but its retirement in Japan is probably the beginning of the end globally, so we'd recommend you pick one up now if you intend to explore that extensive back catalogue one day. The PS2 era may be drawing to a close, but its legacy will live on and it can now rub controllers with the other greats in console heaven -- we still miss you, Dreamcast. Update: Wiping a tear from its eye, SCE offered us this statement: Due to PlayStation 2 now being over 12 years old, we have decided to stop future production of the console and focus on our newer and more popular platforms, PS3, PS Move and PS Vita. We are very proud of what we have achieved with PS2. Having sold over 150m units worldwide, PlayStation 2 remains the world's best selling console, but with sales understandably declining, we are shifting our priorities to reflect this.
PlayStation now offers customer service via Twitter, probably won't help you jailbreak your PS3
Got a question about a PlayStation product? Have a Twitter account? If you answered yes to both, then you'd be interested to know about @AskPlayStation -- the official account for all of your PS concerns. They'll assist you via tweets Monday through Friday from 9:30AM - 5:00PM PST and will answer in real-time between the hours of 2 and 5 PST. Hit up the source link to get all of your inquiries answered -- just behave yourselves, OK?
Sony PS2 handheld mod looks downright gorgeous, just needs a battery pack (video)
Oh, sure -- we've seen N64 handhelds and PS3 laptops, but how's about a PS2 handheld? Now that your brain is sufficiently melted, allow us to introduce you to England's own techknott, also known as the man responsible for the gorgeous piece of playable art shown above. Apparently, this PlayStation 2 handheld was crafted for a client, and in an effort to cut down on costs, doesn't have a built-in battery pack. That said, it's still an awful lot more mobile than even a slim PS2, and quite a bit more handsome if we may say so ourselves. Head on past the break for a live action video, and feel free to drop him a line in the source link if you'd love to have one of your own. No discounts promised or implied, though. [Thanks, Palmer]
Trojan PS2 made of wood earns store credit for craftsman, shame for retailer
Ever wonder why retail boxes for videogame consoles have windows in them? It's so that retailers can scan the serial numbers when you buy them and then do so again should you decide to make a return, in theory preventing you from pulling a switcheroo. They're also supposed to take a peek inside and make sure that you're not trying to return a plastic shell and two turquoise weights, or a hunk of wood with a bar code sticker slapped on the back. Joystiq has acquired photos of what happens when they don't, submitted by a worker at a Sony distribution center, also showing an empty PS2 case full of towels and another with a flip-top cover still installed that (with a boot disc) enabled its former owner to circumvent that console's lackluster copy protection. All were returned by customers to retailers who then passed them right on to Sony, asking for credit. Surely the above craftsmanship is worth something, right?
Japanese hardware sales, 31 July - 6 August: heavy meta
Though we may frequently appear to be aloof, apathetic or altogether addicted to awe-inspiring alliteration, the Joystiq crew is actually attentively attuned to the needs of its readers and commenters. We know what you want, and what you want is what we know -- that is to say, we'll teach you how to make an official Joystiq Japanese sales chart post in the comfort of your very own home! Step 1: Create a terrible introductory paragraphThe introductory paragraph helps ease the reader into the wealth of information provided by one of these posts. It functions like a soft mattress placed in-between the reader and the pit of rusty nails that is the weekly onslaught of numbers. Make sure that the introductory paragraph is self-referential, wildly incoherent and not even remotely related to the actual sales numbers. You may introduce a second paragraph if you feel the mattress needs to be thicker, though it's recommended that you implement a silly allegory to maintain interest and "humor."A third paragraph, however, is most certainly not recommended. It will only serve to anger those that are eager to reach the actual information. Step 2: Insert the sales information obtained from Media Create:The ranking, according to number of units sold:- DS Lite: 163,572 13,281 (7.51%)- PSP: 49,352 6,748 (15.84%)- PS2: 25,987 464 (1.75%)- GBA SP: 2,784 555 (24.90%)- Game Boy Micro: 1,928 162 (9.17%)- Xbox 360: 1,389 857 (38.16%)- DS Phat: 1,159 371 (24.25%)- Gamecube: 904 135 (12.99%)- GBA: 34 25 (277.77%)- Xbox: 14 3 (27.27%)Step 3: Create a final paragraph (must be worse than introductory paragraph)In your final paragraph, you may opt to analyze the week's sales trends (the Xbox is always a hilarious topic), possibly referring to coinciding NPD reports or pointing out how the DS Lite outsells everything, in the universe, ever. Alternatively, you may use it as a denouement to any running jokes you regrettably started in Step 1. [Source: Media Create]
Japanese hardware sales, 24 July - 30 July: incredibly incalculable increase
Just as several wily commenters predicted last week, the original Xbox suddenly (and quite mysteriously) experiences a sales increase over its impressive tally of zero this week. The resulting percentage rise is so incredibly gargantuan and intimidating that it simply cannot be comprehended by the human mind, at least not without the aid of divine omnipotence or persistant alcohol poisoning. The ranking, according to number of units sold:- DS Lite: 176,853 85,600 (32.62%)- PSP: 42,604 6,666 (18.55%)- PS2: 26,451 4,163 (18.68%)- Xbox 360: 2,246 774 (52.58%)- GBA SP: 2,229 724 (24.52%)- Game Boy Micro: 1,766 356 (25.25%)- DS Phat: 1,530 4,814 (75.88%)- Gamecube: 1,039 37 (3.44%)- Xbox: 11 11 (infinite)- GBA: 9 11 (55.00%)Other points of interest this week include the Xbox 360's flirtation with the fourth position in the charts (and the huge gap between it and the PS2), the DS Phat's return to unpopular status and the vaguely demonic number of new PSP owners. [Source: Media Create]
Japanese hardware sales, 19 June - 25 June: the bigger they are
... the harder they fall. The Japanese population's brief rekindling of their romance with the DS Phat, showing a massive 1559% increase in sales last week, seems to have died out for now. Our obese friend takes the sharpest fall this week, with slimmer, trimmer machines like the Game Boy Micro and DS Lite faring better. The ranking, according to number of units sold:- DS Lite: 157,022 15,535 (10.98%)- PS2: 25,467 4,730 (22.81%)- PSP: 24,737 84 (0.34%)- DS Phat: 10,132 12,616 (55.46%)- GBA SP: 3,784 858 (18.48%)- Game Boy Micro: 1,502 208 (16.07%)- Gamecube: 1,197 195 (19.46%)- Xbox 360: 1,169 238 (16.92%)- GBA: 25 5 (25.00%)- Xbox: 10 5 (33.33%)The rest of the chart seems intentionally unremarkable, with the Lite reigning on top and the spinless Xbox sweeping the ground floor. Very soon, it will be expected to clean up the explosion of confetti and glitter accompanying the launch of the Noble Pink DS Lite.[Source: Media Create]
