Sony has finally pulled the plug on the PlayStation 2 in Japan, marking the end of an era that started with the console's release 18 years ago.
The current-generation consoles, the PlayStation 4, the Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch, are all still chasing the PlayStation 2, which holds the title as the best-selling video game console in history.
PlayStation 2 Customer Support, Repair Service Ends In Japan
PlayStation 2 production ended several years ago, but Sony Japan still provided aftercare service for the console through the PlayStation Clinic. Unfortunately, that has also come to an end, as Sony pulls the last plug on the massively popular console.
Sony Japan reportedly asked PlayStation 2 owners to accomplish online forms by Aug. 31 for any final repairs that they wanted to request for the console. PlayStation 2 units that arrive at the PlayStation Clinic service center after Sept. 7 will no longer be receiving repairs.
PlayStation 2 owners who did not register online in time only had until Aug. 31 to send in their consoles for repairs. On that day, PlayStation 2 customer support in Japan also officially ended.
PlayStation 2 owners may still attempt to have their units fixed in third-party repair companies, but Sony will no longer accept the console for service.
The PlayStation 2 remains the most popular video game console of all time, with estimated sales of over 150 million units and staying on store shelves for 13 years. However, all good things come to an end, and in the case of the PlayStation 2, the end arrives in the form of no more repair service or customer support.
The Popularity Of The PlayStation 2
Is the PlayStation 2 still popular? It is hard to imagine that an 18-year-old console will continue to shape the video game industry, but the PlayStation 2 is doing just that.
Of course, that does not mean that the PlayStation 2 is selling better than the PlayStation 4. The 2000 console, however, is still influencing the current leader of the video game console wars.
PlayStation 2 classics, such as Shadow of the Colossus, have been remastered to bring into the PlayStation 4, with upcoming titles including Onimusha: Warlords. Hackers, meanwhile, are still hard at work in unlocking PlayStation 2 emulation for the PlayStation 4.
Sony, however, is not the only video game company that is still affected by the PlayStation 2. The Nintendo Switch, hot on the heels of the PlayStation 4, broke a sales record held by the PlayStation 2 in Japan, using the 18-year-old console as a benchmark to gauge its own success.
