The PlayStation 2 has come a long way. Since its initial release in Japan on March 4th back in the year 2000 (October 26th for the west), the successor to the original PlayStation console reigned for years as THE home console to have and continues to sell to this day. But while the console may sell, what about new software?
After its first year on the market where a paltry 120 games were released in Japan, the PlayStation 2 gradually increased its game library every year until reaching a peak in 2004 with 464 games released in Japan. In 2006, with the release of the PlayStation 3, game numbers took a dive with only 332 games in 2006. After that, with the PlayStation 3 finding its foothold in the market, the number of PlayStation 2 games gradually dropped as Sony moved its support over to the new console until eventually, in 2011, only 6 games were released for the entire year.
Now, 12 years after its initial release, with the world moving towards digital download versions of games, the stream of PlayStation games has come to a stop with zero games released or scheduled for release in Japan. After 12 years and 2875 games under its belt in Japan, that’s quite an accomplishment. Still, while the console itself remains popular, with no new games, it is only a matter of time before well dries up and people move on.
But looking through Weekly Famitsu‘s game release schdule, one game remains in the PS2 column. Scheduled for release in 2013, it looks to be the last official PlayStation 2 game. The title for this last breath from the PlayStation 2?
Final Fantasy XI: Adoulin no Makyou
… OK, So it’s an expansion to a decade old MMORPG. And, yes, while it’s slated for 2013, there is no specific date set. Still, it’s the final proof that the PlayStation 2 console lives on for a little while longer.
In related news, SCEA Vice President of Hardware Marketing announced that Sony intends to continue support of the PlayStation 3 until at least the year 2015.
ファミ通.com [ファミ通.com]
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