GameStop takes PlayStation 2 off store shelves to prep for Wii U
The company says the console hasn't been removed from every store, but that it won't be available on the coasts.
GameStop is entering the end of an era.
The company told The Verge in an interview published recently that the PlayStation 2 is starting to be removed from store shelves to make room for the hardware that will be launching in the coming years.
"The PS2 is a unique one -- we still generate a whole lot of profit off PS2 sales, but we're going to keep PS2 where PS2 does sell, and we won't put it in stores where we see really lapsed sales," Mike Dzura, GameStop's senior vice president of store operations, told The Verge.
Dzura went on to say that the PlayStation 2 will be removed from many stores on "the coasts" of the U.S.
"The heartland of the U.S. tends to catch the wave a little bit later than the coasts to a degree," Dzura said. "So we kinda bring it in, and we'll take it out of the stores where the shelves would be better served by next-generation product, or they're just small stores where they can't fit it in."
Sony launched the PlayStation 2 in 2000. Soon after, the device became a megahit, dominating the Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo GameCube. Last year, Sony announced that it had shipped 150 million PlayStation 2 units since its launch, making it the most popular Sony console to date.
The PlayStation 2 has also proved to be a console with outstanding lasting power. It's extremely unlikely for a console to last much longer than a generation -- generally four to six years -- let alone more than a decade. The PlayStation 2 became the focal point of Sony's charge that it delivers hardware that can last more than a decade -- something the company claims its competition cannot match.
"The 10-year life cycle is a commitment we've made with every PlayStaiton consumer to date, and it's part of our philosophy that we provide hardware that will stand the test of time providing that fun experience you get from day one for the next decade," a Sony representative told CNET last year.
Now though, the time has come for the console to start moving off store shelves. As GameStop noted in the discussion with The Verge, Nintendo will be offering up its new console, the Wii U, later this year. It'll be followed next year or in 2014 by Microsoft's next Xbox and the follow-up to Sony's PlayStation 3.
Those still interested in getting their hands on the PlayStation 2, however, can do so. The device currently retails for $99.99.
