Japanese electronics firm Sony has halted the production of its PlayStation 2 (PS2) consoles in the home market, fuelling rumours that it is engaging manufacturing resources for the PlayStation 4 (PS4).
Since its launch in March 2000, the PS2 sales reached more than 150 million globally, which outsold its replacement for the initial three years that the PlayStation 3 was being offered.
According to a report, the firm will continue the production of software for the console and the shipments have been completed for the hardware of PS2.
Sony, which with its software partners has developed about 11,000 games overall for the gadget over its 12-year lifespan, is expected to release the PS4 in mid-2013.
The Japanese manufacturer has yet to say whether it will halt production of the gadget for other territories too.
The reports also reveal that the PS2 is recognized with being the best-selling game console of all time and its deployment is also thought to have supported the rise of DVDs, as a drive for the disks was incorporated into the machine.
The sales of the PlayStation 3, which had been launched in the US in November 2006, has reached 70 million total units in November 2012.
