Update:

The PlayStation 2 is no longer being manufactured anywhere, Sony has confirmed.

So long, old friend.

Original story:

Sony Japan has stopped manufacturing PlayStation 2 units, according to Famitsu.

The PlayStation 2 made its worldwide debut in Japan on March 4, 2000, and reached New Zealand on November 30 that same year.

Production was halted on December 28 2012, so the console was in manufactured in Japan for a total of 12 years and nine months.

The PlayStation 2 is the best-selling console of all time, with estimated sales exceeding 155 million worldwide.

A factor in its initial popularity is thought to have been its DVD drive, as it was one of the cheapest on the market at the time.

More than 10,000 games are available for the system and new titles are still being produced for it, such as Final Fantasy XI Online expansion Seekers of Adoulin, which is due to be released in March this year.

The PlayStation 2 saw numerous hardware revisions over its lifetime, including several slimline designs and notably the Japan-only PSX, which incorporated a digital video recorder and DVD burner.

The PlayStation 2 remained so popular that it outsold the PlayStation 3 for the first three years that the latter was available.

It is still being produced and sold in territories outside Japan.