Sony to Halt Playstation 3 Production in Japan

Production of the PlayStation 3 will soon be halted in Japan, according to an announcement posted on the official PlayStation Japan website.

A translation for the post says that “shipments are scheduled to conclude soon” on the black 500 GB PS3, the only version of the console still being manufactured in Japan.

Many see the announcement as signaling the end of the popular gaming console’s manufacturing run worldwide.

Ken Kutaragi, the former Sony exec and “father of the Playstation,” said the console was expected to have a 10-year life cycle. The console was released in 2006, and has exceeded its planned life. As of March 2016, 85 million PS3 units were sold. The PS3 underwent several design changes over its lifetime, including the introduction of the PlayStation 3 Slim and PlayStation 3 Super Slim models.

Among the console’s most popular titles: Uncharted 2, Grand Theft Auto V, and The Last of Us.

Its successor, the PlayStation 4, was released in November 2013.

“After mindful thought, we chose to move our concentration and assets to PlayStation 4 and Windows PC to additionally create and enhance the client experience on these two gadgets. This move places us in the best position to develop the service much further,” Sony posted in February.

Consequently, the PlayStation Now service for the PS3, PlayStation Vita and PlayStation TV will discontinue in August 2017.

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