Sony ended new US console sales in January
Much maligned retailer GameStop has confirmed via front counter placards posted at all locations that it will end PlayStation 2 trade-ins and future console sales on June 1st. Since being launched in 2000, the console was responsible for ushering in the DVD home video era as well as outselling the Dreamcast to the point that Sega was forced to end console and hardware development in both the US and Japan.
Image via Reddit
GameStop is officially ending trade-ins after 13 years, which saw the company grow along with the console, as a large percentage of sales volume for the chain was built on the strength of the console’s massive library of titles, which included the Metal Gear series, Gran Turismo, Killzone, Jak and Daxter, Sly Cooper and the equally massive library of RPGs from such publishers such as Square-Enix, Atlus, Namco Bandai and smaller publishers.
That GameStop is ending Playstation 2 trade-ins and sales shouldn’t come as a surprise, as the last new game to be released for the system in the US was released last year and new consoles were discontinued in January to prepare for the PlayStation 4 and to clear out the distribution channels of old inventory ahead of its release later this year. My fondest memories in gaming were aided by the PS2 so this change marks the end of an era for me.
Now I ask you, the reader what your fondest memories of gaming on the PS2 as a result of a trade-in at GameStop or even your best haul after gaming the system to get the most out of their trade-in specials? Better yet, anyone remember the Great Memory Card Shortage of 2002-03 that forced the chain to import memory cards from Japan?
Update: GameStop has issued the following statement on the ending of trade-ins and has confirmed that sales of available stock will continue.
“We can confirm that as of June 1st we will no longer be accepting the PS2 console or its related product for trades. We know that the 12 year old system is a popular one and for many gamers, GameStop is the only place to find a great selection of its games. We will still offer a wide selection of the PS2 hardware, accessories and games in many of our stores and online for several months, based on remaining stock from trades.
We are very excited about the upcoming PS4 and are making room in our stores for it and other new platforms expected this fall.”
First, there is Star Wars: The Old Republic. This game was a highly anticipated mass multiplayer RPG that was released in December 2011. The game was announced free-to-play in November 2012, but with many restrictions. A player can choose to play as either Republic or Empire, and one of four classes in each faction as well as a multitude of species. And to top it all off, you can even choose your alignment (light-side or dark-side) Although there are eight classes in all, each class has an “evil twin”, so to speak. The Republic classes Jedi Knight, Jedi Consular, Smuggler, and Trooper, match with the Empire classes Sith Warrior, Sith Inquisitor, Imperial Officer, and Bounty Hunter, respectively. The abilities and roles in the game are all similar except in name and action display. The stories for each of the eight classes, however, are different. Each story has three chapters as well as unique companion stories. Of all the stories, I think the most interesting are the Sith Inquisitor, Bounty Hunter, and Jedi Knight. If you want to know why, play for yourself and find out.
The next RPG is not really considered role-playing, but it is very close and has an amazing story. Almost every action you do in this game affects the ending and you never know which action that is until it is too late. This thought-provoking and emotional game is called Heavy Rain. Released in February 2010, this game was made by the French developer Quantic Dream. The player follows four main characters who are all investigating the town for a serial killer called the Origami Killer. Each character has their own reasons for chasing this murderer, but their main goal is to save the next victim of the Killer, a young boy. Of all the individual stories, the most heart-warming is that of Ethan Mars, whom we begin playing as and the father of the victim. As mentioned before, most of the actions done in this game affect the ending. If a certain section of the story is failed or the player does not complete a certain task, the game continues on.
One of the oldest RPG games I remember playing (that was actually good) was Fable, played on the first generation Xbox. I was surprised to see that Fable was frequently voted one of the worst games of the decade, seeing as it was voted one of the best the year it was released (2004). The player starts the game as a simple farm boy. Your first quest of the game is to get a box of chocolates for your sister’s birthday. But your life changes when your village is attacked and burned down by bandits. You are transported to safety at an academy called the Heroes’ Guild and from there, the farm boy learns to become a hero. Because this game was one of the first big RPGs of the decade, the actions you decide in the game do not influence what happens at the end. But you do have to work for your new abilities, armor, and strength. There were two sequels made for this game, but neither of them seemed as good as the first Fable.
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