190w ago - The PS2 turns nine years old this week, which Sony originally launched in the US sporting a $299 price tag.

The slimline PlayStation 2 console, introduced in 2004, still remains available on store shelves for a retail price of $99.

According to Sony Computer Entertainment America, the console has a worldwide installed base of nearly 140 million, with a library approaching 10,000 games having sold more than 500 million copies combined.

Although Nintendo's GameCube and Microsoft's original Xbox ceased production years ago, Sony today declared that the PS2 "shows no signs of slowing down" at the tail end of its 10-year life span.

According to the NPD Group, the PS2 sold 146,000 last month, down from 173,500 in September 2008 and 215,000 in September of 2007.

To quote from Sony's Senior Public Relations Specialist Abby Reyes:

"There's no set date for when the life cycle of PlayStation 2 will end. As long as people keep playing, and publishers keep putting out great new titles, the console's life cycle will continue.

The longevity of the PlayStation 2 can be directly attributed to its versatility. Because it's not only a game console, but a home entertainment hub, it has found its place in one out of every three U.S. households....

254w ago - Our ears are so close to the ground they're all mossy. Highly placed sources said today that the real reason for Phil Harrison's departure from Sony was that work is now starting on PS4 and deja vu was setting in.

"He could see he was about to get involved in another PlayStation cycle, and obviously wanted something new," we were told. "The same thing was happening again and he'd been through it enough times to want to move on."

The timing of Harrison's decision to leave Sony confused many, given that PS3 was finally starting to bloom after a troubled seedling period. The PlayStation front-man announced he was to quit in February, giving no reason for the move.

He immediately joined Infogrames as president, saying he was finding the company's focus on casual gaming and an increased influence on internet business models "very exciting".

Bet PS4 doesn't have two HDMI ports either! :P