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Something is only worth what people will pay for it. And these days, they'll pay more for a PlayStation 2 in Japan. Capitalism!
The SCPH-90000 is the final edition of the PlayStation 2. It's the super slim console that Sony launched in 2007 in Japan for ¥16,000 (US$170 in today's money) .
This past December, however, Sony stopped shipping the PlayStation 2 domestically in Japan. Last month, it was confirmed that Sony ceased PS2 production worldwide, ending an impressive run that began on March 4, 2000 when the console launched in Japan. Sony sold over 150 million units globally, making it the biggest-selling home game console ever.
Anyhoo, Japanese site IT Media points out that the PS2's market value has been increasing over the past few months. This doesn't mean Sony has raised the price (it hasn't). Rather, it means that retailers are charging more for whatever remaining PS2 consoles they have in stock.
Market value site Kakaku.com tracks the PS2 as spiking from an average price of ¥20,000 ($213) late last year. For most of this year, the PS2 has been priced on average at around ¥30,000, which is $320. (Keep in mind, the manufacturer's suggested retail price is still ¥16,000!) On January 11, it even spiked to nearly ¥40,000 ($426), before dropping back down to the ¥30,000 ($320) neighborhood. Around that same time, Sony confirmed that it was ceasing PS2 production worldwide.
If you have a new SCPH-90000 series PS2, keep it in its box. Don't open it. Don't play it. That console is now a collector's item.
