GameStop stops selling Sony PSP in a quarter of its stores

GameStop has revealed that it has stopped selling Sony's PlayStation Portable console in 25 percent of its retail stores, which may signal the beginning of the end for the console.

With the release of Sony's PS Vita console a few months ago, the end now seems to be in sight for Sony's first portable game console, the PSP. Kotaku reports that GameStop will stop selling the PSP in about 25 percent of its retail stores in the US.

A GameStop representative told the website, "The consolidation is occurring to maximize the merchandising space in the smallest 25 (percent) of stores. It will also provide a greater assortment in those stores that will continue to carry the category." In addition to the other 75 percent of its stores, GameStop will continue to sell the PSP on its website.

The first hardware version of the PSP launched in Japan in December 2004, with the US and Europe getting their launches in March and September 2005, respectively. As of September 2011, Sony has sold a total of 71.4 million units of the PSP worldwide.

So far, Sony has sold 1.8 million units of the PS Vita worldwide since it launched in Japan in December 2011 and in the US and Europe in February 2012. Those numbers were revealed earlier this week as part of Sony's quarterly conference call with financial analysts, according to Gamaustra.