PlayStation (console)
A fifth-generation console that popularized CD-ROM gaming.
The PlayStation (also known by its codename PSX, abbreviated as PS, and later called the PS1 or PS one) was a home video game console built by Sony Computer Entertainment. It launched in Japan on 3 December 1994, then arrived in North America on 9 September 1995, and in Europe on 29 September 1995, with other regions following later. As a fifth-generation machine, its main rivals were the Nintendo 64 and the Sega Saturn.
Sony started work on the PlayStation after a partnership with Nintendo to create a CD-ROM add-on for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System fell through in the early 1990s. Ken Kutaragi, along with Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan, led the console’s design, with extra development work outsourced to the United Kingdom. The system was built with a strong focus on 3D polygon graphics. Sony also made game production straightforward and open, which encouraged many third-party developers to support it.
The console became popular because of its large library of games, well-known franchises, low price, and marketing aimed at teenagers and adults. Key titles that defined the system include *Gran Turismo*, *Crash Bandicoot*, *Spyro the Dragon*, *Tomb Raider*, *Resident Evil*, *Metal Gear Solid*, *Tekken 3*, *Final Fantasy VII*, and *Silent Hill*. Sony stopped making the PlayStation on 23 March 2006—more than eleven years after its release, and the same year the PlayStation 3 came out. Over 4,000 games were released for the console, selling a total of 962 million units.
The PlayStation marked Sony’s rise to dominance in the video game industry. It earned strong reviews and sold very well; within less than ten years, it became the first home entertainment platform to ship over 100 million units. Its use of compact discs pushed the industry away from cartridges. The console’s success led to a line of successors, starting with the PlayStation 2 in 2000. That same year, Sony released a smaller, cheaper version called the PS one.
**History**
**Background**
The PlayStation was first thought up by Ken Kutaragi, a Sony executive who ran a hardware engineering division and later became known as "the Father of the PlayStation." His interest in video games grew after watching his daughter play on Nintendo’s Famicom.
Quick Facts
- Codename
- PSX
- Aka
- PS · PS1 · PS one (redesign)
- Developer
- Sony Computer Entertainment
- Manufacturer
- Sony Electronics
- Family
- PlayStation
- Generation
- Fifth
- Discontinued
- EU: 19 October 2001(PS one only) / WW: 23 March 2006
- Units Sold
- Worldwide: 102.49 million / North America: 40.78 million / Europe: 40.12 million / Asia: 21.59 million
- Media
- CD
- Cpu
- R3000
- Cpu Speed
- 33.87 MHz
- Memory
- 2 MB RAM, 1 MB Video RAM (2MB in SCPH-7501 and later)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Sony began developing the PlayStation after a failed venture with Nintendo to create a CD-ROM peripheral for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in the early 1990s. The console was primarily designed by Ken Kutaragi and Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan, with additional development outsourced in the United Kingdom. An emphasis on 3D polygon graphics was placed at the forefront of the console's design. PlayStation game production was designed to be streamlined and inclusive, enticing the support of many third party developers.
The inception of the PlayStation dates back to a 1988 joint venture between Nintendo and Sony to produce a CD-ROM add-on for the SNES, tentatively titled the 'Play Station' or 'SNES-CD'. Nintendo later cancelled the partnership at the 1991 Consumer Electronics Show, instead allying with Philips. Incensed by Nintendo's renouncement, Sony executives decided to develop their own console. Sony severed all ties with Nintendo on 4 May 1992. To determine the fate of the project, a meeting was chaired in June 1992 where Kutaragi unveiled a proprietary CD-ROM-based system with immersive 3D graphics, gaining the enthusiasm of president Norio Ohga despite opposition from older Sony executives who saw Nintendo and Sega as 'toy' manufacturers.
The console proved popular for its extensive game library, popular franchises, low retail price, and aggressive youth marketing which advertised it as the preferable console for adolescents and adults. Its use of compact discs heralded the game industry's transition from cartridges. Sony released a smaller and cheaper model, the PS one, in 2000.
Reader's Guide
The PlayStation's significance lies in its role as the first computer entertainment platform to ship over 100 million units, signaling Sony's rise to power in the video game industry. Its use of compact discs marked the game industry's transition from cartridges, and its streamlined game production attracted extensive third-party developer support. The console's success led to a line of successors, beginning with the PlayStation 2 in 2000. Critically acclaimed games that defined the console include Gran Turismo, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, Tomb Raider, Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid, Tekken 3, Final Fantasy VII, and Silent Hill. Sony ceased production of the PlayStation on 23 March 2006—over eleven years after its release, and in the same year the PlayStation 3 debuted. More than 4,000 PlayStation games were released, with cumulative sales of 962 million units. The console's legacy includes its aggressive youth marketing and its role in establishing Sony as a dominant force in home entertainment.
Did You Know?
- Ken Kutaragi, known as 'the Father of the PlayStation', nearly lost his job for working with Nintendo without Sony's knowledge.
- The console's name was originally trademarked by Yamaha, but Sony acquired it for an undisclosed sum.
More in Video Game Consoles by Generation 1-24
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