- The original PlayStation celebrates its 29th anniversary today.
- It was created after Nintendo pulled out of a deal with Sony, encouraging the company to try its own hand at gaming.
- The console is now celebrated as a revolutionary piece of hardware, changing the gaming landscape forever.
Console gaming is more popular than ever, with PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo dominating the market. However, things would’ve been much different if Nintendo and Sony successfully collaborated nearly three decades ago.
Over thirty years ago, Sony and Nintendo partnered for an add-on to the SNES. However, things didn’t work out between them, and both parted ways after a sudden change of heart from Nintendo.
Following this decision, Sony entered the gaming industry with the PlayStation, and this console is now 29 years old.
Why it matters: Since this was Sony’s first real attempt at gaming, it was a make-it-or-break-it situation for the company. Fortunately, the original PlayStation exceeded all expectations.
On 3 December 1994, the first PlayStation console was launched in Japan. Over the next few months, this console reached different parts of the world, including America and Europe.
Much like Sony’s other consoles, this was a groundbreaking release. With 3D graphics and a new style of controller, the PlayStation became a hit in no time. Its library of games was also stellar in the late 1990s.
Games like Final Fantasy 7 were released for the console just three years later, establishing Sony as a major competitor in the market. Further collaborations with studios like Konami ensured that the PlayStation had no shortage of support from the biggest studios.
The original PlayStation’s success was vital to the legacy of the PS2 and PS3, which are also nearly two decades old.
Not only did Sony have great third-party titles like Tekken, but it also acquired studios to develop games much faster. Soon after the console’s release, the company acquired Psygnosis, its first studio back then.
Therefore, the original PlayStation became a commercial success. It sold over 102 million units, beating the likes of the PS3 and becoming one of the top 10 best-selling consoles of all time.
Though the console is almost three decades old, it holds a special place for millions of gamers who grew up in the late 1990s.
IPs like Crash Bandicoot and Gran Turismo were introduced for the PlayStation, and they are still relevant to this day. Ultimately, Sony hit the jackpot on its first attempt at the gaming business.
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