PlayStation Turns 30: How Sony Revolutionized Gaming

On December 3, 1994, the PlayStation went on sale in Japan, Sony’s first foray into the video game market, then dominated by Sega and Nintendo.

It was a global success, especially among a more mature audience, which elevated the Japanese manufacturer to the status of a leader in the sector.

But in reality it all started with a fight between Sony, which was already successful after the invention of the Walkman, and the market leader in the early 1990s, Nintendo.

The two companies planned an alliance to launch a CD player compatible with the Super Nintendo console. But that project fell apart when the creator of Mario changed course and went into partnership with the Dutch company Philips.

“Sony was in a humble position and decided to launch the Play Station (the name of the prototype developed for Nintendo) as an independent console,” explained Hiroyuki Maeda, a Japanese expert in the history of video games.

Aware of the lack of knowledge, the electronics maker targeted young adults, in part through unconventional advertising campaigns.

“It is an audience with more purchasing power than children, who used to be the main target of Nintendo consoles,” said Philippe Dubois, president of the French association for the preservation of digital heritage, M05.

Able to play audio CDs, the device may appeal to users outside the realm of video games. This marketing technique was used with the PlayStation 2 and its DVD drive, and later with the PS3 and its Blu-Ray drive.

“The emergence of the adult video game market was driven by the PlayStation,” affirms Dubois.

– The move to 3D –

For Hiroyuki Maeda, “the PlayStation changed the history of video games. It changed everything: hardwarehe softwaredistribution and marketing.”

This change in focus was also accompanied by a technological revolution.

“For many gamers it was the gateway to the major evolution of the mid-90s: the move to 3D,” says Dubois.

Sports games, fighting, racing… Many creative studios chose Sony consoles to try this new technology, attracted by the development programs that were cheaper than those of the competition and the CD format, still uncommon and with more the storage capacity of the cartridges.

This “3D fever” gave rise to classics like Tomb Raider (1996), Resident Evil (1996) and Final Fantasy VII (1997).

– Legacy –

Sony managed to exceed its expectations: the manufacturer, which was looking for at least one million sales to cover development costs, ended up selling more than 102 million units.

“[La PlayStation] “It changed the landscape of the video game world,” Dubois said. “He brought a number of important revolutions that shaped the current market and, without him, that would have been completely different. “

This unique cocktail of technology, content and innovation was “a miracle,” sums up Hiroyuki Maeda.

The impact lives on in the minds of today’s creators.

“This is the first console from which I have memories of games that marked me and now inspire me,” says Bastien Giaferi, French developer of the indie hit The Operator in 2024.

This legacy can also be seen in the fans of the console, which has reached its fifth generation. In early November, Sony launched a more powerful Pro version of the PlayStation 5, along with a series of limited edition products that pay homage to the gray color of the original console.

“The customs, the games, the logos, the images… Everything that has been launched on a cultural level in video games, I think there will be nothing like it,” Dubois says. mourning, which predicts that consoles will disappear in the future in favor of the flow of internet games. (YO)