The December 3, 2024 there PlayStation 1the iconic Sony console that revolutionized the world of video games, has accomplished 30 years. In fact, in 1994, in an era dominated by Nintendo and Sega consoles, Sony decided to enter a market that it still knew little about, but it did so with a revolutionary vision: to create a gaming platform that was not a simple toy, but a real and entertainment device for all ages. The PlayStation not only established itself as a technologically advanced product – thanks to the use of real-time 3D graphics and the use of CD-ROMs – but also became a cultural phenomenon, supported by an aggressive marketing campaign and a library of iconic games that were the catalyst for Sony’s success, such as Crash Bandicoot, Final Fantasy And Gran Turismojust to name a few. With beyond 102 million units sold between 1994 and 2006the first PlayStation has undoubtedly become one of the most important icons of pop culture, as well as an omnipresent playmate in the adolescence of many of us.
The birth of the first PlayStation
It all started on November 16, 1993with the birth of the division Sony Computer Entertainment (now known as Sony Interactive Entertainment) of the Japanese company Sony, at the time considered one of the main consumer electronics manufacturing companies which, however, had not yet explored the video game sector.
The birth of the first PlayStation, however, was not linear at all. Initially, Sony collaborated with Nintendo to develop a hybrid console called “Nintendo PlayStation”. This project was born from Nintendo’s intention to use Sony’s CD-ROM technology, but the partnership ended abruptly due to business disagreements. It was a rupture that paved the way forSony’s independent entry into the video game market. The first PlayStation therefore arrived as a stand-alone product and quickly conquered the market, reaching 1 million units sold in the first 6 months in Japan alone.
An often little-known aspect concerns the symbology of the buttons DualShock: the triangle, the square, the circle and the cross. The creator of the controller, Teiyu Gotoattributed a specific meaning to each symbol. The triangle represents the direction or point of view, the square symbolizes menus or documents, while the circle and the cross indicate “Yes” and “No” respectively, however inverted in Western countries compared to the Japanese counterpart of the controller. This attention to detail helped make the iconic design of the PlayStation brand strong and distinctive.
PlayStation has revolutionized the rules of the “game”
The success of the Sony console was largely due to theuse of CD-ROMsa technology that was developed in 80s right from Sony (jointly with Philips). The use of CD-ROMs in fact allowed video game developers to create more complex titles, with detailed stories, quality graphics and memorable soundtracks, elements that contributed to the creation of masterpieces still remembered today as milestones in the sector. The console quickly became synonymous with video games, a brand that, for many of us, has become a true symbol of our childhood and adolescence. This is why, 30 years after its presentation, we can say that the PlayStation has changed the rules of the “game” and, more generally, home entertainment.
