The system that single-handedly made gaming ‘cool’ and
introduced us to a new wave of heroes and genres
PL AYSTATION
The PlayStation was a
stylish console – even if
you had to turn it upside-
down to read discs after
a few years’ wear.In retrospect, it’s easy to see why
many industry experts of the time
thought Sony had no chance of
breaking the Sega/Nintendo duopoly
which held a stranglehold over the
market throughout the ‘90s.
After all, Sony had to follow a long line
of pretenders who had tried and failed;
such as fellow tech giants Philips with
the CD-i and Panasonic with the 3DO.
Further extending the PlayStation’s
odds to Leicester City-proportions,
it used compact discs as its media of
choice – a format that had the stench
of failure wafting around it following
dalliances such as the Sega’s doomed
Mega CD. It was doubted that gamers,
used to the immediacy afforded by
cartridges, could stomach a return tothe days of lengthy loading screens.
Instead, the decision proved to be a
masterstroke, as big-name developers
such as Square dropped the N64 like a
bad habit and moved their projects over
to PlayStation, where the greater space
afforded by CDs allowed them to realise
their creative visions.
Two other things helped Sony conquer
the gaming world at their first attempt.
Firstly, the controller’s ergonomic dual-
handled shape, which swiftly became
the industry standard. Secondly, the
company set about changing public
perceptions of the hobby, opening itself
up to new markets and making the
PlayStation seem like a cool, desirable
piece of tech. It also helped that it also
had the games to back up its boast.