Despite the poor outlook outlined by critics, around 100,000 Sony consoles were sold on the first day alone. After six months, 2 million units had been sold. On September 9, 1995, sales began in the United States, followed by Europe on September 29. — Image by freepik
TOKYO: At launch, 30 years ago, things initially didn't look very good for the first Sony PlayStation.
Critics listed various reasons as to why the Japanese electronics company's new games console would not hold up against those of Sega and Nintendo.
Technically, the first Sony console was superior to the devices of its powerful competitors. But while Nintendo and Sega offered gamers a choice of hundreds of games, Sony only had a handful.
What's more, when the PlayStation launched in Japan on December 3, 1994, it was difficult to find, since Sony also lacked a strong distribution base.
At that time, the company's presence in traditional electronics and hi-fi stores was mainly limited to televisions and stereo systems. However, the successful models of the competition – in particular the Game Boy and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) from Nintendo, as well as the Mega Drive from Sega – were sold in toy shops, where the Sony brand was rarely seen.
A failed deal with Nintendo
The fact that Sony was unable to optimally prepare for the market launch of the PlayStation in 1994 has to do with an unusual back story. As a major producer of consumer electronics, which had celebrated particular success with video recorders and the Walkman, the Sony Corporation kept its distance from game consoles.
It was only in the late 1980s that Sony entered into a joint venture with Nintendo to develop a CD-ROM drive for their SNES console. However, a conflict over software licences quickly soured the relationship.
In 1991, Nintendo snubbed its partner Sony and joined forces with Philips for the CD drive. Sony did not let this slight go unanswered for long.
Chief executive Norio Ohga ordered the failed joint project to be continued as an independent system. He gave his employee Ken Kutaragi, who had previously developed a console on his own, free reign. Ultimately, this Sony engineer became known as the father of the PlayStation.
Rapid sales success
On December 3, 1994, the first PlayStation with eight games went on sale in Japan. It cost ¥39,800, the equivalent of about US$240 (RM1,072).
Despite the poor outlook outlined by critics, around 100,000 Sony consoles were sold on the first day alone. After six months, 2 million units had been sold. On September 9, 1995, sales began in the United States, followed by Europe on September 29.
Two years later, Sony was the market leader.
One of the biggest reasons for its success was the built-in CD-ROM drive, which offered ample storage space, enabling games to become increasingly complex.
By today's standards, the images were blurry and blocky, and yet back then the graphics were setting new standards. It wasn't just the quality, but also the games themselves that proved extremely popular.
Among the most successful titles for the first PlayStation were Ridge Racer from 1994, Tomb Raider and Crash Bandicoot from 1996, and Gran Turismo from 1997.
Skilfully using price reductions to undercut competitors at the right time, Sony sold over 102 million units of the first PlayStation generation.
In 2001, Sega was forced to withdraw from the console market. Nintendo remained, however, and released the global hit Pokemon Go in 2016.
The best-selling console of all time
The PlayStation 2, introduced in 2000, topped the success of the first generation, and with almost 159 million units sold, it is still the best-selling console of all time – ahead of the Nintendo DS (154 million), the Nintendo Switch (143 million) and the PlayStation 4 with 117 million units sold.
The PlayStation 2 introduced the DVD drive, which also turned it into a home cinema device. Games like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2001) and SingStar from 2004, as well as God of War from 2005, ensured a lasting success.
In 2004, Sony ventured into the mobile gaming market with the PlayStation Portable, which has since sold almost 83 million units. The most important innovations of PlayStation 3 (2006) were the introduction of Blu-Ray, the successor to DVD, and the launch of the online gaming platform PlayStation Network.
With the PlayStation 4 (2013) and PlayStation 5 (2020), Sony then focused on further improved graphics, faster loading times and certain exclusive titles.
During the coronavirus pandemic, the latest model became a symbol of global supply chain problems. For many months, Sony was unable to answer demand for the PS5.
The bottlenecks then led to PS5 consoles often being offered at inflated prices by resellers, further increasing frustration among gamers. It was only last year that Sony was able to fully resolve the supply chain issues.
A changing games industry
But Sony is not only facing logistical challenges: the games industry is in the midst of a major upheaval. The future does not belong to a single device, says Felix Falk, managing director of the German Games industry association Game.
"Because the possibilities for playing games in future will be as diverse as the gaming world and the interests of its community."
Falk points to the great successes in mobile gaming. The smartphone, for example, has become the most-used gaming platform. "Mobile games are available anytime, anywhere, and offer great variety – even technically demanding titles can now be played on a mobile phone with and against each other."
At the same time, the boundaries between the individual platforms are becoming increasingly blurred. This is demonstrated by developments such as cross-platform gaming, ie. on mobile phones, tablets, PCs or consoles.
But the range of cloud gaming options is also constantly growing, allowing you to play PC and console games on different platforms. – dpa
