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Today is the 30th anniversary of PlayStation in Japan

nial

Member
ICHI NI SAN! ICHI NI SAN! ICHI NI SAN!
It's December 3rd in Japan, which means that Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. released the original PlayStation console 30 years ago today.

iWMu0z7.jpeg


There were 9 games available at launch, including SIE's first published title, Crime Crackers.


9wTYgt2.jpeg


 

Mr Hyde

Member
Legendary console with one of the best game libraries of all time. The Jrpgs that came out during this consoles lifetime is nothing short of incredible. It was so great to be a part of this timeline and see how video games went from something nerdy and off beat to something cool. History in the making.
 

chilichote

Member
I saw it in an electronics store in my town, "Ridge Racer" was playing on it and I stood there with my mouth open, it looked so great. A few days later I bought it, along with "Ridge Racer" and "Destruction Derby". Some time after that "Wipeout", "Warhawk" and "Twisted Metal" followed - damn, that was a great time!
 
I saw it in an electronics store in my town, "Ridge Racer" was playing on it and I stood there with my mouth open, it looked so great. A few days later I bought it, along with "Ridge Racer" and "Destruction Derby". Some time after that "Wipeout", "Warhawk" and "Twisted Metal" followed - damn, that was a great time!

Early 3D games (apart from Tekken) looked awkward on PS1, not racing games though.

When it came to the PAL launch WipEout looked even more impressive.

 
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Was loving my Sega Saturn, but Metal Gear Solid and FF7 pulled me in

As impressed as I was with the launch games compared to Saturn, Sony was still this newcomer stepping on Sega and Nintendo’s turf.

As soon as Sega started showing games like Virtua Cop, Virtua Fighter 2 and Sega Saturn (the big 3) I thought PlayStation was finished because they’d never come close to matching Sega for games.

How wrong I was, the ease of development for 3D meant the likes of Namco, Capcom, Konami and Square all flocked to Sony’s fledgling console.
 

Paltheos

Member


English version of the same video posted in the OP. My friend texted me 15 minutes ago about Bloodborne appearing and at the end and I responded, "It's code. Overlaying the BB footage with the lin "It's about persistence" is actually a signal to the viewer to keep believing. This time for sure."

I'm not sure whether I should be proud or disappointed that I do actually kinda believe. I love that copium.
 

saintjules

Gold Member
I got my PS1 Christmas of 1996. While it broke the surprise, I guess I was thankful that my Dad called me telling me the N64 was out of stock but the PS1 was available. So naturally went with that.

We rented games initially. The first one was Tekken 2. It was mindblowing graphics at the time for me. Before that I was playing Genesis and SNES.

The Console came with a Playstation Demo disc. One of the games I played on that was 2Xtreme.


 
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SNG32

Member
I got my PS1 Christmas of 1996. While it broke the surprise, I guess I was thankful that my Dad called me telling me the N64 was out of stock but the PS1 was available. So naturally went with that.

We rented games initially. The first one was Tekken 2. It was mindblowing graphics at the time for me. Before that I was playing Genesis and SNES.

The Console came with a Playstation Demo disc that came with the Console. One of the games I played on that was 2Xtreme.



I got mine Christmas of 97 and my mom use to work at Sony so she could games for cheap. I still remember the six games I got til this day. Battle Arena Toshinden, Crash Bandicoot, Mortal Kombat 3, Jet Moto, Kileak DNA and Twisted Metal 2 along with a demo disk. Man I remember being happy as shit and also pissed too because me and my parents flew to Jamaica for two weeks the next day and I couldn’t take it with me. I swear all I could think about on that trip was getting home and playing that PlayStation lol.
 
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Pejo

Gold Member
First and only console I ever had to use upside down to get the games to work. Though, that just shows that I played it so much that the gears on the laser got worn from reading the discs.

Anybody else remember Playstation Underground demo discs?


 
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Sojiro

Member
Still tied with SNES as my favorite console of all time, and my favorite PS2 console of them all (sorry PS2, you're up there too). My buddy got one at launch and while I was blown away by the visuals I was holding out for the rumored Nintendo console that would be coming. That is until I read that FFVII would be going to PlayStation from one of the gaming mags of the time, and as an already dedicated FF fanboy from then on I was dead set on getting a PlayStation.

I know people like to shit on this era of 3D games, and compare it to today's standards, but I still think most of the games are very playable, even with the jank you will have to put up with. The library for this system is fucking incredible, and it was a time where devs were willing to experiment with any idea out there and make a game on it. The console itself is also a sexy piece of plastic, it might be my favorite looking console. PS1 is what I played all through highschool, and it's crazy to think it's turning 30.
 

RoboFu

One of the green rats
Man I love everything about the ps1 and ps2.
Console design to hardware design. Everything.

Game consumes are boring these days. I feel sorry for the youngsters who might not ever get to know how a condone with its own identity feels. Everything these days are just different spec PCs.

Like can see and hear a game from the 80s and 90s and tell you which platform it's on. You can't do they these days.
 
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ICHI NI SAN! ICHI NI SAN! ICHI NI SAN!
It's December 3rd in Japan, which means that Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. released the original PlayStation console 30 years ago today.

iWMu0z7.jpeg


There were 9 games available at launch, including SIE's first published title, Crime Crackers.


9wTYgt2.jpeg



30 is san juu, why are we counting to 3?

Anyways, Happy Birthday to PlayStation.

Also reminds me how much I miss being in Japan and walking through Book Offs and Hard Offs looking through tons of PS1/PS2 games. Took forever to go through everything as those two sections were always the two biggest behind the Switch.
 
Me keep wondering what this alternative reality would be:

1494020825-10.jpg
As important and big as Nintendo was with the NES/Famicom and SNES/Super Famicom I don't think gaming would be anywhere near as big if this had gone through and PlayStation hadn't become a thing.

PlayStation was cool in a way that the others weren't and appealed to different groups then Nintendo. PlayStation appealed more to an older demographic and this can be seen in it's games and marketing (like those Crash commercials and with stuff like Wipeout really connecting with the club generation with it's vibes and music). They grew the scene in a way that they wouldn't have if they partnered with Nintendo.

PlayStation is missing something that it used to have and it mades me sad. I still play a ton and I would probably say I play more PlayStation than anything (it's a close tie with PC with maybe 45% PS, 40% PC, 15% Nintendo?) but it definitely is missing something.
 
As important and big as Nintendo was with the NES/Famicom and SNES/Super Famicom I don't think gaming would be anywhere near as big if this had gone through and PlayStation hadn't become a thing.

PlayStation was cool in a way that the others weren't and appealed to different groups then Nintendo. PlayStation appealed more to an older demographic and this can be seen in it's games and marketing (like those Crash commercials and with stuff like Wipeout really connecting with the club generation with it's vibes and music). They grew the scene in a way that they wouldn't have if they partnered with Nintendo.

PlayStation is missing something that it used to have and it mades me sad. I still play a ton and I would probably say I play more PlayStation than anything (it's a close tie with PC with maybe 45% PS, 40% PC, 15% Nintendo?) but it definitely is missing something.

If that deal had happened, Sony would have consumed Nintendo. The contract, which was crafted before Nintendo even really approved of it (and had to be badgered into signing), gave Sony full rights and royalties to ALL software produced on CD-ROM.

 

Fabieter

Member
As important and big as Nintendo was with the NES/Famicom and SNES/Super Famicom I don't think gaming would be anywhere near as big if this had gone through and PlayStation hadn't become a thing.

PlayStation was cool in a way that the others weren't and appealed to different groups then Nintendo. PlayStation appealed more to an older demographic and this can be seen in it's games and marketing (like those Crash commercials and with stuff like Wipeout really connecting with the club generation with it's vibes and music). They grew the scene in a way that they wouldn't have if they partnered with Nintendo.

PlayStation is missing something that it used to have and it mades me sad. I still play a ton and I would probably say I play more PlayStation than anything (it's a close tie with PC with maybe 45% PS, 40% PC, 15% Nintendo?) but it definitely is missing something.

Its more of a Western experience these days. Psx and ps2 were the golden times for sure.
 
I don;t really have many memories about the Japanese launch of the PS1 outside of reading about in in Magazines like Die Hard Game Fan back in the day. I feel like GameFan magazine was one of the first US publications to really be onboard with the Playstation, as they would cover the Japanese import machine and hype it up in the magazine itself.

I think before E3 1995, there was scepticism around the Playstation turning out to be another flop like the 3DO. Early games like Ridge Racer and Battle Arena Toshienden really showed off the potential of the machine early on. Also Polyphony's first Playstation game was a launch title for the Japanese PS1. The first MotorToon never got a western release. The sequel MotorToon GP 2 was released as just MotorToon in the west.

tVS0MDR.jpeg

 
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nial

Member
Also Polyphony's first Playstation game was a launch title for the Japanese PS1. The first MotorToon never got a western release. The sequel MotorToon GP 2 was released as just MotorToon in the west.
Developed by SCEI/SIEI, actually (and also released almost two weeks later). :)
Polyphony Digital Inc. was established a few months after Gran Turismo released.
But Kazunori Yamauchi's first directed game, indeed. Crazy to think that he's still a big part of SIE after all these years (not to mention that he even used to work at SMEJ before SIE was established).
 
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Did anyone here import the original Japanese unit fore the 9/9/94 NA launch or the EU launch? From Software's first game Kingsfield was a launch window game for the PS1 in Japan.



Developed by SCEI/SIEI, actually (and also released almost two weeks later). :)
Polyphony Digital Inc. was established a few months after Gran Turismo released.
But Kazunori Yamauchi's first directed game, indeed. Crazy to think that he's still a big part of SIE after all these years (not to mention that he even used to work at SMEJ before SIE was established).

Thanks for the clarification. Most of the Motortoon GP team joined Polyphony, did they not?
 
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nial

Member
Thanks for the clarification. Most of the Motortoon GP team joined Polyphony, did they not?
Some of the key staff did, others did not (and most of them retired from the industry a long time ago). If anything, I would point out instead that most of the Gran Turismo team was moved to Polyphony Digital; and what was left were folks who ended up working on Ape Escape and The Legend of Dragoon later on.
 
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ManaByte

Gold Member
If that deal had happened, Sony would have consumed Nintendo. The contract, which was crafted before Nintendo even really approved of it (and had to be badgered into signing), gave Sony full rights and royalties to ALL software produced on CD-ROM.
Which is why Yamauchi killed it

No one fucks Mr Yamauchi except Mrs Yamauchi.
 
It's 'one, two, three', I'm referencing these Japanese TV commercials for PS launch in 1994:

Oh nice! I haven't seen these but I'm always down for retro gaming commercials.
If that deal had happened, Sony would have consumed Nintendo. The contract, which was crafted before Nintendo even really approved of it (and had to be badgered into signing), gave Sony full rights and royalties to ALL software produced on CD-ROM.

Well this would only really have affected them if they moved to CD-ROM content, correct?
It's more of a Western experience these days. Psx and ps2 were the golden times for sure.
Oh for sure. I REALLY love the PS3 (I think PS3 is severely underrated at least here in the west) but PS1/PS2 were really the glory days. The 6th gun especially was just amazing all around and if you include PC it gets even better. Every platform has solid reasons to own them.
 

Impotaku

Member
PS1s game library is legendary, the amount of weird & wonderful games in there is second to none ps2 shares this same legacy then after that the magic kind of died out those types of games just dried up and everything became a lot more safe & sterile. As someone who loves rhythm games PS1&2 are a treasure trove of them add in shmups & the weird stuff and it's the reason ps1 is still my fave of the playstation console family. Still have my carefully curated library of killer titles & the most obscure and cool quirky Jpn ps1 stuff.
4GRdYwE.jpg


IbQ746u.jpg

GaLShTO.jpg

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Talonz

Member
I still have my PSX. It suffers from the stuttering that was common with the first run PSX's. I have never gotten around to fixing it. One day I will.
 

TheDarkPhantom

Gold Member
The God Hath Spoken:



PS1 might be the greatest console in the history of the medium. From blockbusters to super experimental games, the breadth and variety was astounding. Multiple GOAT-tier releases (MGS, SOTN, FFVII etc), the birth of various mega franchises (Resident Evil, Gran Turismo, MGS, Silent Hill) and what I've always called "The Golden Age of Square". What an incredible console, thanks for the memories 🙏🏻
 
Oh nice! I haven't seen these but I'm always down for retro gaming commercials.

Well this would only really have affected them if they moved to CD-ROM content, correct?

Sony, you mean? Nope. The contract also gave Sony the rights to produce their own CD-ROM hardware. And remember, Sony would receive royalties for ALL software produced, meaning they would have eaten Nintendo's lunch even if it only came down to 3rd party games. Royalties were the main reason (aside from the occasional megahit like Dragon Quest III) for Nintendo to play ball, and this was infamously considered a backdoor for Sony into the hardware space.
 
This is a poster that I use to have pinned on my wall when I was a teenager. I had it before the release of the PS1 on September 9th. It was part of Sony's early pre-launch marketing in north America. I think the poster came from a gaming magazine.

 
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