I still remember the first time I laid my eyes on the PlayStation. My older brother told me he was getting a new gaming system, and it wasn’t from Sega or Nintendo, it was a Sony brand. I ran off the school bus as fast as I could, threw open my brother’s bedroom door, and stood in awe as he played a game that appeared to be in 3D. I was either 13 or 14-years-old, and already had a healthy appetite for gaming. Sony’s take on gaming was like nothing I had ever witnessed.
Today we celebrate the 15th birthday of the PlayStation. Launched on December 3, 1994 in Japan, the PlayStation (and its various versions) has gone on to sell more than 100 million units worldwide. In fact, it was the first system to sell more than 100 million units. Sony’s CD-based gaming system was a fresh and new, almost more mature take on gaming.
By now, you probably know the history of the PlayStation. Sony worked with Nintendo to create a CD version of the SNES, Nintendo ultimately joined with Philips, Sony continued to work on a CD-gaming system, and then there were some lawsuits. All of that is not what is important today. What is important is realizing how far gaming has come since the launch of PlayStation. While North America and Europe didn’t get the PlayStation until September of 1995, today is still the official launch of Sony’s first CD gaming system.
Back in my older brother’s room, I remember watching him play games like Ridge Racer and Tekken with my jaw dropped. The graphics and sound were out of this world, and when he finally let me play a game or two, I couldn’t believe how smooth and flawless it felt compared to the older systems. That same PlayStation was passed down to me years later, and I still have it tucked away somewhere.
For Sony fans, and all gaming fans, it’s hard to discount the impact that the PlayStation had on gaming. Several years after Sony’s first take at a gaming console, the company released the PlayStation 2, which is still the best selling console. If you pay attention to monthly sales figures, you probably notice that the PS2 still does relatively well, given its age in the market. The latest generation system, the PlayStation 3, has only upped the ante for gaming. Even though we now have cutting edge high def, Blu-ray quality graphics, fast online gaming connections, and enormous hard drives on PS3s, we still look back fondly on the original PlayStation.
And, we cannot forget about the games that graced the PlayStation. Some of the biggest titles in its tenure include Final Fantasy VII, Tomb Raider, Ridge Racer, Resident Evil, Tekken, Gran Turismo and Metal Gear Solid. What’s so appealing about that list of games is how many have gone on to grace other systems, like the PSP, PS2, and PS3. Take Final Fantasy VII, for instance; that title changed the way we experience games. Its epic story, engaging gameplay, lush visuals and music, and captivating characters still have is in awe after all of these years. All you have to do is look ahead to Final Fantasy XIII to see how VII and the original PlayStation impacted the genre.
So, we ask you, our readers, where were you 15 years ago? Do you remember the first time you played a PlayStation? What were your favorite games for the system? We’d love to hear your stories, so drop us a note in the comment section below. At the very least, it should feel reassuring to know the PlayStation is 15 years old. It will be very interesting to see where gaming is in another 15 years.