For so long, having a video game console in your home meant you bought from one of two companies: Nintendo or Sega. But on December 3, 1994, a new company entered the fray, and things were legitimately never the same again.
Originally conceived as a joint venture between Sony and Nintendo – planned for a CD-ROM based console continuation of the Super Nintendo – the deal went sour and Nintendo cancelled the venture. When Nintendo’s main competitor, Sega, also said no to a deal with Sony, the electronics company decided to venture out on its own and create its own console.
With those two decisions, Nintendo created its greatest competitor, while Sega basically signed its death warrant. Production on Sony’s PlayStation began in earnest in 1993 (after another attempt at a deal with Nintendo went south), with hype for the system starting in early 1994.
The United States wouldn’t get a PlayStation release until September 1995, but the console got its first release in Japan on December 3, 1994, and it sold more than 2 million units in its first six months.
Nintendo’s bread and butter has always been a focus on families and a younger market, but Sony’s PlayStation games were given more to teens and young adults, offering an alternative to kids who had grown up playing Nintendo (or Sega) and were looking for an alternative. And now, 24 years later, the PlayStation is in its fourth iteration and frequently outsells rival Nintendo.
Sony is celebrating the 24th anniversary of the console release – because a 24th anniversary is a really big one – with the PLAYSTATION CLASSIC, a take off on the NES and SNES CLASSICS that Nintendo has already released. The mini version of the PSX features 20 games from the console’s lifespan, including FINAL FANTASY VII and Metal Gear Solid. And it all started with a release 24 years ago today.
What are your favorite PSX games? Let us know in the comments!