Sony Playstation Information, Specifications and Accessories
The Playstation is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The console was released in December 1994 in Japan, in September 1995 in Europe and America, and in November 1995 in Australia.
The console was the first of the PlayStation lineup of home video game consoles. It primarily competed with the Nintendo 64 and the Sega Saturn as part of the 5th generation of video game consoles.
Th" to ship 100 million units, which it had reached 9 years and 6 months after its initial launch. In 2000, a redesigned, slim version called the P-Sone was released, replacing the original grey console and named appropriately to avoid confusion with its successor, the PlayStation 2.
The console was the first of the PlayStation lineup of home video game consoles. It primarily competed with the Nintendo 64 and the Sega Saturn as part of the 5th generation of video game consoles.
Th" to ship 100 million units, which it had reached 9 years and 6 months after its initial launch. In 2000, a redesigned, slim version called the P-Sone was released, replacing the original grey console and named appropriately to avoid confusion with its successor, the PlayStation 2.
The console's origins date back to 1988 where it was originally a joint project between Nintendo and Sony to create a CD-ROM for the Super Nintendo. Sony revealed a Super Nintendo with a built-in CD-ROM drive, that incorporated Green Book technology or CD-i, called "Play Station" also known as SNES-CD, at the Consumer Electronics Show in 1991. However, a day after the announcement at CES, Nintendo announced that it would be breaking its partnership with Sony, opting to go with Philips instead but using the same technology. The deal was broken by Nintendo after they were unable to come to an agreement on how revenue would be split between the two companies. The breaking of the partnership infuriated Sony President Norio Ohga, who appointed his team with the responsibility of developing the PlayStation project to rival Nintendo. And so the great Playstation was born..
One of the key factors in the PlayStation's success was Sony's approach to third party developers. Whereas Sega and Nintendo took an isolationist approach, focusing on first party development while generally leaving third party developers to their own devices, Sony took efforts to streamline game production by providing a range of programming libraries which were constantly updated online, organizing third party technical support teams, and in some cases giving direct development support to third party companies.
While the Sega Saturn was marketed towards 18 to 34 year-olds, the PlayStation was marketed towards teenagers. Both Sega and Sony reasoned that since young children typically aspire to be older than they are, they would be drawn in by advertising targeted at teenagers and adults, but Sony additionally found that adults are best targeted by advertising geared for teenagers!.
While the Sega Saturn was marketed towards 18 to 34 year-olds, the PlayStation was marketed towards teenagers. Both Sega and Sony reasoned that since young children typically aspire to be older than they are, they would be drawn in by advertising targeted at teenagers and adults, but Sony additionally found that adults are best targeted by advertising geared for teenagers!.
In addition to playing games, select PlayStation models have the ability to play audio CDs, The CD player has the ability to shuffle the playback order, play the songs in a programmed order, and repeat one song or the entire disc. Later PlayStation models can utilize a music visualization function called SoundScope.
Prior to the PlayStation, the reproduction of copyrighted material for gaming consoles was restricted to either enthusiasts with exceptional technical ability, or others that had access to CD manufacturers. However, the increased availability of cheap CD Writers at this time led Sony to introduce a special wobble pressed into PlayStation formatted discs. As a result, any discs that did not contain the wobble such as CD-R copies or standard pirated discs could not boot on the console. It ultimately served as copy protection as well as region-locking.
The installation of an unofficial modchip allowed the PlayStation to play games recorded on a regular CD-R. Since it worked by injecting the correct region data into the stream it also allowed the console to play games from any region. This is how a 'chipped' console works!.
Several open source modchips were designed using readily available electronic parts, by the end of the system's life cycle almost anyone with minimal soldering experience was able to perform these modifications. This created a wave of games developed without official approval using free, unofficial tools, as well as the reproduction of original discs. With the introduction of such devices the console became very attractive to programmers and illegal copiers alike, as well as those who merely wished to protect the lifespan of their lawful, original discs.
Prior to the PlayStation, the reproduction of copyrighted material for gaming consoles was restricted to either enthusiasts with exceptional technical ability, or others that had access to CD manufacturers. However, the increased availability of cheap CD Writers at this time led Sony to introduce a special wobble pressed into PlayStation formatted discs. As a result, any discs that did not contain the wobble such as CD-R copies or standard pirated discs could not boot on the console. It ultimately served as copy protection as well as region-locking.
The installation of an unofficial modchip allowed the PlayStation to play games recorded on a regular CD-R. Since it worked by injecting the correct region data into the stream it also allowed the console to play games from any region. This is how a 'chipped' console works!.
Several open source modchips were designed using readily available electronic parts, by the end of the system's life cycle almost anyone with minimal soldering experience was able to perform these modifications. This created a wave of games developed without official approval using free, unofficial tools, as well as the reproduction of original discs. With the introduction of such devices the console became very attractive to programmers and illegal copiers alike, as well as those who merely wished to protect the lifespan of their lawful, original discs.
Instead of a D-pad, which is used for directional movement in nearly every other console on the market at the time, the PlayStation controller uses four directional buttons. They shortly later released the duel analog controller, and also the duel-shock analog controller, which nearly every other games console since has copied, and developed in their own way.
Certain add-on's released for the PlayStation include: memory cards, the PlayStation Mouse, the PlayStation Flight-Stick Joystick, the Gun-Con - which is a light gun. Many other 3rd party add-on's were also designed for this iconic system.
The PlayStation's lead in installed base and developer support paved the way for the success of the next-generation PlayStation 2, which overcame an early launch from the Sega Dreamcast and then fended off competition from the Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo GameCube.
The success of the PlayStation is widely believed to have influenced the demise of the cartridge-based home console. While not the first system to utilize an optical disc format, it is the first highly successful one, and ended up going head-to-head with the last major home console to rely on proprietary cartridges, the Nintendo 64.
Nintendo was very public about its skepticism toward using CDs and DVDs to store games, citing longer load times and durability issues, therefor going on to release the cartridge based N64, but then following suit and releasing the CD based Nintendo GameCube.
The success of the PlayStation is widely believed to have influenced the demise of the cartridge-based home console. While not the first system to utilize an optical disc format, it is the first highly successful one, and ended up going head-to-head with the last major home console to rely on proprietary cartridges, the Nintendo 64.
Nintendo was very public about its skepticism toward using CDs and DVDs to store games, citing longer load times and durability issues, therefor going on to release the cartridge based N64, but then following suit and releasing the CD based Nintendo GameCube.
The original console in the series was the first video game console to ship 100 million units, 9 years and 6 months after its initial launch!. A star was truly born!
See Information,Specifications and Reviews on Playstation Games
See Information,Specifications and Reviews on other Retro Consoles
See Information,Specifications and Reviews on Playstation Games
See Information,Specifications and Reviews on other Retro Consoles