The Birth of PlayStation: A Revolutionary Gaming Console
The Struggle to Convince
The PlayStation has been a colossal consumer hit, but three decades ago, its creator Ken Kutaragi struggled to convince both game-makers and his bosses at Sony that his console would be a winner. "Everyone told us we would fail," Kutaragi told AFP in a rare interview.
Revolutionary Graphics and Grown-Up Titles
With revolutionary 3D graphics and grown-up titles like Tomb Raider and Metal Gear Solid, the device first hit shelves on Dec 3, 1994. Before that, Nintendo’s NES console and similar gaming machines were considered "children’s toys", the 74-year-old Kutaragi said. Popular games like Super Mario Bros were two-dimensional, and computer-generated imagery (CGI) was a rarity even in Hollywood.
Sony’s Initial Opposition
"Most of the executives (at Sony) were fiercely opposed," fearing for the Japanese giant’s reputation as a producer of high-end electronics, Kutaragi said. Japanese game-makers gave a "frosty response" too, as creating 3D games in real time seemed "unthinkable" at the time. Films with CGI took one or two years to make in those days, with budgets of tens of millions of dollars, he said.
Kutaragi’s Ambition
However, Kutaragi, then a Sony employee, was not deterred. "We wanted to make the most of technological progress to create a new form of entertainment," the engineer said, his eyes gleaming. His ambition paid off: the console – now in its fifth generation – became a household name. The PlayStation 2 was the world’s top-selling games console with 160 million units sold.
Nintendo Drama
Sony and fellow Japanese game giant Nintendo are industry rivals, but more than three decades ago they worked together to make a CD-ROM reader compatible with the Super Nintendo console, which could only take game cartridges. With Nintendo’s permission, Sony was also developing a machine capable of reading both CDs and cartridges, with the working title Play Station – the first time the famous name was used. But the pair’s bonhomie ended dramatically.
AI Predictions
When Sony launched its PlayStation and CD games in Japan in 1994, and in Western countries some months later, Nintendo had a stranglehold on console sales. So, Sony used its experience in the music industry to develop a new distribution model, selling the gadgets at electronics stores instead of toy stores and creating new supply chains adapted to local markets.
Kutaragi’s Legacy
Kutaragi eventually became vice president of Sony but left the conglomerate in 2007 after the launch of the PlayStation 3, which initially struggled commercially. Now the future of the console market is less rosy as "cloud gaming" grows in popularity, something that Kutaragi also predicted – along with mobile gaming – years in advance.
The Future of Technology
"We are entering a world where everything can be calculated" by a computer with the help of AI, Kutaragi said. For example, generative AI chatbot ChatGPT "exists because language has become computable", and similar technology is being used in sectors as diverse as medicine, music and visual art. "Imagine if time and space were also computable," he said. "For the moment, this is a possibility limited to the world of video games," but "imagine that we could move instantly to any place", Kutaragi said. "What was once science fiction could become reality."
Conclusion
The PlayStation’s journey from a struggling project to a global phenomenon is a testament to Kutaragi’s perseverance and vision. His predictions about the future of technology, including the rise of AI and cloud gaming, have come to fruition. As the gaming industry continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how Kutaragi’s legacy continues to shape the future of entertainment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What was the initial reaction to the PlayStation among game-makers and Sony executives?
A: Many game-makers and Sony executives were skeptical about the PlayStation’s potential, fearing it would fail and damage Sony’s reputation.
Q: How did Sony overcome the initial opposition to the PlayStation?
A: Sony used its experience in the music industry to develop a new distribution model, selling the gadgets at electronics stores instead of toy stores and creating new supply chains adapted to local markets.
Q: What is Kutaragi’s current focus?
A: Kutaragi now runs a start-up focused on robotics and artificial intelligence and teaches at a Japanese university.