Sony wasn’t particularly confident in its original PlayStation’s success, despite its impressive performance.
As the best-selling console of its generation and one of the most successful in gaming history, the unique PlayStation is widely regarded as the sixth greatest selling console of all time. While the PS4 may have taken its rightful place as the top-performing console, the PS2 still holds a special spot in many gamers’ hearts, making this achievement all the more impressive. Despite raking in 102.49 million gross sales prior to its official launch, Ken Kutaragi, dubbed “the father of PlayStation,” and seemingly everyone else at Sony were skeptical about the console’s chances for success. During the 2024 Tokyo Game Show’s official keynote, Kutaragi delivered a talk about the events leading up to the release of the console.
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“We wanted to express our passion.” “We also wanted to hear about the unanticipated aspects of the experience and what exceeded or fell short of their expectations,” Kutaragi said. We paid visits to numerous corporations and recreational product manufacturers, which proved to be a memorable experience – but unfortunately, they bore little resemblance. “Don’t even think about doing it,” they warned straightforwardly. Multiple corporations have struggled to achieve profitability. Thirty years ago, a team was told bluntly: “You will fail.” That’s what they were advised by others. Yet, Kutaragi and the rest of the group have since proved their naysayers wrong, having successfully pushed forward with their vision. It’s striking to consider that so many people initially cautioned against pursuing this goal.
Despite internal skepticism at Sony, Kutaragi revealed that “nobody truly believed we’d succeed.” At the time, Sony’s focus was firmly rooted in technology and music, making it unsurprising that the concept of a still-developing platform wasn’t given much consideration.
As PlayStation marks its 30th milestone, Sony has commemorated the occasion by releasing a special bundle that sold out promptly, leading scalpers to capitalize on the frenzy by listing their acquired goods on eBay at exorbitant prices. Comfortable Birthday, PlayStation!
