Interesting Facts about Sony Playstation

Sony PlayStation

Behind every game is a unique story. That’s why we went all out to find the most interesting facts out there about Sony Playstation. Besides, it pays to have useless knowledge. Not only because you can brag about it, but because behind almost every gaming topic or game, there is a curious, exciting, or interesting story, which you as a gamer often only partially or even not at all realize.

That’s why we picked out the 10 most fascinating histories behind one of the world’s most legendary consoles. So, let’s kick off those 10 things you (probably) didn’t know about Sony’s history-making console. Do you know any curious gaming-related anecdotes of your own, or do you have an interesting topic for us? Let us know about it!

#1 A Failed Deal

Sony and Nintendo actually wanted to develop a console together – more precisely, a disc peripheral for the SNES to increase the storage space. Sony, however, was allowed to work in parallel on its own console that would be able to play future SNES titles.

This influence on the market was probably too much for Nintendo, and one day after the unveiling of the Nintendo PlayStation, they dropped the deal and turned to Philipps instead. In the end, however, the Philipps deal was scrapped, and Sony developed its own console: the first PlayStation.

#2 More Than Just a Button

The button icons on the controller were not chosen at random: The triangle stands for the player’s line of sight, the square for a piece of paper, i.e., a document or a menu, and the “X” and the circle for “Yes” and “No”, with the corresponding colors. This should help developers when designing their games. In Japan, the meaning of the two answer buttons is reversed, which causes confusion in some games.

#3 Playstation Special

With the Net Yaroze, a special variant of the PlayStation appeared in 1997. As a promotional campaign with special software, it was supposed to motivate young hobby programmers to develop games for the console. The price was $750.

#4 If Only Halo knew

After years of faithful work on Halo, developer Bungie also turned to the PlayStation for Destiny. Not only that, but we also have the design of the PlayStation 4 controller to thank. At least in part, the Halo creators who were part of the development team.

#5 Also, More Than Just a Console

If you wanted, you could use the Playstation 2 as a home computer to use it, for example, for an instant withdrawal online casino Australia – with Sony’s support. There was an official Linux installation kit with an operating system, 40 GB hard drive, Ethernet adapter, and even mouse and keyboard), which allowed players to jump onto gaming sites and even use payment methods while browsing.

#6 Streaming on the PS2

Sony PlayStation 1

In fact, streaming on the PS2 was possible – yet, only in Brazil. There, gamers could purchase a special Netflix disc (no kidding) that made streaming movies and TV shows possible even before the PlayStation 3.

#7 The Importance of the Towers

If you remember the PlayStation 2’s home screen, the white towers on it probably come to mind. And they were indeed more than decoration: The console rendered the memory data from the player’s memory card here in real-time and displayed it as towers.

#8 United Forever

Every PS4 has a second name: Kazuya Sakakihara. Who is that, you ask? The software engineer formerly employed by Sony is actually mentioned by name in the middle of the console’s operating system data and completely unencrypted – albeit misspelled. Whether this is intentional or oversight is unknown.

#9 Strange Commercials with a Message

Some of you may remember the strange commercials for the PS2. They didn’t make much sense at first glance, but they were meant to convey a deeper message: The short clips were conceived by none other than David Lynch (Twin Peaks), who was supposed to establish the PS2 as a gateway to another world, the “Third Place”, which exceeds all expectations. We’ll leave it at that.

#10 A Long Life

The PS2 is probably the longest-lived console in the world: the last two official PS2 games were released as late as 2014, which was already the release date of the PlayStation 4. To the delight of sports fans, these were PES 2014 and Fifa 14.

Sony PlayStation 2

Conclusion

The history of the Sony Playstation is without a doubt a memorable one that has crossed all kinds of troubled waters. Between competitors and today’s world of video games, it’s only natural that many more anecdotes await, especially with all the attention the PS5 is getting.

The good thing is that we’ll be here to tell you about it all, albeit in the (hopefully not too distant) future. Until then, let’s go enjoy the great work of the Japanese company and see if we can find that beloved original Playstation to recapture some of the best memories of our childhoods!

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