September 9, 1995. Twenty years ago to the day, Sony introduced its original PlayStation console to North America and a western audience, and its launch is a defining moment in video game history that can’t be overstated.
To commemorate the occasion, Danny Cowan – former Contributing Editor at Joystiq – has launched a one-hour documentary on YouTube that recounts the console’s storied history, its launch library and the little known secret about Sony’s old partnership with Nintendo. Prior to the debut of the PlayStation, Nintendo had arranged a deal with the Japanese electronics giant to construct a gaming console called the PlayStation SNES in the early 1990s.
As the history books have taught us, said deal never panned out, with the Big N selecting Phillips as a partner when its deal with Sony fell through. This led the latter company to pursue its own goals independent of Nintendo, and so the PlayStation was born. At a time when cartridge gaming was king, Sony took a major leap forward with the CD-ROM, enabling the company to push the boundary of 3D polygonal graphics and create some of the greatest moments in gaming history.
Much of this timeline is covered in Cowan’s exhaustive video, and if you’re interested in delving a little deeper into the PlayStation lore, Cowan and his partners will be taking to Twitch later this evening to host a stream about all things PlayStation. It’s set to kick off at 7pm CT/8pm ET.
September 9 marks the PlayStation‘s 20th anniversary here in the States. Tell us, what’s your fondest memory from the archives?
