Shuhei Yoshida Reflects on the European Launch of PlayStation

The 30th anniversary of the PlayStation's European launch has prompted Shuhei Yoshida to reminisce about his time working on the console. Yoshida joined the PlayStation group in February 1993 and eventually became president of SIE Worldwide Studios. He recalls Ken Kutaragi, the head of the PlayStation group at the time, inviting him to play on the original PlayStation prototype, which was initially developed as a CD-ROM add-on for Nintendo's Super NES. Yoshida notes that the system was already complete and nearly ready for manufacturing, with a few games finished. He played a space shooter game, but it was limited due to its basis on Super Nintendo technology. He compares the system to the Sega CD add-on for the Sega Genesis, which allowed for huge amounts of data to be streamed directly from the CD but was constrained by the 16-bit system's technical limitations. The cancellation of the Nintendo project proved beneficial for Sony, as it allowed the company to create its own rival console. Yoshida believes that competition is always healthy and that the current diversity in the gaming industry, with Xbox, Nintendo, and PlayStation going in different directions, is great for the overall industry. The early Nintendo PlayStation prototypes are now extremely rare, with one selling for $360,000 in 2020. Yoshida does not think that Kutaragi will sell his prototype anytime soon, given his already substantial earnings. The US and European launches of the PlayStation occurred almost a year after the console's Japanese debut. Yoshida recalls that the Japan launch had a limited number of games, but the US and European launches had a stronger lineup, including games from Psygnosis and a range of sports games. The European market was distinct from the US and Japanese markets, with Chris Deering, the president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, often commenting on the complexity of the European market due to its multiple countries and distribution channels. Yoshida found it entertaining to watch the competition between the US and European teams, which were often neck and neck in terms of install base. In terms of control, Ken Kutaragi was a strong manager who allowed the US and European management to handle local marketing messaging. This approach was necessary due to the lack of global connectivity at the time, which meant that each region could have its own unique marketing campaigns and taglines. Thirty years have passed since the launch of the original PlayStation, and it is astonishing to think that its blocky, barely textured graphics were once considered cutting-edge technology. Yoshida notes that the step up from 2D 16-bit consoles to the 3D worlds offered by PlayStation was mind-blowing, especially given the vast amounts of data storage offered by CDs. The European PlayStation launch occurred just 18 years after the debut of the Atari VCS, which seems prehistoric in comparison. Looking back 18 years from today, we can see that the launches of the Xbox 360 and PS3 marked a significant shift in the gaming industry, with graphics improving over the decades but unlikely to experience the same rapid, revolutionary advance as in the early PlayStation years. The 1995 launch was almost perfect, with a good lineup of games, a good price, and an appealing marketing campaign. Yoshida remembers trying to create games that adults could enjoy, and the European team did a great job of making the brand look cool, especially with its nightclub and popular music promotions. If Yoshida could go back, he would change one thing: he wishes more Japanese titles could have been released in Europe and the US. Due to limited retail space, many Japanese games were not approved for release in these regions, leading to cult status for titles like Konami's Policenauts and Sammy's Deep Freeze. The 3D revolution led to some casualties, including 2D titles like Panzer Bandit and Mega Man X3, which were passed over in favor of 3D games. Thankfully, the world has learned to love 2D games again, as seen in the enormous sales of Hollow Knight: Silksong. However, during the 1990s, all anyone cared about was polygons, and it is understandable given the dramatic technological leap offered by the PlayStation.