Celebrating 30 Years of PlayStation: Stories from Industry Veterans

During a special session at EGX in London, a panel of PlayStation veterans, including Chris Deering, David Wilson, Geoff Glendenning, David Ranyard, and Masami Kochi, shared fascinating anecdotes from their time working on various PlayStation consoles. To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the PlayStation brand, we have compiled some of the most interesting stories from this session. Chris Deering, who led the PlayStation European business until the launch of PS3, reminisced about his early days in the industry, working at Atari in the mid-1980s. He was drawn to Sony's entry into the console market, as he believed it would help legitimize gaming in countries where it was viewed as downmarket or even criminal. The introduction of the disc format, which allowed for faster game distribution, was a major factor in Deering's optimism. The UK PlayStation team focused on making the console appealing to adults, tapping into the club and rave scene of the 1990s. They positioned PlayStation as a cool, edgy brand, giving away hundreds of consoles to influential people in the music and fashion industries. This word-of-mouth approach helped create a buzz around the console, with the team leveraging the credibility of these influencers to promote the brand. The team also experimented with unconventional marketing tactics, such as creating fake road signs and lost pet posters for the launch of Crash Bandicoot. However, one idea, involving postcards in phone boxes, backfired when the person distributing them was allegedly assaulted. The team learned from this experience and avoided similar tactics in the future. PlayStation rooms, featuring consoles connected to TVs, were set up in various locations, including clubs and retailers, to showcase the console's capabilities. The best-selling game on PS1 in the UK was the original Rayman, which topped the charts due to strategic bundling and pricing. The PS2 went on to become the most successful console of all time, despite initial skepticism from the trade media. However, stock shortages caused headaches, and the team had to navigate supply chain issues and financial difficulties. The London Studio developed innovative products like SingStar and EyeToy, which involved expensive hardware. The team took a risk by shipping SingStar with two microphones, doubling the cost of goods, but it paid off. EyeToy created some challenges, such as the ability to broadcast user-generated content, which led to some issues with explicit material being shared on the PlayStation Network. The team learned from these experiences and adapted to the changing market. As Xbox entered the market, PlayStation focused on exclusivity, securing deals with third-party publishers and developers. The PS3 launch was challenging, with a higher price point and late market entry. However, the console eventually found its footing, with some amazing properties being released in the latter half of its lifespan. The PS4, on the other hand, was a dream to develop for, but the London Studio had one major complaint: the camera, which was initially planned to be bundled with the console, was eventually removed. This led the team to focus on VR development. During the battle between Xbox One and PS4, PlayStation took an aggressive approach, with a notable video mocking Xbox's sharing policy. The UK team launched the PS4 early, with a PR stunt and a massive party, to get ahead of Xbox.