PlayStation is widely considered one of the big dogs in the video game industry. Producing some of the biggest titles since the first console’s debut in 1994, it has helped revolutionize gaming. But would you believe there was a time Sony did not have faith in this venture? A recent interview with former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden gives more insight on the beginnings of the PlayStation brand.
‘It was a fight to get the Sony name onto the machine,’ says ex-PlayStation boss Shawn Layden
In an interview with Eurogamer, Layden discusses the early days of PlayStation. When the PS1 launched, the former boss was still part of Sony HQ within the office of the found of Sony, Akio Morita. He recalls when the first console’s prototype made its way to the chairman’s office and played Ridge Racer. While Layden thought at that moment, the console was “amazing,” that was not the case with a lot of leadership at the company.
“But within Sony, I think a lot of the leadership at the time didn’t take it seriously,” says Layden. “They thought: ‘Oh my god, Sega and Nintendo own this thing [the console industry]. You think Sony’s going to come in sideways and try to divvy that thing up into a three piece pie?’”
“It was a ‘fool’s errand’, I think some of them might have even called it at the time,” continues Layden. “But [then-Sony president Norio] Ohga-san was a believer. A lot of people thought we were taking a risk. It was a fight to get the Sony name onto the machine – they didn’t want to be associated with it.”
As we now know, things definitely worked out for Sony. The PS1 and PS2 were hits. The company did struggle a bit with the PS3, but the PS4 and PS5 have seen much success within their lifetimes.
(Source: Eurogamer)