PlayStation
by Sony Computer Entertainment · game · 1994
unverified
sony began developing the playstation after a failed venture with nintendo to create a cd-rom peripheral for the super nintendo entertainment system in the early 1990s, the console was primarily designed by ken kutaragi and sony computer entertainment in japan. nintendo backed out of the sony deal after finding out that the deal included a clause that stated sony would get all cd-rom software royalties, and after further negotiations the deal was finally called off. while sony had provided mips r4000-based sony news workstations for playstation development, psygnosis employees asked bristol-based sn systems to create an alternative pc-based development system, and when they presented their prototype at the january 1994 ces in las vegas, impressed, sony decided to abandon their plans for a workstation-based development system in favour of sn systems's.
what shaped this
the makers, scenes, and predecessors this work came out of, grouped by how the influence reached it
the deal
- Super Nintendo Entertainment System · Nintendo
market predecessor · failed cd-rom partnership and licensing breakup
the playstation deal with nintendo fractured over revenue-splitting terms.
source ↗ - Sony Music Entertainment Japan · Sony
shared supplier · joint corporate formation and manufacturing capacity
kutaragi and his team were shifted from sony's headquarters to sony music to retain the project and maintain relationships with philips.
source ↗ - SGI MIPS Architecture · Silicon Graphics
patent / IP · MIPS ISA licensing for CPU architecture
the ps1's cpu was designed by lsi and sony, using mips' technology.
“The PS1's CPU (1994). Designed by LSI and Sony, using MIPS' technology.”
source ↗ - SN Systems PC-based Development Kit · SN Systems
shared supplier · development hardware supplier partnership
when psygnosis arranged an audience for sn systems with sony's japanese executives at the january 1994 ces in las vegas, beveridge and day presented their prototype of a condensed development kit that could run on an ordinary personal computer with two extension boards.
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relationships
- Namco System 11 · Namco
in the room · namco arcade division, third-party developer partnership
namco's research managing director shegeichi nakamura met with kutaragi in 1993 to discuss preliminary playstation specifications, and namco subsequently based the namco system 11 arcade board on playstation hardware.
source ↗ - Norio Ohga
in the room · sony ceo patron and executive decision-maker
sony president ohga decided to retain the playstation project after being reminded by kutaragi of the humiliation he suffered from nintendo.
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lineage
- Sega Virtua Fighter · Sega
referenced
after witnessing the success of sega's virtua fighter in japanese arcades, sony realized the direction of the playstation became clear and 3d polygon graphics became the console's primary focus.
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