PlayStation: The First 25 Years

[hanselthecaretaker]

Good article. [https://www.gameinformer.com/feature/2019/12/03/the-first-25-years]

I especially thought the comments on PS3?s Cell chip were interesting. Imagine if it didn?t have the memory bottlenecks and a half-assed GPU, or the fact that coding for it was downright impractical for games [https://gbatemp.net/entry/this-is-how-capable-the-ps3s-cell-processor-really-was.15844/]. Ha, I guess Sony was right when they said nobody would ever use 100% of its power.

Even as it was, Killzone 2 & 3 [https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2019-retro-killzone-2-a-ps3-tech-showcase]were still more impressive than Killzone: Shadowfall as far as physics, animations, audio fidelity and overall busy looking effects, and the dynamic object traversal [https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-among-friends-how-naughty-dog-built-uncharted-2]from Uncharted 2 and 3 were beyond anything done in Uncharted 4 from a gameplay physics standpoint. A Slideshow [https://www.slideshare.net/mobile/naughty_dog/multiprocessor-game-loops-lessons-from-uncharted-2-among-thieves] details how they did it.

Another would be the Titans from God of War 3. [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X9AVP2aqtFw] Walking around on roughly 2,000ft tall character models is still the most technically ambitious and impressive thing the God of War series has displayed, especially for its time.

In comparison the PS4 basically has a toaster CPU, but is compensated for by GPU-Compute. As a big fan of these developers and the games they make I?m hoping the PS5 will have more comprehensively robust specs that allow them to be even more technically ambitious, along with the benefits of being much easier to develop for.

 

[CritialGaming]

I've been a Playstation fan since Day 1. Even as a kid I could see the difference in quality between the two consoles available at the time.

My parents were divorced, and my Mom got me a Playstation so when my Dad wanted to also get me a console I asked for an N64 because it made more sense to have both to me. So when I was at my Mom's I played PS1, and N64 when I was at my Dad's. It didn't take long to learn the difference between the consoles and how much better the Playstation was.

Sony came out of the gate with a real winner of a system. Looking back, the PS1 and the N64 weren't very different in terms of power on the surface level right? But Nintendo fucked up and kept the cartiridge model for games and that SEVERELY limited what the system could do. Meanwhile developers learned that the Playstation could make games as big as they wanted, 1 disc, 2, 3, 7, didn't matter. Playstation only one limit and that was how much could be rendered at once, beyond that the game could be as big and on as many discs as it took.

Playstation allowed developers to create incredible experiences.

And with the Playstation 5 I hope they do something to address the issue of backwards compatibility. Open up the world of gaming to modern gamers by allowing them to easily experience the console's history.

I'd like PS5 to be able to play ANY Playstation disc regardless of generation. PS1,2,3,4 all of them. And allow the robust PS1 library from the Vita store to also be playable on the Ps5.

 

[stroopwafel]

I especially thought the comments on PS3?s Cell chip were interesting. Imagine if it didn?t have the memory bottlenecks and a half-assed GPU, or the fact that coding for it was downright impractical for games [https://gbatemp.net/entry/this-is-how-capable-the-ps3s-cell-processor-really-was.15844/]. Ha, I guess Sony was right when they said nobody would ever use 100% of its power.

I still find it unfortunate Sony no longer has that visionary aspiration that gave us the walkman, discman, minidisc and indeed the cell processor. It enabled some tremendous physics modeling something we haven't really seen with the PS4, essentially just a modified x86 PC. Sony lost a ton of money developing the cell so it makes sense they play it safe from now but still, I wish there were more visionaries like Ken Kutaragi.

Anyways I got every Playstation around release and some games like FF7 and Bloodborne I will cherish forever.

 

[bluegate]

That was a very interesting read, hearing people involved in the creation of PlayStation talk about that time in history was great.

Every Gran Turismo is [important], but there was never any time to wallow in the victory or results after their release. I was always concerned with, ?We couldn?t do this,? or ?That wasn?t enough,? and we started running towards our next objective. But when I was called to a management meeting and I reported the achievements of GT 3, everyone within SCE management gave me a big applause, and that was the first time I realized, ?Ahh I was able to contribute something to PlayStation,? and I remember being very happy about that.

This stings a little bit, because as a little youngin' I once held the dream of "working at/with/for PlayStation" and being able to say that one day.
But life and more "achievable" goals happened... maybe some day in the next 25 years... 😞😅

I still find it unfortunate Sony no longer has that visionary aspiration that gave us the walkman, discman, minidisc and indeed the cell processor. It enabled some tremendous physics modeling something we haven't really seen with the PS4, essentially just a modified x86 PC. Sony lost a ton of money developing the cell so it makes sense they play it safe from now but still, I wish there were more visionaries like Ken Kutaragi.

Homogenisation is to be expected as systems get more complex, I suppose. No one wants to reinvent the wheel or create something so alien that no one is able to develop for it effectively.

I guess that the next field for innovation lies with software features, it's one of few "risk free" areas still left.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

I'd like PS5 to be able to play ANY Playstation disc regardless of generation. PS1,2,3,4 all of them. And allow the robust PS1 library from the Vita store to also be playable on the Ps5.

There definitely won't be PS3 support on PS5 because it's a nightmare to emulate the PS3, there isn't even great working PS3 emulators available on PC.

 

[Yoshi178]

So when I was at my Mom's I played PS1, and N64 when I was at my Dad's. It didn't take long to learn the difference between the consoles and how much better the Playstation was.

Sony came out of the gate with a real winner of a system. Looking back, the PS1 and the N64 weren't very different in terms of power on the surface level right? But Nintendo fucked up and kept the cartiridge model for games and that SEVERELY limited what the system could do. Meanwhile developers learned that the Playstation could make games as big as they wanted, 1 disc, 2, 3, 7, didn't matter. Playstation only one limit and that was how much could be rendered at once, beyond that the game could be as big and on as many discs as it took.

PS1 definitely had a larger library than than the N64. but when you say the PS1 was "better", if by that you mean it was easier and cheaper for developers to put games on the PS1 system because of it using Discs instead of cartridge's then yeah that's true.

in terms of specs though, the N64 had better hardware specs and was more powerful than the PS1.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

snip

There definitely won't be PS3 support on PS5 because it's a nightmare to emulate the PS3, there isn't even great working PS3 emulators available on PC.

Possibly, but maybe not. PS3 emulation on PC has made huge strides lately. In about 2 years RCPS3 has gone from barely capable of booting the OS, to running ~1000 commercial games without major glitches, in some cases better than the original hardware ever could. Does it still have many problems? Yes, of course, but that is still seriously impressive progress.

Point is, it can be done in a few years by a bunch of admittedly talented enthusiasts who have neither the full know-how and documentation Sony has, nor its manpower and budget. So my guess is that PS3 emulation on the PS5 is less a matter of technical feasibility, than one of willingness to devote the time and money.

in terms of specs though, the N64 had better hardware specs and was more powerful than the PS1.

True, in terms of pure horsepower, the N64 wins handily.

It had hardware support for stuff the PS1 couldn't like perspective correction, z-buffering, texture filtering and anti-aliasing, as well as just being able to push more polygons. In theory, since there were a few caveats. Like the weird and complicated memory architecture making it difficult to get the most out of the system without support from Nintendo. High res textures (for the time) were particularly hard to do, although the lack of space on the cartridge to store those texture certainly didn't help.

 

[Catfood220]

I didn't join the Playstation family until the PS3. Up until then, I was a dyed in the wool Nintendo fanatic, my friends had Playstations and I was always impressed with what they could do, but I was into Nintendo more.

Then the Wii happened with its stupid motion controls and lack of decent games. It was such a disappointment following the Gamecube which I still think is one of the best consoles ever made. So I made the decision to trade my Wii in for a PS3. I got it with Kill zone 2 and GTA 4. I also went and got a copy of Fallout 3 too. I wasn't overly impressed with Kill zone 2 but I really enjoyed Fallout, playing it until the early hours of the morning.

So when it came to upgrading to the next console generation, it was no contest as to what I got. Well that and the totally off putting Xbox 1 before they did a 180 and decided against everything they had planned. But Sony have been killing it this generation with stuff like Horizon: Zero Dawn, Spider-Man and God of War as well as a wealth of third party and indie stuff. So yay.

Also, Nintendo is also killing it with the Switch. Best Nintendo console since the Gamecube

 

[CritialGaming]

So when I was at my Mom's I played PS1, and N64 when I was at my Dad's. It didn't take long to learn the difference between the consoles and how much better the Playstation was.

Sony came out of the gate with a real winner of a system. Looking back, the PS1 and the N64 weren't very different in terms of power on the surface level right? But Nintendo fucked up and kept the cartiridge model for games and that SEVERELY limited what the system could do. Meanwhile developers learned that the Playstation could make games as big as they wanted, 1 disc, 2, 3, 7, didn't matter. Playstation only one limit and that was how much could be rendered at once, beyond that the game could be as big and on as many discs as it took.

PS1 definitely had a larger library than than the N64. but when you say the PS1 was "better", if by that you mean it was easier and cheaper for developers to put games on the PS1 system because of it using Discs instead of cartridge's then yeah that's true.

in terms of specs though, the N64 had better hardware specs and was more powerful than the PS1.

I figured you would come running to defend your Nintendo when nobody is even talking shit about it.

So yes, in terms of raw power, the N64 was more powerful than the Playstation however what set the console back was that the cartridges could not handle the power. So you had a system that was really strong, but it used a delivery medium that couldn't keep up with what the system could do. So a good portion of that power was just lost because Nintendo insisted on keeping carts around.

Frankly at the end of the day, it doesn't matter really why a given system was better than another, the fact is simply that the Playstation ended up being a far better system than the N64. That isn't saying that N64 didn't have some good games on it, because obviously it did. But if you look at the libraries between the two systems and count the hit games, there isn't even a contest there.

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

So, the Playstation 1 was the first console I ever bought with my own money. So it will forever have a place in my heart.

I didn't know anything about memory cards because I never needed them before. I remember having Resident Evil 2 on my system and learning to be the absolute best at that game because I couldn't save for a few days but I was so into it. I eventually had every costume, item, and whatever... but I couldn't keep it until I got the memory card. And at that time it took me only two nights to get all that stuff back. I knew that game better than I knew my best friend.

It's going to sound weird, but the Playstation 1 was the 90's distilled. If you were sentient in the 90's, you knew anything went. You could find anything to meet any of your needs. I didn't know music rhythm games were so fun, but here comes Bust a Groove. 3d Fighting games? In my Living Room? Why yes, Tekken 3, so good of you to come.

Playstation 1 tried more. Anything could get released on the system, and anything did. While archaic compared to the phones we have in our pockets today, it truly felt limitless because of the wide variety of games and experiments released on the platform.

You younger gamers have to remember. This was the first console generation that was such a computing and graphical leap that actual new genres of games were invented because game designers and developers finally had the ability to create fully realized set pieces.

Honestly that's why I think even though Playstation 1 is etched into the hearts of those who played it, that fact is why Playstation 2 is still beloved to this day. Because of all the lessons learned in Playstation 1's life cycle, PS2 was the last time we saw anything new, truly new come out. That's why everything today is still "Sandbox" added with another buzzword.

You can not overstate what GTA 3 did for our hobby. It impacted the landscape so hard that even today we're still feeling the iterations stemming from it.

I was a Vice City guy myself, but to each their own.

Also, Nintendo is also killing it with the Switch. Best Nintendo console since the Gamecube

Dude, I'll do you one better. I know I just shared my love of the Playstation 1, but to me, Nintendo Switch is the best Console of my life time.

I don't care if people say it's a port machine. Every game that comes out that I'm excited for, I look for it being released on the Switch. If it isn't, my interest wanes.

I OWN my Nintendo Switch experience. It's with me no matter where I want to go. I don't dread trips any more. I don't dread air travel. I have my Anker Charger, I have my Satisfye grip (it really is the most comfortable grip out there), I'm good.

The only thing that kills me is Nintendo continually dropping the ball with accessories. If you didn't design the device with Bluetooth headset capabilities, fine. I understand releasing an adapter... But it's been 2 years now. Can you not design a pass through adapter so I can listen to my Switch Wirelessly and keep my Switch charged? Why is this such a mystery?

 

[Yoshi178]

Frankly at the end of the day, it doesn't matter really why a given system was better than another, the fact is simply that the Playstation ended up being a far better system than the N64.

pretty sure that's your entirely subjective opinion rather than a "fact" as you put it

 

[Casual Shinji]

The Playstation 1 is what got me into gaming. I had played games before, and had liked games before, but it wasn't until I went over to a friends house and he showed me the demo of Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee that I felt gaming showed me something that was on par if not beyond what movies were visually capable of. It was like watching Jim Henson on crack. With that started not only my love of games, but also my love of pre-rendered backgrounds.

 

[CritialGaming]

Frankly at the end of the day, it doesn't matter really why a given system was better than another, the fact is simply that the Playstation ended up being a far better system than the N64.

pretty sure that's your entirely subjective opinion rather than a "fact" as you put it

According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_game_consoles and math. The PS1 sold three times what the N64 did. So I'm pretty sure that's FACT sir.

Hell the PSP, which was a lame system, also outsold the N64.

Sometimes you gotta just let your fandom go. I know you love Nintendo, but dude grow up a little and try to view reality once in a while. It's pretty dope out here.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

Frankly at the end of the day, it doesn't matter really why a given system was better than another, the fact is simply that the Playstation ended up being a far better system than the N64.

pretty sure that's your entirely subjective opinion rather than a "fact" as you put it

You don't play non-Nintendo games so your opinion on best systems is pretty ignorant. In fact, I doubt you've even played the best Switch games like Divinity 2, Obra Dinn, Baba is You, etc. Funny thing how once the Xeno series came to Nintendo systems, it's the greatest game ever but it started on PS1 and that game is still considered the best in the series.

 

[Yoshi178]

Frankly at the end of the day, it doesn't matter really why a given system was better than another, the fact is simply that the Playstation ended up being a far better system than the N64.

pretty sure that's your entirely subjective opinion rather than a "fact" as you put it

According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_game_consoles and math. The PS1 sold three times what the N64 did. So I'm pretty sure that's FACT sir.

best selling = best quality now?
oh jeez i guess that means fortnite, minecraft and call of duty are some of the best games of all time then!!!!
it also means the Nintendo DS and Wii are some of the best consoles of all time since they sold more than the PS1 oh boy!!!!!!!!!!!!

i never claimed that PS1 didn't sell more units than N64. it did.
but that doesn't change that saying it's "better" than the N64 is still entirely your opinion, not a fact.

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

Sometimes you gotta just let your fandom go. I know you love Nintendo, but dude grow up a little and try to view reality once in a while. It's pretty dope out here.

I agree we shouldn't let fandom blind us to truth... but you damn well know current reality sucks.

Open up any news site and see if you're greeted with "unknown disease that made everyone contentious is cured, asshat population has started to dwindle"

 

[CaitSeith]

Let's have a nice and friendly chat about PlayStation nostalgia.

Spoiler: Yoshi has joined the channel...

OT: I was more on the Nintendo 64 camp at the time. Several years later I got a fracture and couldn't walk for months; so my parents got me a cheap PS and some games: Final Fantasy Tactics, Silent Hill, Chrono Cross and Myst.

A funny thing is that FFT had a paper-rock-scissors like system that used the Zodiac Symbols, so I wrote them down in a circle on a notebook and traced lines to represent which was weak against what. I think my parents thought I was practicing witchcraft or something when they saw it.

 

[Yoshi178]

Let's have a nice and friendly chat about PlayStation nostalgia.

Spoiler: Yoshi has joined the channel...

it takes 2 to tango bucko.

 

[CritialGaming]

best selling = best quality now?
oh jeez i guess that means fortnite, minecraft and call of duty are some of the best games of all time then!!!!

I know this might be hard for you to understand, but sometimes things are popular because they are GOOD. Though I'm not sure if Fortnite can be included in "best selling" because that shit is free. But yes Minecraft is probably OBJECTIVELY one of the best games ever made. Call of Duty doesn't count because you'd have to look over an entire series of games over a long life span which can't apply because we are talking about a single entity (ala 1 console over another).

So like usual, your argument is invalid because you are blinded by nothing but fandom. You only see in Toadstool, and have no grasp on reality beyond the mushroom kingdom.

It also means the Nintendo DS and Wii are some of the best consoles of all time since they sold more than the PS1 oh boy!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well yes. The DS is 100% one of the best consoles of all time. The Wii was a good system, it didn't get the support in the long run but it was a good system and the millions that bought that unit to play Wii Sports ended up getting everything they wanted from it.

Though by your logic, I can state that the Playstation 2 was the best console EVER because it has sold the most units. Actually....no that sounds about right.

i never claimed that PS1 didn't sell more units than N64. it did.
but that doesn't change that saying it's "better" than the N64 is still entirely your opinion, not a fact.

Just because something is better, doesn't mean that it can't still be someone's favorite. You are conflicting popularity results (told via sales numbers) with your personal bias.

The numbers show that the PS1 was a far superior system, OBJECTIVELY, due to the sheer adoption rate of the system. The general populace do not buy terrible shit en-masse that's not how the world works.

If the N64 was the better system, with the better hardware, the better games, the better user experience, the best/easiest development tool, then the result would have been the N64 vastly outselling the inferior Ps1. But of course none of that is true, the N64 was hard to develop for, had a terrible controller, a very small games library, and it simply couldn't hold a candle to the Playstation. And guess what? Neither could the Gamecube, the Wii, the Wii U, or the Switch. Hell they barely hold a candle to Xbox too considering the 360 outsold every Nintendo ever except the Wii.

Fact of the matter is, Nintendo is no longer concerned with being a gaming competitor. They've found a way to carve themselves a successful niche market and they are happy to remain there. Nintendo has a totally different audience these days than they used too, as their core gaming audience has moved on. The people that remain are children, and folks that like the straightforward gaming experiences that they offer.

And that's fine Yoshi. You have a preference and that's cool. But it is just your preference and you always let that blind you to mathmatical facts.

Hell if you wanna compare all the consoles every Playstation has outsold every other Nintendo console EVER. With the PS3 being the only exception, loosing to the Wii. Thought Ps1,2, and 4 have all outsold the Wii. And they barely hold a candle to Xbox too considering the 360 outsold every Nintendo ever except the Wii.

You can love Nintendo all you want, and the company holds a very important backbone to gaming history. But they refused to evolve with the medium and that has cost them. They aren't the super star anymore. No king rules forever.

 

[Yoshi178]

SNIP

It's actually hilarious how because you like playstation, you automatically think the PS1's sales numbers make it better than the N64, but then you also suddenly think Call of Duty and Wii Sports don't count as best games of all time despite having extremely high sales numbers

Stop contradicting yourself! LMAO!!!!