Sony Corporation is a Japanese company founded in 1946 that specializes in the production of a wide variety of electronic devices, including video game consoles, cameras, televisions, and smartphones. The PlayStation brand, managed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, is the most popular and recognizable video gaming console brand in the world.
The first PlayStation, also known as PS1 and PSX, was released on December 3, 1994, and competed with the Sega Saturn and Nintendo 64. In order to distinguish itself, PlayStation offered developers the opportunity to take risks with their games, creating experiences that were unprecedented at the time. The resulting games, like Wipeout and Metal Gear Solid, have become some of the most iconic in gaming history.
Unlike Nintendo, which focused on its own games, Sony sought out third-party game developers to make PlayStation titles. This gave Sony the opportunity to release games that were innovative and exciting, such as Ridge Racer and Metal Gear Solid. These games were a step beyond the typical Mario and Zelda games, introducing players to new types of gameplay and storytelling.
The filmmakers do a great job of telling PlayStation’s story, from its early days to the current era of the PlayStation 4. They do miss some key points, though, such as Sony’s missteps with the PlayStation Network hack in 2011, and Microsoft’s rise during the PS3 era. They also only give a brief mention to the PlayStation VR, which was one of Sony’s biggest successes.