<s>
The	O
(	O
abbreviated	O
as	O
PS	O
,	O
commonly	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
PS1/PS	O
one	O
or	O
its	O
codename	O
PSX	O
)	O
is	O
a	O
home	B-Device
video	I-Device
game	I-Device
console	I-Device
developed	O
and	O
marketed	O
by	O
Sony	O
Computer	O
Entertainment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
fifth-generation	B-Application
console	I-Application
,	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
primarily	O
competed	O
with	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
and	O
the	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sony	O
began	O
developing	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
after	O
a	O
failed	O
venture	O
with	O
Nintendo	O
to	O
create	O
a	B-Device
CD-ROM	I-Device
peripheral	I-Device
for	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Nintendo	I-Application
Entertainment	I-Application
System	I-Application
in	O
the	O
early	O
1990s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
emphasis	O
on	O
3D	O
polygon	B-General_Concept
graphics	O
was	O
placed	O
at	O
the	O
forefront	O
of	O
the	O
console	O
's	O
design	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PlayStation	B-Device
game	O
production	O
was	O
designed	O
to	O
be	O
streamlined	O
and	O
inclusive	O
,	O
enticing	O
the	O
support	O
of	O
many	O
third-party	O
developers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Premier	O
PlayStation	B-Device
franchises	O
included	O
Gran	B-Application
Turismo	I-Application
,	O
Crash	B-Application
Bandicoot	I-Application
,	O
Spyro	O
,	O
Tomb	B-Application
Raider	I-Application
,	O
Metal	B-Application
Gear	I-Application
,	O
Tekken	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
,	O
all	O
of	O
which	O
spawned	O
numerous	O
sequels	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PlayStation	B-Device
games	I-Device
continued	O
to	O
sell	O
until	O
Sony	O
ceased	O
production	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
and	O
its	O
games	O
on	O
23	O
March	O
2006	O
—	O
over	O
eleven	O
years	O
after	O
it	O
had	O
been	O
released	O
,	O
and	O
less	O
than	O
a	O
year	O
before	O
the	O
debut	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
total	O
of	O
3,061	B-Device
PlayStation	I-Device
games	I-Device
were	O
released	O
,	O
with	O
cumulative	O
sales	O
of	O
967million	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
signalled	O
Sony	O
's	O
rise	O
to	O
power	O
in	O
the	O
video	O
game	O
industry	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
use	O
of	O
compact	O
discs	O
heralded	O
the	O
game	O
industry	O
's	O
transition	O
from	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
success	O
led	O
to	O
a	O
line	B-Device
of	I-Device
successors	I-Device
,	O
beginning	O
with	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
in	O
2000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
was	O
conceived	O
by	O
Ken	O
Kutaragi	O
,	O
a	O
Sony	O
executive	O
who	O
managed	O
a	O
hardware	O
engineering	O
division	O
and	O
was	O
later	O
dubbed	O
"	O
the	O
Father	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kutaragi	O
convinced	O
Nintendo	O
to	O
use	O
his	O
SPC-700	O
sound	O
processor	O
in	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Nintendo	I-Application
Entertainment	I-Application
System	I-Application
(	O
SNES	B-Application
)	O
through	O
a	O
demonstration	O
of	O
the	O
processor	O
's	O
capabilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
His	O
willingness	O
to	O
work	O
with	O
Nintendo	O
derived	O
from	O
both	O
his	O
admiration	O
of	O
the	O
Famicom	O
and	O
conviction	O
in	O
video	B-Application
game	I-Application
consoles	I-Application
becoming	O
the	O
main	O
home-use	O
entertainment	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
inception	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
dates	O
back	O
to	O
a	O
1988	O
joint	O
venture	O
between	O
Nintendo	O
and	O
Sony	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	O
had	O
produced	O
floppy	B-Device
disk	I-Device
technology	O
to	O
complement	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
in	O
the	O
form	O
of	O
the	O
Family	B-Device
Computer	I-Device
Disk	I-Device
System	I-Device
,	O
and	O
wanted	O
to	O
continue	O
this	O
complementary	O
storage	O
strategy	O
for	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
Sony	O
was	O
already	O
contracted	O
to	O
produce	O
the	O
SPC-700	O
sound	O
processor	O
for	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
,	O
Nintendo	O
contracted	O
Sony	O
to	O
develop	O
a	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
add-on	O
,	O
tentatively	O
titled	O
the	O
"	O
Play	O
Station	O
"	O
or	O
"	O
SNES-CD	B-Device
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Having	O
been	O
the	O
primary	O
manufacturer	O
of	O
the	O
ill-fated	O
MSX	B-Operating_System
home	O
computer	O
format	O
,	O
Sony	O
had	O
wanted	O
to	O
use	O
their	O
experience	O
in	O
consumer	O
electronics	O
to	O
produce	O
their	O
own	O
video	O
game	O
hardware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
initial	O
agreement	O
between	O
Nintendo	O
and	O
Sony	O
was	O
about	O
producing	O
a	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
add-on	O
,	O
Sony	O
had	O
also	O
planned	O
to	O
develop	O
a	O
SNES-compatible	O
Sony-branded	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
iteration	O
was	O
intended	O
to	O
be	O
more	O
of	O
a	O
home	O
entertainment	O
system	O
,	O
playing	O
both	O
SNES	B-Application
cartridges	B-Protocol
and	O
a	O
new	O
CD	O
format	O
named	O
the	O
"	O
Super	B-Device
Disc	I-Device
"	O
,	O
which	O
Sony	O
would	O
design	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Under	O
the	O
agreement	O
,	O
Sony	O
would	O
retain	O
sole	O
international	O
rights	O
to	O
every	O
Super	B-Device
Disc	I-Device
game	O
,	O
giving	O
them	O
a	O
large	O
degree	O
of	O
control	O
despite	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
leading	O
position	O
in	O
the	O
video	O
game	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Nintendo	O
president	O
Hiroshi	O
Yamauchi	O
was	O
wary	O
of	O
Sony	O
's	O
increasing	O
leverage	O
at	O
this	O
point	O
and	O
deemed	O
the	O
original	O
1988	O
contract	O
unacceptable	O
upon	O
realising	O
it	O
essentially	O
handed	O
Sony	O
control	O
over	O
all	O
games	O
written	O
on	O
the	O
SNES	B-Device
CD-ROM	I-Device
format	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wanting	O
to	O
protect	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
existing	O
licensing	O
structure	O
,	O
Yamauchi	O
cancelled	O
all	O
plans	O
for	O
the	O
joint	O
Nintendo	O
–	O
Sony	O
SNES	B-Application
CD	O
attachment	O
without	O
telling	O
Sony	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sony	O
's	O
American	O
branch	O
considered	O
allying	O
with	O
Sega	O
to	O
produce	O
a	O
CD-ROM-based	O
machine	O
called	O
the	O
Sega	O
Multimedia	O
Entertainment	O
System	O
,	O
but	O
their	O
board	O
of	O
directors	O
in	O
Tokyo	O
vetoed	O
the	O
idea	O
when	O
American	O
CEO	O
Tom	O
Kalinske	O
presented	O
them	O
the	O
proposal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sony	O
halted	O
their	O
research	O
,	O
but	O
decided	O
to	O
develop	O
what	O
it	O
had	O
developed	O
with	O
Nintendo	O
and	O
Sega	O
into	O
a	O
console	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
deal	O
was	O
proposed	O
:	O
the	O
Play	O
Station	O
would	O
still	O
have	O
a	O
port	O
for	O
SNES	B-Application
games	O
,	O
on	O
the	O
condition	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
still	O
use	O
Kutaragi	O
's	O
audio	O
chip	O
and	O
that	O
Nintendo	O
would	O
own	O
the	O
rights	O
and	O
receive	O
the	O
bulk	O
of	O
the	O
profits	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
determine	O
the	O
fate	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
project	O
,	O
Ohga	O
chaired	O
a	O
meeting	O
in	O
June	O
1992	O
,	O
consisting	O
of	O
Kutaragi	O
and	O
several	O
senior	O
Sony	O
board	O
members	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kutaragi	O
unveiled	O
a	O
proprietary	B-Application
CD-ROM-based	O
system	O
he	O
had	O
been	O
secretly	O
working	O
on	O
which	O
played	O
games	O
with	O
immersive	O
3D	O
graphics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
involvement	O
of	O
SMEJ	O
proved	O
crucial	O
to	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
early	O
development	O
as	O
the	O
process	O
of	O
manufacturing	O
games	O
on	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
format	O
was	O
similar	O
to	O
that	O
used	O
for	O
audio	O
CDs	O
,	O
with	O
which	O
Sony	O
's	O
music	O
division	O
had	O
considerable	O
experience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
at	O
SMEJ	O
,	O
Kutaragi	O
worked	O
with	O
Epic/Sony	O
Records	O
founder	O
Shigeo	O
Maruyama	O
and	O
Akira	O
Sato	O
;	O
both	O
later	O
became	O
vice	O
presidents	O
of	O
the	O
division	O
that	O
ran	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
business	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
27	O
October	O
1993	O
,	O
Sony	O
publicly	O
announced	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
entering	O
the	O
game	O
console	O
market	O
with	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Maruyama	O
,	O
there	O
was	O
uncertainty	O
over	O
whether	O
the	O
console	O
should	O
primarily	O
focus	O
on	O
2D	O
,	O
sprite-based	O
graphics	O
or	O
3D	O
polygon	B-General_Concept
graphics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
Sony	O
witnessed	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
Sega	O
's	O
Virtua	B-Application
Fighter	I-Application
(	O
1993	O
)	O
in	O
Japanese	O
arcades	O
,	O
the	O
direction	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
became	O
"	O
instantly	O
clear	O
"	O
and	O
3D	O
polygon	B-General_Concept
graphics	O
became	O
the	O
console	O
's	O
primary	O
focus	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
SCE	O
president	O
Teruhisa	O
Tokunaka	O
expressed	O
gratitude	O
for	O
Sega	O
's	O
timely	O
release	O
of	O
Virtua	B-Application
Fighter	I-Application
as	O
it	O
proved	O
"	O
just	O
at	O
the	O
right	O
time	O
"	O
that	O
making	O
games	O
with	O
3D	O
imagery	O
was	O
possible	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Maruyama	O
claimed	O
that	O
Sony	O
further	O
wanted	O
to	O
emphasize	O
the	O
new	O
console	O
's	O
ability	O
to	O
utilize	O
redbook	O
audio	O
from	O
the	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
format	O
in	O
its	O
games	O
alongside	O
high	B-General_Concept
quality	I-General_Concept
visuals	O
and	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wishing	O
to	O
distance	O
the	O
project	O
from	O
the	O
failed	O
enterprise	O
with	O
Nintendo	O
,	O
Sony	O
initially	O
branded	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
the	O
"	O
PlayStation	B-Device
X	O
"	O
(	O
PSX	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
divisions	O
planned	O
to	O
market	O
the	O
new	O
console	O
under	O
the	O
alternative	O
branding	O
"	O
PSX	O
"	O
following	O
the	O
negative	O
feedback	O
regarding	O
"	O
PlayStation	B-Device
"	O
in	O
focus	O
group	O
studies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
was	O
in	O
contrast	O
to	O
Sega	O
and	O
Nintendo	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
versatile	O
and	O
well-equipped	O
in-house	O
software	O
divisions	O
for	O
their	O
arcade	O
games	O
and	O
could	O
easily	O
port	O
successful	O
games	O
to	O
their	O
home	B-Device
consoles	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Recent	O
consoles	O
like	O
the	O
Atari	B-Device
Jaguar	I-Device
and	O
3DO	B-Device
suffered	O
low	O
sales	O
due	O
to	O
a	O
lack	O
of	O
developer	O
support	O
,	O
prompting	O
Sony	O
to	O
redouble	O
their	O
efforts	O
in	O
gaining	O
the	O
endorsement	O
of	O
arcade-savvy	O
developers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
team	O
from	O
Epic	O
Sony	O
visited	O
more	O
than	O
a	O
hundred	O
companies	O
throughout	O
Japan	O
in	O
May1993	O
in	O
hopes	O
of	O
attracting	O
game	O
creators	O
with	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
technological	O
appeal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Namco	O
in	O
particular	O
was	O
keen	O
to	O
participate	O
in	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
project	O
as	O
a	O
third-party	O
developer	O
since	O
Namco	O
rivalled	O
Sega	O
in	O
the	O
arcade	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Attaining	O
these	O
companies	O
secured	O
influential	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Ridge	B-Application
Racer	I-Application
(	O
1993	O
)	O
and	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
(	O
1995	O
)	O
,	O
Ridge	B-Application
Racer	I-Application
being	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
popular	O
arcade	O
games	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Namco	O
's	O
research	O
managing	O
director	O
Shegeichi	O
Nakamura	O
met	O
with	O
Kutaragi	O
in	O
1993	O
to	O
discuss	O
the	O
preliminary	O
PlayStation	B-Device
specifications	O
,	O
with	O
Namco	O
subsequently	O
basing	O
the	O
Namco	B-Application
System	I-Application
11	I-Application
arcade	O
board	O
on	O
PlayStation	B-Device
hardware	O
and	O
developing	O
Tekken	B-Application
to	O
compete	O
with	O
Virtua	B-Application
Fighter	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
System	O
11	O
launched	O
in	O
arcades	O
several	O
months	O
before	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
release	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
arcade	O
release	O
of	O
Tekken	B-Application
in	O
September	O
1994	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
securing	O
the	O
support	O
of	O
various	O
Japanese	O
studios	O
,	O
Sony	O
had	O
no	O
developers	O
of	O
their	O
own	O
by	O
the	O
time	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
was	O
in	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
acquisition	O
meant	O
that	O
Sony	O
could	O
have	O
more	O
launch	O
games	O
ready	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
release	O
in	O
Europe	O
and	O
North	O
America	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ian	O
Hetherington	O
,	O
Psygnosis	O
 '	O
co-founder	O
,	O
was	O
disappointed	O
after	O
receiving	O
early	O
builds	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
and	O
recalled	O
that	O
the	O
console	O
"	O
was	O
not	O
fit	O
for	O
purpose	O
"	O
until	O
his	O
team	O
got	O
involved	O
with	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hetherington	O
frequently	O
clashed	O
with	O
Sony	O
executives	O
over	O
broader	O
ideas	O
;	O
at	O
one	O
point	O
it	O
was	O
suggested	O
that	O
a	O
television	O
with	O
a	O
built-in	O
PlayStation	B-Device
be	O
produced	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
months	O
leading	O
up	O
to	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
launch	O
,	O
Psygnosis	O
had	O
around	O
500	O
full-time	O
staff	O
working	O
on	O
games	O
and	O
assisting	O
with	O
software	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
purchase	O
of	O
Psygnosis	O
marked	O
another	O
turning	O
point	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
as	O
it	O
played	O
a	O
vital	O
role	O
in	O
creating	O
the	O
console	O
's	O
development	B-Application
kits	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Sony	O
had	O
provided	O
MIPS	O
R4000-based	O
Sony	B-Operating_System
NEWS	I-Operating_System
workstations	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
development	O
,	O
Psygnosis	O
employees	O
disliked	O
the	O
thought	O
of	O
developing	O
on	O
these	O
expensive	O
workstations	O
and	O
asked	O
Bristol-based	O
SN	B-Application
Systems	I-Application
to	O
create	O
an	O
alternative	O
PC-based	O
development	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Andy	O
Beveridge	O
and	O
Martin	O
Day	O
,	O
owners	O
of	O
SN	B-Application
Systems	I-Application
,	O
had	O
previously	O
supplied	O
development	O
hardware	O
for	O
other	O
consoles	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Mega	B-Operating_System
Drive	I-Operating_System
,	O
Atari	B-Device
ST	I-Device
,	O
and	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
Psygnosis	O
arranged	O
an	O
audience	O
for	O
SN	B-Application
Systems	I-Application
with	O
Sony	O
's	O
Japanese	O
executives	O
at	O
the	O
January1994	O
CES	O
in	O
Las	O
Vegas	O
,	O
Beveridge	O
and	O
Day	O
presented	O
their	O
prototype	O
of	O
the	O
condensed	O
development	B-Application
kit	I-Application
,	O
which	O
could	O
run	O
on	O
an	O
ordinary	O
personal	O
computer	O
with	O
two	O
extension	O
boards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Impressed	O
,	O
Sony	O
decided	O
to	O
abandon	O
their	O
plans	O
for	O
a	O
workstation-based	O
development	O
system	O
in	O
favour	O
of	O
SN	B-Application
Systems	I-Application
 '	O
,	O
thus	O
securing	O
a	O
cheaper	O
and	O
more	O
efficient	O
method	O
for	O
designing	O
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
order	O
of	O
over	O
600	O
systems	O
followed	O
,	O
and	O
SN	B-Application
Systems	I-Application
supplied	O
Sony	O
with	O
additional	O
software	O
such	O
as	O
an	O
assembler	B-Language
,	O
linker	B-Application
,	O
and	O
a	O
debugger	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
SN	B-Application
Systems	I-Application
produced	O
development	B-Application
kits	I-Application
for	O
future	O
PlayStation	B-Device
systems	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
and	O
was	O
bought	O
out	O
by	O
Sony	O
in	O
2005	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
well	O
as	O
providing	O
programming	B-Library
libraries	I-Library
,	O
SCE	O
headquarters	O
in	O
London	O
,	O
California	O
and	O
Tokyo	O
housed	O
technical	O
support	O
teams	O
that	O
could	O
work	O
closely	O
with	O
third-party	O
developers	O
if	O
needed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
strategy	O
that	O
helped	O
attract	O
software	O
developers	O
was	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
format	O
instead	O
of	O
traditional	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
contrast	O
to	O
other	O
disc-reading	O
consoles	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
3DO	B-Device
,	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
could	O
quickly	O
generate	O
and	O
synthesise	O
data	O
from	O
the	O
CD	O
since	O
it	O
was	O
an	O
image-generation	O
system	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
a	O
data-replay	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
architecture	O
and	O
interconnectability	O
with	O
PCs	O
was	O
beneficial	O
to	O
many	O
software	O
developers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
programming	B-Language
language	I-Language
C	I-Language
proved	O
useful	O
during	O
the	O
early	O
stages	O
of	O
development	O
as	O
it	O
safeguarded	O
future	O
compatibility	O
of	O
the	O
machine	O
should	O
developers	O
decide	O
to	O
make	O
further	O
hardware	O
revisions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sony	O
used	O
the	O
free	B-Application
software	I-Application
GNU	B-Application
C	I-Application
compiler	I-Application
,	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
GCC	B-Application
,	O
to	O
guarantee	O
short	O
debugging	O
times	O
as	O
it	O
was	O
already	O
familiar	O
to	O
many	O
programmers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
the	O
inherent	O
flexibility	O
,	O
some	O
developers	O
found	O
themselves	O
restricted	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
console	O
's	O
lack	O
of	O
RAM	B-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
working	O
on	O
beta	O
builds	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
,	O
Molyneux	O
observed	O
that	O
its	O
MIPS	B-General_Concept
processor	I-General_Concept
was	O
not	O
"	O
quite	O
as	O
bullish	O
"	O
compared	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
a	O
fast	O
PC	O
and	O
said	O
that	O
it	O
took	O
his	O
team	O
two	O
weeks	O
to	O
port	O
their	O
PC	O
code	O
to	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
development	B-Application
kits	I-Application
and	O
another	O
fortnight	O
to	O
achieve	O
a	O
four-fold	O
speed	O
increase	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
engineer	O
from	O
Ocean	O
Software	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
Europe	O
's	O
largest	O
game	O
developers	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
thought	O
that	O
allocating	O
RAM	B-Architecture
was	O
a	O
challenging	O
aspect	O
given	O
the	O
3.5	O
megabyte	O
restriction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kutaragi	O
said	O
that	O
while	O
it	O
would	O
have	O
been	O
easy	O
to	O
double	O
the	O
amount	O
of	O
RAM	B-Architecture
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
,	O
the	O
development	O
team	O
refrained	O
from	O
doing	O
so	O
to	O
keep	O
the	O
retail	O
cost	O
down	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sony	O
released	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
3	O
December	O
1994	O
,	O
a	O
week	O
after	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
,	O
at	O
a	O
price	O
of	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
sold	O
100,000	O
units	O
on	O
the	O
first	O
day	O
and	O
two	O
million	O
units	O
within	O
six	O
months	O
,	O
although	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
outsold	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
in	O
the	O
first	O
few	O
weeks	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
Virtua	B-Application
Fighter	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
1994	O
,	O
300,000	O
PlayStation	B-Device
units	O
were	O
sold	O
in	O
Japan	O
compared	O
to	O
500,000	O
Saturn	B-Device
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
a	O
while	O
,	O
a	O
grey	O
market	O
emerged	O
for	O
PlayStations	B-Device
,	O
which	O
were	O
shipped	O
from	O
Japan	O
to	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
Europe	O
,	O
with	O
some	O
buyers	O
of	O
such	O
consoles	O
paying	O
large	O
amounts	O
of	O
money	O
in	O
the	O
range	O
of	O
£700	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
their	O
keynote	O
presentation	O
,	O
Sega	O
of	O
America	O
CEO	O
Tom	O
Kalinske	O
revealed	O
that	O
its	O
Saturn	B-Device
console	O
would	O
be	O
released	O
immediately	O
to	O
select	O
retailers	O
at	O
a	O
price	O
of	O
$399	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
attention	O
to	O
the	O
Sony	O
conference	O
was	O
further	O
bolstered	O
by	O
the	O
surprise	O
appearance	O
of	O
Michael	O
Jackson	O
and	O
the	O
showcase	O
of	O
highly	O
anticipated	O
games	O
,	O
including	O
Wipeout	B-Application
(	O
1995	O
)	O
,	O
Ridge	B-Application
Racer	I-Application
and	O
Tekken	B-Application
(	O
1994	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
had	O
released	O
early	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
to	O
gain	O
an	O
advantage	O
over	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
,	O
the	O
surprise	O
launch	O
upset	O
many	O
retailers	O
who	O
were	O
not	O
informed	O
in	O
time	O
,	O
harming	O
sales	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
retailers	O
such	O
as	O
KB	O
Toys	O
responded	O
by	O
dropping	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
entirely	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
went	O
on	O
sale	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
on	O
9	O
September	O
1995	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
sold	O
more	O
units	O
within	O
two	O
days	O
than	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
had	O
in	O
five	O
months	O
,	O
with	O
almost	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
initial	O
shipment	O
of	O
100,000	O
units	O
sold	O
in	O
advance	O
and	O
shops	O
across	O
the	O
country	O
running	O
out	O
of	O
consoles	O
and	O
accessories	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
well-received	O
Ridge	B-Application
Racer	I-Application
contributed	O
to	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
early	O
success	O
,	O
with	O
some	O
critics	O
considering	O
it	O
superior	O
to	O
Sega	O
's	O
arcade	O
counterpart	O
Daytona	B-Application
USA	I-Application
(	O
1994	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
were	O
over	O
100,000	O
pre-orders	O
placed	O
and	O
17	O
games	O
available	O
on	O
the	O
market	O
by	O
the	O
time	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
American	O
launch	O
,	O
in	O
comparison	O
to	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
's	O
six	O
launch	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
released	O
in	O
Europe	O
on	O
29	O
September	O
1995	O
and	O
in	O
Australia	O
on	O
15	O
November	O
1995	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
November	O
it	O
had	O
already	O
outsold	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
by	O
three	O
to	O
one	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
,	O
where	O
Sony	O
had	O
allocated	O
a	O
£20million	O
marketing	O
budget	O
during	O
the	O
Christmas	O
season	O
compared	O
to	O
Sega	O
's	O
£4million	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Within	O
its	O
first	O
year	O
,	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
secured	O
over	O
20%	O
of	O
the	O
entire	O
American	O
video	O
game	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
September	O
to	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
1995	O
,	O
sales	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
amounted	O
to	O
800,000	O
units	O
,	O
giving	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
a	O
commanding	O
lead	O
over	O
the	O
other	O
fifth-generation	B-Application
consoles	I-Application
,	O
though	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
and	O
Mega	B-Operating_System
Drive	I-Operating_System
from	O
the	O
fourth	B-Application
generation	I-Application
still	O
outsold	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
early	O
1996	O
,	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
had	O
grossed	O
$2billion	O
(	O
equivalent	O
to	O
$billion	O
)	O
from	O
worldwide	O
hardware	O
and	O
software	O
sales	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Approximately	O
400	O
PlayStation	B-Device
games	I-Device
were	O
in	O
development	O
,	O
compared	O
to	O
around	O
200	O
games	O
being	O
developed	O
for	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
and	O
60	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
was	O
backed	O
by	O
a	O
successful	O
marketing	O
campaign	O
,	O
allowing	O
Sony	O
to	O
gain	O
an	O
early	O
foothold	O
in	O
Europe	O
and	O
North	O
America	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Initially	O
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
demographics	O
were	O
skewed	O
towards	O
adults	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
audience	O
broadened	O
after	O
the	O
first	O
price	O
drop	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
was	O
positioned	O
towards	O
18	O
-	O
to	O
34-year-olds	O
,	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
was	O
initially	O
marketed	O
exclusively	O
towards	O
teenagers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shortly	O
after	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
release	O
in	O
Europe	O
,	O
Sony	O
tasked	O
marketing	O
manager	O
Geoff	O
Glendenning	O
with	O
assessing	O
the	O
desires	O
of	O
a	O
new	O
target	O
audience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Recognising	O
the	O
influence	O
early	O
1990s	O
underground	O
clubbing	O
and	O
rave	O
culture	O
had	O
on	O
young	O
people	O
,	O
especially	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
,	O
Glendenning	O
felt	O
that	O
the	O
culture	O
had	O
become	O
mainstream	O
enough	O
to	O
help	O
cultivate	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
emerging	O
identity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sony	O
partnered	O
with	O
prominent	O
nightclub	O
owners	O
such	O
as	O
Ministry	O
of	O
Sound	O
and	O
festival	O
promoters	O
to	O
organise	O
dedicated	O
PlayStation	B-Device
areas	O
where	O
demonstrations	O
of	O
select	O
games	O
could	O
be	O
tested	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Psygnosis	O
 '	O
Wipeout	B-Application
in	O
particular	O
became	O
associated	O
with	O
nightclub	O
culture	O
as	O
it	O
was	O
widely	O
featured	O
in	O
venues	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
1997	O
,	O
there	O
were	O
52	O
nightclubs	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
with	O
dedicated	O
PlayStation	B-Device
rooms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	O
,	O
Sony	O
expanded	O
their	O
CD	O
production	O
facilities	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
high	O
demand	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
games	I-Device
,	O
increasing	O
their	O
monthly	O
output	O
from	O
4million	O
discs	O
to	O
6.5million	O
discs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
was	O
necessary	O
because	O
PlayStation	B-Device
sales	O
were	O
running	O
at	O
twice	O
the	O
rate	O
of	O
Saturn	B-Device
sales	O
,	O
and	O
its	O
lead	O
dramatically	O
increased	O
when	O
both	O
consoles	O
dropped	O
in	O
price	O
to	O
$199	O
that	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
also	O
outsold	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
at	O
a	O
similar	O
ratio	O
in	O
Europe	O
during	O
1996	O
,	O
with	O
2.2million	O
consoles	O
sold	O
in	O
the	O
region	O
by	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sales	O
figures	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
hardware	O
and	O
software	O
only	O
increased	O
following	O
the	O
launch	O
of	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tokunaka	O
speculated	O
that	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
launch	O
had	O
actually	O
helped	O
PlayStation	B-Device
sales	O
by	O
raising	O
public	O
awareness	O
of	O
the	O
gaming	O
market	O
through	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
added	O
marketing	O
efforts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
this	O
,	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
took	O
longer	O
to	O
achieve	O
dominance	O
in	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tokunaka	O
said	O
that	O
,	O
even	O
after	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
and	O
Saturn	B-Device
had	O
been	O
on	O
the	O
market	O
for	O
nearly	O
two	O
years	O
,	O
the	O
competition	O
between	O
them	O
was	O
still	O
"	O
very	O
close	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
neither	O
console	O
had	O
led	O
in	O
sales	O
for	O
any	O
meaningful	O
length	O
of	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
1998	O
,	O
Sega	O
,	O
encouraged	O
by	O
their	O
declining	O
market	O
share	O
and	O
significant	O
financial	O
losses	O
,	O
launched	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
as	O
a	O
last-ditch	O
attempt	O
to	O
stay	O
in	O
the	O
industry	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sega	O
's	O
initial	O
confidence	O
in	O
their	O
new	O
console	O
was	O
undermined	O
when	O
Japanese	O
sales	O
were	O
lower	O
than	O
expected	O
,	O
with	O
disgruntled	O
Japanese	O
consumers	O
reportedly	O
returning	O
their	O
Dreamcasts	B-Operating_System
in	O
exchange	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
2	O
March	O
1999	O
,	O
Sony	O
officially	O
revealed	O
details	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
which	O
Kutaragi	O
announced	O
would	O
feature	O
a	O
graphics	O
processor	O
designed	O
to	O
push	O
more	O
raw	O
polygons	B-General_Concept
than	O
any	O
console	O
in	O
history	O
,	O
effectively	O
rivalling	O
most	O
supercomputers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
continued	O
to	O
sell	O
strongly	O
at	O
the	O
turn	O
of	O
the	O
new	O
millennium	O
:	O
in	O
June	O
2000	O
,	O
Sony	O
released	O
the	O
PSOne	O
,	O
a	O
smaller	O
,	O
redesigned	O
variant	O
which	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
outsell	O
all	O
other	O
consoles	O
in	O
that	O
year	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
combined	O
successes	O
of	O
both	O
PlayStation	B-Device
consoles	I-Device
led	O
to	O
Sega	O
retiring	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
in	O
2001	O
,	O
and	O
abandoning	O
the	O
console	O
business	O
entirely	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
was	O
eventually	O
discontinued	O
on	O
23	O
March	O
2006	O
—	O
over	O
eleven	O
years	O
after	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
and	O
less	O
than	O
a	O
year	O
before	O
the	O
debut	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
main	O
microprocessor	B-Architecture
is	O
a	O
32-bit	O
LSI	O
R3000	B-Device
CPU	I-Device
with	O
a	O
clock	O
rate	O
of	O
33.86	O
MHz	O
and	O
30	O
MIPS	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
role	O
of	O
the	O
separate	O
GPU	O
chip	O
is	O
to	O
draw	O
2D	O
polygons	B-General_Concept
and	O
apply	O
shading	O
and	O
textures	O
to	O
them	O
:	O
the	O
rasterisation	O
stage	O
of	O
the	O
graphics	O
pipeline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sony	O
's	O
custom	O
16-bit	O
sound	O
chip	O
supports	O
ADPCM	B-Algorithm
sources	O
with	O
up	O
to	O
24	O
sound	O
channels	O
and	O
offers	O
a	O
sampling	O
rate	O
of	O
up	O
to	O
44.1kHz	O
and	O
MIDI	O
sequencing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
features	O
2	O
MB	O
of	O
main	O
RAM	B-Architecture
,	O
with	O
an	O
additional	O
1	O
MB	O
being	O
allocated	O
to	O
video	O
memory	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
has	O
a	O
maximum	O
colour	O
depth	O
of	O
16.7million	O
true	O
colours	O
with	O
32	O
levels	O
of	O
transparency	O
and	O
unlimited	O
colour	B-Data_Structure
look-up	I-Data_Structure
tables	I-Data_Structure
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
video	O
output	O
,	O
initially	O
provided	O
by	O
a	O
parallel	B-Operating_System
I/O	I-Operating_System
cable	O
(	O
and	O
later	O
a	O
serial	B-Protocol
I/O	I-Protocol
used	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Link	I-Device
Cable	I-Device
)	O
displays	O
resolutions	B-General_Concept
from	O
256×224	O
to	O
640×480	B-General_Concept
pixels	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Different	O
games	O
can	O
use	O
different	O
resolutions	B-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
uses	O
a	O
proprietary	B-Application
video	O
compression	O
unit	O
,	O
MDEC	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
integrated	O
into	O
the	O
CPU	O
and	O
allows	O
for	O
the	O
presentation	O
of	O
full	B-Application
motion	I-Application
video	I-Application
at	O
a	O
higher	O
quality	O
than	O
other	O
consoles	O
of	O
its	O
generation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unusual	O
for	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
lacks	O
a	O
dedicated	O
2D	O
graphics	O
processor	O
;	O
2D	O
elements	O
are	O
instead	O
calculated	O
as	O
polygons	B-General_Concept
by	O
the	O
Geometry	O
Transfer	O
Engine	O
(	O
GTE	O
)	O
so	O
that	O
they	O
can	O
be	O
processed	O
and	O
displayed	O
on	O
screen	O
by	O
the	O
GPU	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Whilst	O
running	O
,	O
the	O
GPU	O
can	O
also	O
generate	O
a	O
total	O
of	O
4,000	O
sprites	O
and	O
180,000	O
polygons	B-General_Concept
per	O
second	O
,	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
360,000	O
per	O
second	O
flat-shaded	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
went	O
through	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
variants	O
during	O
its	O
production	O
run	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sony	O
marketed	O
a	O
development	B-Application
kit	I-Application
for	O
amateur	O
developers	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Net	B-Device
Yaroze	I-Device
(	O
meaning	O
"	O
Let	O
's	O
do	O
it	O
together	O
"	O
in	O
Japanese	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Net	B-Device
Yaroze	I-Device
allowed	O
hobbyists	O
to	O
create	O
their	O
own	O
games	O
and	O
upload	O
them	O
via	O
an	O
online	B-Application
forum	I-Application
run	O
by	O
Sony	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
console	O
was	O
only	O
available	O
to	O
buy	O
through	O
an	O
ordering	O
service	O
and	O
with	O
the	O
necessary	O
documentation	O
and	O
software	O
to	O
program	O
PlayStation	B-Device
games	I-Device
and	O
applications	O
through	O
C	B-Language
programming	I-Language
compilers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
7	O
July	O
2000	O
,	O
Sony	O
released	O
the	O
PS	O
One	O
(	O
stylised	O
as	O
PS	O
one	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
smaller	O
,	O
redesigned	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
original	B-Device
PlayStation	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	O
highest-selling	O
console	O
through	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
,	O
outselling	O
all	O
other	O
consoles	O
—	O
including	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2002	O
,	O
Sony	O
released	O
a	O
LCD	B-Device
screen	I-Device
add-on	O
for	O
the	O
PS	O
One	O
,	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
the	O
"	O
Combo	O
pack	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Production	O
of	O
the	O
LCD	B-Device
"	O
Combo	O
Pack	O
"	O
ceased	O
in	O
2004	O
,	O
when	O
the	O
popularity	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
began	O
to	O
wane	O
in	O
markets	O
outside	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Three	O
iterations	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
controller	B-Device
were	O
released	O
over	O
the	O
console	O
's	O
lifespan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
controller	B-Device
,	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
controller	I-Device
,	O
was	O
released	O
alongside	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
in	O
December	O
1994	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
features	O
four	O
individual	O
directional	O
buttons	O
(	O
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
a	O
conventional	O
D-pad	B-Device
)	O
,	O
a	O
pair	O
of	O
shoulder	O
buttons	O
on	O
both	O
sides	O
,	O
Start	O
and	O
Select	O
buttons	O
in	O
the	O
centre	O
,	O
and	O
four	O
face	O
buttons	O
consisting	O
of	O
simple	O
geometric	O
shapes	O
:	O
a	O
green	O
triangle	O
,	O
red	O
circle	O
,	O
blue	O
cross	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
pink	O
square	O
(	O
,	O
,	O
,	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rather	O
than	O
depicting	O
traditionally	O
used	O
letters	O
or	O
numbers	O
onto	O
its	O
buttons	O
,	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
controller	I-Device
established	O
a	O
trademark	O
which	O
would	O
be	O
incorporated	O
heavily	O
into	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
brand	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Teiyu	O
Goto	O
,	O
the	O
designer	O
of	O
the	O
original	B-Device
PlayStation	I-Device
controller	B-Device
,	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
circle	O
and	O
cross	O
represent	O
"	O
yes	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
no	O
"	O
,	O
respectively	O
(	O
though	O
this	O
layout	O
is	O
reversed	O
in	O
Western	O
versions	O
)	O
;	O
the	O
triangle	O
symbolises	O
a	O
point	O
of	O
view	O
and	O
the	O
square	O
is	O
equated	O
to	O
a	O
sheet	O
of	O
paper	O
to	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
access	O
menus	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
European	O
and	O
North	O
American	O
models	O
of	O
the	O
original	B-Device
PlayStation	I-Device
controllers	O
are	O
roughly	O
10%	O
larger	O
than	O
its	O
Japanese	O
variant	O
,	O
to	O
account	O
for	O
the	O
fact	O
the	O
average	O
person	O
in	O
those	O
regions	O
has	O
larger	O
hands	O
than	O
the	O
average	O
Japanese	O
person	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sony	O
's	O
first	O
analogue	O
gamepad	O
,	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Analog	I-Device
Joystick	I-Device
(	O
often	O
erroneously	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
the	O
"	O
Sony	B-Device
Flightstick	I-Device
"	O
)	O
,	O
was	O
first	O
released	O
in	O
Japan	O
in	O
April1996	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Featuring	O
two	O
parallel	O
joysticks	O
,	O
it	O
uses	O
potentiometer	O
technology	O
previously	O
used	O
on	O
consoles	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Vectrex	B-Operating_System
;	O
instead	O
of	O
relying	O
on	O
binary	O
eight-way	O
switches	O
,	O
the	O
controller	B-Device
detects	O
minute	O
angular	O
changes	O
through	O
the	O
entire	O
range	O
of	O
motion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
stick	O
also	O
features	O
a	O
thumb-operated	O
digital	O
hat	O
switch	O
on	O
the	O
right	O
joystick	O
,	O
corresponding	O
to	O
the	O
traditional	O
D-pad	B-Device
,	O
and	O
used	O
for	O
instances	O
when	O
simple	O
digital	O
movements	O
were	O
necessary	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
increasing	O
popularity	O
of	O
3D	O
games	O
prompted	O
Sony	O
to	O
add	O
analogue	O
sticks	O
to	O
its	O
controller	B-Device
design	O
to	O
give	O
users	O
more	O
freedom	O
over	O
their	O
movements	O
in	O
virtual	O
3D	O
environments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
official	O
analogue	O
controller	B-Device
,	O
the	O
Dual	B-Device
Analog	I-Device
Controller	I-Device
,	O
was	O
revealed	O
to	O
the	O
public	O
in	O
a	O
small	O
glass	O
booth	O
at	O
the	O
1996	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Expo	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
and	O
released	O
in	O
April	O
1997	O
to	O
coincide	O
with	O
the	O
Japanese	O
releases	O
of	O
analogue-capable	O
games	O
Tobal	B-Application
2	I-Application
and	O
Bushido	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
the	O
two	O
analogue	O
sticks	O
,	O
the	O
Dual	B-Device
Analog	I-Device
controller	I-Device
features	O
an	O
"	O
Analog	O
"	O
button	O
and	O
LED	O
beneath	O
the	O
"	O
Start	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Select	O
"	O
buttons	O
which	O
toggles	O
analogue	O
functionality	O
on	O
or	O
off	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
controller	B-Device
also	O
features	O
rumble	B-Device
support	I-Device
,	O
though	O
Sony	O
decided	O
that	O
haptic	O
feedback	O
would	O
be	O
removed	O
from	O
all	O
overseas	O
iterations	O
before	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Sony	O
spokesman	O
stated	O
that	O
the	O
feature	O
was	O
removed	O
for	O
"	O
manufacturing	O
reasons	O
"	O
,	O
although	O
rumours	O
circulated	O
that	O
Nintendo	O
had	O
attempted	O
to	O
legally	O
block	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
controller	B-Device
outside	O
Japan	O
due	O
to	O
similarities	O
with	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
64	I-Device
controller	I-Device
's	O
Rumble	B-Device
Pak	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Next	O
Generation	O
Chris	O
Charla	O
theorized	O
that	O
Sony	O
dropped	O
vibration	O
feedback	O
to	O
keep	O
the	O
price	O
of	O
the	O
controller	B-Device
down	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
1997	O
,	O
Sony	O
introduced	O
the	O
DualShock	B-Device
controller	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
DualShock	B-Device
later	O
replaced	O
its	O
predecessors	O
as	O
the	O
default	O
controller	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sony	O
released	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
peripherals	O
to	O
add	O
extra	O
layers	O
of	O
functionality	O
to	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Such	O
peripherals	O
include	O
memory	B-Device
cards	I-Device
,	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Mouse	I-Device
,	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Link	I-Device
Cable	I-Device
,	O
the	O
Multiplayer	O
Adapter	O
(	O
a	O
four-player	O
multitap	B-Device
)	O
,	O
the	O
Memory	O
Drive	O
(	O
a	O
disk	O
drive	O
for	O
3.5-inch	O
floppy	B-Device
disks	I-Device
)	O
,	O
the	O
GunCon	B-Device
(	O
a	O
light	B-Device
gun	I-Device
)	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Glasstron	B-Device
(	O
a	O
monoscopic	O
head-mounted	B-General_Concept
display	I-General_Concept
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Released	O
exclusively	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
the	O
PocketStation	B-Application
is	O
a	O
memory	B-Device
card	I-Device
peripheral	O
which	O
acts	O
as	O
a	O
miniature	O
personal	B-Application
digital	I-Application
assistant	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
device	O
features	O
a	O
monochrome	O
liquid	B-Device
crystal	I-Device
display	I-Device
(	O
LCD	B-Device
)	O
,	O
infrared	O
communication	O
capability	O
,	O
a	O
real-time	O
clock	O
,	O
built-in	O
flash	O
memory	O
,	O
and	O
sound	O
capability	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sharing	O
similarities	O
with	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
's	O
VMU	B-Application
peripheral	O
,	O
the	O
PocketStation	B-Application
was	O
typically	O
distributed	O
with	O
certain	O
PlayStation	B-Device
games	I-Device
,	O
enhancing	O
them	O
with	O
added	O
features	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PocketStation	B-Application
proved	O
popular	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
selling	O
over	O
five	O
million	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
playing	O
games	O
,	O
most	O
PlayStation	B-Device
models	O
are	O
equipped	O
to	O
play	O
audio	O
CDs	O
;	O
the	O
Asian	O
model	O
SCPH-5903	O
can	O
also	O
play	O
Video	O
CDs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
most	O
CD	O
players	O
,	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
can	O
play	O
songs	O
in	O
a	O
programmed	O
order	O
,	O
shuffle	O
the	O
playback	O
order	O
of	O
the	O
disc	O
and	O
repeat	O
one	O
song	O
or	O
the	O
entire	O
disc	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
PlayStation	B-Device
models	O
use	O
a	O
music	O
visualisation	O
function	O
called	O
SoundScope	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
function	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
a	O
memory	B-Device
card	I-Device
manager	O
,	O
is	O
accessed	O
by	O
starting	O
the	O
console	O
without	O
either	O
inserting	O
a	O
game	O
or	O
closing	O
the	O
CD	O
tray	O
,	O
thereby	O
accessing	O
a	O
graphical	B-Application
user	I-Application
interface	I-Application
(	O
GUI	B-Application
)	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
BIOS	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
GUI	B-Application
for	O
the	O
PS	O
One	O
and	O
PlayStation	B-Device
differ	O
depending	O
on	O
the	O
firmware	O
version	O
:	O
the	O
original	B-Device
PlayStation	I-Device
GUI	B-Application
had	O
a	O
dark	O
blue	O
background	O
with	O
rainbow	O
graffiti	O
used	O
as	O
buttons	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
early	O
PAL	O
PlayStation	B-Device
and	O
PS	O
One	O
GUI	B-Application
had	O
a	O
grey	O
blocked	O
background	O
with	O
two	O
icons	O
in	O
the	O
middle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PlayStation	B-Device
emulation	O
is	O
versatile	O
and	O
can	O
be	O
run	O
on	O
numerous	O
modern	O
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bleem	B-Device
!	I-Device
</s>
<s>
was	O
a	O
commercial	O
emulator	O
which	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
IBM-compatible	O
PCs	O
and	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
in	O
1999	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
notable	O
for	O
being	O
aggressively	O
marketed	O
during	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
lifetime	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
the	O
centre	O
of	O
multiple	O
controversial	O
lawsuits	O
filed	O
by	O
Sony	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bleem	B-Device
!	I-Device
</s>
<s>
was	O
programmed	O
in	O
assembly	B-Language
language	I-Language
,	O
which	O
allowed	O
it	O
to	O
emulate	O
PlayStation	B-Device
games	I-Device
with	O
improved	O
visual	O
fidelity	O
,	O
enhanced	O
resolutions	B-General_Concept
,	O
and	O
filtered	O
textures	O
that	O
was	O
not	O
possible	O
on	O
original	O
hardware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sony	O
sued	O
Bleem	B-Device
!	I-Device
</s>
<s>
two	O
days	O
after	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
citing	O
copyright	O
infringement	O
and	O
accusing	O
the	O
company	O
of	O
engaging	O
in	O
unfair	O
competition	O
and	O
patent	O
infringement	O
by	O
allowing	O
use	O
of	O
PlayStation	B-Device
BIOSs	O
on	O
a	O
Sega	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bleem	B-Device
!	I-Device
</s>
<s>
To	O
preclude	O
illegal	O
copying	O
,	O
a	O
proprietary	B-Application
process	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
disc	B-Application
manufacturing	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
that	O
,	O
in	O
conjunction	O
with	O
an	O
augmented	O
optical	O
drive	O
in	O
Tiger	O
H/E	O
assembly	O
,	O
prevented	O
burned	O
copies	O
of	O
games	O
from	O
booting	B-Operating_System
on	O
an	O
unmodified	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Specifically	O
,	O
all	O
genuine	O
PlayStation	B-Device
discs	O
were	O
printed	O
with	O
a	O
small	O
section	O
of	O
deliberate	O
irregular	O
data	O
,	O
which	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
optical	O
pick-up	O
was	O
capable	O
of	O
detecting	O
and	O
decoding	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Consoles	O
would	O
not	O
boot	B-Operating_System
game	O
discs	O
without	O
a	O
specific	O
wobble	O
frequency	O
contained	O
in	O
the	O
data	O
of	O
the	O
disc	O
pregap	O
sector	O
(	O
the	O
same	O
system	O
was	O
also	O
used	O
to	O
encode	O
discs	O
 '	O
regional	O
lock-outs	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
signal	O
was	O
within	O
Red	O
Book	O
CD	O
tolerances	O
,	O
so	O
PlayStation	B-Device
discs	O
 '	O
actual	O
content	O
could	O
still	O
be	O
read	O
by	O
a	O
conventional	O
disc	O
drive	O
;	O
however	O
,	O
the	O
disc	O
drive	O
could	O
not	O
detect	O
the	O
wobble	O
frequency	O
(	O
therefore	O
duplicating	O
the	O
discs	O
omitting	O
it	O
)	O
,	O
since	O
the	O
laser	O
pickup	O
system	O
of	O
any	O
optical	O
disc	O
drive	O
would	O
interpret	O
this	O
wobble	O
as	O
an	O
oscillation	O
of	O
the	O
disc	O
surface	O
and	O
compensate	O
for	O
it	O
in	O
the	O
reading	O
process	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
disc	O
authenticity	O
was	O
only	O
verified	O
during	O
booting	B-Operating_System
,	O
this	O
copy	O
protection	O
system	O
could	O
be	O
circumvented	O
by	O
swapping	O
any	O
genuine	O
disc	O
with	O
the	O
copied	O
disc	O
,	O
while	O
modchips	O
could	O
remove	O
the	O
protection	O
system	O
altogether	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Early	O
PlayStations	B-Device
,	O
particularly	O
early	O
1000	O
models	O
,	O
experience	O
skipping	O
full-motion	B-Application
video	I-Application
or	O
physical	O
"	O
ticking	O
"	O
noises	O
from	O
the	O
unit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sony	O
representatives	O
also	O
recommended	O
unplugging	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
when	O
it	O
is	O
not	O
in	O
use	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
system	O
draws	O
in	O
a	O
small	O
amount	O
of	O
power	O
(	O
and	O
therefore	O
heat	O
)	O
even	O
when	O
turned	O
off	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
batch	O
of	O
PlayStations	B-Device
use	O
a	O
KSM-440AAM	O
laser	O
unit	O
,	O
whose	O
case	O
and	O
movable	O
parts	O
are	O
all	O
built	O
out	O
of	O
plastic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sony	O
fixed	O
the	O
problem	O
by	O
making	O
the	O
sled	O
out	O
of	O
die-cast	O
metal	O
and	O
placing	O
the	O
laser	O
unit	O
further	O
away	O
from	O
the	O
power	O
supply	O
on	O
later	O
PlayStation	B-Device
models	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Due	O
to	O
an	O
engineering	O
oversight	O
,	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
does	O
not	O
produce	O
a	O
proper	O
signal	O
on	O
several	O
older	O
models	O
of	O
televisions	O
,	O
causing	O
the	O
display	O
to	O
flicker	O
or	O
bounce	O
around	O
the	O
screen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sony	O
decided	O
not	O
to	O
change	O
the	O
console	O
design	O
,	O
since	O
only	O
a	O
small	O
percentage	O
of	O
PlayStation	B-Device
owners	O
used	O
such	O
televisions	O
,	O
and	O
instead	O
gave	O
consumers	O
the	O
option	O
of	O
sending	O
their	O
PlayStation	B-Device
unit	O
to	O
a	O
Sony	O
service	O
centre	O
to	O
have	O
an	O
official	O
modchip	O
installed	O
,	O
allowing	O
play	O
on	O
older	O
televisions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
total	O
of	O
3,061	B-Device
PlayStation	I-Device
games	I-Device
have	O
been	O
released	O
worldwide	O
;	O
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
bestselling	O
game	O
is	O
Gran	B-Application
Turismo	I-Application
(	O
1997	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
sold	O
10.85million	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
discontinuation	O
in	O
2006	O
,	O
the	O
cumulative	O
software	O
shipment	O
was	O
962million	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
featured	O
a	O
diverse	O
game	O
library	O
which	O
grew	O
to	O
appeal	O
to	O
all	O
types	O
of	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
two	O
games	O
available	O
at	O
launch	O
were	O
Jumping	B-Application
Flash	I-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
(	O
1995	O
)	O
and	O
Ridge	B-Application
Racer	I-Application
,	O
with	O
Jumping	B-Application
Flash	I-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
Critically	O
acclaimed	O
PlayStation	B-Device
games	I-Device
included	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
(	O
1997	O
)	O
,	O
Crash	B-Application
Bandicoot	I-Application
(	O
1996	O
)	O
,	O
Spyro	B-Application
the	I-Application
Dragon	I-Application
(	O
1998	O
)	O
,	O
Metal	B-Application
Gear	I-Application
Solid	I-Application
(	O
1998	O
)	O
,	O
all	O
of	O
which	O
became	O
established	O
franchises	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
is	O
credited	O
with	O
allowing	O
role-playing	O
games	O
to	O
gain	O
mass-market	O
appeal	O
outside	O
Japan	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
considered	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
influential	O
and	O
greatest	O
video	O
games	O
ever	O
made	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
time	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
first	O
Christmas	O
season	O
,	O
Psygnosis	O
had	O
produced	O
around	O
70%	O
of	O
its	O
launch	O
catalogue	O
;	O
its	O
breakthrough	O
racing	O
game	O
Wipeout	B-Application
was	O
acclaimed	O
for	O
its	O
techno	O
soundtrack	O
and	O
helped	O
raise	O
awareness	O
of	O
Britain	O
's	O
underground	O
music	O
community	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Eidos	O
Interactive	O
's	O
action-adventure	O
game	O
Tomb	B-Application
Raider	I-Application
contributed	O
substantially	O
to	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
the	O
console	O
in	O
1996	O
,	O
with	O
its	O
main	O
protagonist	O
Lara	O
Croft	O
becoming	O
an	O
early	O
gaming	O
icon	O
and	O
garnering	O
unprecedented	O
media	O
promotion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Licensed	O
tie-in	O
video	O
games	O
of	O
popular	O
films	O
were	O
also	O
prevalent	O
;	O
Argonaut	O
Games	O
 '	O
2001	O
adaptation	O
of	O
Harry	B-Application
Potter	I-Application
and	I-Application
the	I-Application
Philosopher	I-Application
's	I-Application
Stone	I-Application
went	O
on	O
to	O
sell	O
over	O
eight	O
million	O
copies	O
late	O
in	O
the	O
console	O
's	O
lifespan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Third-party	O
developers	O
committed	O
largely	O
to	O
the	O
console	O
's	O
wide-ranging	O
game	O
catalogue	O
even	O
after	O
the	O
launch	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Initially	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
games	I-Device
were	O
packaged	O
in	O
long	O
cardboard	O
boxes	O
,	O
similar	O
to	O
non-Japanese	O
3DO	B-Device
and	O
Saturn	B-Device
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sony	O
later	O
switched	O
to	O
the	O
jewel	O
case	O
format	O
typically	O
used	O
for	O
audio	O
CDs	O
and	O
Japanese	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
as	O
this	O
format	O
took	O
up	O
less	O
retailer	O
shelf	O
space	O
(	O
which	O
was	O
at	O
a	O
premium	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
large	O
number	O
of	O
PlayStation	B-Device
games	I-Device
being	O
released	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
focus	O
testing	O
showed	O
that	O
most	O
consumers	O
preferred	O
this	O
format	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
was	O
mostly	O
well	O
received	O
upon	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
in	O
the	O
west	O
generally	O
welcomed	O
the	O
new	O
console	O
;	O
the	O
staff	O
of	O
Next	O
Generation	O
reviewed	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
a	O
few	O
weeks	O
after	O
its	O
North	O
American	O
launch	O
,	O
where	O
they	O
commented	O
that	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
CPU	O
is	O
"	O
fairly	O
average	O
"	O
,	O
the	O
supplementary	O
custom	O
hardware	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
GPU	O
and	O
sound	O
processor	O
,	O
is	O
stunningly	O
powerful	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
praised	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
focus	O
on	O
3D	O
,	O
and	O
complemented	O
the	O
comfort	O
of	O
its	O
controller	B-Device
and	O
the	O
convenience	O
of	O
its	O
memory	B-Device
cards	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Albert	O
Kim	O
from	O
Entertainment	O
Weekly	O
praised	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
as	O
a	O
technological	O
marvel	O
,	O
rivalling	O
that	O
of	O
Sega	O
and	O
Nintendo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Famicom	O
Tsūshin	O
scored	O
the	O
console	O
a	O
19	O
out	O
of	O
40	O
,	O
lower	O
than	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
's	O
24	O
out	O
of	O
40	O
,	O
in	O
May	O
1995	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
1997	O
year-end	O
review	O
,	O
a	O
team	O
of	O
five	O
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
editors	O
gave	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
scores	O
of	O
9.5	O
,	O
8.5	O
,	O
9.0	O
,	O
9.0	O
,	O
and	O
9.5	O
—	O
for	O
all	O
five	O
editors	O
,	O
the	O
highest	O
score	O
they	O
gave	O
to	O
any	O
of	O
the	O
five	O
consoles	O
reviewed	O
in	O
the	O
issue	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
also	O
complimented	O
the	O
low	O
price	O
point	O
of	O
the	O
games	O
compared	O
to	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
's	O
,	O
and	O
noted	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
only	O
console	O
on	O
the	O
market	O
that	O
could	O
be	O
relied	O
upon	O
to	O
deliver	O
a	O
solid	O
stream	O
of	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
coming	O
year	O
,	O
primarily	O
due	O
to	O
third	O
party	O
developers	O
almost	O
unanimously	O
favouring	O
it	O
over	O
its	O
competitors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	O
had	O
been	O
the	O
clear	O
leader	O
in	O
the	O
industry	O
since	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
the	O
Nintendo	O
Entertainment	O
System	O
in	O
1985	O
and	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
was	O
initially	O
expected	O
to	O
maintain	O
this	O
position	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
target	O
audience	O
included	O
the	O
generation	O
which	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
to	O
grow	O
up	O
with	O
mainstream	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
18	O
-	O
to	O
29-year-olds	O
who	O
were	O
not	O
the	O
primary	O
focus	O
of	O
Nintendo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
the	O
late	O
1990s	O
,	O
Sony	O
became	O
a	O
highly	O
regarded	O
console	O
brand	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
,	O
with	O
a	O
significant	O
lead	O
over	O
second-place	O
Nintendo	O
,	O
while	O
Sega	O
was	O
relegated	O
to	O
a	O
distant	O
third	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
became	O
the	O
first	O
"	O
computer	O
entertainment	O
platform	O
"	O
to	O
ship	O
over	O
100million	O
units	O
worldwide	O
,	O
with	O
many	O
critics	O
attributing	O
the	O
console	O
's	O
success	O
to	O
third-party	O
developers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
remains	O
the	O
fifth	B-Application
best-selling	I-Application
console	I-Application
of	I-Application
all	I-Application
time	I-Application
as	O
of	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
total	O
of	O
102.49million	O
units	O
sold	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sony	O
's	O
next-generation	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
which	O
is	O
backward	B-General_Concept
compatible	I-General_Concept
with	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
DualShock	B-Device
controller	B-Device
and	O
games	O
,	O
was	O
announced	O
in	O
1999	O
and	O
launched	O
in	O
2000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
lead	O
in	O
installed	O
base	O
and	O
developer	O
support	O
paved	O
the	O
way	O
for	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
its	O
successor	O
,	O
which	O
overcame	O
the	O
earlier	O
launch	O
of	O
the	O
Sega	O
's	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
and	O
then	O
fended	O
off	O
competition	O
from	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
newcomer	O
Xbox	B-Application
and	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
GameCube	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
's	O
immense	O
success	O
and	O
failure	O
of	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
were	O
among	O
the	O
main	O
factors	O
which	O
led	O
to	O
Sega	O
abandoning	O
the	O
console	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
date	O
,	O
five	O
PlayStation	B-Device
home	B-Device
consoles	I-Device
have	O
been	O
released	O
,	O
which	O
have	O
continued	O
the	O
same	O
numbering	O
scheme	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
two	O
portable	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hundreds	O
of	O
PlayStation	B-Device
games	I-Device
were	O
re-released	O
as	O
PS	B-Application
One	I-Application
Classics	I-Application
for	O
purchase	O
and	O
download	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
and	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
also	O
maintained	O
backward	B-General_Concept
compatibility	I-General_Concept
with	O
original	B-Device
PlayStation	I-Device
discs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
has	O
often	O
ranked	O
among	O
the	O
best	O
video	B-Application
game	I-Application
consoles	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2009	O
,	O
IGN	O
ranked	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
the	O
seventh	O
best	O
console	O
in	O
their	O
list	O
,	O
noting	O
its	O
appeal	O
towards	O
older	O
audiences	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
crucial	O
factor	O
in	O
propelling	O
the	O
video	O
game	O
industry	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
its	O
assistance	O
in	O
transitioning	O
game	O
industry	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
format	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
success	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
contributed	O
to	O
the	O
demise	O
of	O
cartridge-based	O
home	B-Device
consoles	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
not	O
the	O
first	O
system	O
to	O
use	O
an	O
optical	O
disc	O
format	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
highly	O
successful	O
one	O
,	O
and	O
ended	O
up	O
going	O
head-to-head	O
with	O
the	O
proprietary	B-Application
cartridge-relying	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
demise	O
of	O
the	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
,	O
Nintendo	O
was	O
left	O
as	O
Sony	O
's	O
main	O
competitor	O
in	O
Western	O
markets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	O
chose	O
not	O
to	O
use	O
CDs	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
;	O
it	O
was	O
likely	O
concerned	O
with	O
the	O
proprietary	B-Application
cartridge	B-Protocol
format	O
's	O
ability	O
to	O
help	O
enforce	O
copy	O
protection	O
,	O
given	O
its	O
substantial	O
reliance	O
on	O
licensing	O
and	O
exclusive	O
games	O
for	O
its	O
revenue	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Besides	O
their	O
larger	O
capacity	O
,	O
CD-ROMs	B-Device
could	O
be	O
produced	O
in	O
bulk	O
quantities	O
at	O
a	O
much	O
faster	O
rate	O
than	O
ROM	B-Protocol
cartridges	I-Protocol
,	O
a	O
week	O
compared	O
to	O
two	O
to	O
three	O
months	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Further	O
,	O
the	O
cost	O
of	O
production	O
per	O
unit	O
was	O
far	O
cheaper	O
,	O
allowing	O
Sony	O
to	O
offer	O
games	O
about	O
40%	O
lower	O
cost	O
to	O
the	O
user	O
compared	O
to	O
ROM	B-Protocol
cartridges	I-Protocol
while	O
still	O
making	O
the	O
same	O
amount	O
of	O
net	O
revenue	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Japan	O
,	O
Sony	O
published	O
fewer	O
copies	O
of	O
a	O
wide	O
variety	O
of	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
as	O
a	O
risk-limiting	O
step	O
,	O
a	O
model	O
that	O
had	O
been	O
used	O
by	O
Sony	O
Music	O
for	O
CD	O
audio	O
discs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
production	O
flexibility	O
of	O
CD-ROMs	B-Device
meant	O
that	O
Sony	O
could	O
produce	O
larger	O
volumes	O
of	O
popular	O
games	O
to	O
get	O
onto	O
the	O
market	O
quickly	O
,	O
something	O
that	O
could	O
not	O
be	O
done	O
with	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
due	O
to	O
their	O
manufacturing	O
lead	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
lower	O
production	O
costs	O
of	O
CD-ROMs	B-Device
also	O
allowed	O
publishers	O
an	O
additional	O
source	O
of	O
profit	O
:	O
budget-priced	O
reissues	O
of	O
games	O
which	O
had	O
already	O
recouped	O
their	O
development	O
costs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
increasing	O
complexity	O
of	O
developing	O
games	O
pushed	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
to	O
their	O
storage	O
limits	O
and	O
gradually	O
discouraged	O
some	O
third-party	O
developers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
,	O
some	O
third-party	O
developers	O
switched	O
to	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
,	O
including	O
Square	O
,	O
whose	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Enix	O
(	O
later	O
merged	O
with	O
Square	O
to	O
form	O
Square	O
Enix	O
)	O
,	O
whose	O
Dragon	B-Device
Quest	I-Device
VII	I-Device
(	O
2000	O
)	O
were	O
planned	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
developers	O
released	O
fewer	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
(	O
Konami	O
,	O
releasing	O
only	O
thirteen	O
N64	B-Operating_System
games	O
but	O
over	O
fifty	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
game	O
releases	O
were	O
less	O
frequent	O
than	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
,	O
with	O
many	O
being	O
developed	O
by	O
either	O
Nintendo	O
itself	O
or	O
second-parties	O
such	O
as	O
Rare	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Classic	I-Device
is	O
a	O
dedicated	B-Device
video	I-Device
game	I-Device
console	I-Device
made	O
by	O
Sony	O
Interactive	O
Entertainment	O
that	O
emulates	O
PlayStation	B-Device
games	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
dedicated	B-Device
console	I-Device
,	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Classic	I-Device
features	O
20	O
pre-installed	O
games	O
;	O
the	O
games	O
run	O
off	O
the	O
open	O
source	O
emulator	O
PCSX	B-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
console	O
is	O
bundled	O
with	O
two	O
replica	O
wired	O
PlayStation	B-Device
controllers	I-Device
(	O
those	O
without	O
analogue	O
sticks	O
)	O
,	O
an	O
HDMI	B-Protocol
cable	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
USB-Type	O
A	O
cable	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Internally	O
,	O
the	O
console	O
uses	O
a	O
MediaTek	B-Architecture
MT8167a	O
Quad	O
A35	O
system	B-Architecture
on	I-Architecture
a	I-Architecture
chip	I-Architecture
with	O
four	O
central	O
processing	O
cores	O
clocked	O
at	O
@	O
1.5GHz	O
and	O
a	O
Power	O
VR	O
GE8300	O
graphics	O
processing	O
unit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Classic	I-Device
is	O
45%	O
smaller	O
than	O
the	O
original	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Classic	I-Device
received	O
negative	O
reviews	O
from	O
critics	O
and	O
was	O
compared	O
unfavorably	O
to	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
rival	O
NES	B-Application
Classic	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
and	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
Classic	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Criticism	O
was	O
directed	O
at	O
its	O
meager	O
game	O
library	O
,	O
user	B-Application
interface	I-Application
,	O
emulation	O
quality	O
,	O
use	O
of	O
PAL	O
versions	O
for	O
certain	O
games	O
,	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
controller	B-Device
,	O
and	O
high	O
retail	O
price	O
,	O
though	O
the	O
console	O
's	O
design	O
received	O
praise	O
.	O
</s>
