Did you know that before Sega left the console market, before Microsoft released the original Xbox, and before Sony released the PS1, Nintendo and Sony actually had a somewhat complicated relationship as partners? Sony was a Japanese consumer electronics company that had little to do with video games until September 1995. Before 1995 and before the official release of the PS1, Sony was actually working with Nintendo to bring consumers the PlayStation that was going to be completely different than the one that we officially got in 1995. This is the story of how Nintendo and Sony went from a complicated partnership to complete rivals.
This story starts in the mid-80s with a man by the name of Ken Kutaragi who eventually became known as the Father of the PlayStation. Kutaragi became interested in video games after seeing his daughter playing a game on Nintendo's home video game console the Family Computer or Famicom for short. Between the 8-bit graphics from the Famicom and seeing a Sony demonstration of powerful 3D graphics, Kutaragi became increasingly interested in creating a new generation of video game consoles that took advantage of 3D graphics rather than the flat 2D graphics that Nintendo was known for. At Sony, Kutaragi took on a project to develop the Sony S-SMP audio chip for Nintendo's successor to the Famicom/NES, The Super Famicom/SNES. This admiration for working alongside Nintendo almost got Kytaragi fired because he went behind Sony's back to do so. His job was saved because then president of Sony Norio Ohga saw Kytaragi's potential and kept him on as a protege of sorts. After the addition of the Sony S-SMP chip in the SNES, Nintendo decided to continue working with Sony and asked them for their help with creating a CD-ROM-based add-on for the SNES reminiscent of the Famicom Disk System from the prior generation. The SNES-CD was codenamed the "Play Station." Not only did Sony want to help Nintendo create this Disk-based add-on for the SNES, but they also wanted to create their own all-in-one video game system that combined the SNES and the Play Station. Instead of using CD-ROMS or Floppy Disks, Sony wanted to create a new Disk-based format dubbed the "Super Disc." Sony would design the Super Disc and would retain the rights to every Super Disc game, this way they would have more control of the Play Station over Nintendo. Nintendo would have control over the SNES and SNES games while Sony would have control of the Play Station and Play Station games. The Play Station was announced at the 1991 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Nintendo's then-president Hiroshi Yamauchi became very cautious of Sony's huge foothold on the Play Station, its games, and the Sony-based proprietary media format. This led Nintendo to abruptly cancel all future plans they had with the Play Station add-on and the SNES Play Station all-in-one video game system without telling Sony. No longer working with Sony, Nintendo took to a new partnership with Philips. This felt like a huge stab in the back because of the fact that Philips was a rival to Sony. Without Sony originally knowing that their project with Nintendo was canned, on the first day of CES '91 the Play Station was shown off. By the second day, Nintendo had made the betrayal of Sony public by announcing that they would now be partnered with Philips. Around 9 AM on the second day of CES '91, Howard Lincoln of Nintendo stepped on stage and announced the news.
This announcement not only pissed off Sony but gave them the incentive to get back at Nintendo in a huge way. Because Sony had most of the rights to the Play Station, they used this and the tech that they had already been working on with Nintendo to create their own video game platform. This became known as the original PlayStation. Sony decided to ditch the proprietary Super Disc format and went with CDs instead. This was shown to be one of the smartest decisions that Sony could have made. During this time, Nintendo had the N64 which used proprietary cartridges which were harder to pirate but also cost more to produce. This idea of media types is what set Sony above Nintendo this generation. Even though the N64 was a stronger console with better graphics (Silicon Graphics, 64-bits), Sony's choice to use CDs made game developers able to not only make bigger games but also able to use FMV (full motion video). This was the generation where some of Nintendo's long-time third-party games series/ publishers left for the PlayStation. The most notable game that went from the SNES to the PlayStation was Final Fantasy. Final Fantasy VII took full advantage of the amount of storage that CDs had to the point that it had three acts each on its own disc.
We can't forget about Philips, the company that Nintendo ditched Sony for. Nintendo didn't really do anything with Philips, but part of their agreement was that Philips could use a couple of Nintendo's IPs for being partnered with them. These two IPs were the ever-so-popular Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda. Philips made a couple of Mario and Zelda games for their CD-i video game console. these games were Hotel Mario, Mario Takes America, Super Mario's Wacky Worlds, Link: The Faces of Evil, Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, and Zelda's Adventure. If you're wondering why you might not have heard of any of these "Nintendo" CD-i games then you're not alone. These "Nintendo" CD-i games were either really bad or incomplete.
Sony went on to create the PS2 which became one of the best-selling video game consoles of all time being up there with the Nintendo DS, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Game Boy/Game Boy Color. Because of Nintendo's new rival in Sony, they had to find new ways to stay relevant. Nintendo stopped trying to make the most advanced hardware but instead started going in a more creative route. This creative route can be seen in concepts like the Wii's motion control, The DS's dual screens, and the handheld/home console hybrid nature of the Switch. The Biggest thing to come from Sony entering the video game market was the PlayStation being looked at as a platform for more hardcore gamers and Nintendo being looked at as a platform for more casual/family and children gamers. Microsoft with the Xbox is in there somewhere between (somewhere I think). Ultimately, Sony entering the video game market is a good thing for all gamers because competition breeds creativity!
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