Its obvious nowadays that Sony and Playstation are very well established in the gaming industry; however, when you look back about 20 years, Sony wasn’t even considered part of the gaming industry. 20 years is an extremely short period of time to establish yourself in a new and growing industry, so how did Sony and Playstation become the giants they are today in that relatively short timespan? Let’s take a look back in time and briefly look into 10 games that have helped Playstation become what we know and love today.
1.
Let’s start our journey back in time by looking at one of the earlier games released on the PSone. Released in September 1995 (in Europe) was Wipeout. Wipeout, published by a company named Psygnosis (or known today as SCE Studios Liverpool), is the competitive futuristic 3D racing game set in the year 2052 where players race in anti-gravity vehicles reminiscent of Formula 1 cars.
2.
Next on the list of influential games is the ever-popular Twisted Metal. Released in November of 1995, developed by SingleTrac and created by the one and only David Jaffe, Twisted Metal throws players into a dark and odd world of ruthless Demolition Derbies and dark back-stories. Twisted Metal (according to Wikipedia) is the longest running Playstation-exclusive game franchise with 17 years of successful car wrecks, explosions, and overall insanity.
3.
The third title, also developed by SingleTrac, is Warhawk. Also released in November of 1995, Warhawk is a futuristic flight combat game that gives players the ability of controlling a VTOL aircraft in a futuristic war zone. This Warhawk game is what would eventually spark the re-make by Incognito in 2007, which in turn would propel the sequel, which is the very well known Starhawk.
4.
Next we have a game which sparked interest in the extreme sports genre. Coolboarders, released in August of 1996 by UEP Systems, gave players the control of snowboarding characters traversing various extreme runs with the goal of setting record times, or scores for crazy tricks. Coolboarders would eventually pave the way for titles such as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and SSX.
5.
Now that we are at the half point, why not take a quick look at one of Playstation’s most beloved and iconic characters? Crash Bandicoot, developed by the ever-popular Naughty Dog Studios, is known as one of Playstation’s best-selling games of all time. Released in August 1996, Crash Bandicoot spun his way into everyone’s hearts with the quirky character personalities of both protagonists and antagonists, a new take on graphics, and addicting game play components. If not for Crash Bandicoot, who knows if we would still see such great games as the Uncharted series, or the highly-anticipated The Last of Us.
6.
Up next on our journey through time, we have another well-known game with a well-known cast of characters: Parappa the Rapper! Developed by Nanaon-Sha and released in December of 1996, Parappa the Rapper was one of the first few “rhythm” games to surface into the industry. The game featured Parappa, a rapping dog, going through a series of extremely odd situations with the help of even more bizarre characters. The innovative “call and response” game play would give a unique spin on video games, awarding players for imitating specific sequences and progressing through the very bizarre happenings.
7.
Wild Arms, Developed by Media.Vision and released in December of 1996, is the story of a boy named Rudy, who comes into contact with an ancient forbidden relic nicknamed “ARM” (Ancient Relic Machine), which causes him to be banished from his village and to become a Dream Chaser (one who adventures and searches for treasures). Aside from the great story line, Wild Arms does not stray too much from the standard JRPG model with turn based combat and 2D exploration.
8.
This game really doesn’t need much of an introduction or an explanation. Gran Turismo, developed by Polyphony Digital and released in December of 1998, threw players into the closest thing to real driving the PSone could deliver. Eventually, Gran Turismo would become one of the most, if not the most, realistic driving simulation available on a game console.
9.
Insomniac Games is now very well known for both the Ratchet and Clank series and the Resistance series, but what were they known for before Ratchet and Clank? Spyro The Dragon, released in September of 1998, put players in control of a cute purple dragon with various abilities and let them attempt to save multiple realms from various evil entities. The quirky characters and unique situations certainly bleed across to the Ratchet and Clank series, so, without Spyro, R&C might not be around today.
10.
Last but certainly not least on this list, we have one of my personal favorites. Developed by Eidetic and released in August of 1999, Syphon Filter featured a very tense story line, great stealth action 3rd person game play, and extremely dynamic characters. Players took control of Gabriel Logan, an operative of a secret agency, who is tailing a high profile terrorist. Players sneak and/or shoot their way through many tense levels spanning from Washington D.C to the Middle East. Syphon Filter set the standards for 3rd person shooters that would storm through the Playstation 1 and 2. (Socom comes to mind, no?)
So there you have it. 10 games that have helped Playstation grow as a brand from nothing to the giant that we know and love today. Of course I did not hit on many titles that have also been equally, if not more, influential in the growth of the brand we know so well today.
Discuss:
Which game(s) do you think have helped Playstation grow along with this new and exciting gaming industry?