December 3, 1994, marks a big milestone in gaming history. On that day, the PlayStation launched in Japan. We all take the brand for granted now, but there was a time when some thought Sony’s desire to enter the gaming space was folly – including plenty of people within the company. It’s an incredibly interesting part of our shared history, which is why we’re proud to reveal that Game Informer magazine’s next cover story is a massive chronicle of the PlayStation’s origins and history. We talked with more than a dozen of the men and women who were present during PlayStation’s most pivotal moments, and they share their stories in a 24-page blowout.
Our story covers PlayStation’s prehistory, from the days when Nintendo and Sony were planning a CD-ROM add-on for the SNES, to the present. We spoke with some of the biggest names in the company’s history, including Ken Kutaragi, Shuhei Yoshida, Andrew House, Mark Cerny, and many more. In addition, we shed light on some of the lesser-known people behind important elements such as the PlayStation’s memorable startup sounds, its iconic controller design, and other aspects that have withstood the test of time.
Here’s a complete rundown of everyone we interviewed for the oral history, just to give you a sense of what you can look forward to reading:
- Mark Cerny, lead system architect for PlayStation 5
- Brian Fleming, co-founder and producer at Sucker Punch Productions
- Takafumi Fujisawa, former Sound Group producer at Sony
- Teiyu Goto, former member of Sony’s Merchandising Strategy New Business Group
- Ben Heckendorn, engineer and YouTuber
- Andrew House, former president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Hermen Hulst, head of Sony Worldwide Studios
- Masayasu Ito, executive vice president of Hardware Engineering and Operation at Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Ken Kutaragi, former honorary chairman at Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
- Eric Lempel, senior vice president and head of Global Marketing at Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Ted Price, founder and CEO at Insomniac Games
- Siobhan Reddy, studio director at Media Molecule
- Jim Ryan, president and CEO at Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Manabu Sakamoto, former senior graphic designer, senior producer, director and senior art director at Sony
- Angie Smets, studio director and executive producer at Guerrilla Games
- Michiel van der Leeuw, studio director and tech director at Guerrilla Games
- Evan Wells, president at Naughty Dog
- Kazunori Yamauchi, representative director and president of Polyphony Digital
- Shuhei Yoshida, head of Sony’s Independent Creators Initiative
You won’t have to wait long to read this story. Due to its timeliness, we’re posting the article – in its entirety – in a few hours. Be sure to check back at 1 p.m. Central, after setting aside some time to check it out.
The cover story takes up a big chunk of the issue, but it’s far from the only thing that’s in there. We’ve got a ton of great features, including a conversation with the showrunner of the upcoming Netflix adaptation of The Witcher, a look into the future of Xbox, and an extensive new preview of Crystal Dynamics’ new Avengers game. We also have post-mortem features on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and The Outer Worlds, in addition to a roundup of some great board games that you can play with your family this holiday season.
Print subscribers can expect their issues to begin arriving in the coming weeks. The digital edition of this issue launches Thursday for PC/Mac, iOS, and Google Play. You can also get the latest issue through third-party apps on Nook and Kindle later this week. To switch your print subscription to digital, click here, or to create a new subscription, click here.
The cover art was created by Sam Spratt (who long-time readers of GI know we have worked with many times in the past). Large posters and fine art prints of the cover art will be up for sale through his website on December 5. For more on Sam’s work and updates follow his Instagram here.
