Random: Can Sony Topple SEGA and Nintendo? Classic BBC Report Investigates

From a UK perspective looking back, those early PlayStation games made a big difference. Seeing Daytona on the Saturn next to Ridge Racer or Destruction Derby, or Virtua Fighter next to Tekken, the PlayStation looked far superior. When Psygnosis games came to Saturn, they looked far worst. I was a Saturn owner myself (still have my collection), but by the time SEGA got great ports of SEGA Rally and Virtua Fighter 2 out (I have fond memories of playing the arcade versions in the London Trocadero), it was already too late. PlayStation truely had captured essence of the 90s, the PlayStation felt like the true sucessor to the Mega Drive. I was importing Metal Slug and SNK and Capcom Fighters on my Saturn, but stuff like Resident Evil 2 was ground breaking over on PlayStation. Was an interesting period of gaming, no doubt.

We were being overcharged though as they say, Street Fighter 2 on the Mega Drive was £60 at retail back then, I think, I remember seeing Virtua Racing for £70, in the mid 90s!

This was so good! I was 18 and remember spending some of my student loan fund on a PS1...oopsy! but it was my first "big purchase" as a new adult!

I love the way they spoke back then. People on tv seemed much more intelligent than they do now.

@get2sammyb
It's great, with new clips popping up more frequently now, was watching Paul Daniels talking about the magic of coding his own burgler alarm, that would turn on a video player to scare off potential thieves earlier 🙄🤣

"and will increase our product portfolio."

I find this amusing in that I think there's a tendency to wax nostalgic about a time in video game history when it wasn't all about money, a time before all the greedy corporations took control and ruined everything.

But this guy is literally telling us in the interview that this move is mostly about selling more stuff to more people.

It’s really interesting watching old news footage about technologies that we all take for granted in this day and age.

It’s absolutely mental that consoles and game prices were pretty much about the same as todays because in those days it was a lot of money. These days it’s more affordable for most people.

I miss 1995.such a amazing year.and yes i remember that since i got a PlayStation day 1 in September 9.1995 in queens new york. I remember i had a sony walkman and i was and still i am a huge sega genesis fan.yes i knew PlayStation was going to be a success. The 1990s is truly the last great and legendary decades.word up son

@GagaOooLaLa That’s because nobody outside of private school was allowed to be on TV. If they did somehow make it then they had to completely change their accent. Thankfully that’s died a death.

@Ristar24 you remember correctly man, Virtua Racing was indeed £70! Games truly were expensive back then, when you think of the price inflation of everything else. Pretty much all games were £40, which has been the standard price for over 25 years until this generation really.

I think a big reason Sony ended up "winning" was because of the price and that Sony were taking it serious and not trying to cash in on the console craze, they wanted to be a massive player and made sure they were. The PS1 was my first gaming console to call my own, my Stepdad owned a Sega Saturn but it wasn't mine so yeah the PS1 was my first console and it was a damn good console with endless amazing games. I kinda miss the days as a kid where my Mum or Dad would take me shopping and i would check out the PS1 games hoping to get one and wondering how good it was based on the case art alone due to not buying Gaming Mags at the time.

My first system was a Genesis (though my dad had a 086 IBM PC since the early 80s where he taught me how to load games from those 5.25 inch floppies, all at age 6 in the late 80s.)

Fast forward to the mid 90s and one of my friends got a PS1. I saw Tekken and played it with him and that was all I needed to see. I had to have the PlayStation. I even loved seeing and hearing that entry logo.

Sony Computer Entertainment.

Thing is they only ever did during one era. The ps2. Every other time Nintendo has smashed sales with the N64 and the Wii.

I love hearing Sega pronounced as Seger haha

It’s interesting reading comments on how broadcasters spoke 25 years ago in the UK vs now. If anyone has a YouTube video about that please reply with it! I’d be interesting in hearing more! When I watch old US shows it’s basically the same as now haha

I was like F a 32bit PlayStation, what does SONY know about the video games biz. Dad, get me the Nintendo 64bit! Then everyone just had to later admit what a force to reckon with the PS1 was and then everybody else on the entire planet inevitably anticipated the PS2, and made it the bestselling console of all time it is.

@Resi32 The PS1 sold almost triple the amount of consoles than the N64.

@Stragen8 It’s probably best to find a documentary that delves more into the deep class divide in the UK. Here’s an excerpt from a doc that aired up here in Scotland about the class divide and accentism.
https://youtu.be/6jd7kHjsYNU

@TeapotBuddha But I do prefer hearing RP vs regional accents. Especially on the news. It seemed like a much more serious and respectable job back then, compared to now.

I don't think there will ever be a more bombastic entrance into the home console space than what Sony achieved with the PS1. Nintendo's arrogant policies regarding third-parties and refusal to adopt CD-ROM technology led to them losing almost all of the major third-party support that made the SNES such a great device, leading the N64 to feature one of the most anemic libraries in that company's history. And, tbh, Nintendo never really recovered, but rather adapted over time when it became clear they'd never beat Sony in the home console market with traditional gaming devices again.

The PS1 and PS2 and their respective libraries represented the golden age of Japanese home console game development.

I just associate the PS1 success with Tomb Raider. That original game was SO good and unlike anything else I’d ever seen at the time. I used to watch my Dad play (because I was too scared to play myself 😆) - the adrenaline when those bloody wolves came at you with that “wolf theme” song, making it ten times worse. Good times. I just remember us both marvelling at the graphics, which look pretty bad now by today’s standards.

I was happy with my snes until the N64 in 96. Had a playstation in 97 though when ff7 came out so must have swapped it at some point. Its getting hazy...

@Ralizah I swear I played maybe 5 games tops on my N64. Potential was there obviously but what a sad little console. Still kinda worth it just for Mario 64 and Mario Kart though. Kinda.

@Ralizah Was the N64 linrary really ‚anemic’? I‘d bet that N64 games are much more played than PS1 games these days, both on original hardware and via emulation.

I cant stand the bbc..especially the early morning horror fest with munchetti and co..rude,oppinionated and oh so "woke" its embarrassing..but on a more constructive note this was pretty cool to watch and it is funny to see how tv was back then..

@Max_the_German Absolutely. It has the worst third party support I've ever seen for a major console, and was hugely lacking in multiple different genres as a result. Particularly RPGs. Almost everything went to Playstation.

Most of the N64's major games have also aged more poorly compared to a lot of the classic PS1 titles thanks to their focus on full 3D graphics and bright color schemes, which make the hideously polygonal visuals stand out more.

@zupertramp I imagine Mario 64 was probably massively impressive back in the day. Judged from a historical context, it's almost certainly the single most important 3D video game ever released. Unfortunately, it's miserable to return to without the benefit of childhood nostalgia. And I've always found MK64 to be almost unplayable.

I will say, though, Star Fox 64 was, and remains, pretty dope. Nintendo still hasn't figured out a way to surpass it. I also like Majora's Mask a lot, although I'd never opt to play the N64 version with the superior 3DS release out there.

@GagaOooLaLa
Actually your right. It’s not just on TV though. Only phones got smarter haha

@zupertramp
I mean. Do you think they’d go into it for charity?
Of course they want big profit.
I agree though that nowadays people demonise it for no reason and I think that maybe what you meant. 😅
Like now Sony is evil and Ms is Santa with little Santa helper Phil haha (if you believe the internet)

Here in North America I wasn't sure what PlayStation would turn into. I was 12 at the time when it launched and having grown up on Nintendo and Sega the games intrigued me a lot because they were so different. Not only 3D, but also the fact they targeted the older audience Sega so effectively went after the gen prior. Twisted Metal, Resident Evil, Destruction Derby, Ridge Racer are some of the games that convinced me the console was legit, but it didn't seem like it really took off until Fall 1997 with the launch Final Fantasy VII. From there it was no looking back. I had the N64 and wasn't about to beg my parents for another console after what they went through to get me the 64 but I did get to play a lot of the PS1 classics at friends' houses and others I missed out on when I got a PS2. Always interesting to revisit this period of gaming as I was becoming even more invested in the hobby and thanks to the rise of AOL could participate in wider discussions.

@Max_the_German
Yeah, it was anemic but I'm still happy I opted for that console. The great games took a long time between releases but when a Nintendo or Rare developed title hit, it was something special. And every once in a while a third party would throw a gem out there. Turok 2 was really good, Resident Evil 2 an incredibly impressive port given what the dev team had to work with and Hybrid Heaven is an underrated Konami game.

@Remix
I so agree with the last bit of your comment. How I had to go through piles of magazines if I was stuck in an adventure game for some reason. It was lovely to read the reviews though and in that regard I’m not sure nowadays reviews are a progress. Much positivity celebrating video games.
Now someone complained to me that checking you tube was too difficult. Haha
Or a couple of frame drop now ‘ruins’ the game 😅

Got a PS1 a few years after the N64, loads of mates where talking about FF7, I got a PS1 and rented FF7 loads.

N64 had the best multiplayer, but Command and Conquer with the link cable was awesome! Both PS1 and N64 had amazing single players games.

Easily my favourite generation of gaming.

@JJ2 i so miss the old mags..crash,zzap64 and computer and video games...i loved reading them and coincidently i found in a big box the other week a few old mean machine sega mags..the stuff you collect and forget is in the attic..sigh i feel old..😮‍💨

@Remix i think i might be classed as vintage..

@Resi32

Nintendo home console sales:
NES - 61.9M
SNES - 49.1M
N64 - 32.93M
GameCube - 21.74M
Wii - 101.6M
Wii U - 13.56M

Hybrid Console:
(Switch - 111M)

Playstation Home Consoles:
PS1 - 102.49M
PS2 - 158.7M
PS3 - 87.4M
PS4 - 117M

Sony are pretty much solely responsible for growing and maintaining the traditional home console market. Nintendo’s successes are mostly all handhelds and the hybrid Switch.

I don't the 'TV accent' was just about elitism. I think I remember reading somewhere it was considered to be clear and easy to understand, making the programs easier to export.
Although I'm sure a lot of the older generation really did talk like that. Maybe the tv rubbed off on them.

THANK GOD THEY DID!!! If not I'd probably be buying a Nintendo machine. Well there is no other company out there that make brilliant Exclusives each year...

@Balosi it wasnt "elitism" it was clear and well spoken..i'm of an age where i can remember when kids were well mannered and it was all down to decent upbringing regardless of whether you were lower,middle or upper class..nowadays there is too much slang talk and the english language has been bastardised beyond all hope of it ever being the same again.."That’s because nobody outside of private school was allowed to be on TV." I've never heard such rubbish in my life..there were a hell of a lot of people working in tv and probably running the stations that probably didnt go to "private" schools..is there a class divide? Yes there is but its nowhere near as bad as people would like to think it is..

@Northern_munkey there was some elitism, ie I think people from other countries in Britain found it more difficult to get onto tv at the time.
I think the purpose of the accent was innocent enough, ie to make viewing more accessible, the 'elitism' was more of an accidental effect.

@Balosi ok i see your point as in people from other countries found it hard to break into tv..i can see how that would be percieved as elitism..

@BartoxTharglod yeah not a total diss of the 64. It just ended up not really hitting for me. But then I never owned a PS1 so I can't say it would have been better. Could have just been how things were at that time in my life. I was in high school and probably had other things on my mind than video games.

@Ralizah Mario 64 was a rare game for me in that I went all in on it, completing every possible thing one can do in that game. It was fairly near and dear to me at that time but I haven't revisited it since so I imagine yeah, it's probably almost unplayable now. MK64 was a blast with siblings so I look on it fondly for that reason more than anything else. And I always preferred Descent over Star Fox. I have no idea if that holds up though.

@JJ2 yeah it's never been charity. which is okay. just not sure I buy the somewhat common refrain that things have changed for the worse in this regard.

@Ristar24 I remember buying a Playstation over an N64. I wasn't paying $70 and $80 for a game when it was often almost half the price on PS1... with better graphics and gameplay.

Summer of '95 I was thinking of either getting a Saturn or a PS1. Nothing against the Sega Saturn at all, but I'm glad I decided on the PS1.

@themightyant thanks for the info..i'll have a browse later when i'm sat in the garden..

As I was in retail management at the time purchased the PS1 day 1 although at the time my heart belonged to Sega…I moved into journalism and became an Editor at a fledgling publishing company. It was decided that we would launch a N64 title (64 Extreme) to coincide with the N64 launch. Boy did we back the wrong horse! Apart from some AAA titles (Mario Goldeneye StarFox) the support was poor + Nintendo treated us like ***** since we were not an Official Ninty mag..they saw us as enemies instead of allies. We later launched a PlayStation mag and I looked on jealousy as my fellow Editor was given incredible support and help from Sony..Sony got it right on every level through marketing and media and blew the N64 and Saturn away. Nintendo were saved by Pokémon and the novelty machine that was the Wii and sadly Sega mismanaged them self into console extinction. I am grateful to this day Sony entered the games market because they revolutionised it and injected new life and also blew away the conception that video games were just for kids

@Pedski wow somebody who actually knows sony do support people and help..there are an awful lot of nay sayers in the comments section and pushsquare sure do like to push out the negative articles when it suits (i'm being constructive here) so its really cool to hear from somebody who has seen that sony are not evil..