PlayStation

A Sony gaming console franchise that began, really, with the Play Station console that never made it to market. The first PlayStation that the world knew, the PlayStation-X (or PSX), was released in Japan in December 1994. At the time, it was a particularly advanced console in several ways, and its success was guaranteed by the wide range of software secured for it by Sony and the way it was marketed as something that was 'cool' -- often blamed for the 'decline' of video games, by making them a source of entertainment for the public at large. Since the initial launch of the Sony PlayStation, Sony have released a PlayStation 2, which used DVD-ROM technology and had a look that was very different from the original PlayStation. However, the PlayStation 2 is inferior in graphical quality to the Nintendo Gamecube and in power to Microsoft's Xbox, and its continued success was reliant on its status as the 'cool' gaming console, and also on the range of high quality software secured for it by Sony. In 2005, the PlayStation Portable, or PSP, was released. It marks Sony's first real foray into handheld gaming, and supports a wide range of media -- including UMD movies and music. With incredible graphics and a widescreen display that surpasses all other handhelds in size, the PSP is an impressive piece of hardware. The Nintendo DS (Dual Screen), its main contemporary rival, is currently leading the pair with its innovative design. However, for 'hardcore' gamers, both are a must. European gamers were outraged at Sony's decision to release the PSP months after its Japanese and North American releases, in September 2005. This delay, justified as a shortage of units, and Sony's desire to withhold their stock until the Japanese and American markets were sated, compounded the feeling of neglect by big gaming companies of gamers in Europe. Currently, Sony's next piece of hardware in the franchise, the PlayStation 3, which promises to be a powerful next-gen console, is in development and due for release in 2006.