Friday, July 27, 2012

A Source Of Recreational Fun: Playstation

By Tan Yong Ming


PlayStation is a very general word when it comes to consumers. Most are unaware that it does not simply refer to a console gaming unit. It also speaks of Sony Computer Entertainment's entire line of consoles that they have developed and created. 1994 turned out to be the start of a great decade which saw the rise of handheld gaming technology. Along with that came the inevitable rise in controllers, magazines, online services, a media center and no less than three personal gaming consoles.

The original game console was meant for home use and launched in the early 1990's, selling over 100 million units within the first ten years. Its follower, the PlayStation 2, produced over 150 million units by January of 2011. While the third system did not make as large of an initial impact, it has slowly picked up momentum. By the end of March 2012, the PlayStation 3 sold over 63 million units worldwide.

In order to keep up with the expanding technology, Sony released a portable version, known as PSP, which was soon followed by the PlayStation Vita. They attempted to market the PSX, which was a video recording device. Due to lower demand and higher costs, the launch never made it outside of Japan. Similarly, the Sony Bravia went down the same path. Shifting their focus, Sony began to perfect some already booming developments.

They stumbled upon a gold mine with their inventive line of controllers that ultimately fed the vibrations from the action on screen back to the handset. They called these controllers "DualShock" and went on to sell over 28 million of them. Gamers responded well to the idea of feeling out the action that they were playing. The controllers were a giant step towards integrating players with the game.

The PlayStation Network, used by over 69 million gamers worldwide, includes access to a virtual market, a PlayStation Store, and services such as PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Home. From here, there are options to purchase and download games or other media, making gaming more convenient than ever before.




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