Ben-DutkaVideo games began long before PlayStation arrived but perhaps it can be argued that, depending on how you view the advancement of the industry, Sony is responsible for "legitimizing" gaming as a form of entertainment.
What began with the original PlayStation over 15 years ago has blossomed into an interactive revolution, culminating in what we have now; the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation Network. And you know, Sony joined the gaming world at just about the time gaming was starting to make mainstream strides, and with the innovation and artistry often unique to the PlayStation brand, the industry has really benefited over the years. In some ways, we should be thankful to Sony, or so the senior director of the PSN at SCEA, Susan Panico, told Gamasutra :
"I think what’s important is that gaming is the heart and soul of the company, and it’s what we do really well. What we did as PlayStation, if you go back 15 years ago, we legitimized [gaming] as a form of entertainment. It’s not a hobby; it’s a broader form of entertainment. But what we’ve learned over the past 15 years is that we have to provide other forms of entertainment to the consumer: movies, comics, music, what have you."
By the way, you'll note she also mentions the arrival of PS1 classics on the PSN, and while Panico says it's "money on the table" for any publisher who wishes to participate, there are always "a lot of licensing issues" that prevent certain titles from becoming downlodable PS1 classics. Well, that's okay…we got all the Final Fantasy titles; who needs anything else?
