Ken Kutaragi, the ‘Father of PlayStation,’ Makes Unexpected Confessions about the Console!
Ken Kutaragi, a legendary figure in the world of video games, is known as the “Father of PlayStation.” He played a key role in the development of the PS1, PS2, and PS3 consoles. During his speech at the 2024 Tokyo Game Show, he shared the story of PlayStation’s birth and made a surprising confession: Initially, almost no one believed that PlayStation would succeed.
Unexpected Statements from Kutaragi, the Father of PlayStation…
Kutaragi took us back to the early days of 1993, about two years before the PlayStation 1 was launched in Japan. At that time, he and other founding members embarked on a world tour to gather feedback from various developers. However, the responses they received were far from encouraging.
Kutaragi noted, “We wanted to hear their expectations and what they didn’t expect. That’s why we visited dozens, maybe hundreds of companies. We spoke with many game developers, which was a great memory… But they were not interested at all. They simply said, ‘Don’t do it. Many companies have tried, and none have succeeded. You will fail too.’”
Despite these negative opinions, Kutaragi and his team pressed on and ultimately proved all the skeptics wrong. However, it is truly astonishing that PlayStation faced such significant resistance in its early days. Kutaragi emphasized the seriousness of the situation by stating, “Even within Sony, no one believed we would succeed.”
As PlayStation prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary this year, it has come a long way since its inception. The recent release of the special edition PS5 Pro package, which sold out within hours despite its price, demonstrates the brand’s enduring popularity.
Kutaragi’s statements serve as a reminder that success does not always come easily and that taking risks is crucial, even when everyone says it’s impossible.