Prototype Sony PlayStation X SNES!

[Ben]

If it is legitimate, I think I get why Nintendo bailed on this project. Where is the name, Nintendo, anywhere in prominent view on this thing?!  It makes it look like Sony were just muscling them out of the console business.  It kind of reminds me of that scene in the Woody Allen movie, Broadway Danny Rose, when his client tells him he has to make a change of management.

[AmigaJay]

If it is legitimate, I think I get why Nintendo bailed on this project. Where is the name, Nintendo, anywhere in prominent view on this thing?!  It makes it look like Sony were just muscling them out of the console business.  It kind of reminds me of that scene in the Woody Allen movie, Broadway Danny Rose, when his client tells him he has to make a change of management.

Nintendo bailed out of the contract because Sony wanted a higher share of all Snes CD games, Nintendo wanted all the rights to cartridge games and CD games, in the contract Sony outdid what Nintendo thought they were signing. (Nintendo later went with Philips, which again turned into nothing).
This prototype is the Sony machine out of the deal, that could also play snes games, and would have played other multimedia titles that werent heading to the snes cd drive for the snes, its not a Nintendo machine, which is i think why some people are getting confused in all this!

[TrekMD]

Just saw this at Retro Gaming Mag's site:  Sony President Releases Comment on Recent Retro Discovery.

[AmigaJay]

Yeah read his comment the other day, i don't know the douchebag who wrote the article you linked doesn't believe it because its says Playstation all in one word on it, so? The original photo's from 22-23 years ago were the same, its not been photo shopped and our memories erased, jeez these guys!

[TrekMD]

Gemma has done an interview of the owner of this unit.  Here is the video with the interview done via Skype.  Here's a link to her article on the subject:  The elusive SNES-CD surfaces to shock gamers across the world

[align=center:23ol1w1z]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXO0Ir9wUps&list=TL1R5XG9_mc_0[/align:23ol1w1z]

[Papa]

I read somewhere that Final Fantasy VII was going to be one of the first games for the system.  It looks and feels to me like what a Super Nintendo with those duel 32-bit RISC chips would crank out.  I think that what Nintendo did later in the N64 was truer to the nature of gaming and supporting quality games.  In my opinion Sony has always been about mass production of media and having do-all machines.  Nintendo as a company with quality minded software would have taken a back seat to the those newfangled compact disk thingies that people were going berserk about.  Then Sony brings out the Playstation , which you got if you wanted a gaming rig and a CD player (and a VCD player in the eastern world, with the VCD module) in one.  Next was the PS2 which was your first DVD player...and it played games, sure.  And the PS3 for Blue Ray (because we all knew that HD-DVD was never going to make it) aaaaand a few pretty nice games.  Now you get the PS4 for it's DLC connection (which is cheaper than a PC and more powerful than a smart phone or Android).  Nintendo would have been going against their own creed as well as being the new dust on the shelf next to everyone's CD collection.  Cartridges are better, last longer, are solid state and the Nintendo 64 is a blast to play to this day!  If I'm going to play a PS1 game it's going to have the resolution cranked up and be on PC with an emulator.   

I think what Nintendo did back then was for the gamers and themselves.  I think what they're doing today is pretty sad. 

It's probably a real prototype, but like the interviewer said, I would like to see it boot up.  There should be some type of info on it's voltage somewhere on the system. I really don't think it would hurt to try an SNES power supply with it, as that would have been a smart thing to use considering they already had aftermarket ones and replacement ones out everywhere.  I wouldn't want it fried either, though... 

Very interesting! 

[AmigaJay]

I read somewhere that Final Fantasy VII was going to be one of the first games for the system.  It looks and feels to me like what a Super Nintendo with those duel 32-bit RISC chips would crank out.  I think that what Nintendo did later in the N64 was truer to the nature of gaming and supporting quality games.  In my opinion Sony has always been about mass production of media and having do-all machines.  Nintendo as a company with quality minded software would have taken a back seat to the those newfangled compact disk thingies that people were going berserk about.  Then Sony brings out the Playstation , which you got if you wanted a gaming rig and a CD player (and a VCD player in the eastern world, with the VCD module) in one.  Next was the PS2 which was your first DVD player...and it played games, sure.  And the PS3 for Blue Ray (because we all knew that HD-DVD was never going to make it) aaaaand a few pretty nice games.  Now you get the PS4 for it's DLC connection (which is cheaper than a PC and more powerful than a smart phone or Android).  Nintendo would have been going against their own creed as well as being the new dust on the shelf next to everyone's CD collection.  Cartridges are better, last longer, are solid state and the Nintendo 64 is a blast to play to this day!  If I'm going to play a PS1 game it's going to have the resolution cranked up and be on PC with an emulator.   

I think what Nintendo did back then was for the gamers and themselves.  I think what they're doing today is pretty sad. 

It's probably a real prototype, but like the interviewer said, I would like to see it boot up.  There should be some type of info on it's voltage somewhere on the system. I really don't think it would hurt to try an SNES power supply with it, as that would have been a smart thing to use considering they already had aftermarket ones and replacement ones out everywhere.  I wouldn't want it fried either, though... 

Very interesting! 

I don't know where you read about FF7, FF6 only came out in 1994, this machine was due out in 1993...
What Nintendo did with the N64 imo was against what gamers wanted, at the time gamers wanted CD audio and cut scenes and more levels, Nintendo made more profit and had more control with production of carts, imo against what gamers and the like wanted and imo the start of the downfall of 3rd partys from Nintendo's machines ever since.

HD-DVD was actually selling better than Blu-ray until the PS3 came out, i liked it better because you could have the DVD version on the flip side, now you just get a DVD copy in the same box as the Blu-ray!

Each to their own playing PS1 games now, i prefer the original pixelated look, but the N64 is even worse playing now without HD filtering etc, so blurry and low res it hurts your eyes.

Regarding Nintendo now, sure they lack 3rd party support, but at least they are sticking to their guns and have a games console on the market, the PS3/4 , XB1 are just PC's in small cases with games installing, patches etc, awful imo.

[WiggyDiggyPoo]

I think Sony us being given an unwarranted hard time over this from some people. Each generation of the PlayStation has being one of the top 2 consoles of its time.

Nintendo cocked up the contract with Sony, dumped them very acrimoniously and thought they could just write off whatever Sony had planned. Arrogance in itself and a lot of industry insiders where happy to see Sony arrive and offer competition.

[AmigaJay]

I think Sony us being given an unwarranted hard time over this from some people. Each generation of the PlayStation has being one of the top 2 consoles of its time.

Nintendo cocked up the contract with Sony, dumped them very acrimoniously and thought they could just write off whatever Sony had planned. Arrogance in itself and a lot of industry insiders where happy to see Sony arrive and offer competition.

Don't get me wrong i loved the first Playstation, but the direction Sony has taken the PS3 and now PS4 with its PC style has ruined the console experience imo, yes the XB1 has to install too, but it was the PS3 that started console game installing as mandatory because they wanted to shove its its Blu-ray device down peoples throats, same for DVD in the PS2, this is why they have higher consoles sold than would have been without these media players.
Yes Nintendo treated Sony (and Philips) badly as well as most developers truth be told, but I'd rather have the industry it was compared to one we know have, which like it or not can mostly be attributed to Sony, which they themselves treated customers badly with the PS3 debacle, i no longer buy any 'console' where games installing or patching takes place, i like to play a game as soon as i buy it not wait an hour for it to install and download upgrades and patches!
Anyway enough of my rant going off topic slightly!

[Papa]

Maybe I read it here...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy_VII

..Where they clearly state that it was slated for an SNES release.  A game of that size and scope would be a CD game and so it would have been on the Sony disk player (had they went that route).  I believe that cartridges are far superior to CD, DVD whatever disk crap is out there.  A disk scratches too easily, needs too many moving parts to synchronize properly (the eye goes out, the fan cooling the system dies, the motor dies, etc...).  My carts all still work perfectly, whereas I'd be lucky to get a four year old DVD to not skip or stop all together.  I watch VHS, listen to cassettes and records, and program on and play Atari.  To each his own, sure, but I'm not just making crap up here.  Final Fantasy VII was to be a flagship title for the the up and coming Sony disk system on the Super Nintendo.  It was actually moved up to be on the N64 but Sony brought out the Playstation and Square sided with them.  It's also probably one of the biggest reasons the N64 has only a couple of RPGs.  I play games on a CRT.  They last for decades and never need backlights replaced ( We don't mind recapping things when necessary, sure).  I think modern screens look like crap, last for far too short a time, and use too much electricity.  Getting a modern screen to display black properly or not blur when scrolling horizontally is a chore in itself. 

Of course I'm currently playing Final Fantasy VII on a Voodoo 3500 PC with Sound Blaster Live.   I skipped over the PS version back in the day in favor of the PC one, as I did with many games that came out for both.

[AmigaJay]

Well no mention of FF7 on SNES CD on that link, but as you stated not one of the first games on the system as FF7 wasn't even started until 1994...the SNES CD project was canned in late 1993 (PSX came out late 1994) so again FF7 wouldn't have even been an option for the SNES CD.

[WiggyDiggyPoo]

Don't get me wrong i loved the first Playstation, but the direction Sony has taken the PS3 and now PS4 with its PC style has ruined the console experience imo, yes the XB1 has to install too, but it was the PS3 that started console game installing as mandatory because they wanted to shove its its Blu-ray device down peoples throats, same for DVD in the PS2, this is why they have higher consoles sold than would have been without these media players.
Yes Nintendo treated Sony (and Philips) badly as well as most developers truth be told, but I'd rather have the industry it was compared to one we know have, which like it or not can mostly be attributed to Sony, which they themselves treated customers badly with the PS3 debacle, i no longer buy any 'console' where games installing or patching takes place, i like to play a game as soon as i buy it not wait an hour for it to install and download upgrades and patches!
Anyway enough of my rant going off topic slightly!

Ah not that off topic (-; Installing games for me because of patches or upgrades is a godsend, the stuff that can get fixed is invaluable but where the practice falls down is when games are obviously released unfinished and no amount of patching can fix that - Halo Master Chief Collection anyone? Also computer gamers have been waiting for games to load or install for years (tape drives anyone?) so are console gamers just too impatient lol   :33:

My CD collection dates back to the mid 90's so 20 years - works fine. DVD the early 00's - works fine. PSOne games - fine. PS2 - fine. XBox - fine. XBox 360 - fine. XBoxOne - fine. Incidentally the other media I have on various formats from cassette, floppies, cartridge, vinyl, VHS, miniDisc, UMD..... All work fine.

My point is I think if you are lucky to get a DVD older than 4 years old to work your equipment is not good enough, or you really dont look after your discs. I have cartridges, I dont regard them as an indestructible tour de force but I look after them like I do any of my media.

You comments on televisions arn't really accurate either, my 9 year old Tosh LCD is fine - blacks and horizontal scrolling et al. The Sony Trinitron CRT I use for the older stuff also works fine.

I'm not sure what your issue is with this Sony PlayStation/SNES prototype, but you dont need to make things up if you dont like it 

[AmigaJay]

Ah not that off topic (-; Installing games for me because of patches or upgrades is a godsend, the stuff that can get fixed is invaluable but where the practice falls down is when games are obviously released unfinished and no amount of patching can fix that - Halo Master Chief Collection anyone? Also computer gamers have been waiting for games to load or install for years (tape drives anyone?) so are console gamers just too impatient lol   

It may feel like a godsend to some, but in reality games are thrown out on time and patched afterwards, this is something that would never have happened years ago, sure you had the odd game with a bug, but most on the whole were completed and tested, nowadays because of the ease of patching its like 'oh we can get people to download a 3gb patch on day one no-one seems assed either way!'

And yes loading to me is different to installing and upgrading/patching, even with installs there is loading to be done so its not like it removes it completely, had it done so then it wouldn't be so a bigger issue, but because blu-ray drives are so damn slow and of course as mentioned above Sony wanted to force its new media down console owners throats for a costly £425 with the PS3 its forced devs to make mandatory installs or have really long loading times, at least the Xbox 360 didn't make you, bar a couple of releases at the end of its life cycle, now of course the XB1 is blu-ray the same fate is with Xbox owners, as i said as long as Nintendo stay true to what a games console is then i will stick with them.

[WiggyDiggyPoo]

It may feel like a godsend to some, but in reality games are thrown out on time and patched afterwards, this is something that would never have happened years ago, sure you had the odd game with a bug, but most on the whole were completed and tested, nowadays because of the ease of patching its like 'oh we can get people to download a 3gb patch on day one no-one seems assed either way!'

And yes loading to me is different to installing and upgrading/patching, even with installs there is loading to be done so its not like it removes it completely, had it done so then it wouldn't be so a bigger issue, but because blu-ray drives are so damn slow and of course as mentioned above Sony wanted to force its new media down console owners throats for a costly £425 with the PS3 its forced devs to make mandatory installs or have really long loading times, at least the Xbox 360 didn't make you, bar a couple of releases at the end of its life cycle, now of course the XB1 is blu-ray the same fate is with Xbox owners, as i said as long as Nintendo stay true to what a games console is then i will stick with them.

Well..... Thats more along the lines of looking at modern gaming and what that entails. I agree the lackadaisical attitude to developement many modern publishers have their attitude to 'patch to it later' is spoiling gaming but I dont let it spoil my experience - I rarely buy things new on release so I have time to assess wether the game is worth getting or not. I think the blame for that rests with the gamers as much as the publishers as most people simply accept this status quo - one person alone not buying games because of unfinished games (me!) will not change things. And I agree updates/patches are not the same as loading but its the waiting that is the same and that is what I was (trying to) compare. Far Cry 4 installed once on my XOne and thats it. If I turn my XOne off/on again mid game, the game is still running and I go straight back into it, handled well installing games is not the ballache I think some make it out to be.

The answer to all of this is of course digital delivery from source - and we know that goes back to the early 80's and the like of Atari's Gameline delivery games down your phone directly onto a cartridge (was that the first such system?). Skips the issue of media completely and puts the game on the fastest available medium to play.

Unfortunately only PC gamers are currently getting the best of that solution - Steam prices and SSD HDDs beat hands down the PS4/XOne business model and design. I'm not being fanboyish there, just pragmatic and impartial as after all I am a XOne gamer not a PC gamer.

For me the issue of what media a modern game should be on should not exist, but the attitude of all the games companies towards pricing of their digital content stops any progress on that front.

Blimey I've gone on a bit there, maybe we should flip this into a 'Where is gaming going thread' as I'm just as much interested in looking to the future as still enjoying the past. 

[TrekMD]

Well, it appears this was real after all:  We turned on the Nintendo PlayStation: It's real and it works.