Many of us know (and believe) that the first video game console Sony made was the PlayStation. However, he truth is that the PlayStation was actually Sony’s first console that they released. It turns out that before the PlayStation (even before their ill-fated collaboration with Nintendo) was, this lovely piece of gaming tech. This console,simply labeled as “Prototype TV Game Machine”) used — or WOULD HAVE used — cards and cartridges, and since this console dates to the 1970’s, the games would have likely been relatively simple. However, if you want a Japanese write-up on the exhibition it was shown at, here you go.
The first thing you’ll notice is the lack of a controller, but it’s speculated that the red (こたえ/Kotae, or ANSWER) and blue (すすめ/Susume, or PROCEED) buttons were how you actually played games. If that’s true, video output would be displayed on the TV screen and might have had the players make selections/answers/decisions on the console itself. I see you looking at that huge wheel on the side of the console, which many assume was to be used for scrolling through menus and the like. Another interesting thing is the lack of a Sony logo, suggests it didn’t get very far off the drawing board. Too bad that this went nowhere past the prototype phase, because this is quite the beautiful-and-elegant-looking classic games console. You’d have to imagine a 20th century where the console wars might have turned out very differently if Sony had released this machine…
[Thanks Video Games Densetsu & Famitsu]
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