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Playstation
PS Symbols and Logo Design - Synonym of Modern Entertainment
Whether you’re a member of the “PC Master Race” society or a Nintendo fanatic, there is just no way that you haven’t enjoyed gaming on Sony’s PlayStation. The platform, conceived in 1994, revolutionized gaming and became one of the leading gaming platforms worldwide.
While CD-ROM and 3D gaming weren’t invented by Sony, PlayStation made it what it is today. These, among other PS symbols, have shocked the world with their success. Sony PlayStation now has arguably the best consoles, controllers, games and even website design in the gaming universe. However, these outstanding achievements were pillared into careful development and market research.
The Sony PlayStation logo design might be a perfect example of how important the logo is for a brand. And while you can easily make your logo now by using the internet to connect with designers worldwide or even design one yourself on some of the best logo design apps, it wasn’t as simple back then.
That’s why Sony struck gold with its PS symbols. In the beginning, whenever you launched a game, you’d see the retro P standing on an S logo full of bright colors and 90s aesthetics. And while the platform moved away from the original logo, its 28-year-long history marks only two relatively similar iterations.
The Original Sony PlayStation Logo (1994–2009)
PlayStation 1, alongside its competitors – primarily Sega Saturn and Nintendo 64, belongs to the fifth generation of console gaming. What’s important to understand is that this generation was the first to radically switch to three-dimensional graphics.
With this in mind, Sony needed a logo to push that feature to the forefront of all its operations. And what better way to send a message than with a logo you will see whenever you enter a game?
The original PlayStation logo was designed by Manabu Sakamoto, who’s also credited with the typeface for the company’s watermark for all PlayStation products. The logo features two capital letters, a “P” and an “S,” meant to represent PlayStation.
But what made it so charming and famous (so much so that many startup branding agencies try to emulate it) was how these letters were placed. The 3D design can be interpreted in many ways. You could say that the vertical P is “standing” on the horizontal, serpentine-shaped S or that the S is a shadow of the P.
Aside from the positioning, the color choice also did its magic. The bright red P is accompanied by the yellow start of the S that turns green and ends in blue. There’s nothing like bright red to capture anyone’s attention. The color frequently associated with passion and action goes well with yellow, which conveys fun and energy.
Red and yellow are warm, whereas green and blue are cool colors, making up a rainbow-colored puzzle or a path that resembles a map or terrain you’d commonly find in your gaming conquests. As it reflects the first PlayStation, the original logo is one of the best colorful designs in gaming history.
The aesthetics struck a chord with the public as they were a great visual representation of the 90s fashion, and the logo became an instant hit that’s still cherished today. Take a look at best branding companies on DesignRush.
The Modern Sony PlayStation Logo (2009–2022)
15 years after its first logo design, PlayStation got its second one which is still used today.
Not much has changed. Expert logo designers opted for a monochrome look-alike of the first one. As an already-established giant in the market, the company opted for a modern yet subtle approach. The initially colorful design was stripped of its colors, turning into a black-and-white classic with a touch of elegance.
The form is identical to the first one, following the precise ratio of geometric shapes. However, there is one slight difference – the vertical P is now outlined and cuts through the S in the back.
Before this change, PlayStation had already released its second game engine, which broke all records and established itself as the most purchased console with over 150 million units! So, when the brand was now already iconic, the new logo showcased that. It’s modern, simple, unique and respected.
The Revolutionary Controller and What the Buttons Symbolize
The PlayStation controller has evolved alongside new consoles, but there’s one constant: the buttons. From the get-go, the action buttons on the right showed prints of X, O, triangles and squares. These buttons seem arbitrary, but like everything else with Sony PlayStation – they aren’t.
The triangle represents the players’ point of view, and the square symbolizes a piece of paper (for menus and in-game documents). Then, X and O, “yes” and “no” respectively. However, in Western markets, the last two were reversed!
One of the most memorable PS symbols was designed by Teiyu Goto. Despite being asked to make a controller resembling the one used for the SNES (another popular console of the 90s), Goto insisted on delivering a concept with grips and a control stick.
PlayStation’s Peculiar Historical Ties With Nintendo
While Nintendo was already in the gaming business, Sony had no consoles before the PlayStation. However, they did collaborate. The S-SMP chip that made the Nintendo’s sound so advanced was designed and produced by Sony. More specifically, by Ken Kutaragi.
Ken was responsible for the new working relationship between the two companies. Despite Sony being skeptical about entering the gaming industry, Ken kept insisting on the potential of making his argument for a good partnership potential between the two giants.
The companies made a deal where Sony was obliged to make audio hardware for Nintendo and CD-ROM-based games. Nintendo would help Sony develop its first gaming console by making Nintendo cartridge games available on – PlayStation.
However, upon further negotiations, there was friction which led to Nintendo announcing they’ll be making their own new gaming console with the features planned for the PlayStation. Breaking the deal with Sony, they announced they were partnering with Philips instead.
Sony executives felt betrayed, but their response was not to back out but to keep going. The rest is history!
- Industries:Entertainment Technology
- Tags:Emblem Geometric Logo symbols