Episode 171

The Great Betrayal

When Nintendo’s Betrayal Gave Birth to the Sony Playstation

December 7, 2023 64 min

In the early 1990s, a partnership between Nintendo and Sony to develop a Super Nintendo CD add-on set the stage for one of gaming’s most dramatic twists. In this episode, we trace how that collaboration collapsed and how the Sony PlayStation rose from its ashes to reshape the industry. We follow Sony’s origins under Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita, Ken Kutaragi’s secret sound chip work for the Super Famicom, and the infamous 1991 CES “betrayal” that changed everything. Our conversation covers Sony’s transformation from electronics giant to console pioneer, its early developer partnerships, and how a revenge project became the fifth generation’s dominant force. Join us as we revolutionize gaming with the birth of the PlayStation on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.

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History Topic (At-A-Glance)

Sony PlayStation (1994)

Release Date: 12-03-1994
Platform(s): PlayStation
Developer(s): Sony Computer Entertainment
Genre(s): Video game console, Hardware

Reference Links

Video Games

“Myst.” Cyan/Mindscape, 1993.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myst
“The 7th Guest.” Trilobyte/Virgin Interactive, 1993.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_7th_Guest
“Secret of Mana.” Square, 1993.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_of_Mana
“Chrono Trigger.” Square, 1995.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrono_Trigger
“Ridge Racer.” Namco, 1993.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ridge_Racer_(1993_video_game)
“Tekken.” Namco, 1994.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tekken_(video_game)
“Soul Edge.” Namco, 1995.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_Edge
“A-Train IV.” Artdink, 1994.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-Train
“Crime Crackers.” Media.Vision, 1994.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_Crackers
“Parodius.” Konami, 1994.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parodius
“Nekketsu Oyako.” TechnoSoft, 1994.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nekketsu_Oyako
“TAMA.” Time Warner Interactive, 1994.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TAMA_(video_game)
“ESPN Extreme Games.” Sony Interactive Studios America, 1995.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1Xtreme
“Air Combat.” Namco, 1995.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_Combat
“Battle Arena Toshinden.” Tamsoft/Takara, 1995.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Arena_Toshinden
“Kileak: The DNA Imperative.” Genki, 1995.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kileak:_The_DNA_Imperative
“Total Eclipse Turbo.” Crystal Dynamics, 1995.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Eclipse_(video_game)
“NBA Jam Tournament Edition.” Midway/Acclaim, 1994.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBA_Jam_Tournament_Edition
“Power Serve 3D Tennis.” Ocean Software, 1995.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_Serve_3D_Tennis
“The Raiden Project.” Seibu Kaihatsu, 1995.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Raiden_Project
“Rayman.” Ubisoft, 1995.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayman_(video_game)
“Street Fighter: The Movie.” Incredible Technologies/Capcom, 1995.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_Fighter:_The_Movie_(arcade_game)

Additional Sources

Wikipedia, “Ken Kutaragi.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Kutaragi
Kotaku, “The Weird History of the Super NES CD-ROM: Nintendo’s Most Notorious Vaporware.”

https://kotaku.com/the-weird-history-of-the-super-nes-cd-rom-nintendos-mo-1828860861
Polygon, “The History of PlayStation Was Almost Very Different.”

https://www.polygon.com/features/2019/12/6/20999590/the-history-of-playstation-was-almost-very-different
Polygon, “The Legacy of PlayStation Creator Ken Kutaragi, in 24 Stories.”

https://www.polygon.com/2018/11/26/18080492/playstation-history-ken-kutaragi-sony
Eurogamer, “Farewell, Father.”

https://www.eurogamer.net/farewell-father-article
Wikipedia, “Psygnosis.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psygnosis
Wikipedia, “Namco System 11.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namco_System_11

Cover Art Attribution

Cover Art	By Evan-Amos. Public domain. Wikipedia.

Audio Sources

Cold Open Music	Bleeping Demo by Kevin MacLeod May be found at: https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/mp3-royaltyfree/Bleeping%20Demo.mp3 Licensed under: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
Podcast Intro Music	Open Those Bright Eyes by Kevin MacLeod May be found at: https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/mp3-royaltyfree/Open%20Those%20Bright%20Eyes.mp3 Licensed under: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License

Cold Open Music

Bleeping Demo by Kevin MacLeod

May be found at: https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/mp3-royaltyfree/Bleeping%20Demo.mp3

Licensed under: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License

Podcast Intro Music

Open Those Bright Eyes by Kevin MacLeod

May be found at: https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/mp3-royaltyfree/Open%20Those%20Bright%20Eyes.mp3

Licensed under: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License