FACT! #1

Today debuts the Virtual Vintage FACT! series. The FACT! series will be small bits of information about the collectibles and antiques that Virtual Vintage covers; generally information about the creation of certain items or the history of companies... Or really, just about anything related to them.

The subject of the inaugural edition of FACT! was a real difficult decision to make. Would I talk about certain US coins? How about more traditional antiques? A "this day in history" type of thing? Or would it be about video games? Well...

FACT! - In the late 1980s, Nintendo entered negotiations with Sony to develop a CD-ROM attachment for their Super Famicom (Super Nintendo in the US.) The add-on, known as the "PlayStation" was developed and announced at the Consumer Electronics Show of 1991. The next day, Nintendo announced it was no longer working with Sony, opting to work with Philips with the same technology; leaving Sony high and dry. Instead of just rolling over and giving up on the gaming industry, Sony decided to simply go ahead and design their PlayStation system as a competitor against Nintendo and well... The rest is history.

Below are two different images of the PlayStation when it was still slated to be released as an attachment along with the Super Famicom:

Early concept art of the system. Note that the "PlayStation" was originally going to sit beneath the Super Famicom system. This set-up would later be used by Sega for their Sega CD Model 1.

 One of the supposed prototypes that are rumored to be in existence. The controller originally resembled the SNES/Super Famicom's controller. You can clearly see where it says "PlayStation" and "Sony" as well as the CD-ROM device built in. One of the best things about this system was that it was designed to play CDs AND Cartridges. Imagine playing Chrono Trigger and Resident Evil on the same system? Glorious!