Conflict Over SNES CD Licencing Control Sony Attempts Take Over of Nintendo

Ok, its time for, “Days of Gaming Past” history lesson. Does anyone know how Playstation got it's start? Nintendo wanted to make an add-on for the Super Nintendo system. They wanted a disc based component similar to Sega CD, and Sony signed on to take the challenge in 1988. They came back with the Sony and Nintendo-developed Play Station in May of 1991 at the Consumer Electronics Show and the very next day, Nintendo said they were going with the Sony rival Phillips.

The device Sony came up with was supposed to be called SNES-CD and Nintendo and Sony fought over the licensing agreement which gave Sony more control over Software than Nintendo liked. If you were to look, only 200 prototypes were created of the Sony/Nintendo Play Station.

And thus, Playstation was born. Ken Kutaragi forged ahead with the technology and the PlayStation or PS One as

we now know it, was launched out of spite in Japan in 1994 and made its mark on gaming history.

So the question remains, “What happened to all the prototypes?” Being that there were only 200 made, it would be a very difficult find, but out of nowhere, Imgur user DanDiebold came forward with his discovery of one of these prototypes. He says it belonged to his father who once worked alongside a Nintendo employee and happened across it in a box of junk after his company went bankrupt. Makes me wish I scoured trashcans outside the place for this gem. But he is keeping it and says he hasn’t powered up the device yet because he doesn't have a power cord. He also has an unmarked CD and cartridge that came with the prototype. This is the story he gave with the images:

“My dad worked for a company, apparently one of the guys he used to work with, I think his name was Olaf, used to work at Nintendo and when my dad's company went bankrupt, my dad found it in a box of 'Junk' he was supposed to throw out”.

Again that trash can thing looking pretty good. Though it does check out, “Olaf” very well could be Olafur Johann Olafsson, the original co-founder, president and chief executive officer of Sony Interactive Entertainment. What a twist that would be, if not only was it one of the first Play Stations, but to have belonged to the creator as well. And if it is one of the 200, where would the other 199 be?