FiscalFusion

NEW YORK — When Kendrick Lamar kicked off his Super Bowl halftime show earlier this year, he performed atop a massive grid of flashing lights shaped like a giant PlayStation controller — a square, triangle, cross and circle — a surprise nod to Sony’s console as PlayStation celebrates its 30th anniversary in North America and Europe, and another reminder of how deeply the brand has permeated global culture, from “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” and “Shaun of the Dead” to Juice WRLD’s “Hear Me Calling” and HBO’s “The Last of Us.” Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Eric Lempel says PlayStation “made gaming cool,” evolving from a disruptive newcomer in 1995 to a premier entertainment brand, with its rise fueled by smart decisions like adopting CD-ROMs, securing developers early, launching with a strong game library, pricing the original console at $299, and appealing to teens and young adults while Sega and Nintendo targeted children. The PlayStation became a sensation, selling more than 100 million units and moving gaming from the bedroom into the living room, followed by the PlayStation 2 — still the best-selling console ever with roughly 160 million units sold — thanks in part to being an affordable DVD player.

Sony stumbled with the expensive Blu-ray-driven PS3 and its 2011 network hack, but rebounded with the PS4 and its focus on multiplayer, streaming, and robust exclusives, then advanced further with the PS5’s haptic feedback, adaptive triggers and 4K capabilities. PlayStation’s cultural impact now extends into Hollywood with adaptations such as “Uncharted,” “Gran Turismo,” “Twisted Metal,” and “The Last of Us,” with more coming, including “Horizon Zero Dawn,” “Ghost of Tsushima,” and Amazon’s “God of War,” aided by PlayStation’s cinematic storytelling, motion-captured performances, and proximity to Sony Pictures.

The brand’s influence has even reached fashion and footwear, including Yinka Ilori’s PlayStation-inspired loungewear and Travis Scott’s Nike Dunk Low Cactus Jack X PlayStation sneakers, while fans’ devotion shows in everything from tattoos to merchandise — something Lempel says reflects how PlayStation has become “a big part of people’s lives” far beyond gaming..