Editing PlayStation (console) (section)

===Marketing success and later years===
The PlayStation was backed by a successful marketing campaign, allowing Sony to gain an early foothold in Europe and North America.{{sfn|DeMaria|Wilson|2004|page=283}} Initially, PlayStation demographics were skewed towards adults, but the audience broadened after the first price drop.{{sfn|Lundrigan|1996|p=9}} While the Saturn was positioned towards 18- to 34-year-olds,<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Sega: Who Do they Think you Are?|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=14 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |location=[[New York City]]|date=February 1996|page=71}}</ref> the PlayStation was initially marketed exclusively towards teenagers. Executives from both Sony and Sega reasoned that because younger players typically looked up to older, more experienced players, advertising targeted at teens and adults would draw them in too. Additionally, Sony found that adults reacted best to advertising aimed at teenagers; [[Lee Clow]] surmised that people who started to grow into adulthood regressed and became "17 again" when they played video games.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Sony: Who Do they Think you Are?|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=14 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|location=[[New York City]] |date=February 1996|page=70}}</ref> The console was marketed with advertising slogans stylised as "LIVE IN Y[[File:PlayStationCircle.svg|15x12px|O]]UR W[[File:PlayStationCross.svg|15x12px|O]]RLD. PL[[File:PlayStationTriangle.svg|15x12px|A]]Y IN [[File:PlayStationSquare.svg|15x12px|O]]URS" (''Live in Your World. Play in Ours.'') and "U R NOT {{font color|red|E}}" (red E). The four geometric shapes were derived from the symbols for the four buttons on the controller.{{sfn|Crotty|1995|p=17}}<ref name=ignhistory/> Clow thought that by invoking such provocative statements, gamers would respond to the contrary and say {{"'}}Bullshit. Let me show you how ready I am.{{'"}}<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Sony TV: Turn On, Tune In, Buy Hardware|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=14 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|location=[[New York City]] |date=February 1996|pages=72–73}}</ref> As the console's appeal enlarged, Sony's marketing efforts broadened from their earlier focus on mature players to specifically target younger children as well.<ref name=NGen36>{{cite magazine |title=Where to Play? The Dust Settles |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=36 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|location=[[New York City]] |date=December 1997|page=50}}</ref>

Shortly after the PlayStation's release in Europe, Sony tasked marketing manager Geoff Glendenning with assessing the desires of a new target audience. Sceptical over Nintendo and Sega's reliance on television campaigns, Glendenning theorised that young adults transitioning from fourth-generation consoles would feel neglected by marketing directed at children and teenagers.<ref name="nightclub">{{cite web |last1=Boxer |first1=Keith|last2=Boxer|first2=Steve|title=Level up: how PlayStation infiltrated youth culture |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/03/how-playstation-infiltrated-youth-culture |website=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=11 November 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221145404/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/03/how-playstation-infiltrated-youth-culture |archive-date=21 February 2020 |location=[[London]] |language=en |date=3 December 2014}}</ref> Recognising the influence early 1990s underground clubbing and [[rave|rave culture]] had on young people, especially in the United Kingdom, Glendenning felt that the culture had become mainstream enough to help cultivate PlayStation's emerging identity. Sony partnered with prominent [[nightclub]] owners such as [[Ministry of Sound]] and festival promoters to organise dedicated PlayStation areas where demonstrations of select games could be tested.{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=24}} [[Sheffield]]-based graphic design studio [[The Designers Republic]] was contracted by Sony to produce promotional materials aimed at a fashionable, club-going audience.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Designers Republic (Company) |url=https://www.giantbomb.com/the-designers-republic/3010-6360/| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211001/https://www.giantbomb.com/the-designers-republic/3010-6360/| archive-date=1 October 2021 |website=[[Giant Bomb]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=14 November 2020 |location=[[San Francisco]] |language=en}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Psygnosis' ''Wipeout'' in particular became associated with nightclub culture as it was widely featured in venues.{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=24}}<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hartley |first1=Adam |title=Are these the 20 best British games? |url=https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/gaming/are-these-the-20-best-british-games-1167179/4 |website=[[TechRadar]] |publisher=[[Future plc]] |access-date=14 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114200418/https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/gaming/are-these-the-20-best-british-games-1167179/4 |archive-date=14 November 2020 |location=[[Bath, Somerset|Bath]] |language=en |date=19 July 2013}}</ref> By 1997, there were 52 nightclubs in the United Kingdom with dedicated PlayStation rooms. Glendenning recalled that he had discreetly used at least £100,000 a year in [[slush fund]] money to invest in impromptu marketing.<ref name=nightclub/>

In 1996, Sony expanded their CD production facilities in the United States due to the high demand for PlayStation games, increasing their monthly output from 4&nbsp;million discs to 6.5&nbsp;million discs.{{sfn|Strodder|1996|p=17}} This was necessary because PlayStation sales were running at twice the rate of Saturn sales, and its lead dramatically increased when both consoles dropped in price to $199 that year.{{sfn|Neves|1996|p=20}} The PlayStation also outsold the Saturn at a similar ratio in Europe during 1996,<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Svenson |first=Christian |title=Stat Happy Sony |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=24 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|location=[[New York City]] |date=December 1996 |page=28}}</ref> with 2.2&nbsp;million consoles sold in the region by the end of the year.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Data Stream |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=29 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|location=[[New York City]] |date=May 1997 |page=27}}</ref> Sales figures for PlayStation hardware and software only increased following the launch of the Nintendo 64.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Who Won the Videogame Wars of 1996? |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=28 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|location=[[New York City]] |date=April 1997|pages=16–19}}</ref>{{sfn|Charla|1997b|p=74}} Tokunaka speculated that the Nintendo 64 launch had actually helped PlayStation sales by raising public awareness of the gaming market through Nintendo's added marketing efforts.{{sfn|Lundrigan|1996|p=8}} Despite this, the PlayStation took longer to achieve dominance in Japan. Tokunaka said that, even after the PlayStation and Saturn had been on the market for nearly two years, the competition between them was still "very close", and neither console had led in sales for any meaningful length of time.{{sfn|Lundrigan|1996|p=9}}

By 1998, Sega, encouraged by their declining market share and significant financial losses,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sega.jp/IR/en/ar/ar1998/ar98.pdf |title=Sega Enterprises Annual Report 1998 |publisher=Sega Enterprises, Ltd. |pages=1, 7–8 |access-date=7 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040504003308/http://sega.jp/IR/en/ar/ar1998/ar98.pdf |archive-date=4 May 2004}}</ref> launched the [[Dreamcast]] as a last-ditch attempt to stay in the industry.<ref>{{cite web |title=State of the Game: August 1999 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/08/10/state-of-the-game-august-1999 |website=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |access-date=17 January 2022 |location=[[Chicago]] |language=en |date=10 August 1999 |archive-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220117223146/https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/08/10/state-of-the-game-august-1999 |url-status=live }}</ref> Although its launch was successful, the technically superior 128-bit console was unable to subdue Sony's dominance in the industry.{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=13}}{{sfn|Kent|2001|pp=588—589}} Sony still held 60% of the overall video game market share in North America at the end of 1999.<ref>{{cite news|title=Dreamcast beats PlayStation record |work=[[BBC News]]|location=[[London]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/534957.stm |access-date=29 October 2014 |date=24 November 1999 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016054015/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/534957.stm |archive-date=16 October 2013}}</ref> Sega's initial confidence in their new console was undermined when Japanese sales were lower than expected,{{sfn|Kent|2001|pp=563-564}} with disgruntled Japanese consumers reportedly returning their Dreamcasts in exchange for PlayStation software.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-55625096/who-s-got-game-beleaguered-sega-hopes-to-get-back |title=Who's Got Game? Beleaguered Sega Hopes to Get Back on Top in the Video Game Wars with Dreamcast, the First of a New Generation of Superfast, Supercool Fun Machines |work=Newsweek |date=6 September 1999 |access-date=30 October 2014 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141031033938/https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-55625096/who-s-got-game-beleaguered-sega-hopes-to-get-back |archive-date=31 October 2014}}</ref> On 2 March 1999, Sony officially revealed details of the [[PlayStation 2]], which Kutaragi announced would feature a graphics processor designed to push more raw [[polygons]] than any console in history, effectively rivalling most supercomputers.{{sfn|Kent|2001|pages=560–561}}<ref>{{cite web|last=Casamassina |first=Matt |url=https://ign.com/articles/2000/11/04/gamecube-versus-playstation-2 |title=Gamecube Versus PlayStation 2 |website=[[IGN]]|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|location=[[Chicago]]|date=3 November 2000 |access-date=14 November 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141104021340/http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/04/gamecube-versus-playstation-2 |archive-date=4 November 2014}}</ref> The PlayStation continued to sell strongly at the turn of the new millennium: in June 2000, Sony released the PSOne, a smaller, redesigned variant which went on to outsell all other consoles in that year, including the PlayStation 2.<ref>{{cite web|last=Becker |first=David |url=http://news.cnet.com/Old-PlayStation-tops-holiday-game-console-sales/2100-1040_3-249457.html |title=Old PlayStation Tops Holiday Game Console Sales |publisher=CNET News |date=5 December 2000 |access-date=30 October 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141031031819/http://news.cnet.com/Old-PlayStation-tops-holiday-game-console-sales/2100-1040_3-249457.html |archive-date=31 October 2014}}</ref> In 2005, PlayStation became the first console to ship 100 million units with the PlayStation 2 later achieving this faster than its predecessor.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-27 |title=PlayStation {{!}} Console and Games {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/PlayStation |access-date=2024-12-03 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> The combined successes of both PlayStation consoles led to Sega retiring the Dreamcast in 2001, and abandoning the console business entirely.{{sfn|Kent|2001|pp=588—589}} The PlayStation was eventually discontinued on 23 March 2006—over eleven years after its release, and less than a year before the debut of the [[PlayStation 3]].<ref name=stops/>