Nintendo Play Station Prototype... Found?!

[gdement]

I still can't believe that the PlayStation evolved from the original SNES-CD project. Why did Nintendo drop the whole thing to begin with?

Nintendo's contract with Sony basically sold the farm to them. All kinds of royalties and rights would have been handed over to Sony. For some reason, no one noticed this little snafu until the 11th hour.

 

I doubt that's really the reason. Releasing an add-on was just a bad idea. Once it became apparent that the Sega CD wasn't going anywhere, Nintendo decided not to proceed with theirs. If there had been a compelling demand for a CDROM, then Nintendo and Sony would have been able to renegotiate some acceptable terms that would allow the project to proceed.

Nintendo simply decided against the CDROM format, as shown by the fact that even the N64 didn't use one.

Edited July 24, 2007 by gdement

[MrAtari2600]

WAIT WAIT WAIT

i read about this doing my speach on nintendo history!

wait is this the super nintendo add in that cd thing

That never wnt through!

O_O

is that what im looking at right now!!

[Artlover]

Sadly, that thing probably does better grafx than the Wii. :\

[MegaManFan]

I don't know if the owner would want me revealing his name, so I will be intentionally vague, but a few years back at the Classic Gaming Expo I saw the +REAL+ SNES PlayStation prototype, and he let me take a few photos of it with my digital camera. Things I remember from our conversation:

 

1. Sony was "throwing it out" and he almost literally rescued this from the trash heap.

2. There was nothing about the controller or unit that would have screamed PlayStation to an uninformed observer.

They would have just thought it was a SNES 32-X type deal - it plugged into through the cart port.

3. The CD drive overlapped the back end of the SNES and thus needed a "kickstand" for support.

4. The party I spoke to mentioned two Disney prototypes for it that were never finished that he kept.

Due to the potential of lawsuits from the highly litigious Disney corporation he didn't bring them with.

[rolenta]

Umm, playstation is one word right?

dead give-away

Actually, Play Station was the correct spelling for the Nintendo/Sony unit. It became PlayStation when Sony worked on it solo.

 

 

I don't know if the owner would want me revealing his name, so I will be intentionally vague, but a few years back at the Classic Gaming Expo I saw the +REAL+ SNES PlayStation prototype, and he let me take a few photos of it with my digital camera.

 

Is this the one you saw?

Edited March 23, 2008 by rolenta

[Seob]

Looking at that "blood"stain it looks like somebody wanted to take it with him but didn't manage .

[Shawn]

Is this the one you saw?

 

Yes that is a real nintendo play station in your pics.

[Mark Wolfe]

if you dig deep enough, you'll find this original article from the original owner of the pics:

 

http://www.game-rave.com/psx/playstation_p...fami/index.html

 

I think it is legit. "playstation" could have been "play station" prior to it actually hitting the market. they probably decided later to make it one word.

 

I think this is the real deal. just one of many prototypes made as nintendo and sony worked out what we all know eventually happened.

[atariwizard]

Looking at that "blood"stain it looks like somebody wanted to take it with him but didn't manage .