In a fascinating interview with MinnMax, former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida delved into his storied career at Sony, which began in February 1993 when he joined Ken Kutaragi's team. Known as 'the father of PlayStation,' Kutaragi was at the helm of developing the original PlayStation that eventually graced store shelves. However, Yoshida and other new team members were also introduced to an intriguing piece of gaming history: the Nintendo PlayStation prototype.
Yoshida shared that one of the first things shown to new hires was this working prototype of the Nintendo Sony PlayStation. What's more, he revealed that on his very first day, he had the opportunity to play an "almost finished" game on the system. Describing the game, Yoshida likened it to a space shooter similar to the Sega CD title Silpheed, which notably streamed assets from a CD. While he couldn't recall the developer or the specific location where it was made, the possibility that this game might still exist in Sony's archives offers a tantalizing prospect for gaming enthusiasts.
"I wouldn't be surprised," Yoshida remarked, hinting at the game's potential preservation due to its CD format.
The Nintendo PlayStation remains a coveted rarity among collectors and gaming historians, emblematic of a pivotal "what-if" scenario in the gaming industry. Its allure has been further highlighted by its appearances in auctions and collector circles. The notion of unearthing and experiencing this unreleased space-shooter game from Sony's archives is incredibly appealing, especially given precedents like Nintendo's release of Star Fox 2 years after its initial cancellation. This raises hope that this unique piece of video game history could one day be shared with the world.
