In-depth discussions about the creation of our favorite devices is usually clouded in marketing speak and technical jargon, but in a recent conversation at the Computer History Museum, Mark Cerny and Shuhei Yoshida opened up about the development of the PS4 and the history of the PlayStation platform. Yoshida was a member of the PlayStation team from the outset of the project in 1993, before the original PlayStation had even launched. He climbed the ranks of the organization over the past two decades, eventually settling in as President of Sony Computer Entertainment’s Worldwide Studios.
Mark Cerny began his career in game development designing, producing and programming popular titles such as Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, Jak & Daxter and most recently, Knack on the PS4. When Sony decided to take the PS4 in a new direction, Cerny was brought on as the first ever American lead architect for a Sony console.
In the nearly hour and a half conversation, Yoshida manages to lead us through his entire career, from the difficulty of working with Ken Kutaragi, “the Father of the PlayStation,” to the threat of his studio’s demise to the launch and success of the PS4. Cerny also has plenty to say about his own personal history with the company and with Yoshida himself. It’s worth a watch if you have any interest in the PlayStation brand.
