It might be hard to believe it now, but there was a time when Sony was something of a laughing stock in the video gaming world.
The Japanese tech giant – famed for its Walkman personal stereo – had harbored aspirations of becoming a major player in the world of interactive entertainment ever since the ’80s, gleefully supporting Microsoft’s MSX computer platform in the hope that it would allow the firm to make some headway into the gaming sector. However, that venture was largely fruitless and Sony next attempted to join forces with Dutch rival Philips, a venture which would result in the CD-i – a multimedia product which also tanked at retail.
Around the time it was working with Philips, Sony also attempted to muscle its way into software publishing via its Sony Imagesoft brand. Leveraging its ownership of Hollywood studios Columbia and TriStar, Sony released several risible movie tie-ins such as Dracula, Hook and Cliffhanger. These lackluster efforts resulted in the publisher becoming infamous for poor-quality products.
It’s likely that Sony would have remained a second-tier also-ran in the industry were it not for other events happening deep within its electronic development divisions at approximately the same time.
Unlikely allies
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Source:: techradar.com – Gaming
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