Sony marks 30th anniversary of console

Japanese electronics giant Sony is set to celebrate 30 years since it launched the PlayStation console, the little grey box that catapulted the firm into the gaming big league.

- 

PlayStation was Sony's first foray into the world of video games and when it hit the shelves in Japan on 3 December 1994, the company needed to sell one million units to cover its costs.

In the end, the gadget became a legend, selling more than 102 million units, helping to launch many of the industry's best-loved franchises and positioning Sony as a heavyweight in a hugely lucrative sector.

"PlayStation changed the history of video games," said Hiroyuki Maeda, a Japanese specialist in video game history.

"It truly transformed everything: hardware, software, distribution and marketing."