PlayStation (brand)

"PlayStation" redirects here. For the console, see PlayStation (console).

Credits

Compiled by
Limmey

Background

PlayStation (プレイステーション) is a popular video game brand owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. The PlayStation brand encompasses a variety of gaming devices, including home consoles, handhelds, and even a smartphone. Additionally, Sony offers online gaming services and publishes gaming magazines associated with the PlayStation brand.

1st Tag (1994-2008)

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Visuals: Over a black background, the PlayStation logo assembles itself: first the middle portion of the S, then its right and left portions respectively, and finally the P.

Japanese Variants:

• On commercials for the original PlayStation from 1994 to 2000, the PlayStation wordmark appears below the logo when the animation is finished.
• On commercials for the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 and their software (mainly first-party games, but also some third-party game commercials), there is sometimes a tagline above the animation, especially during the original PlayStation era. The tagline changes from time to time:
  • 1994-1996: "全てのゲームは、ここに集まる。" ("All the games gather here.")
  • January 1996: "今年もよろしく。" ("Good luck this year too."; seen on a commercial for Street Fighter Zero)
  • 1996: "サービス満点" ("Perfect service"; seen on some commercials if the tagline doesn't appear before the tag itself)
  • January 1997: "今年もおねゲーします。" ("I'll play a game this year too."; seen on a commercial for I.Q.: Intelligent Qube)
  • 1997: "よい子と よいおとなの。" ("Good children and good adults.")
  • Late 1997-1998: "ごほうびに" ["び" is elongated to look like a smile] ("For a reward"; seen on some commercials if the tagline doesn't appear before the tag itself)
  • December 1997-1998: "暮らし イキ! イキ!" ("Living life! life!"; seen on some commercials if the tagline doesn't appear before the tag itself)
  • May 1998-1999: "ゲームひとすじ。" ("All about games.")
  • January 1999: "ことしも、すゲー。("This year, it's amazing.") ["すゲー" is a blend of "すげえ" (amazing) and "ゲーム" (game)]
  • Late 1999-Early 2000: "ゲーム、ゲーム、ゲーム。" ("Games, games, games.")
  • Mid to late 2000: "あそぼー。" ("Let's play."; seen on some commercials if the tagline doesn't appear before the tag itself)
  • Early 2001 (PS2): "キタ! キタ! キタ! キタ!" ("It's here! It's here! It's here! It's here!")
  • Late 2001-Early 2002: "みんなうれしい" ("Everyone is happy")
  • Summer 2002: "サービス、色! いろ!" ("Service, color! Color!")
  • Early 2003: "イメチェン?" ("Image change?" / "Makeover?"; seen on one commercial as the tagline doesn't appear before the tag itself)
  • July 2003: "一人でヨン! つないでヨン!"
  • November-December 2003: "おまちどー。" ("How about you?")
  • February 2004: "わかりやすいの、デルヨ。" ("It's easy to understand, it's coming out."; seen on the commercial for EyeToy: Play)
  • August 2004: "こどもと、もっと" ("More with children"; seen on a commercial for both Taiko no Tatsujin: Atsumare! Matsuri da!! Yondaime and Saru EyeToy [aka EyeToy: Monkey Mania])
• Starting June 2005 on commercials for first-party games, the text "Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc." appears below the animation.

International Variants:

• At the end of Korean PS2 commercials, the text "소니 컴퓨터 엔터테인먼트 코리아" (Sony Computer Entertainment Korea) appears at the bottom right of the screen.
• Some Korean commercials may also have a tagline above the animation, much like in Japan:
  • July 2003: "아~ 갖고싶다!" ("Ah, I want it!"; seen on a commercial for SOCOM U.S. NAVY SEALs)
  • 2004: "가족에서 친구로" ("From family to friends"; seen on commercials for the redesigned PS2 Slim. This one has two variants: one where the tagline is in a standard font, and another where it's in a handwritten font).

Technique: Computer animation.

Audio: Metallic crashing noises when the logo is assembled, along with a group of voices saying the console name.

Audio Variants:

• On early Japanese commercials, the metallic noises are intact, but are instead heard alongside the end of the commercial's music.
• On Korean PS2 launch commercials, only the end of the commercial's audio is seen, often someone saying "PlayStation 2".

Availability: Seen on commercials for this console during this period at the very end. The tagline variants were only used in Japan.

2nd Tag (1994-2009)

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Visuals: Just the PlayStation logo fading in on a black background.

Japanese Variants:

• On PlayStation commercials from 1994 to 2000, the "PlayStation" wordmark is included below the logo. It made a surprise reappearance on the commercial for iMode mo Issho.
• On Asian commercials for PlayStation 2 games (from its launch in 2000 to 2008), the PlayStation 2 logo and wordmark fade in instead.
  • Starting November 2004 (and the release of the redesigned PS2 Slim), the PlayStation 2 wordmark is now white.
• On commercials for the PlayStation's Japan-only PocketStation peripheral, the PlayStation logo is replaced with a PocketStation, and under it is the text "ポケる?"
• A PS one version was used in late 2001. The PlayStation logo and wordmark are replaced with a PS one with LCD screen (with the screen closed) and the PS one wordmark. When the sound plays, the LCD screen open.
• On many commercials for third-party PlayStation games, the logo in enclosed in a black box on a white background. At the bottom of the screen, the text "Software for PlayStation" is already there.
• The commercial for LSD: Dream Emulator has the "Software for PlayStation" text in a different font.
• The commercial for Densha de GO! 2 has a disclaimer stating the PlayStation logo and PlayStation name are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment just above the "Software for PlayStation" text.
• On commercials for third-party PlayStation 2 games, the PS2 variant is on a white background, and the text "Software for PlayStation 2" is once again at the bottom of the screen.
  • The commercial for Like Life an Hour lacks the "Software for PlayStation 2" text.
  • Starting November 2004 on most commercials, the PS2 wordmark is now black.
• On a 2003 commercial promoting new Spring colors (Sakura, Aqua and Silver) for the PlayStation 2 system, the PS2 variant plays as normal, but three more times, except the background switches to pink, light blue and silver.
• From December 2007 to December 2008, the logo is now glossy, with a glossy black outline, reflecting the PlayStation 3.
  • Third-party game commercials have text at the bottom of the screen, reading "Software for PS2".
• From December 2008 to September 2009, the PlayStation logo is now completely white. Used in tandem with the 2007 variant.
  • Once again, third-party game commercials have text at the bottom of the screen, reading "Software for PS2".

International Variants:

• On Korean PS2 commercials, the Japanese PS2 variant has the text 플레이스테이션 2 ("PlayStation 2") fade in alongside.

Technique: A still digital graphic.

Audio: A small snippet of the previous tag's voice-over (specifically the "tion") slowed down and slightly distorted (sounding like a distorted, synthesized kick drum as used in many hardcore techno songs), with two simultaneous beeping noises (in two frequencies: 701.6Hz sine tone that fades away, and a brief 250Hz band-passed square wave tone) overlaid on top of it.

Availability: Seen on commercials for both the original PlayStation and the PlayStation 2 during this period at the very beginning. This does not appear at the beginning of commercials of PS2 games made for the EyeToy (though the 1st tag does appear at the end of those).

• • The Japanese third-party original PlayStation variant was used on a commercial from as early as 1996, but not commonly used until 1998, and was last used in 2003. Most other third-party game commercials prior to 1998 didn't have the tag at the beginning, while some had the regular PlayStation variant.

External Links

• PlayStation on Wikipedia