Video game:Sony PlayStation 3 Midnight Club: Los Angeles

Sony scored an incredible success with the PlayStation home video game console. Released in the United States in 1995, the PlayStation quickly became the must-have system, and by 1999 the console sat alongside televisions in more than a third of all American homes. Born of an abandoned joint project with Nintendo, Sony's PlayStation appealed to a broader gaming audience. Standardizing the disc format allowed for greater quantity and quality of game content. By creating a conducive market environment, Sony attracted numerous third-party developers who produced scores of outstanding games. The PlayStation's production run lasted 11 years, sold over 100 million units worldwide, and over 1,000 titles.

The PlayStation's successor, the PlayStation 2, was released in 2000 and is currently the best-selling video game console of all time. The most recent incarnation is the Sony PlayStation 3, a seventh generation console released in 2006. The PS3 distinguishes itself from its predecessors with its online gaming service, the PlayStation Network, and its ability to play high definition Blu-ray Discs as well as standard DVDs. The PS3 initially received mediocre reviews based on its extremely high selling price of $499 and lackluster launch games, but the triumph of Blue-ray over HD DVD and an improved gaming line-up quickly boosted sales. By October 2009, over 27 million units were sold.