video game: Sony PlayStation Final Fantasy VII

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.