Evolution of Sony Interactive Entertainment
Sony didn’t initially make games. They were known as Sony Computer Entertainment. They rebranded themselves as Sony Interactive Entertainment in 1993. Sony developed their first console in 1994, calling it the PlayStation. Consoles weren’t as capable as they are today. Sony then released their next console, PlayStation 2, in March of 2000, and it is considered an evolutionary achievement. Not only did the PlayStation 2 perform better overall, but it could also play the original PlayStation games.
Sony then released the Playstation 3 in November of 2006. This console was the first of the series to incorporate social gaming services and could even be played on Sony’s lesser-known handheld consoles, the PSP released in 2005 and the PS Vita released in 2011. Sony released their next console, the PlayStation 4, in November 2013. The Playstation 4 was an evolution of the PlayStation 3, but it was also affordable compared to its competition. Sony then adventured into the virtual world, creating the PlayStation VR in October 2016. The PlayStation VR depended on the PlayStation 4 to function; the VR couldn’t be played without it. Sony’s most recent console is the PlayStation 5, released in November 2020. The PlayStation 5 could load games with lightning-fast speed and introduced haptic feedback triggers on its controller.
Demand of Change
Today, Sony wants to continue to make people engage by creating an in-person experience that consumers can connect with. Sony developed a department within its company called UX Design, and they are in charge of creating products that will create emotional experiences for gamers.
https://www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/humancentereddesign/
Research: New Approach
Sony focuses on creating a process to understand what the community wants. The Human-Centered Design department was created to help with this concern. Human-Centered Design worked alongside the UX Design Department to conduct research, surveys, and interviews with gamers before and after using their products. This research analyzed how gamers’ emotions and behaviors during gaming sessions.
“I want to listen to our customers and work with them to create and nurture products and services” — Ryoko Shimokawa, UX Design Department Owner.
Brainstorm
Both the human-centered design and UX design departments displayed a level of experience and were certified experts within Sony. Both departments developed an internal portal site that allowed staff at Sony to view feedback, documentation, and tests given during research.
The Dungeon
Sony had a new take on gaming as a whole. Sony wishes to stay at the forefront of the gaming industry, which is why Sony developed the Tokyo Matrix. The Tokyo Matrix aims to immerse players into a realistic and interactive anime world without using Virtual Reality. The Tokyo Matrix provides a different and engaging experience, having players work together using their bodies and brains to progress.
Implement and Improve
Sony has come across many challenges during the Tokyo Matrix’s creation. Developers at Sony wanted to get experience using the Tokyo Matrix to ensure that the system would tolerate large parties. Developers questioned the difficulty level the Tokyo Matrix could provide and wanted to know if the system could give accurate information to the player. The Tokyo Matrix has improved with the use of speech synthesis and technology. This new development allows the character’s voices and the player to make active changes while in the game.
This creation proves that Sony can evolve and implement ideas into new products. Sony will continue developing relationships with gamers to learn what the community demands. As a PlayStation consumer, I’ve had the opportunity to partake in most of their products over the years, and I see what innovations they’ve made to improve customer satisfaction. I can only assume that the Tokyo Matrix will also take strides to be innovative.
