It was December 3, 1994 when players in Japan were able to go to stores to get a unit of PlayStationthe first desktop console that Sony launched on the market. 30 years later, the success of the Japanese company in the field of video games has been absolute and the figures only confirm it.
102,000,000 units were sold until its total discontinuation in 2006, so it became a very common sight to go to a friend's house to enjoy titles like Metal Gear Solid, Gran Turismo or Final Fantasy VII. He jump to 3D graphics Real-time rendering was outstanding thanks to a powerful 32-bit R300 CPU and a CD-ROM format that surpassed the traditional cartridge.
16,700,000 true colors and 360,000 polygons per second was capable of displaying a console that, regardless of the video game we put in its guts, always welcomed us with two absolutely iconic screens. Below you can see them in all their splendor:
Although both have remained impregnated in the memory, that of the PlayStation logo is especially notable, since the logo itself was modeled in 3D although we did not realize it. And beyond the visual impact, there is no doubt that the sound emitted was completely linked to childhood and adolescence of many. So much so that it is inevitable to take a look at it and not instantly remember the notes that sounded with each power-up of the console.
The genius behind the tune was Takafumi Fujisawa, the system's sound designer, who wakefulness which gave shape to the melody when the prototype was ready in the spring of 1994, just a few months before the official launch of PS1. Since the variety of televisions spread all over the planet is absolutely insane, the person in charge had to take into account that it had to be played with any type of speaker.
“I already knew the polyphony and ADPCM requirements, so I tried to make the most of them. The only limitation I experienced was the size of the ROM, so I kept the design as compact as possible,” explained Fujisawa, who did not have to practically review the work he had done. At the first change, Sony gave the initial demo the go-ahead that he had created, although we never experienced the alternative that he had stored in a drawer.
Fujisawa had recorded himself whispering “PlayStation,” but that idea was eventually scrapped. “I started with an orchestra-like sound and added an ethnic-style tone as the sound progressed. I structured the sound so that the listener started off feeling stable and then somewhat out of place, creating a strong impression as we transitioned from harmonious standard tempering to a pure and original intonation,” said Fujisawa.
The fact of giving the screen sound was not a purely aesthetic issue, for the simple fact of adding more content and not making it seem empty. Fujisawa had a very big responsibilitysince its sound was the prelude to a revolutionary experience, a total paradigm shift in video games. The senses had to react positively to the curtain that separated us from the authentic function that was the titles of the largest developers in the world.
“I expressed the excitement of the game that starts after this sound, starting the music softly so as not to scare the user when turning on the console, and continuing with an original and welcoming sound quality.
My goal was to lead the user from a feeling of security when turning on the console to the excitement that comes afterwards, using a C major dominant movement that shows the intention to stay in the mainstream. Rich strings enter, and the last part features bright tones and perfect fourth chords.”
It's not that it took Fujisawa too much to shape the notes, since they only last a few seconds. In two weeks I had the necessary instruments and the work in the studio was finished in a couple of days. “From the beginning, I wanted the sound image to be exciting, like the feeling of entering a cinema. I wanted to communicate and reinforce that something fun was about to start“, he pointed out with all the success in the world.
Fujisawa's production gave such good results that Sony did not forget about it, far from it. The same sensation was achieved with PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 and, indeed, thanks to the fact that the Japanese musician was once at the controls of that discipline. No one who has had any of the three consoles in their home can forget what it sounded like every time they pressed the button to start them, which shows that we are facing an everlasting work of art.
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