- In the early 1990s, Nintendo partnered with Sony to develop a new CD-ROM console and attachment for the Super Nintendo system, resulting in a prototype fans call the Nintendo PlayStation.
- Sony's deal with Nintendo fell through, ultimately leading to the birth of Sony's massive PlayStation brand.
- The only remaining Nintendo PlayStation prototype that's been found intact is about to go up for auction. The prototype is still capable of playing Super Nintendo cartridges, but no CD-ROM games were ever produced.
- The owner, Terry Diebold, told Kotaku he previously turned down an $1.2 million offer. Bidding on the Nintendo PlayStation prototype begins on February 14 and the auction will open from March 5 to March 7.
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A doomed partnership between two of the biggest companies in the video game business gave birth to one of the most bizarre devices in gaming history - a rare console fans call the Nintendo PlayStation. After more than 25 years there's only one known prototype of the Nintendo PlayStation left, and its about to go up for auction.
In the early 1990s, Nintendo partnered with Sony to develop a new CD-ROM peripheral for the wildly popular Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
The SNES CD-ROM adapter, called the PlayStation, would stack on top of existing SNES consoles, and Sony planned to release a standalone version of the console as well. However, the relationship soured when Nintendo entered into a separate partnership with electronics giant Philips, Sony's leading European competitor, in 1991.
Sony ultimately decided to ditch Nintendo and launch the PlayStation on its own - a decision that would completely change the course of the video game industry.
While the final product never hit store shelves, Sony reportedly manufactured about 200 Nintendo PlayStation prototypes. However, the prototype available for auction is the only known Nintendo PlayStation that's still intact, and the owner told the video game outlet Kotaku that he's already been offered as much as $1.2 million for this one-of-a-kind artifact.
