
The PlayStation officially abbreviated PS) is a series of video game consoles created and developed by Sony Computer Entertainment with consoles in the fifth to eighth generations. The brand was first introduced on December 3, 1994 in Japan with the launch of the original PlayStation console. It now consists of a total of three core home consoles, as well as a media center, an online service, a line of controllers, two handhelds and a phone, as well as multiple magazines.
The first console in the series, the PlayStation, was the first video game console to ship 100 million units, 9 years and 6 months after its initial launch. Its successor, the PlayStation 2, was released in 2000. The PlayStation 2 is the best-selling home console to date, having reached over 150 million units sold as of January 31, 2011. Sony's latest console, the PlayStation 3, was released in 2006 has sold over 78 million consoles worldwide.
The PlayStation Network is an online service with over 69 million users worldwide (January 25, 2011). It comprises an online virtual market, the PlayStation Store, which allows the purchase and download of games and various forms of multimedia, a subscription-based online service known as PlayStation Plus and a social gaming networking service called PlayStation Home, which has over 14 million users worldwide. PlayStation Suite is an upcoming software framework that is aimed to provide PlayStation content cross-platform and cross-devices; currently only Android and the PlayStation Vita devices are supported.
PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is an upcoming video game console from Sony Computer Entertainment announced at a press conference on February 20, 2013. In the meeting, Sony revealed some hardware specifications of the new console. Among the new applications and services, Sony will introduce the PlayStation App, allowing PS4 owners to turn Smartphones and tablets into a second screen to enhance gameplay. The company also plans to debut Gaikai, a cloud-based gaming service that hosts downloadable content and games. By incorporating a share button on the new controller and making it possible to view in-game content being streamed live from friends, Sony plans to place more focus on social gameplay as well
PlayStation and Watching TV
A new app called the “Live Events Viewer” has been released for the Sony PlayStation. The first event PS3 owners can view is WWE SummerSlam on Sundays. Viewers will have to pay for the PPV separately, but this is the first time you can view a WWE PPV via your PS3. Sony promises other non-PPV events will be offered for free. Other content you can look forward to via this new app are concerts, races and a whole lot more. There is no subscription fee required to use the app, you just have to pay for PPV events.