Sony is a very well known company for manufacturing a variety of electronic products on a multinational level. Such products would include digital cameras, headphones, televisions, stereos, and even smartphones. However, when Sony is mentioned most people would associate the company with their most popular and successful product yet; the PlayStation. This console is known worldwide as one of the leading advances in gaming alongside Nintendo/PC’s/Xbox, but what people don’t often know is who and what inspired that iconic logo every person looks for online, in Walmart or popular gaming stores, GameStop. How was the PlayStation logo developed? What were other possible logos considered that could have reshaped our view of the popular console franchise?
Manabu Sakamoto is a Japanese graphic artist credited as the creator of the playstation logo as of 1994 that is so commonly recognized today. Not only did he work on their logo but also made a costume typeface resembling the PS logo that Sony continues to use today. It wouldn’t be the last time Sakamoto’s work has been seen by Sony since he created another logo two years later known as VAIO for consumer electronics. This shows very clearly how much the company loved the logo Sakamoto made for the Playstation and had no problem hiring him again for another project.
The PS logo may look simple to some or one may think that it couldn’t be that hard to make but on the contrary, Sakamoto went through a variety of concepts that he spent months on to create before he could finalize its modern counterpart. Not to mention the fact that the original colorway may seem inconsistent or random but to our surprise it had its own meaning alongside the letters. That significance being joy, passion, and excellence: which is left to the logo’s admirer to decide which color applies to what part since it was never specified by either Sony or Sakamoto. While the logo itself has gone through many tweaks and changes that most people are more likely to recognize today, Sony has kept Manabu Sakamoto’s original concept and vision in contact making him a part of Sony’s history forever.
Manabu Sakamoto played a big part of what is known as Playstation today and he should receive the recognition which is deserved. The making of such an iconic logo is an important part of creating a great name for yourself and it’s something all artist designers should strive for. However, as I mentioned before, it took Sakamoto many attempts to achieve his client’s ideal logo that would be used for the rest of the company’s history. Therefore, always stay on the lookout for designs that catch your eye and remember to collaborate and learn from other designers to make the most out of your own creations. One of today’s most recognizable logos was made by Sakamoto through trial and error and that alone should set an example for the other designers as to what it takes.
My Bibliography:
– Sarmiento, S., 2022. The PlayStation Logo History and Evolution | BrandCrowd blog. [online] Brandcrowd.com. Available at: <https://www.brandcrowd.com/blog/the-playstation-logo-history-and-evolution/>
– Typeroom.eu. 2022. PlayStation turns 25: the good, the bad and the glorious logos revealed – TypeRoom. [online] Available at: <https://www.typeroom.eu/playstation-turns-25-the-good,-the-bad-and-the-glorious-logos-revealed>
-Dopico, A., 2022. Who designed the PlayStation logo? – JanetPanic.com. [online] Janetpanic.com. Available at: <https://janetpanic.com/who-designed-the-playstation-logo/>
