In a new episode of the My Perfect Console podcast, host Simon Parkin conducted a lengthy interview with Mark Cerny, the architect of PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Cerny revealed details about the creation of the PS4 and explained why this console became one of the most successful in Sony's history.
After the difficult start of the PlayStation 3, whose architecture was extremely inconvenient for developers, Sony found itself in a difficult position. Most multiplatform games ran better on the Xbox 360, and third-party studios complained about the difficulty of porting. Internal teams Naughty Dog and Santa Monica Studio eventually squeezed the most out of the PS3, but this did not save the platform's reputation.
It was then that Mark Cerny, who initially came to Japan only to study the hardware of the PS3 and help internal American teams, was suddenly offered to become the chief architect of the next console.
We needed someone who speaks Japanese, understands games, understands software, and understands hardware. When I drew a Venn diagram with these four circles, I was the only one in the center.
Unlike all previous PlayStation consoles, which were developed in strict secrecy, Cerny took a completely different approach: he personally spoke with more than 150 developers from different studios and asked what they really wanted from the new device.
Previously, hardware was always made in secret - they were afraid that people would stop buying the current console if they found out about the next one. I decided to act differently.
When the host asked Cerny if anyone in Sony's leadership tried to challenge his overly open approach, he replied with a smile that he would gladly tell some stories about his work in the company after he retires.