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NEW YORK<\/strong> \u2013 When Kendrick Lamar began his Super Bowl halftime show<\/a> earlier this year, he picked a stage design likely familiar to anyone tuning in: a square, triangle, cross and circle.<\/p>\n The Grammy-winning rapper \u2014 in front of more than 133 million people<\/a> \u2014 chose to perform on a massive, industrialized grid of flashing lights resembling a giant PlayStation controller.<\/a><\/p>\n It was a nice surprise present for Sony’s PlayStation, which this year is celebrating its 30th anniversary in North America and Europe. Lamar’s nod to the console \u2014 which Sony had nothing to do with \u2014 was another sign of how far the brand has penetrated the culture, in ways big and small.<\/p>\n From big-budget Hollywood fare like \u201cLara Croft: Tomb Raider\u201d<\/a> starring Angelina Jolie, to Juice WRLD’s video for \u201cHear Me Calling\u201d<\/a> to \u201cThe Last of Us\u201d<\/a> on HBO Max, the PlayStation experience has leapt far past the console. Chandler Bing on \u201cFriends\u201d<\/a> played a PlayStation 1 and the title character fired at PlayStation zombies in the cult movie \u201cShaun of the Dead.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe made gaming cool. When we came out we were a little edgy, we were a different, but it was really about being disruptive,\u201d says Eric Lempel, senior vice president for marketing, sales and business operations at Sony Interactive Entertainment. \u201cWe feel we are a premier entertainment brand, not just a gaming brand.\u201d<\/p>\n From bedroom to living room<\/p>\n Part of the enduring popularity of the PlayStation has been its ability to evolve with the technology, starting in 1995 by picking CD-ROMs that opened the door to 3D gaming. At the time, clunky cartridges were king. <\/p>\n The PlayStation \u2014 sparked by a failed partnership between Nintendo and Sony \u2014 entered a marketplace dominated by Sega and Nintendo. Sony wanted to bring the arcade experience home and a crucial decision was to consult with game developers first, before building their system.<\/p>\n \u201cSony realized they needed developers in place from the get-go before they even started designing it,\u201d says Anthony Caulfield, who with his wife, Nicola, run Gracious Films and made the independent documentary \u201cThe PlayStation Revolution.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cHardware manufacturers up to that point basically didn\u2019t care what the developers wanted. They just made what they thought was the best piece of hardware,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Some critical steps helped right from the launch. Sony had a number of games ready to go, a development pipeline in place and a killer retail price \u2014 $299 \u2014 that was less expensive than the rival Sega Saturn.<\/p>\n Sony also picked its market carefully, Caulfield says. With Sega and Nintendo largely targeting children, Sony aimed the PlayStation at teens and young adults \u2014 catnip for their younger brothers and sisters.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you grew up loving Nintendo games, the PlayStation was like a really good next step,\u201d says Tyler Treese, the editor-in-chief of PlayStation LifeStyle,<\/a> an online forum and news site for fans.<\/p>\n When the console first arrived, it was a sensation, going on to sell more than 100 million units globally. \u201cIt\u2019s when games grew up,\u201d says Caulfield. \u201cIt\u2019s where the gaming went from the bedroom to the living room.\u201d<\/p>\n Making the hardware slap<\/p>\n Sony kept up with the technology, packing a DVD into the PlayStation 2 so that buyers had another reason to buy the system. The PlayStation 2 remains the best selling console of all time, with some 160 million units sold.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was one of the best-priced DVD players that also happened to be the best gaming system at the time,\u201d says Lempel. \u201cI know so many people who said, \u2018That was my DVD player. That\u2019s how I started in DVD.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Sony hit a wobble with the PS3, which used a Blu-ray deck. \u201cIt made the thing so expensive and it kind of broke that original PlayStation feeling of availability and great value for money,\u201d Caulfield says. The 2011 PlayStation network hack<\/a> that shut down the network for 24 days didn’t help. \u201cIf they got the PS4 wrong it could have been the end.\u201d<\/p>\n But the PlayStation 4 in 2013 stabilized the console, offering immersive online multiplayer options, streaming services and a library of exclusive games. Sony kept going with in-app purchases, 4K resolution and a controller that has haptic feedback and adaptive triggers in the current PlayStation 5.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery console has to have a purpose, it has to have a reason to exist, and when we find that we have the right amount of new technology that can enable developers to do great things, we push forward,\u201d says Lempel.<\/p>\n From the living room to Hollywood<\/p>\n The list of movies and TV shows that have had their origin on the PlayStation is long. It includes: \u201cUncharted\u201d starring Tom Holland on the big screen, \u201cThe Last of Us\u201d with Pedro Pascal on HBO, \u201cTwisted Metal\u201d on Peacock and \u201cGran Turismo\u201d with Orlando Bloom from Columbia Pictures. <\/p>\n More are on the way, including a live-action \u201cHorizon Zero Dawn\u201d movie that’s eying a 2027 release, an upcoming movie version of \u201cGhost of Tsushima\u201d directed by Chad Stahelski, and Amazon\u2019s \u201cGod of War\u201d TV series.<\/p>\n Treese says PlayStation games often make the leap to TVs and theater screens because they’re realistic, use motion capture and employ talented actors.<\/p>\n \u201cThey do really lend themselves to movies because they definitely led that charge of making more cinematic video game experiences,\u201d he says. It also doesn’t help that Sony Pictures is nearby.<\/p>\n Lempel says PlayStation franchises are finding new audiences in other media because, at base, they’re good entertainment. \u201cWe have great stories, we\u2019ve got great IP, and it transcends the category.\u201d<\/p>\n