In the United States, today is the official day of the PlayStation 30th Anniversary. This is when the PS1 launched in the US and helped kick off the next phase of the console wars while also inserting Sony as one of the most dominant game developers and publishers in the world. With the original PlayStation’s impressive graphics, better member space, and other innovations, it sent shockwaves throughout the gaming space, highlighting what the gaming world would become in later years. There are numerous classic titles that were on the PS1, but in a special post by Insider Stealth, he noted the best-selling games on the platform. Can you guess them all?
We’ll start with the top slot. The fact that Gran Turismo was the best-selling PS1 game is honestly a bit shocking. Then again, given how racing games were before the OG PlayStation, perhaps this title was the shakeup that people needed to see what racing games could be like. Previously, they had been very cartoony, or in the case of the SNES and N64, very “party-like” or kart-focused. With this one, though, the goal was to be a more realistic driving game, and people clearly resonated with that, as proven by how its direct sequel is No.3 on the list!
The No.2 game is arguably the least shocking of the lot: Final Fantasy VII. While the Square Enix franchise had seen great success up to this point, including with the previous entry, which many still praise as one of the franchise’s best titles, this is where things took off in a new direction. The use of 3D models, mixed with epic cutscenes, helped make the adventures of Cloud Strife legendary. It also helped that, due to the use of discs instead of cartridges, the team could make an emphatically long adventure that took up two different discs! Between the looks, the story, the characters, and the updated battle system, this game helped make the PlayStation the coolest system around and set the tone for RPGs to come for generations, which is probably why its follow-up is No.4 on the list.
Let’s actually jump to No.6 on this PlayStation 30th Anniversary best-selling list, as it highlights how times have changed dramatically. The fact that a Harry Potter game sold that well proves just how prominent and dominant the franchise was when its films were releasing and how eager many were to get their hands on video games of the series so that they could “feel the magic” themselves.
The whole list is fascinating, and it makes this anniversary even more special.
