This December marks 30 years since the Japanese launch of the original PlayStation, and Sony has now revealed how it plans to celebrate the brand’s big three-oh – with the likes of digital soundtracks, PlayStation-themed toys, and more on the way.
Sony’s celebrations begin later this month, with a free online multiplayer event and esports tournament running from 21st-22nd September. For the duration, it’ll be possible to play online multiplayer in any PS4 or PS5 game without having a PlayStation Plus subscription.
The concurrent PS5 esports tournament, meanwhile, will feature challenges for the likes of EA UFC 5, Tekken 8, and Guilty Gear Strive, with specific details set to be published via the PlayStation Competition Centre at a later date. A special 30th anniversary avatar and other game-specific prizes will be up for grabs, and interested players can sign up to compete via the PS5’s Game Hub or the in-game PlayStation Tournaments button.
Next on Sony’s anniversary schedule are those digital soundtracks, with one new soundtrack set to be released each month between this October and January next year. God of War, God of War 2, God of War: Ghost of Sparta, Twisted Metal, Starhawk, and Unit 13 are all on the list, and they’ll be available to stream on Spotify or purchasable from digital storefronts including Amazon and Apple Music. Additionally, a curated PlayStation 30th anniversary playlist can be accessed on Spotify from today.
Which brings us to Shapes of Play, a new range of PlayStation-themed amusements created by the team that designed Sony’s consoles. Shapes of Play: Battle is a board game in which two players attempt to line up four different shapes of the same colour to win, while Shapes of Play: Create is a set of colourful magnetic building blocks. Finally, there’s Shapes of Play: Recharge – which appears to be a range of stress balls – and all three will launch this December via PlayStation Direct.
And finally for now, there’s My First Gran Turismo – a free trial designed to attract “players of all skill levels” to Gran Turismo 7. This promises to include cars, tracks, and race events intended to “evoke the nostalgia and excitement of the very first GT experience”. It’s due to launch for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 some time “this holiday”.