Sony Completely Rebrands The PlayStation 3

10:20PM August 19, 2009 | Luke Plunkett

This won’t have any real effect on you, the consumer, but it’s still interesting to note that with yesterday’s launch of the PS3 Slim, Sony were doing more than redesigning a plastic shell. They were rebranding the entire console.

One of the countless press releases we received from Sony yesterday gave implicit instructions that we were to cease writing PlayStation 3 as PLAYSTATION 3 (which is how it had previously been officially referred to as), and simply call it the PlayStation 3. Which is what we’ve called it all along anyway, but it shows that Sony may be coming around to the fact nobody appreciates the guy on the internet that USES CAPS ALL THE TIME.

Also different—and more interesting—is the redesign of the console’s logo, which is now the third in the PS3′s short lifespan. When the machine was first released in 2006, it was emblazoned with a logo that said “PLAYSTATION 3″ in what’s best known as the “Spider-Man” font. Looked a bit silly, but that’s what Ken Kutaragi wanted, so that’s what went on the thing.

Earlier this year, however, things changed. Those watching trailers for PS3 games would have noticed a new logo, with the name truncated to the briefer “PS3″ (though this was still in the “Spider-Man” font).

Now? Now you can see it’s changed again to a gentler shape, more reminiscent of Sony’s earlier logos for the PS2 and PSP (though slightly more rounded). Which is funny, since introducing a new logo so quickly after introducing the last new logo was one of the key reasons I thought the original, leaked box shots for the console were fake.

So, as you can see, the Slim isn’t just a smaller, cheaper PS3. It’s a PR reboot of the entire console, from design through to the game boxes and right on through to the advertising. Guess it needed a clean slate, huh?

Comments

Aron Mayo

August 20, 2009 at 12:53 PM

As a designer this makes saddens me (the logo/branding often changing and being inconsistent)…choosing a design and sticking to it is the most important thing in the graphic design industry, Sony should have either stuck with the Spider-man font or used the old PlayStation branding originally in 2006. Changing mid-generation is very unprofessional and it shows weakness in a time when Sony needs to show strength. Changing logos all the time shows that you are not confident in your product, this is fact. Don’t you believe in your product Sony? It is possible to change attitudes without changing branding…I’m sure Sony has explored all the options and has concluded that it’s the best move but I personally think it’s a very bad move.

Aron Mayo

August 20, 2009 at 12:55 PM

damn…disregard the “makes” in the first sentence hahaha.

Cat Tactics

August 20, 2009 at 1:07 PM

the spiderman font was horrible.

it’s why I didnt buy a PS3.

i kid.

Jay

August 20, 2009 at 6:44 PM

May aswell be PS4.

They’re just screwing around with everything. Maybe they realized everything they have done thus far, wasn’t the correct route. Yet they’re still in the shit with no b/c, the PSPgo still lacking a second analogue, tight-lipped on playing UMD games on the PSPgo which means bad news for UMD owners. New logo thats so crap.

Oh boy…

Goraxium

August 20, 2009 at 10:17 PM

I preferred the Spiderman font myself…

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