Geek out: Original Sony Walkman and PS Vita designed by same person
The original Walkman, released in 1979. Designed by Mr. Takashi Sogabe.
Those of us here at VGW in our 30s remember a magical device called the Sony Walkman. No, not that hybrid cell phone/MP3 player, and not the ones that played the nearly extinct compact discs. We’re talking cassette tapes, a format revered by music lovers and mixtape junkies (Maxell XL-II or GTFO) around the world. The original Sony Walkman made music portable for the masses and revolutionized the music industry. As it turns out, the man who designed it is also responsible for designing another sexy piece of hardware that makes console-quality gaming portable: The Playstation Vita.
His name is Mr. Takashi Sogabe, and he showed up at the Japanese Vita launch guarding a bag full of Vita prototypes (one of them had touch pads in place of dual sticks; glad that decision didn’t stick!) and nearly 30 years of hardware design experience at Sony.
The company has a history of shaking up the industry; look no further than the Playstation One or the original Walkman as proof of that. And while Nintendo can claim responsibility for influencing the portable gaming arena, there has always been something appealing about Sony’s hardware design. As it turns out, Mr. Sogabe has been a driving force in that appeal since 1979.
Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to go dig up that sweet auto-reverse model sitting in the attic, watch some VHS tapes of MTV, and play with our Rubik’s cube.
The Playstation Vita launches in the US on February 22, 2012.
