The auction for the Nintendo PlayStation prototype has ended and the final sales total has landed at $360,000. This final total makes the one of a kind item one of the most expensive gaming items offered up at auction to date. The Nintendo PlayStation prototype offers an interesting look into the past where Sony had hoped to get into the video game business by joining forces with Nintendo. Bad practices from both sides led to the deal falling through and the Nintendo PlayStation never came to be. But, that wasn’t before a few prototypes were made.
While all the prototypes were destroyed one survived and was sold in a bankruptcy auction to Terry Diebold. The system would sit in Terry’s attic for a number of years until images of the supposed system began surfacing online. Terry’s son claimed that the system was in his dad’s attic and the rest is history. Terry was able to get the system working again by sending it to Ben Heck for repairs and then spent a number of years touring the world with it at conventions. In February of this year, Terry finally decided it was time to sell the system off through Heritage Auctions.
I am sad to see Terry finally part with the system but he gave millions of us an opportunity to see and touch the system. In 2017 I was able to see the system up close for myself and even play a game of Street Fighter II on it. Being able to see such a unique piece of gaming history up close and personal is something I will always remember. Hopefully whoever ended picking up the system will share Terry’s spirit in sharing its history with the world. I was able to film Terry talking about the history of the console at the GT-X 2017 Retro Gaming Panel if you would like to hear the story for yourself.
