Manabu Sakamoto, born March 9, 1968, is a Japanese graphic designer and visual communication expert who graduated from Tsukuba University's Special Arts Group with a major in Visual Transmission Design. He joined Sony in the early 1990s, working in the Creative Development Department at Sony Creative Center as a senior producer until 2011. There, he contributed to branding for products like VAIO and became renowned for conceptualizing the iconic PlayStation logo in 1994, ahead of the console's Japanese launch on December 3 that year.
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The original PlayStation logomark features interlocking "P" and "S" letters in a dynamic, perspective-distorted form, evoking a 3D shadow illusion to symbolize the era's shift to immersive 3D gaming. Sakamoto developed about 20 prototypes, blending 70% concept ideation (inspired by keywords like "inspiration" and "logic" with 30% refined design. Colors, red for passion, yellow for happiness, green for excellence, and blue for patience, added emotional depth, targeting a youthful, diverse audience.

This simple yet bold emblem, with its custom clean typeface, has endured across generations, evolving subtly (e.g., desaturated for PS5) while retaining core unity. Sakamoto's work not only defined PlayStation's identity but also influenced Sony's global branding success, turning a gaming console into a cultural powerhouse.

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