The "Nintendo Play Station" Just Sold at Auction for a Record-Breaking Price

A piece of video game history, the 'Nintendo Play Station,' has just sold at auction for $360,000. [...]

By Tyler Fischer

A piece of video game history, the "Nintendo Play Station," has just sold at auction for $360,000. At this price, the prototype console has set a new record for the most expensive piece of video game memorabilia ever sold. At the moment of publishing, it's unclear who dropped the big pile of cash on the console, but we do know Oculus co-founder Palmer Lucky was seriously bidding on the piece of video game history at one point.

The console was sold through auction house Heritage Auctions as part of a larger series featuring numerous high-end video game collectibles for sale. Previously, the console belonged to Sony Computer Entertainment America president Olaf Olafsson, at least originally. Eventually, the prototype console was purchased at a private auction by Terry Diebold, who stored it in his attic until he and his son rediscovered it. Once word got out the Diebold had the console, offers started to fly in. In fact, Diebold claims that he was offered $1.2 million at one point. Diebold rejected this offer, but eventually brought it to auction, where unfortunately he didn't make nearly as much.

"At one point, this dual-branded prototype's existence was mere myth, and this is the very first time it will ever be offered at public auction," reads the auction's official description of the console. "It is said to be the last remaining prototype of the alleged 200 that were forged from the failed joint-venture between Sony and Nintendo, two of the biggest competitors in the home console video game market. Reportedly, the other prototypes have since been destroyed. We at Heritage can attest the prototype is working, as we've played a couple of rounds of Mortal Kombat on it using a Super Famicom cartridge."

As a piece of video game history, from a time where PlayStation and Nintendo almost teamed up, this console belongs in a museum somewhere. Hopefully one day it makes its way to one.

Anyway, as always, feel free to drop a comment or two with your thoughts or, alternatively, hit me up on Twitter @Tyler_Fischer_ and let me know over there. How much would you pay to own this piece of video game history?

H/T, Kotaku.

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