The PlayStation turns 30: Looking back at the console that gave us Lara Croft and ‘The Last of Us’

When Kendrick Lamar began his Super Bowl halftime show earlier this year, he picked a stage design likely familiar to anyone tuning in: a square, triangle, cross and circle.

The Grammy-winning rapper — in front of more than 133 million people — chose to perform on a massive, industrialized grid of flashing lights resembling a giant PlayStation controller.

It was a nice surprise present for Sony’s PlayStation, which this year is celebrating its 30th anniversary in North America and Europe. Lamar’s nod to the console — which Sony had nothing to do with — was another sign of how far the brand has penetrated the culture, in ways big and small.

From big-budget Hollywood fare like “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” starring Angelina Jolie, to Juice WRLD’s video for “Hear Me Calling” to “The Last of Us” on HBO Max, the PlayStation experience has leapt far past the console. Chandler Bing