The PlayStation, a fifth-generation home video game console developed by Sony Computer Entertainment, launched in Japan on 3 December 1994 and arrived in North America and Europe in September 1995, competing directly with the Nintendo 64 and Sega Saturn. Its origins trace back to a failed 1988 joint venture with Nintendo to create a CD-ROM add-on for the SNES, a project ultimately spearheaded by Ken Kutaragi, known as "the Father of the PlayStation," who placed a strong emphasis on 3D polygon graphics. The console achieved massive popularity thanks to its low retail price, aggressive youth marketing, and an extensive library of acclaimed titles such as Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Gran Turismo, and Resident Evil. It became the first computer entertainment platform to ship over 100 million units, selling more than 962 million games across over 4,000 titles, and its adoption of compact discs drove the industry's permanent shift away from cartridges. Sony ceased production on 23 March 2006, shortly after the PlayStation 3 debuted, but its success spawned a lasting legacy of successors beginning with the PlayStation 2 in 2000 and the smaller PS one model.