It's no secret that the gaming industry has skyrocketed in popularity since the 1983 video game crash, to the point where it is now one of the biggest forms of entertainment in the world. Because of this surge in prominence, many of gaming's most iconic characters, franchises, consoles, and, of course, logos are now recognized by millions of people across the globe.
Sony's PlayStation consoles deserve a chunk of the credit for gaming's popularity today, particularly for the ingenious decision from Sony to have their PlayStation 2 console double up as a cost-effective DVD player, which helped make video game consoles a common household item. Throughout the years, PlayStation owners have been treated to some of the industry's best games and consoles, and seeing their iconic logos will often bring great memories.
7 PlayStation 1 Startup Logo
The PlayStation 1's startup logo is a source of nostalgia for many gamers. The console was first released in Japan in 1994 before releasing worldwide the following year. There initially wasn't much hope for the console, as Nintendo was a dominant force in the industry and Sega was releasing their fourth major home console around the same time.
However, Sony's PlayStation 1 managed to carve its own space in the gaming industry by initially marketing itself toward adults and mature gamers. This caught peoples' attention, and PlayStation was soon able to expand into the children's market with their mascot characters, Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon.
6 Naughty Dog Logo
Naughty Dog has been one of Sony's most valuable assets since the PlayStation 1's release, as the company has given PlayStation consoles some of their most critically acclaimed and commercially successful IPs, such as Uncharted, The Last of Us, and the aforementioned Crash Bandicoot.
Naughty Dog wasn't always a Sony company, as their first game Math Jam - which was developed under their former name JAM Software - was released on the Apple II in 1985. Naughty Dog would then develop games for a variety of systems, such as the Sega Genesis, Amiga, and Atari ST, before eventually releasing their first PlayStation game in 1996, Crash Bandicoot.
5 Mortal Kombat Logo
Mortal Kombat's logo of an aggressive-looking elder god dragon surrounded by burning flames gives players a pretty good insight into what kind of franchise Mortal Kombat is. The series began in 1992 in arcades and immediately drew criticism from those who were shocked by the game's graphic violence, particularly due to the game's notoriously gruesome Fatality finishing moves.
The Mortal Kombat IP survived the calls for it to be banned and is now one of the fighting genre's most popular and highly-regarded franchises.
4 Assassin's Creed Logo
Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series began in November 2007 and has since become one of gaming's most recognizable IPs. The franchise now boasts near-yearly releases that offer open-world adventures in some of history's most important periods, including Ptolemaic period Egypt, the Second Industrial Revolution in London, and Ancient Greece. The franchise is known for featuring quintessential Ubisoft-style open-world gaming, with huge game-worlds to explore filled with tons of side quests and collectibles - all highlighted on the game's map to make them easy to find.
The Assassin's Creed logo features the insignia of the Assassin Order, which acts as a thread that links the many games.
3 God Of War (2018) Logo
The God of War series began in 2005 and offered Devil May Cry-inspired hack and slash gameplay but with a Greek mythology theme. The series continued to focus on Greek mythology until its most recent release, God of War (2018), which shifted focus to Norse mythology while also drastically changing the series' gameplay and visual design.
With a new mythological theme came a new logo. They may look similar from a distance, but the original orange Greek Omega symbol was replaced with a circular red-painted logo engraved with Norse symbols.
2 Grand Theft Auto Logo
For those unfamiliar with video games, it may be a surprise to hear that the Grand Theft Auto logo is one of the most iconic in gaming history, considering that it's just the game's name in a somewhat unique font. However, logos are a lot like band names, in the sense that the reason iconic ones are iconic is because of what they represent, rather than the logo/name itself.
The Grand Theft Auto series began in November 1997 with a top-down shooter before the series eventually moved into the open-world genre with Grand Theft Auto 3. The Grand Theft Auto series has since become a cornerstone of the increasingly popular open-world genre, as the franchise constantly raises the bar of its overall scope and quality with each new release.
1 Resident Evil's Umbrella Corporation Logo
The first Resident Evil game was released in March 1996 on the PlayStation 1 and was instrumental in bringing gaming's horror genre to the attention of mainstream audiences. The franchise has continued to spearhead the horror genre's constant rise in popularity, while the classic Resident Evil 4 is still considered by many to be the best ever horror video game.
Though the zombies may seem like the main antagonist of the Resident Evil series, those familiar with the long-running franchise's story know that Umbrella Corporation are the true main antagonist. The company is responsible for the T-virus and will stop anyone trying to get in the way of the company's goal to perfect it by any means necessary.