Created in 1995 by advertising company Chiat/Day and then-Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) president Steve Race, the character was meant to be an "edgy" spokesperson for the console and target audiences that they feared would be put off by the PlayStation name.

Influenced by Sega's successful anarchic "Pirate TV" campaign in the United Kingdom, Polygon Man's appearance was a floating, purple disembodied head with glowing yellow pupils in black eye sockets and spikes protruding from his scalp.

[3] Meanwhile, at the event itself, press kits, billboards and booth signage featured the character with a speech balloon stating in Japanese "ハマリ度MAX" (lit.

Due to the Japanese branch having the final vote on the matter, the character was shelved and temporarily replaced with Sofia from Battle Arena Toshinden in the next print advertisement.

[6] Race in an interview with GameFan stated afterward he sought other characters to serve as "spokepeople" for the PlayStation, even reaching out to Marvel Comics before he ultimately left SCEA.

However upon consideration they decided rather than having a single intellectual property serve as they game's antagonist, "we wanted the final challenge to be against the entire PlayStation brand itself".

"[15] They elaborated further in a later issue, with Randy Nelson calling the campaign one of PlayStation's biggest blunders and adding "We'd bet there are still people at Sony Computer Entertainment that, to this day, still wonder the same thing we do: What the hell were they thinking?"

[5] Other outlets shared similar sentiments, with the staff of Edge magazine calling the ad campaign "tacky" and describing Polygon Man as "surely the antithesis of PlayStation's abilities".

"[17] Jeremy Parish, in an article for Electronic Gaming Monthly, felt that Sony "mercifully came to their senses" by ditching the character prior to the PlayStation's North American release, and further stated "Farewell Polygon Man.

[20] The book The Golden Age of Video Games cited the ad campaign as a positive example of Sony's willingness to "address the teenage crowd" in a direct and aggressive manner,[21] and the staff of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine stated that while those who recalled Polygon Man "have few kind words to say about him", in light of the showings from Sony's competitors at E3 1995 they felt the company's advertising "seemed remarkably strong.

"[22] Eurogamer's Simon Parkin praised the character's role as the villain and final boss of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale,[23] and Edge called him "a wonderful symbol of the schisms that characterise both Sony's corporate structure and the game that has been designed to celebrate its output" and demonstrated welcome self-deprecating humor on the part of the developers.