That is me, yes -- thank you! Actually the password save capability was mandated by Sony. At that time they wouldn't approve your game if you didn't offer a car

That is me, yes -- thank you! Actually the password save capability was mandated by Sony. At that time they wouldn't approve your game if you didn't offer a card-less save mode. I guess they thought requiring people to have memory cards made the base system too expensive. Fun fact: the code to convert the bits of saved game state to PS controller buttons used modular exponentiation, as in the RSA algorithm. Carl de Marcken suggested this method; I asked him to recommend something because at the time I really didn't know anything about hashing or crypto. There's an HN post somewhere from a guy who reversed engineered it. After Crash I joined Carl at ITA Software (now Google Flights), where he was Chief Scientist.