EU PS3 = Software PS2 Emulation

Well on the plus side* it will mean profit sooner for Sony if they don't use the savings to drop the price soon.


(*depending on your perspective)

 

It would be really curious if they keep two separate physical units indefinitely. Doesn't help at all with the price cut they obviously need. Presumably the other shoe re future US and Japan units just hasn't dropped yet. I wonder if they'll be any obvious way from the box on the store shelves to tell Rev 1 from Rev 2?

 

I'm pretty sure it's being dropped everywhere, it's just the first units without it will show up in Europe (because they're all new there). I have little doubt that every new system being manufactured for JPN/US now doesn't have the old BC solution either, but it'll take longer for them to show up as stocks are cleared. There's no reason they'd do it for Euro units and not every unit.

 

I wonder how long this has been in Sonys' roadmap, maybe they decided that instead of "wasting" these components on PS3 they rather use them on PS2 manufacturing, making profit on them and that way reducing the losses efficiently.

 

Argh this makes me furious. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, since this seems to be typical Sony:

1. Sony makes a huge claim about what their hardware will do.

PS3 was supposed to be a "home entertainment supercomputer". It would have Linux pre-installed on every HDD. 1080p output. Dual HDMI ports. 3 gigabit ethernet ports so it can act as a hub. 6 USB ports. Hardware PS2 BC, but only temporarily, until they can improve their software emulation. Spring 2006 launch.

Don't forget Sony made all sorts of similar claims about PS2. They talked PS2 up as a home entertainment computer. Sony issued press releases about how AIM and Flash support were coming to PS2. Sony bragged about how their HDD + ethernet would enable amazing online worlds, etc etc etc.

2. I give Sony the benefit of the doubt, even though I'm skeptical.

EE + GS is a very unconventional system that is considered extremely difficult to emulate. I wanted to believe that Sony was telling the truth, though. After all, if Sony believes they can remove the EE + GS chip altogether, then certainly they must be confident that they can achieve near-perfect PS2 emulation in software.

3. Sony announces feature cuts at the last moment, even though such decisions were likely made many months (or years) before.

Search for some old Sony press releases. It's hilarious comparing what they've said to what they actually did.

Conclusion: if it sounds too good to be true, and Sony said it, just assume they're lying again

Sorry to be such a Sony basher, but I have been let down one too many times. It's like the marketing people have free reign to say whatever the hell will generate the most hype, without first asking the engineers if it's possible/practical/affordable. I'm sure PS3 will end up an excellent gaming machine like the PS2 was, and I will buy one eventually, but it pisses me off to see Sony up to their old bullshit yet again.

 

Don't forget the AOL connection too.

One question though to you all though. Were you really planning to play your old ps2 games on ps3? I don't mean the ability, I mean the repeated action.

Perhaps this is a good question to ask of current ps3 owners:
Do you play your ps2 games on your ps3?

I can honestly answer I played xb1 games on my xb360 once with Halo when I got it. It looked bleh (still 480) {eject, swap Oblivion, smile}.

 

I'm waiting to see what "limited" means. The wording doesn't sound too encouraging, but it could be about lowering expectations. If this does not mean 90%+ games including most major titles, I certainly hope the so-called "gaming journalists" are going to search back for every single quote by Sony exec (starting with KK) where they either boasted about the near-perfect BC gamers would get with PS3, or slammed the 360 BC, and shovel it in their face at each and every further interview with the same people.

 

If they were improved, like PS1 games on PS2, then yes. Ken Kutaragi going off on one of his episodes saying 'all PlayStation will lay all PlayStation games' was another reason to expect BC to be robust. And if they're taking it out, fine. Only, tell people before they place their preorders (people have been ordering different hardware to that which they are going to get), and let them see some benefit in getting reduced functionality, shown in reduced price, or some other advantage added.

For the record, this news has just made me right grumpy Not because I mourn the loss of BC so much, but because of the pay-more, get-less situation. People paying more should get more, in a fair and equitable world.

 

Fuck yes!
I'm not even done with Vagrant Story and Grandia yet!

 

This begs the question, will the US/Japanese SKUs also get this treatment and when? I am thinking I should buy a PS3 now rather than later. There are mucho mucho PS2 games I still need to play.

 

Just some thoughts.

 

Well I hope you like Casino Royale!
Sony is putting lots of pressure on that movie.

 

Back catalogue has never tied people to a platform. If they want the games on another platform, go buy it, and keep the existing console for the other library. It's not like households are only allowed one console!

 

So thats the reason. In a couple months Sony will announce removal of Bluetooth to boost short-time sales

 

To those that were planning to play ps2 games on ps3, how many of you were planning to do so on HDTV? (exisiting or proposed)

 

You'd be surprised!

 

Absolutely, I play them. Rogue Galaxy just came out and God of War 2 is on its way! Between RG and FFXII, I've logged just as many hours on my PS3 playing PS2 games as I have playing PS3 games. For example, I have about 155 hours in FFXII. 110 of those hours were logged on the PS3. BC is a very nice feature to me. However, if I were in Europe, would this news knock the PS3 off my list? Ummm... no, that would be silly in my opinion. Particularly since what games will and will not work has not been announced. It didn't stop me from buying a 360, and it wouldn't stop me from buying a PS3 (were I in Europe).

 

Do you game on an hdtv?

 

That depends on your definition of an HDTV. I have one of those 1080i only CRT sets that I primarily game on. Beautiful picture, but no 720p support. Oh, and I occasionally game on a 720p'ish DLP projector. But rarely, since I seem to be hyper sensitive to the "rainbow effect" (or its just not a very good projector).

 

A lot more forgiving of sd content.
I'm guessing most that game on hd progressive panels can't wait to plug an hd signal and forget sd games ever existed. It's truly painful to go back.

*It's odd being on the other side of the Sony courtroom.
...calming the gaming populous from burning Sony at the stake.*