Sony explains the reasons behind the PS3 backwards compatibility cut

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3:40 PM on 10.05.2007, Dale North

57 comments | 9093 views

Sony explains the reasons behind the PS3 backwards compatibility cut photo

#Controversy #PlayStation 2 #PS3

Gamers are already raising a stink over the removal of backwards compatibility in the upcoming lower priced 40GB PS3 model we just found out about. Ray Maguire from Sony UK thinks that the money and effort spent on backwards compatibility could be better spent at this time.

"As we come to our first Christmas with the PlayStation 3 there's going to be about 65 games in the marketplace," says Maguire, "so we feel now that there's sufficient choice in the marketplace and that we're still better off using that money that we'd put into backwards compatibility in either investing in new games or using that money to help support bringing the price down so that people can get into the franchise."

Maguire also feels that while backwards compatibility was important in the beginning due to lack of games, "few really use it," and that effort would now better be used to support hardware price cuts to actually get PS3s in homes.

The Eurogamer article makes no mention of Sony throwing down the "everyone already has a PS2" card, which would have been a fairly strong play.

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next 50 comments

54 comments | showing # 1 to 50

Cheeburga

Yeah, I don't really care about backwards compat.

Colette Bennett

Fuck you, Sony.

Trev

I can agree with that.

While getting a unit with BC was important to me (I got the 60 GB model) the number of PS2 games I've even considered playing has been pretty small. In fact, I only played DMC3:SE to see if the sound glitch happened and a little Soul Calibur 3 to see how it liked upscaling. Other than that, it's been all PS3 exclusives and multi-platform next-gen titles.

If you have a bunch of PS2 games already, you have a PS2, and if you don't but you want a bunch of PS2 games, you can either spend some of the money you save over the more expensive models and buy a PS2, or buy the more expensive 60/80GB model.

deiga-the-semivaliant

I can guarantee you that at this point, the only people who own the PS3 are people who own the PS2.

brainderailment

I have tons of PS2 games, and I don't play them. I bought a PS3 to play next gen games.

HiGHFLYiN9

Yes, most of the collective gaming world does have a PS2, but we also don't want all of the real estate in front of our TV covered with 3+ generations of systems and a dozen switchboxes.

Holyetheline

I totally care about backwards compatibility. I'm sure a lot of people do.

BlackDove

I don't really give a shit. Most of the games I play on my PS2, I wouldn't be able to play on my PS3 for reasons that must not be said for I sail the high seas.

TheHunter234

Like I said in the other article, I was seriously about to buy this model once it got confirmed/released, but this just killed it for me. People really do care about backwards compatibility: Microsoft got a rash of shit for gimping it on the 360, Sony themselves got slammed for (or even rumors about) partially screwing it up in Europe, and one of the biggest selling points for the Wii is that it can play older games.

I understand the argument that we all already have PS2s, but the whole point is that you don't have to switch because you have a new console that doesn't force you to switch between yet another piece of technology.

king3vbo

FUCK YOU SONY

HiGHFLYiN9

fuck you gravy robbers!

balth

Hmm, I honestly only use it for a few games; I've tended to trade a lot of my older games in to give me price breaks on newer ones. I see it both ways, but that's why I bought the fully decked one on launch day. I'd rather have the options, than not.

That's all.

Necros

Many people care about backwards compatibility. What the hell are they thinking?

mackisawesome

THATS WHAT MADE SONY SOO AWESOME... if you wanted to go play a PS1 game, just for kicks.... YOU STILL COULD instead of digging out your ps1 (if you still even have one).

macr

Yeah lets have TWO FUCKING GIGANTIC CONSOLES INFRONT OF MY TV! Im not dumb enough to buy a PS3 and a slim PS2. Fuck you sony.

jerrt

all i know is i must now take real good care of my launch 60 and work on securing another for saving. when it is all said and done i will have a ps3 that has all the bells and whistles and it will play ps2 games.

this isn't a very smooth move sony, but you are suppose to know better than me.

isn't progress about improving?

hellsing321

If I didn't already have a PS3 I'd be pretty pissed since the only thing I've been using my PS3 as is a SuperPS2. Playing PS2 games upscaled is fantastic.

Im OK

Well, I do have a PS2, so if I got a PS3 it wouldn't be to play PS2 games, any more than I'd be playing Xbox games on a 360 when I get one, since I also already have a Xbox, so this isn't really that big of an issue to me.

On the other hand, I technically still have a PS1 as well, but it's about 3000 miles away from where I'm living right now, so I do use my PS2 to play PS1 games on occasion.

By the way, I don't know if I've ever heard it mentioned before, but is the PS3 compatible with PS1 games, just out of curiosity?

nanowerx

Im sorry, but systems break over time. Almost exactly 6 years to the day I got it, my PS2 stopped reading discs. Well, that means I have no PS2 and a shitload of PS1&2 games. Sure I could buy a new one, but hasn't backwards compatibility become the standard? Why should I have to buy a PS2 and a PS3. At this point, those games can rot. Why bother supporting a company that has officially stopped giving a shit about the consumer.

In conclusion, fuck you, Sony!

ArrestedDeveloper

I'm with Collete.

atheistium

:( i wish sony would fix itself. I used to want their babies.

neveranything

"Maguire also feels that while backwards compatibility was important in the beginning due to lack of games, 'few really use it'"

I remember a certain PR man saying the same thing a while back, and he and his company got so much backlash for it he started backpedalling like there was no tomorrow.

boxhound

*Ice burnination!*

By Sony

Velt

I care about BWC, and since i dont own a ps2 and maybe i want to look forward to some ps3 games and ps2 games that i havent played, i would like ps3 to have BWC.
I know im in the minority.

I dont understand why the cost was so much, really i thought it was a software thing.

FreePablo

Eventually Sony is just going to tell people to buy a new PS2 because the PS3 is discontinued. I'd rather have a new PS2 at this point(mine is breaking down) to go with my 360 than a brand new PS3.

Grapefruit Juice

"Arrogant, drunk, and stupid, is no way to go thru life son(y)"

naia-the-gamer

Add me to the "Fuck you Sony" list.

Part of the appeal of the PS2 for me was that it was backwards compatible with PS1 games. That and the DVD player, which at the time was cheap compared to other DVD players. We weren't debating over a format then.

I wonder how many consumers will buy the "cheap" PS3 and are unpleasantly surprised when they try to play their PS2 games. My guess is that not everyone will be in the know, and that will be an unpleasant site

Usedtabe

Of course it's not a big deal to you Sony fanboys, unless MS does the same thing. When they tried to do it, it was blasphemy. How many Sony PR dipshits are eating their "full bc compatability" lines out of their ass now? The sad thing is, I've been able to afford more than 1 PS3 since launch, but as usual, Sony keeps giving me reasons not to have one

KamikazeTutor

Yet, I feel my trust towards Sony diminishing. Most things they publicized for the Playstation 3 are being cut off. There are many people that sold their PS2 because they were sold on the backward compatibility characteristic of the new console.

Sinnix

I never had a PS2 or PS1 and don't give a rats ass about BC so a cheaper PS3 is all win for me. It isn't like you HAVE to buy the cheaper version.

Cowboy TTop

What complete BS. So now they are shrugging off BC, when they championed it for so long. That's right, they don't care, so we shouldn't either, apparently. The great european arm of Sony strikes again.

Fcuk off Sony. If MS and Nintendo can manage their BC, you have no excuses to hide behind.

Take away the BC, that leaves DLC which is minimal now and PS3 games which there are few. Guess we'll have to settle for Talladega Nights and stuff it then. Yeah, right. That's a lot of PS3s gathering dust again.

I'm gonna keep my PS2 anyway, but that still in no way makes this right. You guys are again alienating you fans, don't expect PS3 sales to go anywhere once people know what they aren't getting. Lets hope they explain it clearly on the PS3 boxes.

ArrestedDeveloper

10 buck says Kaz comes out and says Backwards Compatibility is a last gen technology.

Usedtabe

@Action Bastard: Are you forgetting that:

1. MS never cited BC as some must-have feature that makes their system better than the competition, a la Sony

2. The 360 library has enough good(relatively speaking) game now to where people don't seem to care. Remember, they caught a shitstorm for their BC, and they even had a legitimate reason for not having BC(MS didn't own all the compnenets of the Xbox).

Wedge

Well really, it's sort of true. If I ever get one, I have every intent of keeping my slimline PS2. It's better than having to worry about retarded compatibility issues and shit. And if it can drive the price down I'm all for it. Once there are some games for it.

The only system with proper back compat is the Wii (for obvious reasons), and is the only system where if I upgraded I would get rid of the old one.

Raidensolid

Okay, so then when the price cut comes with the 40GB models this is what you are looking it.

Price Cut = No Backwards Compatability.

Epic Fail. Keeping it in would be the wiser of the two choices seeing as how not being backwards compatable is taking a step in the wrong direction of technological prowess.

Then again, I'm just a dude in his basement. =/

Sharpless

Personally, I care about backwards compatibility. Ideally, when I buy a next-gen system, I should be able to discard my last-gen system and still be able to make use of its games. Why the fuck do I want excessive numbers of consoles lying around? And why is it that Sony's good announcements always come with a negative announcement?

"Here's a more-affordable 40GB PS3, but you can't play your old games on it."

"Son, here's a Happy Meal. Oh, your hamster died."

Corak

If backwards compatibility is important to you then pony up and spend the extra $100 and get the version that will do so. If you want to play next gen games and don't care about BC then get the other one. FFS everyone complaining about this sounds like some whiney teenage girl stomping her feet when daddy bought her the white porche instead of the red one. Oh noes it won't play my copy of madden 2003 what ever shall I do? Oh yea I'm a dumb ass I forgot their is another one that will do that, yay, ooo shiney red ball. Sound familiar?

zanpher717

I would be more upset with the smaller hard drive than the no BC, but Corak is right, spend the extra $100 if its important to you, but its smart in the long run for Sony, they will ship more units, increase the user base, get more exclusives, etc etc..

PetiePal

I'm gonna have to Clog about this bs.

Edco

Lame. It used to be that BC was a feature to expand the library of a new system. For a long time my PS2 harbored PS1 games until PS2 development kicked into high gear. With the PS3 there's even less on the market. Of the quoted 46 titles, how many are considered good? 10? Meanwhile there are years worth of great PS2 games.

Monte

Well, one thing you would have to consider... is the money better spent towards new games and lowering the overall Price tag of the PS3, or backwards Compatibility?... i mean, if you had to choose one or the other which would you want?

Thinking about it i would rather have the money invested in a lower price tag and more games; it's better in the long run... If i want to play PS1 and PS2 games i will hook up my PS2 to play them... Hell if you don't mind a slight loss in quality, you can hook up your PS2 using an RCA adapter while hooking up the PS3 the regular way so you wouldn't need to unhook up anything... only poeple that get hurt by the lack of BC are poeple who do not have a PS2, most of whome proabably have little interest in the PS2 game anyway(since they would have gotten a cheap ps2 by now anyway)... Hell, if the price were to drop by $100, then you could use that $100 to get a slim PS2 if it's really THAT important to you...

ceark

I was pretty pissed off at first, but I got a launch 60gig ps3 so it's not an issue for me. but, I did get to thinking: as long as they don't cut it out of all versions of the PS3 (ie the 60/80 gig model still retains it), this really isn't a big deal. It's not much different from the the 360 being released with and without a hard drive. (except that ps2 backwards compatability has no effect on next gen game standards, where as a hard drive stardard does). The extra 100 bucks for the high end version is cheaper then a new ps2+extracontroller+memorycard anyway, so I don't know what the fuss is about.

Bricfa

Still possible it will support B/c for a few games ala the 360. But it really is true that few use it. Thr real issue is why the decision to go back to two SKUs. (the obvious reason being the lackluster sales)

ceark

on a side note, this isn't really a price cut either. it's more of a "no ps2" version. If you look at it like that, then this isn't really big news at all.

s0lesurviv0r

Can't they do backwards compatibility through downloadable software?

questworld

So long as they keep backwards compatibility for the pricier SKUs, they can do whatever they want to this one. They is just a cheaper version kind of deal right? They'll maintain BC for years to come, right? I certainly hope so. I've already bought some PS2 games and I DO care about BC since I never bothered buying a PS2 (I read they are about as problematic as the 360 RROD which is why I cared for neither no matter how good their libraries are). The PS3 sounds to fair better than that system hardware-wise and I'd be so pissed at Sony if they pull this stunt and ditch BC completely from this point forward.

Burnt Meatloaf

I don't get it. Unlike Microsoft's situation with the XBox, Sony owns all the IP for the PS2 architecture. I can see how performance would be an issue with emulation, as it always is, but... no compatibility at all?

Sounds more like internal politics to me.

Oh well. Maybe when the 45nm chips come out, the PS3 will get a smaller case. Oh yeah, better games would be nice, too, so we wouldn't have to dip into our PS2 library in the first place.

wearafrown

i'm very seriously saying this, i missed totally on last gen and one of the main reasons i bought a wii was because i could play to gamecube games. One of the big reasons to get a ps3 would be getting to play all the ps2 games i also missed, but with news like this i'm seriously not thinking of buying one, even for a minute.

I was planning on MAYBE buying a ps3 when it reached a price of around $350, if it had any good games for it and depending on how blu ray is doing on the market, but now... i just don't see myself buying one, really, why would i? when the ps3 reaches a pricepoint of 350 dollars the 360 should be like at $250 or something and, this is whats funny, it'll have better BC than PS3, so i could at least play to the old xbox games i also missed.

Sony just HATES my money, it does!

Churchhills Dog

Sony should make a PS2 card that could be used in a PCI slot and allow one to play on a PC. I think Sega was looking into something similar awhile back for Dreamcast but it never got off the ground.

Mxyzptlk

As someone who usually is catching up with games from a few years ago, BC is a major factor for me. Of course, it's not like I'm going to pay the ridiculous price for a PS3 anytime soon.

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