12th July 2007, 7:55 PM
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/09/80gb-p...atibility/
So it seems Europe has a gimped PS3 that lacks the emotion engine, meaning it has trouble with PS2 games without emulation. Now they are rolling that lack of emotion out into other regions.
This really seems like a bad move, certainly for the consumer. I imagine that eventually the 60GB model will get downgraded as well, as I can't imagine the justification for spending an extra $100 to LOSE a feature.
If any of you were considering getting a PS3 and actually perhaps getting to put your PS2 away, now's the time. Otherwise, get a used one somewhere by searching system model numbers.
At any rate, this really seems like a good way to fracture the software development team working on the firmware updates. At least, it'll really screw things up on that end. Now they have to design firmware for two different models, and they still need to fix some issues with BC on the systems that actually support the software natively. How many people are they going to have to hire, for programming, testing, designing the new model, and so on, just to drop the cost of the PS3 production by a bit? I wonder if this move saves them more money than they lose... Certainly it's not good as far as features go to ditch something like that, considering how good a move BC was in the PS2 at the start. Further, consoles just don't ditch features, not without a price to pay in the consumer's minds. In the end, your bottom line depends on whether or not the consumers actually want what you are making.
Nintendo's GBA Micro, for example, isn't exactly the hottest selling item, in spite of it's teeny tiny size going for it, namely because Nintendo ditched the BC with GB and GBC games as part of getting it that small (and it was also more expensive for less capability). At least with the 360, it was lacking that ability from the start, they weren't losing anything. When I go into stores, the micro isn't even on the shelves any more, but the GBASP is still selling like crazy. Good move on Nintendo's part sticking a micro quality screen on remodelled SPs at least. Best of everything right in there.
Oh anyway, as you might expect the compatibility list isn't the greatest. In fact it has trouble with different versions of the same game according to the european compatibility list I checked out. I don't want to have to read a serial number off a game disk to make sure I have just the right release, I just want to play a game Sony.
So it seems Europe has a gimped PS3 that lacks the emotion engine, meaning it has trouble with PS2 games without emulation. Now they are rolling that lack of emotion out into other regions.
This really seems like a bad move, certainly for the consumer. I imagine that eventually the 60GB model will get downgraded as well, as I can't imagine the justification for spending an extra $100 to LOSE a feature.
If any of you were considering getting a PS3 and actually perhaps getting to put your PS2 away, now's the time. Otherwise, get a used one somewhere by searching system model numbers.
At any rate, this really seems like a good way to fracture the software development team working on the firmware updates. At least, it'll really screw things up on that end. Now they have to design firmware for two different models, and they still need to fix some issues with BC on the systems that actually support the software natively. How many people are they going to have to hire, for programming, testing, designing the new model, and so on, just to drop the cost of the PS3 production by a bit? I wonder if this move saves them more money than they lose... Certainly it's not good as far as features go to ditch something like that, considering how good a move BC was in the PS2 at the start. Further, consoles just don't ditch features, not without a price to pay in the consumer's minds. In the end, your bottom line depends on whether or not the consumers actually want what you are making.
Nintendo's GBA Micro, for example, isn't exactly the hottest selling item, in spite of it's teeny tiny size going for it, namely because Nintendo ditched the BC with GB and GBC games as part of getting it that small (and it was also more expensive for less capability). At least with the 360, it was lacking that ability from the start, they weren't losing anything. When I go into stores, the micro isn't even on the shelves any more, but the GBASP is still selling like crazy. Good move on Nintendo's part sticking a micro quality screen on remodelled SPs at least. Best of everything right in there.
Oh anyway, as you might expect the compatibility list isn't the greatest. In fact it has trouble with different versions of the same game according to the european compatibility list I checked out. I don't want to have to read a serial number off a game disk to make sure I have just the right release, I just want to play a game Sony.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)