Ps3's made in Europe will no longer have full backwards compatibility
Sony has yet again decided to show its utter contempt for European gamers. All Playstation 3 consoles released from March 23rd onwards will no longer be 98% backwards compatible with PS2 games, it is now only 'limited'...
The following statement comes directly from Sony's head of UK PR David Wilson:
"PS one title backward compatibility has not changed and there will be a limited number of PS2 titles compatible - but PS3 is defined by key features such as the CELL broadband engine, its Blu-ray drive, the SIXAXIS Controller and its ability to output full 1080P HD game content which makes it an entertainment system for the future, without equal. Backwards compatibility is important but it does not define the PS3 in the same way as the other features do.
"We have been assessing the extent of backward compatibility, and will continue to do so right up until launch. It is therefore not possible to provide a specific number of backwards compatible titles at this stage. Users will be able to check whether their titles are compatible with PS3 by checking the list of compatible titles at
http://faq.eu.playstation.com/bc. This site will be available on March 23 to meet launch day.
"PS one titles remain backwards compatible and we will continue to assess the compatibility of PS2 titles right up until launch. We will continue to offer firmware upgrades to increase the number of titles that are compatible, but rather than concentrate on PS2 backwards compatibility, in the future, company resources will be increasingly focused on developing new games and entertainment features exclusively for PS3, truly taking advantage of this exciting technology.
"Whilst in the longer term these production related cost reductions will enable us to reduce the cost of PS3 to consumers (in the same way we have done with PS2 over its 6 year lifetime to date) SCE has no immediate plans for any price reduction on the platform.
"We will continue to assess the compatibility of existing and new PS2 titles, both first and third party."
So let's clarify. Rather than backwards compatibility being one of the core values of Playstation 3 it is now seemingly the least important aspect.
Sony really do not seem to have a clear vision of what they are trying to offer with the Playstation brand. On the one hand they are saying that the PS2 is far from dead, and with great games such as Okami, God of War II, Rogue Galaxy and Final Fantasy XII still being released this is certainly the case. Many Playstation fans will have sold their PS2 in the efforts to raise the funds for a PS3 and now may miss out on what is arguably the greatest library of games any console has to offer.
Removing part of the hardware of your next-generation console is not something that is done on the spur of the moment, meaning Sony have known this announcement was coming for months, yet they have chosen to wait until only four weeks before the launch of their console to reveal this, meaning many fans will have already pre-ordered the console. To add insult to injury they will not be informing potential PS3 owners which PS2 games their console can play until the date the console is released, so Sony fans will not be able to plan in advance which PS2 games they'll be playing on their PS3 in the event that the launch games disappoint.
Sony had the arrogance to criticise the backwards compatibility of their competitor and then underperform themselves. It won't be surprising if many fans see this latest broken promise as the straw that broke the camels back and cancel their pre-orders.
For some reason Sony feels that they can treat Europeans as a lesser species. Unfortunately, due to the way this industry works we are charged more for the Playstation 3 than any other territory, but this is the case for the Wii and 360 as well. But for Sony to admit that they are removing these hardware components to save money on production and yet still charge Europeans more money for a lesser product is an insult.
With Microsoft and Nintendo being increasingly Europe-friendly, Sony's attitude feels even more degrading. I call on Europeans to stand together and demand some respect!
Blogg: European PS3 gets reduced backwards compatibility | GameRoobie
ps3 knocks Europe again
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