Hey,
This one I'm sure will heat up fast--I don't intend this to be a fanboy post, but I wanted to share my dissappointment with Sony's promise that they won't bring PS2 backwards compatibility to the PS3.
With the new slim version out now and at a reasonable price point, my wife and I actually thought about making our first Sony console purchase ever. It would play all our movies and future movies, it would play music, it would play Eternal Sonata, it would play LittleBigPlanet, it would play our somewhat small collection of original PlayStation games (including Legend of Mana!) and it would--maybe--let us play Dawn of Mana, too!
Well, we were hoping the latest slim version of the PS3 had PS2 backwards compatibility. When it didn't, we dropped all plans to purchase the system. Basically, we could go out and for a hundred bucks buy a new PS2 but we don't want two systems. We'd rather pay the same amount as both a PS2 and PS3 or even more to have full backwards compatibility one one device. And yes, a lot of people are asking why didn't people who want that backwards compatibility buy the backwards compatible system when it was out.
Well, first of all, when the PS3 first came out, the SKU's were really confusing and I didn't know that only one of them really had the hardware to do full backwards compatibility. I do now, but that version is obviously not around now and it wasn't around for that long. Also, back at that point, no one knew what HD disc format was going to win out. Now we do. Now, the PS3 is more enticing. Also, back when it came out, we didn't have the cash for it and we'd rather have a Wii by infinite lengths. Now we have a Wii and the thought of a media device entered our minds. (Don't get me wrong, we see the Wii's focus on one thing and one thing well as what the industry needs and we're thrilled with our Wii--the PS3 would basically be providing a different experience that we didn't want as much as the experience a Wii provides but wouldn't mind now.)
Anyway, when Sony said not to get our hopes up for future backward compatibility, my wife and I pre-ordered The Beatles: Rock Band and eBayed a Sega Genesis with a slew of games for a ridiculous price. Sorry, but Sony, you lost our business.
What do you guys think?
manaman
The slim PS3
I understand the disappointment in a lack of backwards compatibility, as it was a big irritation for me, but it's not a deal-breaker in my book. PS2s are relatively cheap these days, and having one around is far from a bad idea. I'm definitely not what you'd call a Sony fanboy (as a company, I generally don't like them much, and usually avoid Sony products that aren't game consoles), but I think the PS2 is one of the most fantastic consoles to ever exist just based on sheer number and quality of games and the relative reliability of the system. My original PS2 lasted well over twice as long as my original Xbox (and I don't think I even need to say anything about the lifespan of the 360 versus the PS3) and my game library for it is around 3 times the size. So while I can understand the annoyance, I don't see it as that big of a deal. Yes, you'll have to have an extra system lying around, but the slim PS2 is ridiculously small, and with component inputs you can share the same cable with the PS3. I keep both of my systems hooked up and all I have to do is swap the plug from the back of the PS3 to the back of the PS2 when I want to play, so I really can't complain.
I certainly wish the compatibility was there, but my 360 isn't backward compatible either because I don't have an HDD for it, and I'm absolutely not willing to invest in one due to the fact that the system is an original and I can therefore say with near-certainty that it's going to die at some point. I'm the only person I know who hasn't had their system melt, and I know one guy who has now officially gone through 5 360s (and another guy who's gone through 3). So when mine does go, I don't think I care to replace it, regardless of the stability of the new models. If at all possible, I don't want to give Microsoft any more money for this ever again. I have absolutely no idea how a massive and crippling class-action lawsuit hasn't been levied against them. In any prior era where consumers actually cared about the quality of the things they bought, such a thing as a 50%+ failure rate would equal a company going bankrupt. Instead, MS rakes in more cash.
Anyway, this is starting to get a bit off-topic, not to mention starting to sound fanboyish, but that really isn't the intention. Money is a concern for everyone, but I think in the end it probably would end up costing as much to have a PS3 with backward compatibility as it would to have a PS3 and PS2. That's roughly what it was when the PS3 launched, and after those models vanished from store shelves and were internet-shopping fodder, it became a good bit cheaper to just get a PS3 and PS2. If it's honestly that big of a deal to have 2 systems around for you, I guess that's a bummer, but for me it matters very little. Less than an extra foot of shelf space and one extra power cable just isn't enough to scare me off.
I certainly wish the compatibility was there, but my 360 isn't backward compatible either because I don't have an HDD for it, and I'm absolutely not willing to invest in one due to the fact that the system is an original and I can therefore say with near-certainty that it's going to die at some point. I'm the only person I know who hasn't had their system melt, and I know one guy who has now officially gone through 5 360s (and another guy who's gone through 3). So when mine does go, I don't think I care to replace it, regardless of the stability of the new models. If at all possible, I don't want to give Microsoft any more money for this ever again. I have absolutely no idea how a massive and crippling class-action lawsuit hasn't been levied against them. In any prior era where consumers actually cared about the quality of the things they bought, such a thing as a 50%+ failure rate would equal a company going bankrupt. Instead, MS rakes in more cash.
Anyway, this is starting to get a bit off-topic, not to mention starting to sound fanboyish, but that really isn't the intention. Money is a concern for everyone, but I think in the end it probably would end up costing as much to have a PS3 with backward compatibility as it would to have a PS3 and PS2. That's roughly what it was when the PS3 launched, and after those models vanished from store shelves and were internet-shopping fodder, it became a good bit cheaper to just get a PS3 and PS2. If it's honestly that big of a deal to have 2 systems around for you, I guess that's a bummer, but for me it matters very little. Less than an extra foot of shelf space and one extra power cable just isn't enough to scare me off.
I can't help but think Sony is a lose-lose situation. Sony had to drop the price of the PS3 in order to challenge Microsoft and make sure they don't get a further lead over them. However, Sony had only just started breaking-even with the sales of the PS3 versus the cost of production, so with this price drop, Sony is now going back into the red.
A lot of people think this firmware update will allow backwards compatibility despite Sony consistently refuting that there will be no backwards compatibility, but apparently Sony also said there would be no such thing as a PS3 Slim, so most people are assuming it will happen.
I just don't know what to think. Sony is in a tight spot. They made a huge gamble this generation and they lost this round. Better luck next time, really. Sony won't be on top this generation, and I doubt they will overtake Microsoft. I think that is good though, no one wants Sony to be on top forever. It would stagnate the market, competition is there for a reason. Sony will have to work harder next gen to recover the throne, and if they can do it then more power to them.
Wow, slightly tangential, but the whole thing kind of groups together for me. XD
A lot of people think this firmware update will allow backwards compatibility despite Sony consistently refuting that there will be no backwards compatibility, but apparently Sony also said there would be no such thing as a PS3 Slim, so most people are assuming it will happen.
I just don't know what to think. Sony is in a tight spot. They made a huge gamble this generation and they lost this round. Better luck next time, really. Sony won't be on top this generation, and I doubt they will overtake Microsoft. I think that is good though, no one wants Sony to be on top forever. It would stagnate the market, competition is there for a reason. Sony will have to work harder next gen to recover the throne, and if they can do it then more power to them.
Wow, slightly tangential, but the whole thing kind of groups together for me. XD
There is, or rather was, a huge class-action lawsuit in California that claimed that Microsoft withheld information about the increased possibility of their system overheating, yet rushing production regardless. Microsoft was sort of forced, or pigeon-holed into this three-year RROD/E74 warranty program because of it. Microsoft was never going to get into any real trouble though. Despite the fact that the industry standard exists, there really isn't anyway to enforce it. a sixty-six percent failure rating may be outrages, but there is nothing illegal about it. Besides that, Microsoft has money, and who has the most money, often wins a civil case like that.Quemaqua wrote:I certainly wish the compatibility was there, but my 360 isn't backward compatible either because I don't have an HDD for it, and I'm absolutely not willing to invest in one due to the fact that the system is an original and I can therefore say with near-certainty that it's going to die at some point. I'm the only person I know who hasn't had their system melt, and I know one guy who has now officially gone through 5 360s (and another guy who's gone through 3). So when mine does go, I don't think I care to replace it, regardless of the stability of the new models. If at all possible, I don't want to give Microsoft any more money for this ever again. I have absolutely no idea how a massive and crippling class-action lawsuit hasn't been levied against them. In any prior era where consumers actually cared about the quality of the things they bought, such a thing as a 50%+ failure rate would equal a company going bankrupt. Instead, MS rakes in more cash.
Last edited by Tsurayu on Sat Aug 22, 2009 10:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Yeah, I remember the original suit, but I'm talking about offering refunds to every single person who ever bought one of these pieces of crap.
And while you might not be able to do anything legally, the fact of the matter is that in another era, people would simply cease to use Microsoft products. The last thing they'd do is give them more money, but people are so utterly mindless these days, we have Microsoft *fans* who simply sing their praises all day long even though they've been **** ripped off. That drives me absolutely insane.
And while you might not be able to do anything legally, the fact of the matter is that in another era, people would simply cease to use Microsoft products. The last thing they'd do is give them more money, but people are so utterly mindless these days, we have Microsoft *fans* who simply sing their praises all day long even though they've been **** ripped off. That drives me absolutely insane.
Last edited by Quemaqua on Sun Aug 23, 2009 4:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Dr. Sheexy
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Going even more offtopic with this post 
Continuing on with Quemaqua's last post, I've gotta agree it's insane the kinds of things that videogame companies are able to get away with now-a-days.
My biggest complaint about systems and games lately is that they are almost never FINISHED products anymore.
Ever since the companies began expecting people to have their systems connected to the internet it seems like they've been using that as an excuse to not finish things. They've gotten into the mindset of "why sell a finished product when we can just patch it later?" which is completely unfair to the consumer, especially those who don't have access to the updates that are released.
Just something that has frustrated me about gaming recently. Because of this I never buy games right when they come out, I wait for a while to see if anything is wrong with them first.
But also I don't have any new age systems except for the DS, so it's not like I have much of a chance to buy new games. Consoles are too expensive for me right now, and I couldn't even take advantage of all the stuff that they're able to do.
More on topic, I recently read some news that said the reason Sony hasn't added backwards compatability to the PS3 stuff is because the PS2 is still selling so well, so they don't see a reason to give it any competition or something.
Continuing on with Quemaqua's last post, I've gotta agree it's insane the kinds of things that videogame companies are able to get away with now-a-days.
My biggest complaint about systems and games lately is that they are almost never FINISHED products anymore.
Ever since the companies began expecting people to have their systems connected to the internet it seems like they've been using that as an excuse to not finish things. They've gotten into the mindset of "why sell a finished product when we can just patch it later?" which is completely unfair to the consumer, especially those who don't have access to the updates that are released.
Just something that has frustrated me about gaming recently. Because of this I never buy games right when they come out, I wait for a while to see if anything is wrong with them first.
But also I don't have any new age systems except for the DS, so it's not like I have much of a chance to buy new games.
Consoles are too expensive for me right now, and I couldn't even take advantage of all the stuff that they're able to do.More on topic, I recently read some news that said the reason Sony hasn't added backwards compatability to the PS3 stuff is because the PS2 is still selling so well, so they don't see a reason to give it any competition or something.
Actually,
It is a deal-breaker for us. I don't have that much interest right now in most of the Sony exclusives. There are a good number of fantastic games and many I would play, but my list of games I would like to purchase for consoles I currently own is large enough that not having the extra incentive of the backwards compatibility does away with my desire to get a PS3.
I guess, it was just a dream anyway, but I'm still disappointed,
manaman
PS: Has anyone heard of this webcomic before?
http://www.castle-vidcons.com/
I just found it today and read though it. It's very funny even though you have to take it all with a grain of salt and hold your fanboyism at bay (I certainly did).
It is a deal-breaker for us. I don't have that much interest right now in most of the Sony exclusives. There are a good number of fantastic games and many I would play, but my list of games I would like to purchase for consoles I currently own is large enough that not having the extra incentive of the backwards compatibility does away with my desire to get a PS3.
I guess, it was just a dream anyway, but I'm still disappointed,
manaman
PS: Has anyone heard of this webcomic before?
http://www.castle-vidcons.com/
I just found it today and read though it. It's very funny even though you have to take it all with a grain of salt and hold your fanboyism at bay (I certainly did).