Sony has posted a LittleBigPlanet 2 FAQ on the PlayStation blog, answering pressing questions about features of the upcoming sequel, from compatibility with LittleBigPlanet downloadable content to adding your own custom voice acting. More »
The one version of the PlayStation 3 that currently supports PlayStation 2 software—via emulation of the “Emotion Engine”—looks like it’s about to go the way of the dodo. Exactly how crushed should those of us be, should we want to experience PS2 classics on our future PS3s? Oh, totally crushed for now, but the future may provide a glimmer of hope, backing us away from the ledge. PlayStation Network director Eric Lempell says there are “possibilities” the PS2 playing capabilities could come back to the gutted PS3 in the most recent issue of EGM.
We’ve received multiple tips from readers—ones who also happen to be Best Buy employees—who have informed us that the North American retailer hasn’t received stock of the PlayStation 3 80GB model for the many weeks and is expected to discontinue carrying the model soon. According to our sources, Best Buy stores have also been asked to pull advertising materials related to the 80GB model, currently the only version that features PlayStation 2 backwards compatibility.
Rumours of a 120GB model have been spread to retail employees, but this conflicts with reports from other Best Buy moles who say that internal communications indicate only one model—the 40GB barebones edition—will be stocked after January 28th.
PS3 Fanboy has visual evidence of the notice to employees about the 80GB discontinuation, further proof that backwards compatibility may soon be a thing of the past. We’ve been bugging Sony about the situation all day, but have yet to receive anything other than a paraphrased “hold tight” about the rumours.
Best Buy discontinuing 80GB PS3 [PS3 Fanboy]
Speaking with Albert Penello, group marketing manager for the Xbox 360, at CES this week, we touched on the future of the Xbox past. The most recent update to the list of original Xbox games that are playable on the Xbox 360, bringing the total to 465 previous generation games may very well be the last, according to Penello. “I don’t know if we have plans to do any more releases,” Penello said “It feels like we kind of hit the point of diminishing returns there. I know with the Xbox Originals, there are still things happening there, but in terms of a lot of engineering work around bringing out new titles, I think they’re winding that down.”
Today is the day I put my original Xbox to rest. Larry Hryb has posted a list of newly backwards compatible titles for the Xbox 360, and with it my last non-compatible game, the brilliant Armed and Dangerous, now works in my 360. A little stuttering during the cut scenes, but the gameplay is solid and the humour intact. In fact, I nearly missed posting this story because I got wrapped up in playing, so it obviously works well enough. Armed and Dangerous is joined by Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone, The Bard’s Tale, and…The Guy Game, along with many more, bringing the BC list past the 300 mark. Hit the jump for the list in its entirety. *sigh* Goodbye, giant black box. I don’t know I’ll fill the space left in my entertainment centre left by your passing. Perhaps a small island nation. More »
The feature-gimped PlayStation 3 with a 40 GB hard drive is coming to North America at a reduced price, but without the ability to play PlayStation 2 games. If you thought Sony was removing the PS2 guts out of the system, saving them gobs of cash and passing the savings on to you, late adopters, maybe you should think again. According to the Wall Street Journal’s paraphrasing of SCEA boss Jack Tretton, the removal of PS2 backward compatibility and other components isn’t “dramatically reducing Sony’s cost of manufacturing” on Sony’s behemoth console.
Instead, the handicapping of the PS3 was part of an effort to “encourage buyers of the entry-level PlayStation 3 to purchase more games designed specifically for the new system”. If only there were some other ways of doing that outside of ripping out the PS3′s ability to play PS2 games better than an actual PS2 in so many cases.
God, I just can’t think of any. Obviously having better PS3 software won’t work. Nor would working more closely with third parties to help them ship their PS3 ports of Xbox 360 titles day and date, feature for feature. I’ll admit… I’m stumped!
Sony Slashes Price of PlayStation 3 [Wall Street Journal (subscription required)] More »
I’m getting as sick of it as you, so this is the last backwards compatibility post. I promise. So let’s end the whole sorry mess on a high note! For anyone who already owns a 60GB unit, know that Sony haven’t forgotten about you. SCEE’s Nick Sharples has told us that for the millions of consumers who already own a PS3, they’ll continue to work on backwards-compatibility updates: The current PS3 system software and future updates will continue to support backwards compatibility for the current 60GB and 80GB models.
Good news for existing owners! Also, I wonder why he mentioned 80GB. Sharples works for SCEE, which has never seen an 80GB model. Unless he knows something we don’t. More »
This whole backwards-compatibility thing on the new 40GB PS3 is a pinch confusing. Why, exactly, can’t the new model run PS2 games when the old one could? Tired of asking questions of the night, I instead asked SCEE, who fired back a super-detailed, super-helpful guide to the 40GB’s BC capabilities. Which is published in full after the click. For now, though, let’s just focus on the part where they tell us they could run PS2 games on the 40GB PS3. They just can’t be bothered: The 40GB model, to be launched in Europe on 10th October, is a new model and is not equipped with any of the semi conductors from the PS2, and backwards compatibility would therefore have to be achieved by software emulation alone. The sheer numbers of PS2 titles available, together with the increased complexity of using a software only solution for each and every title means that to ensure accurate software emulation for the majority would be technically challenging, time consuming and costly. As we have mentioned on several occasions, our engineering resources are now focused on developing new and innovative features and services for the PS3 and, as a result the 40GB model does not have backwards compatibility with PS2 titles.
Who doesn’t enjoy a spot of corporate indifference, eh folks? More »
