Is PS3 Backwards Compatibility Dead? Maybe Not

[wraggster]

When PlayStation Network director Eric Lempell was asked by the mag if the now BC-less console kills any chance of offering PS2 games via the PlayStation Store, as it does for original PlayStation games, Lempel said "We haven't talked about that yet, but there are possibilities through technology and software emulation to make that possibles."

Lempell chose not to talk about "specific plans at this point" but that doesn't mean we can't hope. And pray. And start online petitions.

http://kotaku.com/355645/is-playstation-3-backwards-compatibility-dead-maybe-not

[F9zDark]

When PlayStation Network director Eric Lempell was asked by the mag if the now BC-less console kills any chance of offering PS2 games via the PlayStation Store, as it does for original PlayStation games, Lempel said "We haven't talked about that yet, but there are possibilities through technology and software emulation to make that possibles."

Lempell chose not to talk about "specific plans at this point" but that doesn't mean we can't hope. And pray. And start online petitions.

http://kotaku.com/355645/is-playstation-3-backwards-compatibility-dead-maybe-not

Um, original Playstation games work just fine on the 40gb unit... I'd have thought Kotaku would have known that...

[Anonymous D]

thats what they said? they meant ps2 games arent compatible, or at least i think they did. wasnt this mentioned a while back, that even without the hardware inside the ps3 it could be emulated, just would take more time to code.

[DPyro]

They were talking about PS2 games on the PlayStation Store.

[F9zDark]

thats what they said? they meant ps2 games arent compatible, or at least i think they did. wasnt this mentioned a while back, that even without the hardware inside the ps3 it could be emulated, just would take more time to code.

Maybe I misunderstood how the article was written, but as far the PSP is concerned there is an emulator there, and it actually works with games that aren't released on the store. Maybe the PS3 does the same thing with PS1 titles; it has an emulator that reads the PS1 ISOs (or whatever data the PS3 version of the PS1 games is contained in; for the PSP its Eboot.pbp, PS3 I don't know what it is).

It could very well be game specific on the PS3 (each game contains emulator code; although I find this unlikely, but it still could be used).

However, I don't see why Sony doesn't step up the process and release a whole slew of PS1 games at a clip (like 5 to 10 games). If there is an emulator for PS1 titles in the PS3 there shouldn't be a problem with simply converting the games into PS3 format and sending them out in a large volume, if thats the case.

[DPyro]

The PS1 games on the store are just ISOs of the originals combined together with PSP/PS3 file containers and some DRM.

[Accordion]

PS2 downloads have been on the plan for a long time, it was always going to happen. though when and how often is not optimistic.

[F9zDark]

Personally, it baffles the hell out of me why Sony wouldn't simply write an emulator for the 40gb and allow people who HAVE PS2 games the ability to play; for those that don't buying them and downloading them on the Store would seem like a great deal (5-10 bucks for a game).

Sure I suppose its the money, but in reality, the GOOD business of appeasing the customers would worth its weight in gold than the money made by forcing people to buy and download games they may already own. For the PS1 this works, because I have maybe 1 PS1 game left after nearly a decade (Resident Evil 3). How many people have PS1 games left that are avid gamers? Probably not many since trading them in for a new game is better than keeping them around and never playing them (at least as far as I am concerned).

However the PS2 is still supported by developers and has great games that came out during the PS3 launch or shortly before (1 to 2 years).

I don't know, just seems very odd to me; cut the one thing from the console that SHOULD matter the most since the PS2 is the most successful console out there and is still selling great to this day.

[Accordion]

Personally, it baffles the hell out of me why Sony wouldn't simply write an emulator for the 40gb and allow people who HAVE PS2 games the ability to play; for those that don't buying them and downloading them on the Store would seem like a great deal (5-10 bucks for a game).
.

obviously, if it were that simple it would have been done. The fact that the first PS3s had full hardware for PS2, and the second gen PS3s had partial hardware and partial software for PS2 support shows that 'simply' making a completely software emulator isn't so easy.

[F9zDark]

obviously, if it were that simple it would have been done. The fact that the first PS3s had full hardware for PS2, and the second gen PS3s had partial hardware and partial software for PS2 support shows that 'simply' making a completely software emulator isn't so easy.

Well being easy isn't the problem; a group of homebrew devs made a PS1 and PS2 emulator... I think it was simply "Sony needed to get the cost down ASAP."

Sony has put up a request for PS1, PS2 and Software emulation devs on one of their websites; fairly recently too. So I believe it will happen eventually. Its just that selling these games on the Store would be more lucrative to them; which is why they would probably want to do that instead of making an update with a full on software emulator for PS1 and PS2 game discs.

[Baboon]

You guys are lucky though... on the 360 the BC is awful with most of the games not working or playable and apparently they are now ‘winding down’ BC compatibility. :(

At least Sony haven’t completely dropped BC emulation. I feel robbed on xbox as rather than carrying on with BC they are now making us pay and re-download games that we already own via ‘xbox originals’. :(

I might have been tempted with one of the cheaper 40gb PS3’s as they’ve become quite reasonable in price... but the lack of PS2 compatibility has sort of put me off (I still own many old PS2 classics :) ).

[jdnation]

I'm sure in due time Sony will take care of it. Many have to realize that large companies taking long to do shit isn't a result of lacking resources, but it's always usually some legal shit to get out of the way that takes a long ass time.