Newest PS2 not 100% backwards compatible

The newest PS2 to go on sale in Japan will have trouble playing seven PS2 games and nearly 40 PS1 games, according to IGN. The satin silver model is scheduled to go on sale in Japan on 11/23 (about two weeks before the Xbox 360 launches there), but the system sometimes freezes when playing Gauntlet Dark Legacy, The Stylish Mahjong F1 2001, F1 2002, and Tekken 5. It also has issues with a few other titles.

Sometimes it seems that the only way to reliably play older games is to spend lots of time hunting down reliable emulators. Even CDs, DVDs and ROM cartridges eventually stop working. The only guaranteed storage is a hard drive that’s backed up regularly to multiple locations.

The real question is this, though: if the latest PS2 can’t claim to be 100% backwards compatible, how the heck is the PS3 going to achieve it?

(By the way, Sony has not yet announced whether the satin silver PS2 will be made available to North American consumers.)

why would sony release ANOTHER ps2 anyways.. Isnt two enough? unless its like $99 I couldnt care less if this thing didnt make its appearance over here.

um... i'm sure this is like the genesis 3. breaks some games, but is essentially the same, and cheaper.

I just don't see the point... I thought it was ridiculess yet reasonable enough to have that really small ps2. and I can <i>only</i> asume this technology isnt the same technology being used on the ps3 (if anyone has been checking out the specs of the hardware) and the ps3 backwards compatablility will be fine