Sony to bring PS2 compatibility back to PS3?
Sony patent hints at Emotion Engine's (virtual) return
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Sony has applied for a series of patents that have sparked speculation that the electronics giant is about to bring back backward compatibility to the PlayStation 3.
The proto-patents all centre on processor emulation, and refer to techniques that could be used to allow the Cell-based PS3 to run software developed for the PS2's Emotion Engine processor.
If built into the PS3's system software, such techniques would allow the games console to run titles created for its predecessor.
Sony has done this before. The original PS3s contained the PS2's Emotion Engine and Graphics Synthesiser chips in order to enable the then new console to play old games.
But by the time the console was released in Europe, these components were left out. Some versions contained the Graphics Synthesiser to enable a degree of backward compatibility, but even this was dropped from later models.
Sony has always argued that consumers want new, PS3-specific games rather than the ability to run previous-generation titles.
Might it now have changed its mind? Certainly, some pundits are suggesting the filing of the patent applications is an indication Sony is about to bring PS2-compatibility back.
But Sony has played this feature down to such an extent over the past few years that it's hard to see the company wanting to revive it. Only if it's planning to make PS2 titles availble to PS3 owners as downloads does a newfound interest in backward compatibility make sense. Punters might not be so willing to buy brand new, pricey PS3 titles during the downturn, but they might be persuaded to pick up low-cost PS2 downloads instead. ®
COMMENTS
Too little, too late ....
Title says it all.
I bought a PS3 second-hand and three months later it had been sold on for a nice profit - no PS2 backward compatibility and a piss-poor collection of games were the nails in the coffin. There's no way in hell I'd have paid full whack for one.
It's still a mystery to me how Sony could get the PS3 so disasterously wrong on so many levels. For now, I'll stick with my old slimline PS2 and the white box from Redmond.
About time
I think Sony removing PS2 backward compatibility was one of the worse decisions amongst a lot of bad decisions they made.
What happens to all the people that have purchased a PS3 with no backward compatibility? I bet they're going to be annoyed and are going to feel very cheated.
If you're going to make a decision even a bad one you have to stick by that decision.
$ony's backwards compatibility Hokey Cokey...
..."In, out, in, out, fuck everyone about."
Some of Sony's previous comments on the subject:
1. "Backwards compatibility is a core value of Playstation now."
http://www.gamepro.com/news.cfm?article_id=55108
2. "We're not going to remove backwards compatibility."
http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=74124
3. "We're not going to cut the price for two years."
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/25409/SCEA-PS3-p...p-for-two-years
4. "We removed backwards compatibility to cut the price."
http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=85648
5. "We removed backwards compatibility to make people buy PS3 games, NOT to lower the price."
http://kotaku.com/gaming/spin/jack-tretton...ures-312628.php
6. "We removed backwards compatibility as a result of consumer feedback."
http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=84824
7. "We removed backwards compatibility to spend the money on developing new games."
http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=84831
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