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PS3 Backwards Compatibility Confirmed
Thanks to Gamesindustry.biz for their story confirming that the PlayStation 3 will offer backwards compatibility with earlier PlayStation consoles via emulation, offering a quote from Sony boss Ken Kutaragi, sourced from the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun: "PSone runs on the PlayStation 2 through emulation rather than actual hardware. PlayStation 3 will offer the same compatibility for PS2 software and the format will continue forever." He also partially attributed the PS2's success to its multi-purpose nature, saying "[PS2] offers a sense of insurance because it is compatible with PSone and DVD movies", echoing earlier suggestions about DVD players in consoles, and obvious advantages to backwards software compatibility.
This is good news to hear.
Although I am uncertain how long CD/DVD sized optical media will be around for (refer to "forever" comment).
Since the PS2 emulates the PS1, did Sony just need to get PS2 emulation right to get PS1 emulation 'for free'?
I do not own a TV. Haven't watched TV in over a year. Opiate for the masses, indeed. Can't understand how anybody could vedge away.
However, if I had one and was given a choice between the PS2, Gamecube, and X-Box, I'd most definitely take a PS2. Here you have a simply massive game libary that spans two systems worth of modern classics, a DVD player, and a cheap CD player all in a very small black box for $200. If Sony didn't keep up with backwards compatibility the game libary for the PS3 would be on par with the X-Box 2 and whatever Nintendo came out with next, and lord knows that both will also do the "entertainment center in a small box" thing, thus leveling the playing field quite a bit.
Sony would be shooting themselves in the foot if they didn't do that, and they're smart enough to know. Nintendo has done the same with the Game Boy, and it's payed off very nicely.
Very good news indeed. But will the PS1 emulation be run from the PS3 or the PS2 emulator (an emulator running inside an emulator)??? ;)
I've got a modded PS1, primarily for playing Gradius Gaiden -- an import game that Konami of America said will never hit this continent in native form....
The problem being, since I've purchased a PS2 as well, is that I cannot play this game on the PS2 because of the region check.... so it looks like I'll be keeping my PS1 in good working order (I've already replaced the power supply, due to water damage....) I don't plan on modding my PS2 either, since I have no real benefit at this point...
I just wish they'd do away with the region checks. On a side note, since I've got my PS1 modded, there are some Capcom games that detect the mod chip, and throwing the game halt screen up before you can even play it... ugh.....
Karnal
At one point in time, I was hard-core Nintendo. NES, SNES, & then I bought a N64. Actually N64 was o.k., but everything that I wanted to play was on Playstation. I wanted a PS2 mainly as a DVD player and PS1. The PS2 was all bonus... I won't go out and buy. I will buy several of PS2 games for $15-$20 that I couldn't afford at $40-$55 each.
Actually, if you read the article closely, you'll see that although the author of the article states it, Sony did not.
"PSone runs on the PlayStation 2 through emulation rather than actual hardware. PlayStation 3 will offer the same compatibility for PS2 software and the format will continue forever," he explained.
Of course, the other point that people have already brought up is that most of the PSOne 'emulation' on the PS2 is done by having PSOne hardware in the PS2 in the form of the I/O chip.
The question is, is the 'format [that] will continue forever' the format of supporting the previous generation's software, or continuing to support the software all the way back to the PSOne? That is only made clear by the author's comments, and not the comments of Kutaragi.
-PainKilleR-[CE]