Slashdot Mirror
European PS3 To Play Fewer PS2 Games
Mondrian_was_a_square writes "When Sony launches the PS3 in Europe, consumers there won't be getting the same thing that US and Japanese buyers picked up at launch—they'll be getting less. Sony has just announced that the new revision of the PS3 will be less backwards compatible with PS2 games. 'Sony is looking to decrease the production cost of the Playstation 3, and they have opted to replace dedicated hardware with software that will replace its functionality. The hardware had been providing full backwards compatibility of PS2 games, but Sony makes it clear that the new configuration will not offer the same level of support. Certain PlayStation 2 format software titles may not perform properly on this system, the statement reads.'"
Is the the first time in console gaming history a launch system may be 'better' than the revisions of the same product?
Caffeine is my anti-drug!
Duranin - A NWN2 Roleplaying Persistent World
...that the software emulation will allow to scale the PS2-games to 720p high def resolution.
It doesn't mention that Sony want's to bring the backward compatbility to an level almost
as high as the hardware emulation in the US/Japan PS3 is too. See http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/85781
(in German). Not so bad as ist sounds.
This is exactly what I, as a UK gamer, have done. My PS3 arrived a couple of weeks ago and I've got a fairly extensive comparison of it with the other two "new gen" consoles up in my journal. The tipping point for me was when I saw the UK launch price. All told, if I were to buy the PS3 package I'd wanted in the UK, it would cost me the equivalent of about $1100. I got the same thing on import from the US for a shade over $800. What's really handy is that the PS3 just has a standard PC-style power input, meaning that I can use a standard kettle power-cable, rather than needing to buy a new step-down converter. Of course, pretty much any UK TV purchased in the last 8 or so years, barring some really, really low-end portables, is perfectly happy with either PAL or NTSC.
Sony have promised before that the PS3 would be region-free for games. I'm now picking up some worrying rumbles that this might not be the case as far as the UK goes and frankly, this latest news doesn't bode well either. However, while it would be nice to be able to walk into a UK shop and just buy a game when I want one, I'm willing and able to import. Sad to say, the US still does get more games and get them earlier than the UK. Still, I'm also hearing that US machines may be getting an update to allow them to play European/Australian games. If this is indeed true, then my decision to buy a US machine really does seem to have been the right one.
The only drawback right now is that I can't sign up to the online store with a UK credit card. However, once the European region is enabled on launch-day, I understand that I'll be able to sign up for the EU store from my US console.
There are no overwhelming reasons not to get an American PS3 in Europe, but there are enough hassles not to make it worthwhile for anyone but the most dedicated. Even though the machine itself might be cheaper the games won't be. After all you're going to have to import them for as long as you want to keep playing. If you import region 1 DVDs you can still watch the ones you buy locally on the same player, and even if you couldn't DVD players aren't exactly a big investment.
Then there is the problem of different voltages. European mains run somewhere around 240 compared to the American 110(ish). I don't know if the PS3 has an international power-supply, but if it doesn't you're going to need another accessory. Depending on how the online functionality of the PS3 pans out you might be restricted to playing on American servers against American opponents, which might put you at a disadvantage.
Importing is worthwhile if you are into the kind of games that are not getting released in your market. I always thought that that meant the kind of wacky Japanese game that lacks mass-appeal in the west. American games that don't see releases in Europe? The only thing that immediately comes to mind is Baseball. And even then the Mario Baseball for the GameCube is available over here.
But you're right--the TVs aren't a problem anymore these days. Seems to me that all sets made relatively recently speak PAL and NTSC. It's easier to sell one model around the world, after all.
Hank! White!