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Tretton: cutting PS2 BC won't cut PS3 cost

Published on 19th October 2007 by Joe Martin

Tretton says Sony cut BC to "purchase more games designed specifically for the new system."

There's been an awful lot of discussion lately about the backwards compatibility being cut from the lower-end model of the PlayStation 3 and the forums seem to have been divided starkly into two camps. There's those who see BC as a valuable extra which, since it is done software-side, should be incorporated into every model of the PlayStation 3 and there's those who are happy to play PlayStation 2 games on the original console. Yeah, I know - it makes no sense to me either.

Like it or not though, the fact of the matter is that if you want backwards compatibility then you have to buy the more expensive model and not the streamlined 40GB version.

Oddly though, Sony is insisting that the choice to drop backwards compatibility wasn't in order to effect the manafacturing costs. In fact, it hasn't effected the costs at all and Jack Tretton, the head honcho of SCEA, has spoken to the Wall Street Journal about why BC was really cut.

It was part of an effort to "encourage buyers of the entry-level PlayStation 3 to purchase more games designed specifically for the new system."

Hmm. Good one, Jack. You couldn't accomplish exactly the same by actually making some more exclusive games which will have release dates closer to the present day?

Got an opinion on the PlayStation 3 or just want to accuse of us of being Xbox 360 fanboys? That's fine, do it in the forums.

25 Comments

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sbarts 19th October 2007, 12:54

Cutting BC makes even less sense to me now than it did a week or so ago. They've removed a feature that may have attracted/justified some people buying the PS3 and Sony has gained nothing from it. It's madness, and people wonder why sales of the PS3 are so slow.

Paradigm Shifter 19th October 2007, 13:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbarts
Cutting BC makes even less sense to me now than it did a week or so ago. They've removed a feature that may have attracted/justified some people buying the PS3 and Sony has gained nothing from it. It's madness, and people wonder why sales of the PS3 are so slow.

Agreed.

Although I admit that I'm very tempted to buy a 60GB PS3 this weekend...:o

Rebourne 19th October 2007, 13:14

Makes sense, but I don't care. All I want it for is the bluray movies.

blackerthanblack 19th October 2007, 13:40

Madness indeed. Those strapped for cash are the ones most likely to buy the cut version, and the most likely to make use of the BC. So they can't now sell their old PS2 (to offset the cost) if they buy one of these, so if they still have their old PS2, then why do they need to buy Sony again? May as well buy a cheaper console?

Buy the way, it should be affect, not effect, in the article. Sorry to be picky, but people mixing those up really gets to me!

Bursar 19th October 2007, 13:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackerthanblack
Buy the way, it should be affect, not effect, in the article. Sorry to be picky, but people mixing those up really gets to me!

By the way, it should be by, not buy in your post. Sorry to be picky, but people mixing those up really gets to me! ;)

cjoyce1980 19th October 2007, 13:54

this guy talks out of this ass, of course it was done to save cost, like moving to a 40GB drive. nipple!!!

Carbon_Arc 19th October 2007, 13:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bursar
By the way, it should be by, not buy in your post. Sorry to be picky, but people mixing those up really gets to me! ;)

Maybe it was correct and blackerthanblack was suggesting we all purchase 'The Way' a 2006 film staring Jason Behr? :D

blackerthanblack 19th October 2007, 13:55

:(
Too many buys!

phat-ant 19th October 2007, 14:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rebourne
Makes sense, but I don't care. All I want it for is the bluray movies.

Totally Agree :) Had mine since day one and got no problem with it at all :)

Veles 19th October 2007, 14:20

TBH, emulation BC is a bit crap anyway, if it's not hardware, don't bother at all, so us Europeans haven't really lost out on anything. Cutting the BC wouldn't cut the cost much (although I doubt it would not make any change at all since there is now no PS2 hardware in there at all I believe, whereas with the software BC in the EU models there is still a bit of the PS2 hardware in there), Jack's reason for cutting BC is pretty bad though, I can see why they did it, but it's not very consumer friendly. As Joe said, if you want to sell more games, get more exclusives that are actually good.

xxalxx 19th October 2007, 15:04

hmmm i think this is one of the tings Sony should not have let out the bag. It basically say's "well we are not going to let you play old format games because you horible lot arnt buying enough new ones!"

xxalxx 19th October 2007, 15:05

and yes I have spotted grammar and spelling mistakes, before the grammar police arrest me.

Vash-HT 19th October 2007, 15:23

I bought a 60Gb ps3 when I heard they were cutting hardware BC for it, managed to pick it up on ebay for pretty cheap actually. I can say that I don't regret it, ps2/ps1 games look far better on my TV when using a ps3 instead of the ps2/ps1.

themax 19th October 2007, 15:42

There is an article over on PS3fanboy (and probably Kotaku) with Jack Tretton point out the cost of a 40GB PS3 + PS2 is cheaper than the cost of the Original 60GB PS3 with full BC. If you count the temp pricecut to get rid of the left over 60GB stock then his point is moot. Even now with the 80GB dropping to $500 a PS2 added in pushes it back up to over $500.

Either way, I believe Sony is moving to push more PS2 sales combined with the PS3. Assuming PS2's drop to $99 soon you can theoretically get a 40GB PS3 + PS2 for the same price of the "gimped" (as everyone calls it) 80GB PS3 and better BC with mostly the same features (no card reader and lacking 2 USB). If the Price doesn't drop you pay roughly $50 more than the cost of the 80Gb PS3, factor in the required peripheral to move PS2 saves to the PS3 and you are really paying about $35 more. All this is using the U.S. dollar though. Not sure how well this translates for the EU and Canada.

xxalxx 19th October 2007, 15:57

At Gamestation UK - 40GB PS3 is £299.99 and a PS2 is £94.99

XE.net works that out as ..... 394.98 GBP = 808.475 USD for us UK people.

EQC 19th October 2007, 19:32

Quote:

There's those who see BC as a valuable extra which, since it is done software-side, should be incorporated into every model of the PlayStation 3

People who think that are wrong with their interpretation of what the "software" emulation really is...even the "software" BC on the PS3 still uses built-in PS2 hardware. The PS2 had it's own CPU and GPU. Original PS3's had hardware versions of both. When BC went "software" they only removed one piece of the hardware for software simulation...I believe the PS2 graphics chip was still built in to every PS3.

With the new model, both pieces of PS2 hardware have been removed. Whether this guy admits it or not, hardware costs money. It would also cost Sony a ton of money (and it might not be possible) to develop an effective software-emulator for the hardware that has now been removed.

devdevil85 19th October 2007, 19:38

I don't believe that PS2 games hamper the sales of new PS3 games and tbh I don't believe that BC didn't affect the pricedrop because it still takes additional hardware to emulate it....Tretton should've just kept his mouth shut....it's because of comments like this that the PS3 is where it is today.....

Tyinsar 20th October 2007, 04:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackerthanblack
... Those strapped for cash are the ones most likely to buy the cut version, and the most likely to make use of the BC. ...

That was my first thought when I read:

Quote:

It was part of an effort to "encourage buyers of the entry-level PlayStation 3 to purchase more games designed specifically for the new system."

:(:(:(

sandys 20th October 2007, 10:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Veles
TBH, emulation BC is a bit crap anyway, if it's not hardware, don't bother at all, so us Europeans haven't really lost out on anything.

Do you even own a PS3, my vast PS2 library works fine on my UK 60GB!

Kipman725 20th October 2007, 13:55

stupidity at its brain dead finest.

themax 20th October 2007, 15:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandys
Do you even own a PS3, my vast PS2 library works fine on my UK 60GB!

The vast majority would rather just say it sucks than check Sony's online site that tells you what games work and what don't. And they would rather not check, or even verifiy by playing one themselves. You're going to have to get used to stuff like that being said around here.

devdevil85 20th October 2007, 17:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by themax
The vast majority would rather just say it sucks than check Sony's online site that tells you what games work and what don't. And they would rather not check, or even verifiy by playing one themselves. You're going to have to get used to stuff like that being said around here.

Sadly, that's what happens on forums....people think that because "a friend of a friend" that they heard from another friend said something that it's fact or maybe it's just something they want to believe as being fact because it is something that fits their personal bias towards something. I only consider/say things are fact when either A) I looked it up myself on a legit site(s) or B) I have experienced it personally, and if it's not any of those I let people know that it's "my opinion" or that "I heard from a friend of a friend" so that people can either take it as worthless or worth considering......

zoom314 20th October 2007, 18:03

wake Me up when the 1TB PS4 comes out. Sleepy... ;) Until then I'll stay with My PS2. :D

Veles 20th October 2007, 18:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandys
Do you even own a PS3, my vast PS2 library works fine on my UK 60GB!

No, but it's a fact that emulation BC has poor performance compared to hardware BC, a lot of games seem to play perfectly, but you can get the occasional game where it doesn't work too well and it's glitchy. This glitch could become apparent immediately, or it could be game breaking glitch that doesn't show up until hours of playtime, meaning you've wasted a few hours. Even if I had a PS3 with emulation BC, I'd still rather play my PS2 and 1 games on my PS2.

Mister_X 22nd October 2007, 08:54

I have a PS3 in the post to me as we speak, To be honest not especially bothered about it. Hardly anything worth playing on it. I still think Sony have done nothing but PR blunders for its whole development life and subsequently after its release.

Only reason I'm getting one is that luckily i have some disposable income.

360 remains my console of choice