man ppl are observent!
i dont doubt that emulation is coming to the states thats how they "reduced" the price on 60gb console.

not a surprise, at all but.. good job sony, way to charge $100 for 20 gb of HD, a game not everyone wants, and stripped down hardware.

i just hope they initiate some sort of trade-in program for when they roll out the rumble controllers..

This is basically the same version as the Korean, 80gb PS3.. so no big surprise.. they are looking to cut costs. Get your 60 gb PS3 while you can.

good news and soon after retarded news that sort reverses the good news. Is this Sony's plan because it seems like they love doing it. Sheesh they should either make it play all previous games or not, why bother with 90% works and %10 doesn't crap.

this won't just be true for the 80gig model. expect it in the 60gig version soon as well.

i expect many brandboys' arguments about the relevance of backward compatibility to change accordingly.



.

A higher percentage than 360 is not necessarily a good thing unless it's close to perfect. Disappointing news to late adopters.

I loves my launch console. Upscales AND dramatically reduces slowdown in PSX and PS2 software.

Um... What are people complaining about?

If you don't want the 20GB or game just opt for the $499 60GB. Also, people made such a big deal about the European version having software emulation, but guess what...after it was released and they continually updated the firmware it turned out not to be a big deal. In fact, the majority of the games that are being upscaled now on your PS3 are probably using that software emulation already. Just because the emotion engine is in the system doesn't mean that it is being utilized or will be utilized once they optimize the software emulation. This isn't a big deal b/c they have all the big titles covered and you have the option to purchase the 60GB console for a $100 cheaper and upgrade the hard drive to 120GB + with the savings. The price cut is a great move and since the hard drive is easily upgradable it doesn't make sense to purchase the most expensive version if you use some common sense.

Early adapters FTW!

I'm pretty sure it means that the limited BC is true out of the box. Update to the latest firmware and it should have all the BC that PS3's do now. Isn't the BC all software emulation now anyway? I believe one of the firmware updates actually disabled the EE chip for software emulation.

Translation: If you have a large PS2 game collection buy the 60 Gig before they phase it out.

Also the red light on the controller is no mystery. Seybold already said what it was on the blog.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2007/07/08/new-ps3-new-price-drop-more-news-coming/#comment-6679

Big deal! Those of us in Europe have had to put up with this from day one. Actually, it's not even that bad though, as Sony are adding support for more and more PS1 / PS2 titles with every firmware update. I've personally found that all my old games work fine.

shut up already. fanboys attacking other fanboys is so fucking retarded. The PS3 will have limited back. compatibility. OH MAN! SONY SUCKS! Meanwhile the 360 has the same problem. DAMN! go outside and take a walk. EVERYONE.

If the 60 gigs were also switching over to software emulation, that would make the current models somewhat of a collectors item...

Oh, that's bullshit! Shenanigans!

Sony's a bunch of assholes, who also wear asses for hats. I don't know how you would combine that into one all encompassing insult, but I'm sure someone will figure it out, and when they do, it will be an apt description of Sony's games devision.

I want my PS3 to have fucking PS2 hardware, not emulation software that only works on half the games. I was going to buy a PS3 (eventually) only because of backwards compatibility (many more PS2/1 games I want to continue playing, I've long been rid of any Xbox games I used to own). The games are going to be, essentially, the same for both MS's and Sony's consoles (with the exception of Mass Effect: put it in my veins!)

I dread the impending list-o-backwards compatibility which will, undoubtedly leave us wanting more, much like the Xbox360 list. Ugh, I'm just rambling now.

So pissed, so pissed...


Where's my broom?

The reason is that it doesn't have the Emotion chip.

FYI, in case some of you missed it, the software emulation actually turned out pretty good. This won't be an issue for most people.

i will get one when they hit $300. I will get a 360 when the elite hits $300 (and has 65nm chips)

until then I will play ball-in-a-cup

An SCEA rep already confirmed this:

"The current 60 GB model utilizes a hardware and solution for backwards compatibility, namely the Emotion Engine chip. The new 80 GB PS3 will use a software solution for backwards compatibility, similar to that currently found in the PAL model," said Kimberly Otzman, SCEA Corporate Communications Representative.


And on the RED SIXAXIS light: "The controller that comes with the 80GB is the same the controller we shipped at launch, in the packaging the PS button is probably lit up,"

http://www.gamingbits.com/content/view/2292/2/

This is totally expected. First software emulation is used in the current 60gb and the future models. Just more of it in the future models. The current 60gb has the RSX chip built in. this is used for display purposes and the CBE emulates the rest. In the current EURO and future models the CBE will emulate it all. Quite a feet. Sony also supports more backwards compatibility titles than m$. But lets be serious, most gamers keep multiple systems hooked up anyway right? These older titles are added through software updates, just like your router, PSP, TiVo cell phone and any other modern device.

Second, the pack in Motor Storm game is one of the best driving / racing single player and online games period. Anyone bitching about 8 on screen multi player online for free with full voice char, friends etc etc? Even DIRT on live is paid for and you can't race others in real time. Hello?

And third, the xbox released only 5 years ago came with an elephant sized controller that wasn't replaced until after it's first year with the controller s.

Software emulation is here to stay on ever console, (even the Wii uses it) and most new devices like the iPhone. It just makes sense to design hardware to utilize this.

Holy crap...the PS3 just hit #1 on the Amazon Video Games top sellers chart.

http://www.amazon.com/computer-video-games-hardware-accessories/b/ref=gw_br_cvg/002-1575334-6773665?%5Fencoding=UTF8&node=468642&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=left-nav-1&pf_rd_r=1Z76Y4QR3Y219VEB6GDJ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=285525001&pf_rd_i=507846

Won't last long but it's nice to see. =)

How long before the emulators are copied from the HDD and made to work on the PC? or other consoles? :P

so maybe it was a good thing to get one earlier rather than later

The Wii uses software emulation for the VC titles, not GC titles, since the architecture is still the same

its an odd decision, since the EE chip is probably incredibly cheap to produce at this point, and you would REALLY want to have good backwards compatibility when you're coming off of the 110 + million sold console, it should be a bigger priority for Sony than for either MS or Nintendo, but oddly enough Nintendo seems to be the one with the most emphasis on it (with the least significant console to be BC with)

The BC isn't that limited. It's pretty good for SW compatibility. However, if you really want best BC (as I do), you'd better snap up one of the current PS3s before they go.

I have to say though that unlike on the 360, where only 10% of my games worked, on the PS3, I've never played a PS2 game on it that wouldn't have worked on the SW compatibility version*.

The asterisk above is because I play GH2 on my PS2 because it doesn't work on PS3, SW or HW BC. Given that PS2 is seemingly about to drop to $99 and WILL play GH2, I don't have a huge problem with cutting the price of PS3 by $100, given that if you need 100% BC you can then just buy a PS2 also and still come out $1 ahead.

Keep improving that SW BC Sony. If you want to keep PS2 the leading platform in sales, you can't drop the PS2 like MS did with the Xbox.

James:
There is no official list as to what the HW BC PS3 supports that the SW PC PS3 doesn't. Some people have made up some such lists. Be careful when reading them as they often list games with what Sony calls minor defects (which are often just things like slight glitching during cut scenes) as incompatible when they're fairly playable.

All I have to say is that both MS and Sony are making buying a gaming connsole much more complicated and difficult than it should be. Hopefully this gen turns into a dismal failure for both so they learn and go back to simplicity on the PS4 and Xbox 3. While I have absolutely no intention to ever buy a Wii, I do appreciate Nintendo's philosphy for what it's worth...

Is there really anyone out there buying a PS3 who doesn't already own a PS2?

@Dan

Maybe but they might just sell or trade in their PS2s towards the purchase of a PS3, assured they could still play their old games.

I didn't have a GC but if I did I would have sold it and used the money towards a Wii.

This guy woulda also:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyXUVd2c83c

I think we can all guess that next North America PS3 hardware announcement will be the discontinuation of the current 60GB SKU. After that the 80GB package will loose Motorstorm and drop its price to $499.

Basically if you want your PS3 to play most of your PS1/PS2 games you need to think about buying a unit soon.

Dan, and anyone else who said anything about already owning a PS2

Yes, I own a fucking PS2, but I could get $60 for the thing (which amounts to a 10% discount). Also, I already have a DVD/VCR player, NGC, and HDTV Tuner hooked up to my TV, I have one HDMI input, and it's already occupied. Why the fuck would I want to leave a PS2 hooked up to a component video port which I could use for a PS3 that will play all my PS2 games. If I were to find one game that I love to be incompatible, I would see it as a waste of $600.

Sony realized they don't have to bring their A game, they just have to bring a little better game than MS, they're not even trying anymore.

I've a Euro PS3 and a Huge collection of PS1/PS2 that I've built up over the years. I was pissed off when I found out it would have software emulation but I ponied up the cash anyway.

The only games I have that don't run are Onimusha 1&2 and this well be fixed in a future update.

It's a far better experience than the Xbox emulation on 360. I mean, so few games run and for a lot of people, some of the games that do run, randomly crash. It's really annoying! (I'm speaking first hand here folks).

Software BC on PS3 is very good.

Children of the Americas, have no fear!

hey guys..

FOR ALL PS3 OWNERS.. GO AND CHECK YOUR BOX.. IT SAYS THE EXACT SAME THING...

you can even go to the ps3 official page and it will say the same thing about the 60gb

http://www.us.playstation.com/PS3/About

look all the way at the bottom

I thought the EE PS3 didn't do the upscaling that the emulated version does??? Or did I make that up?

I've not used my PS3 for old games anyway, so it doesn't bother me at all.

Vid

The purchase of a brand new console merits the weighing of many different factors. Looking at the PS3, and 360, the games look the same, almost all the games are going to be on the other. Exclusives are always a trade off: if I want to play Mass Effect, I won't get to play White Knight; if I want to play White Knight, I don't get to play Mass Effect.

One of the definite advantage the PS3 had was it's 100% backward compatibility, which it no longer has. That's one less bullet point, and one less reason to buy the PS3.

I was lying in bed last night, thinking about the (very distant) future in which I would purchase a new-gen console, and the one reason for which I'd purchase a PS3 instead of a 360 was that assurance that I would be able to play all my fucking games.

I like how Joystiq take any dig they can.

As a EU PS3 owner, I can say, the PS2 software BC is VERY good, marginally inferior to hardware BC, sure, but getting better quickly. I would expect new firmware to address the last 100 or so major missing titles, before the US launch. If anything the lack of EE, makes the unit run cooler, amd more efficient mobo layout.