Backward Compatibility
I don’t understand the point of limited backward compatibility. Only Nintendo seems to be able to do it right – the Wii fully plays every single Gamecube game, and the DS and GBA play every game of the previous system. Why can’t it be that way with the Xbox 360 and PS3? First of all, the 40 GB model of the PS3 has no backward compatibility at all, and the 80 GB model is compatible with “many” but not all older games. It seemed at one point the eventual goal was to make all Xbox games play on the 360, but then Microsoft changed their goal and started releasing Xbox Originals on Marketplace, crushing hopes that we would ever be able to sell our original Xboxes. Of course, we can’t because of the still large percentage of games that just don’t play on the 360.
It seems that Sony and Microsoft are only doing their jobs halfway. If you promise backward compatibility, follow through on it. Especially when consoles use the same media format (DVDs), more consoles should follow Nintendo’s example. Either ditch backward compatibility completely, or make the new system entirely backward compatible. Nobody likes an unfinished job.
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I agree. I’m not sure why backwards compatibility isn’t offered. X-Box really doesn’t have an excuse. I think the PS3 runs their games off of BluRay discs … so maybe that’s why backwards compatibility is difficult for the PS3?
With the 80GB PS3, there were two models of it for awhile. I thought I was getting the original 80GB system which had backwards compatibility as well as a multi-card reader and four USB ports instead of two but found out that I got the toned down version which I think is the only one they’re making right now and that one has no backwards compatibility.
The PSStore has a system addon that supposedly adds backwards compatibility but it involves partitioning the hard-drive … I think it “rips” the game into a partitioned hard drive that the system does on it’s own instead of installing software that can emulate games right off the discs. I’m not 100% positive, I didn’t do much research into it yet.
I think PS3 is trying to move on from the PS2 … but backwards compatibility was just too nice. Now I have to hook up the PS2 and the PS3 instead of just hooking up the PS3 and putting the PS2 into the closet. Bleck … Oh well.
Invader Dem - September 16, 2008 at 6:30 pm