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Sony's PlayStation 3 isn't 100 percent backward compatible with PS1
and PS2 games after all. A couple hundred games have been discovered
that either do not play properly or at all on the new console. Sony is
aiming to solve the problem, however. In addition, the PS3's tie ratio
so far is not even one game per console. More within...
Sony's PlayStation 3 launched over the weekend in Japan, and
apparently word has gotten around that there's already a slight
problem with one of the console's major features: backwards
compatibility. Unlike the Xbox 360, which currently supports a few
hundred original Xbox titles, the PS3 was supposed to support all PS1
and PS2 games.
According to reports from the AFX news service, Bloomberg and others,
however, approximately 200 older software titles out of a total of
about 8,000 PS1 and PS2 games have encountered problems running on the
PS3. Even with those 200 games not playing properly on the new
console, the PS3 would still feature close to 98 percent backwards
compatibility.
"We don't want to call them defects, as the problems are sort of
inevitable when introducing totally different hardware," explained a
Sony spokesperson. "The type of problems vary from software to
software. In some cases the only problem is no sound, and in others
the screen freezes up."
That said, Sony is still aiming for 100 percent backwards
compatibility. The spokesperson added, "We're working day and night to
provide software to solve the problem."
Interestingly, backwards compatibility may be more important as a
feature than some may have thought. A new NPD study found that
backwards compatibility was second only to appealing game content in
affecting consumers' purchase intent towards new consoles. Apparently,
there are a lot of people who would still like to play PS1 and PS2
titles on a new system. One game series in particular that a number of
people will be disappointed to hear has problems is the popular Guitar
Hero. This isn't Red Octane's fault, however. Understandably, with
next-gen consoles comes next-gen controller technology. As such, the
guitar controller will not work on the PS3.
Backwards compatibility may also be important in the PS3's early days
because it would appear that not many consumers are picking up actual
PS3 games. Enterbrain, the Japanese publisher of Famitsu, has reported
that the PS3's tie ratio thus far is at less than one game per console
(0.98). Enterbrain previously reported that approximately 88,400 PS3
units were sold during the weekend in Japan.
Original Source: http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=14440
MOD'S: May want to repost this as well in the NEW'S Section
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