There I said it! I know it’s easy to rag on Sony, I’ve done it many a time given their poor performance this time around, but all this talk going on about the hardware revision for Europe, Aus and NZ being the end of the world is just BS.
For those of you that don’t know the PS3 to be launched in the fore mentioned locations is to have a hardware revision (in order to reduce costs) that removes the hardware which allows for full back compatibility of PS2 titles. Sony have instead opted for an Xbox 360 style software emulation to allow partial (no confirmed numbers yet) back compatibility.
Here’s what I think. As a 360 user I almost never play my old school Xbox games with a few exceptions such as Halo 1 and 2. I would wager that as time goes on with the PS3 the exact same thing will happen as more games come out fewer people will play old PS2 titles and the ones that do will simply use their old PS2.
At the end of the day if this hardware revision leads to a cheaper to produce console and that saving is passed on to the consumer I have no issue with it at all. At this stage I still have no plans of purchasing a PS3 due to a) the high price and b) the lack of new games, so any move on Sony’s part to improve the situation is a smart move in my eyes.
The question remains of course will Sony get their head out of their ass, stop using terms like ”4D”, see their current pricing structure and overall strategy with the PS3 isn’t working, and at last “get it together”? I think if they do it will be one of the biggest turn around’s in the industry’s history, especially with the head start it’s competitors have and the amount of time required to get it right. Despite my love for the 360 I sure hope Sony are making some positive changes behind the scenes and start getting a little more public about what’s next.