Sony PS3
 

So I went and splashed out on a PS3 yesterday and had to buy a bundle pack with two pretty naff games in order to get the 60GB version. The 40GB version doesn't allow for backwards compatibility with PS2 titles and, having about 20-30 PS2 games, that kinda sucked.

My question is, does anybody actually know the ridiculous reason Sony are discontinuing the 60GB version in the UK (and possibly elsewhere) when it isn't backwards compatible and most people buying one will probably have a stack of PS2 titles that is more expansive than even my collection? It hasn't got the same memory capacity and has fewer USB ports on it for controllers and other devices?

It just seems like the most stupid marketing idea I have ever heard from such a HUGE company as Sony!

If you were planning on getting one and, like me, were unaware of the backwards compatibility options, get one quick I'd say cos most of the places I went to (HMV, Virgin, Blockbuster etc.) had sold out and weren't planning on getting more in!

i think the reason being is that once you got a PS3 youve got to then go out and spend loads more money on games!

The 60GB model with backwards compability costs a lot more to make and Sony loses money every time someone buys one. That's the way it is with most consoles. The money comes from selling games and the rights to make the games. Which is why they want to sell PS3 games, not have people play their old PS2 games. In the US thy had a model with complete backwards compability, done with an emulator chip. They removed it from the European versions because it was too expensive to make. Now their scrapping all of backwards compability. Seems perfectly logical, but not too rational if you're a PS2 owner...

Ice

Nintendo make money on the Wii. One of the reasons they are so much more profitable than Sony and Microsoft's Games divisions, which are both massively down cash-wise. Ninty can't afford to cock-up like MS did with XB360 dieing left right and centre, and Sony delaying the release.

Yes I'm a fanboy :) Although I do own a 60GB PS3, and am surprised by the removal of it from the line-up. Perhaps it has something do do with this: Clix More cash used up so they can afford even less to lose cash on the PS3...

Nintendo do make money now, but they didn't when Wii came out. And X360 sells like hot cakes at the moment, it's even outselling Wii.

Shows how much Sony believes in PS3... They're bringing out a new model of PS2 and discontinuing one version of PS3! Way to go Sony...

Ice

The Wii is doing well because it's aimed at casual gamers and introduces a more interactive way of playing. It doesn't feed the Next Generation demand though, which is pretty much exactly why I have no interest in getting it myself. Ground breaking controller schemes need to be matched up with processing power before I'll do that.

For now, people are going to PS3 and 360 for their Next Gen needs. To state the 360 is dying left and right is a stretch. Between the two Next Gen choices, it is the console with the games. Halo 3 is already a historical best seller and people aren't playing that game on their old XBoxes, which means 360s are selling side by side with it in addition to those who already had their 360.

I'm one of those who have been waiting to purchase pending the release of a must-have game. I'm not a Halo person, so I'm not one of the people pushed to go make the console purchase. However, I am a big GTA person, which will have exclusive downloadable content (additional missions) for the 360 when GTA IV is released next year. I'm also looking forward to Alan Wake, which has been in development for some time now.

It's only now that we are starting to see the roll out of quality games designed for next gen systems, so give it time.

bah it's all about zelda DS (my gf got me one for my birthday)

saying that i cant wait to get the new call of duty on my 360 once i've beat splinter cell and got bored of my pro evo master league

Is that pro evo 2008 Jim? What do you think of it? I'm seriously tempted to go to Fifa 2008 after all my years with PES as it has gotten a hell of a lot of bad press from other gamers and seems rather limited in what it offers.

.... or women....

I very much like the Wii and I readily admit that I am less than the casual gamer. Not because I don't like playing games, but because I don't find entertainment in shooting Germans or aliens for that matter. I do like the old skool games like shooting saucers... lol

I am getting to the point where I just despise microsoft. I have an xbox. I realize that in the serious gamers world the $$ I paid for the xbox 3 years ago is mere pennies, but to me it was a good chunk of money. The fact that I can't get any new games that would be compatible with my 'old' xbox is ridiculous. At the same time, there aren't any 'new' games I am remotely interested in (except for guitar heroes III). It pisses me off that I would have to buy a 360 to be able to play guitar heros III. At least sony offers an option to the PS2 world and allows for guitar heros III to be released for PS2!!! Fantastic. At least somebody is considerate.

Back to the Wii. *I* like my Wii. I like the interactive games (and I think there is a huge market for interactive games - I know many people - me included - that are not at all into video games, but love some of the wii games. Call us casual gamers, but that is only because there is such an extremely limited number of games that aren't 'shooting aliens or germans' games) and I LOVE guitar heros.

Anyway, the mere fact that msft doesn't make any retro-fitting xbox games makes me not wanting to support that sort of mentality. I appreciate the fact that Sony comes out with a guitar hero III version that is compatible with PS2. It's considerate. Of course it makes perfect business sense. Msft doesn't have too much of a business sense anyway.....

As for the whole money/profit thing: It would just make sense to release all new games in a format that is compatible with the prior console version. After all, the money isn't in the console, but the games....

My 450 cents...

You can buy Guitar Hero 3 for Wii as well...

http://tinyurl.com/ytp27p

Ice