Goodbye backwards compatibility.

Bobdude161 · Jan 24, 2008

http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/01/24/best-buy-discontinuing-80gb-ps3/

An anonymous Best Buy employee has sent us a scan of an internal letter, which notifies employees that the 80GB system is being discontinued. "The 80GB version of the PS3 is going closeout and won't be replaced at this time," it reads. "It will come off the planogram on Jan. 28. The 60GB version should already be gone from stores. Only the 40GB version of PS3 will be sold in Best Buy stores at this time."

The 40GB model currently costs $399, and is the cheapest PS3 available. However, it does have a few limitations: it lacks memory card readers, features only two USB ports, and most importantly, loses backwards compatability, as noted in the memo. "This means that there currently isn't a version that is PS2 compatible," it notes.

There have been very shady rumors suggesting Sony is planning on introducing a cheaper $299 version of its console (although that has been repeatedly denied by Sony). Earlier in the week, we also discovered an FCC filing for a white model PS3. Whatever's going on, it appears that Sony's making moves for a big change. Stay tuned.

I work at a BB (no I'm not the anon. tipster) and we have plenty of 40s in stock, but people don't want that. The people that want to buy a PS3 are going to wait till more 80s came back in. I would guess about half the people are doing that. I have to break the news to them when they call and ask if we received any more stock and they will NOT be happy.

There's no foot left to shoot at. Let's go for the shins now.

Zwhaler · Jan 24, 2008

That kind of sucks... why would Sony get rid of the high end PS3? I sure hope they don't do another bait and switch... and revamp the current 40gig model with all the niceties of the 80 gig (card readers, etc) and introduce an equivalent of todays 40gig for $299... that would tick me off.

greatdevourer · Jan 25, 2008

I'm still somewhat confused about this "no BC" stuff. They don't lose a penny on having it, as it's all done in software, and all they do is put off potential customers

I suppose we wait till a usable emu for OtherOS turns up

acrafton · Jan 25, 2008

Buy used PS2 and new PS3

Just getting into gaming for the family and wanted to get the most bang. . .anyway, given that the 60gb sell for a premium on ebay used, could I not jsut do the following:

1. Buy 40GB PS2 - 399
2. Buy used PS2 on ebay - $120

This would cost around $520 and give me full compatibility. Alternative would be used 60gb for 550 or so. . .

Thoughts?

sikkinixx · Jan 25, 2008

greatdevourer said:
I'm still somewhat confused about this "no BC" stuff. They don't lose a penny on having it, as it's all done in software, and all they do is put off potential customers I suppose we wait till a usable emu for OtherOS turns up

its not all done in software though. Even the 80GB model still has some pieces of the PS2 in it so reducing it does save them some money.

acrafton · Jan 25, 2008

greatdevourer said:
I'm still somewhat confused about this "no BC" stuff. They don't lose a penny on having it, as it's all done in software, and all they do is put off potential customers I suppose we wait till a usable emu for OtherOS turns up

I believe the point is to get as many people to buy PS3s. If developers can continue to develop or update old PS2 games which will play on either PS2 or PS3 the developers have no incentive to port their games to PS3. If Sony removes BC from PS3 they think more games will go to PS3. As more people want a blu-ray player and the Sony is the cheapest way to go, there will be more PS3s out there. . .

zelmo · Jan 25, 2008

acrafton said:
I believe the point is to get as many people to buy PS3s. If developers can continue to develop or update old PS2 games which will play on either PS2 or PS3 the developers have no incentive to port their games to PS3. If Sony removes BC from PS3 they think more games will go to PS3. As more people want a blu-ray player and the Sony is the cheapest way to go, there will be more PS3s out there. . .

Plus, once they have more market share and more developer support, they can bring back BC and pretend they care about what gamers want...and maybe get people to buy another PS3. Silly Sony.

Sky Blue · Jan 25, 2008

acrafton said:
Just getting into gaming for the family and wanted to get the most bang. . .anyway, given that the 60gb sell for a premium on ebay used, could I not jsut do the following:

1. Buy 40GB PS2 - 399
2. Buy used PS2 on ebay - $120

This would cost around $520 and give me full compatibility. Alternative would be used 60gb for 550 or so. . .

Thoughts?

Or wait for the $299 PS3 and the $99 PS2

greatdevourer · Jan 26, 2008

acrafton said:
Just getting into gaming for the family and wanted to get the most bang. . .anyway, given that the 60gb sell for a premium on ebay used, could I not jsut do the following:

1. Buy 40GB PS2 - 399
2. Buy used PS2 on ebay - $120

This would cost around $520 and give me full compatibility. Alternative would be used 60gb for 550 or so. . .

Thoughts?

Your PS3 will upscale PS2 games, which your PS2 wont

gkarris · Jan 26, 2008

Sky Blue said:
Or wait for the $299 PS3 and the $99 PS2

You may not have a choice - I hear the 80 Gig is going away.

I guess Sony found out how much cheaper it is to totally abandon backwards compatibility and keep the popular PS2 Slim in production.

I'm sort of bumbed because the PS3 took the place of my PS2 (I had component and optical cables going to the switcher already). Now if I'm I'm trying to figure out what to do about playing PS2 games. I guess swap out cable time...

GFLPraxis · Jan 26, 2008

gkarris said:
You may not have a choice - I hear the 80 Gig is going away.

I guess Sony found out how much cheaper it is to totally abandon backwards compatibility and keep the popular PS2 Slim in production.

Maybe we should wait before jumping to conclusions?

One prediction from Kotaku:
http://kotaku.com/349221/analyst-sony-dropping-ps3-80gb-due-to-poor-sales-npd-lol-no

My inner analyst thinks Sony is either keen to introduce another top-tier model, sans Playstation 2 playing capabilities, not wanting the current 80 gigger around to make it even more confusing. Back in your cage, inner analyst.

It's worth noting that the 80 GB model outsold the 40 GB model last month in the NPD numbers. It'd be stupid to just eliminate it altogether.

iEdd · Jan 27, 2008

greatdevourer said:
I'm still somewhat confused about this "no BC" stuff. They don't lose a penny on having it, as it's all done in software, and all they do is put off potential customers I suppose we wait till a usable emu for OtherOS turns up

First US/Jap PS3s had PS2 graphics card and PS2 processor (emotion engine). Backwards compatibility was almost entirely hardware and worked with about 95-99% of games.

The AU (and later US/JAP revisions AFAIK) removed the emotion engine as it saved Sony ~$30 per console. This meant that the processor was emulated, but the PS2 video card was kept as it was incompatible with the PS3's GPU and so couldn't be emulated. Backwards compatibility rate dropped (though software updates keep improving this) and the one advantage added was upscaling for ps1/ps2 games.

The next PS3s had the graphics cards removed, meaning no BC, except for PS1, which all PS3s support.

MRU · Jan 27, 2008

14 months after a console launch... is BC really that important ? I think not... and obviously someone at Sony doesn't too.

asxtb · Jan 27, 2008

iEdd said:
...
The AU (and later US/JAP revisions AFAIK) removed the emotion engine as it saved Sony ~$30 per console. This meant that the processor was emulated, but the PS2 video card was kept as it was incompatible with the PS3's GPU and so couldn't be emulated. Backwards compatibility rate dropped (though software updates keep improving this) and the one advantage added was upscaling for ps1/ps2 games.
...

As I said, in another post, Japan has no 80gb model. But we still have the 20gb and 60gb, as well as the 40gb. So in Japan we still have full PS2 compatibility, minus the 40gb model.

Bobdude161 · Jan 28, 2008

GFLPraxis said:
Maybe we should wait before jumping to conclusions?

One prediction from Kotaku:
http://kotaku.com/349221/analyst-sony-dropping-ps3-80gb-due-to-poor-sales-npd-lol-no

It's worth noting that the 80 GB model outsold the 40 GB model last month in the NPD numbers. It'd be stupid to just eliminate it altogether.

I'm hearing the same thing now. I called up Sony asking what we're supposed to do if someone wanted to exchange a broken 80 Gig for another one with the BB warranty. They said we had to take care of our own problems and that they said nothing about eliminating the 80 Gig. It's being suggested that the 80 Gigs that came with Motorstorm are being phased out and that an 80 Gig by itself will take it's place. For now I really feel bad for the customers who have a damaged 80 Gig PS3 and want to exchange it out.

whooleytoo · Jan 28, 2008

MacRumorUser said:
14 months after a console launch... is BC really that important ? I think not... and obviously someone at Sony doesn't too.

It can be.. If you have a lot of PS2 games and still play some of them (as, it seems, a lot of people are still doing), then you would have to keep the PS2 hooked up in addition to the PS3, where it's taking up space, with the cables causing clutter, using up another power socket, and a television input. Plus, chances are, it's using a wired controller.

Being able to get rid of all that, and replace it with one (wireless) console is a big selling point, for some.

e²Studios · Jan 28, 2008

Bobdude161 said:
I'm hearing the same thing now. I called up Sony asking what we're supposed to do if someone wanted to exchange a broken 80 Gig for another one with the BB warranty. They said we had to take care of our own problems and that they said nothing about eliminating the 80 Gig. It's being suggested that the 80 Gigs that came with Motorstorm are being phased out and that an 80 Gig by itself will take it's place. For now I really feel bad for the customers who have a damaged 80 Gig PS3 and want to exchange it out.

They are more likely than not just dropping one SKU for another SKU. Changing the bundles, and the price so replacing the SKU could be expected.

Ed

2nyRiggz · Jan 28, 2008

MacRumorUser said:
14 months after a console launch... is BC really that important ? I think not... and obviously someone at Sony doesn't too.

Indeed, the option is nice to have but I got a PS3 for PS3 games and blu-ray. I have a 60 and I haven't touched the BC option in it....I've played PS2 games since I bought the machine but my PS2 is not that far away.

I think Sony will software emulate the PS2 with the 40Gig in the future but the whole point of buying a PS3 is for the PS3 games and media functions.

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