[UPDATE] Why Free PS2 Compatibility Won’t Happen
There is a high probability that we’ll all have the ability to play certain PS2 titles on our PS3s though, specifically through the PlayStation Store. PS1 classics have been a huge success, with titles such as Final Fantasy VII, despite its age, topping the PSN sales charts. And with the PS2 nearing the end of its 10 year life cycle, next year should mark the end of PlayStation 2 hardware and games taking up shelf space at retailers. This would be the optimal time for Sony to swoop in and start offering PS2 classics on the PlayStation Store.
The PlayStation Division is one of the most promising and profitable divisions within Sony, and any chance to make Sony Corp. more profitable as a whole will most likely be taken. It’s not hard to imagine internal programmers at the PlayStation Division working with key publishers to re-release popular PS2 titles on the network. The pricing, however, would have to be reasonable. PS1 classics typically retail for $5~10, thus PS2 classics would probably be in the $15~20 range. The only question though is whether or not you, our readers, would be willing to purchase PS2 titles through PlayStation Network. Or whether you feel this would simply be a carefully staged ripoff on Sony’s part.
Let us know in the comment section below!
Update: Information regarding PS Insider corrected.
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27 Responses to “[UPDATE] Why Free PS2 Compatibility Won’t Happen”
shoot! id pay 20 bucks apiece for ps2 games. at this point i know that ps2 backwards compatibility is comming. how and when is the question!
also i think the pattent for “ps thanks: and the emulation software may have something in common. and the ps2 is in its 10 year. i think ps thanks is the emulation software. lol mabey not
Somewhere, deep down, I had this same feeling. I’m always cheerfully optimistic about Sony- what with their pleasant little Firmware updates, and adding content and new features(although not fully supporting it), and their great line up… But the idea that they had an update to every PS3 that would magically turn your system into a 3 generation playing beast is almost too good to believe.
As good of a ‘fan move’ it would be, for sales and merch- they’d be shooting themselves in the foot. The reason so many people are buying FF7 is their nostalgia kicks in and they want to play it now.
Here’s my prediction:
Sony is entering a time that we’ve all been waiting patiently for. The dawn of the PS3 era is neigh, and soon we’ll be seeing greater titles coming more and more frequently. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but the opportunity is there for Sony to turn the tides as the competition would start to flatline. As the PS2′s lifecycle ends, as John points out, Sony will probably start to pump PS2 titles online. If by that time things have resumed dramatically, and Sony can spare the expense, we could see the upgrade offered to us, but most likely for a small fee on PSN.
anyone agree?
I think with more & more media going DLC it would make sense that if you want to play your PS2 games that some form of emulator be produced and getting the process and software patented and copyrighted wil make sure that Sony maximizes any profits from it. Sony may have the tech in the lab but they might just hold on to it. They could sell it to a third party to develop a player that would include the tech so that PS2 games could be played on the PS3 or as a stand alone Wii like player, where you have technology with just a drive and processor designed to either stand alone or with a PS3…
putting ps2 games on the psn makes perfect sense, l would pay that much for some ps2 games.
that’s why I love my 60gb…i dont have to worry about this
I think they will add Software emulation for the Playstation 3 and here’s why.
The Playstation 2 is still a marketing corner, people still have PS2′s and beforehand couldn’t afford a PS3. The Ps2 is on it’s 10th year and is slowly getting redundant. Now when it finally cannot be marketed enough with games and lower costs, they’ll stop supporting the PS2, and welcome Playstation 2 Software Emulation. Selling PS2 games on-line through the PSN. It can still market PS2 games working for every PS3 and with the new PS3 price-point, more people are able to afford a PS3 now. They wouldn’t release a PS2 software emulation if the PS2 is still profitable. But when it becomes un-profitable , they’ll do what I mentioned above.
But I know the PSN is always expanding, now with minis, digital comics, movie downloads and soon Playstation 2 titles. It makes sense from a marketing standpoint. They will do it.
Please comment
@Joinsideke:
I think it is entirely possible with the “Upgrade” of PSN coming soon they could put an emulator for sale there for those that “have to have” BC or they will sell their PS3′s. So if that is there then it should certainly satisfy those immature whiners. I have some PS2 software that I initially played with my PS3 but after FW 1.80 it stopped working but did come back later. Since then I have moved on to PS3 games that fill that same game play and have online playability.
So I don’t have a large collection of games since I limit my gaming to my likes which are Racing since you can’t get sniped from areas of the map that you can’t see. So it makes time in game last longer and no respawns needed. But Uncharted 2 CB changed that and now I am looking forward to MAG and looking at other PS3 games so the emulator for PS2 is not on my radar… Now if they could get a great Flight Sim like Aces or Air Warrior. Then I would be a real happy camper. Then include joystick support for it that would really be great…
well personally I see both sides of this argument and they both have their advantages.
I can see them start putting PS2 titles on PSN at a low price point. But hopefully not at that $15-20. My math tells me 3 PS2 games would equal out to be 1 PS3 game and I would gladly buy one PS3 game over 3 PS2 games. It is kinda the reason why I have a PS3 is to play those games. But still there will probably be some classic games that we all have some nostalgia to play. I know that’s why I bought FF7 and played it again.
Still down the road I can see them releasing the PS2 titles on PSN but also giving us the Software Emulator but that might be after the PS2 era is done and they aren’t selling them anymore. So the only way to play PS2 games would be to already own the game or to just buy it online. This way it is similar to how the PS1 classic games are working out.
That’s my two cents at least.
Or maybe the PS2 emulator is for the PSP2…
@John Draisey
Mad props on saying the TRUTH!
but the sad reality is that backwards compatibility should have never existed in the first place.It puts a huge burden upon the hardware manufacturer to make 8~10 years worth of back catalog titles work on hardware that they weren’t built to run on.
Its the truth…. i feel exactly the same way. People make it seam like by not being able to play your PS2 games on your PS3 the systems not worth the purchase.
it seams like a lame excuse from people who want everything in 1 machine. Sony has conducted surveys and its been proven that people who buy a PS3 is to play next Gen games. I personally know people who own a BC PS3 and rarely play any of the old PS2 games. Look at the facts… the 360 offered emulation when Sony had backwards compatibility, after they removed it, M$ did the same. At times, i think people are to picky on games. I started playing FPS after there were no fighting games or RPG’s available and im glad i did. I never had any desire to play FPS until i bought a PS3. Now im looking forward to MW2 and Mag………. i bought KZ2, Jericho , COD4 and W@W. the smartest thing for Sony to do is sell them from the PSN and make them viable from your friends list.
Everyone need to look forward and stop looking back and making comparison and just get your game on and have fun! If they made a premium PS3 Slim with BC It would be priced higher than 299.99 than people will complain the price is to high and wait until Sony lowers its price again. (those who want BC added). Can you can honestly tell me that in 3 years with such an awesome catalog of games out NOW and coming out, you cant find anything to play? or anything that outperforms your PS2 games? Eventually, Sony will release some form of BC threw a firmware or software purchase from the PSN. If you purchase a PS2 game in the future from the PSN you are guaranteed it will work with your PS3.
I would gladly pay $100 for PS2 emulation software on my PS3. Much rather pay that than buy PS2 games on the PSN.
Here’s a list of my all-time favorite ps2 games, sure I’d pay $15 or $20 to play any of these:
Jak 3
Silent Hill 2
RE 4
ICO
Shadow of the Colossus
Kingdom Hearts
Burnout 3 Takedown
Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence
God of War
God of War 2
GTA San Andreas
Hitman 1,2,3
i’d pay 20 bucks for a ps2 game on the psn
personally i’d like a disc copy feature for my ps1 games, but alas it’d never happen b/c of pirating issues
@ Twoje – then go out and buy a PS2, seems pretty simple to me if you’re willing to pay $100 for an emulator, just pay $100 for something you can have right now and know will work for every PS2 game. I however am not willing to pay $100 for BC and the only reason I feel ripped off by not having it is because my original PS3 which had BC was stolen from me and I had to buy a new one without. So I feel ripped off by the jack A$$ that stole mine, not by Sony. I never used it when I did have it, but knowing that I had it taken away from me makes me want to back..one of those things you take for granted when you have it.
just to clarify, Cpiasminc DID NOT post the bit in the beginning of our article that states that the ps2 emulator has been tested for over a year now and such.. that came from another inside source who remains unidentified (we have reported rumors from this source in the recent past that panned out to be true, however.) Once again, to spare the poor dude his job for something he never did to begin with, cpiasminc did NOT post that first part. He has been a staffer at our site for years, and does not leak info like that to us because of his rather public role on our site. it would be career suicide if he did, as he as a game developer. so, he only posts bits about the tech that goes into this stuff, but never posts anything he is not supposed to. All that comes from another unnamed source.
Dustin Rudzinski
Editor in Chief
PSInsider.com
before i even read it i knew what you were gonna say
sony love to adhere to their 10 year plan and having backwards compatability in the new console makes it much more difficult
but we’ve all seen the 10 year plan work with backwards compatability with the PS1
but with PS4 i think they have to have it if it still uses standard discs, im sure the new xbox console will and its a feature im use to and believe should be in every system that uses standard discs
That’s what I also though. If they don’t bring an emulation back, The games would be DL form PS store. PS2 got a massive library. Although most games that I would want to play again are RPG games, and Outlaw Volleyball (We just love it). And please dont sell it for more than $10. Most PS2 games are now less than $10.
You want BC says Sony, sure > pay for it! this will stop all the bickering, (wishful thinking!)
~funkyellowmonkey(ps3 id)~
very bad for Sony!! ((
my PS3 60GB (2006 november) ITS DEATH in june 2009 and i wait new Slim or PS3 writing all games from PS2, but SONY give castrated console!!!! this very bad for Sony!! i dont bay slim and fat PS3!! i dont nead castrated console, i wont normal console!!!!!!!!! Sony wont money again for old games selled from PSstore-its not good, beacose i dont wont again bay Metal Gear Solid-Silent Hill or more from store!!
way Sony seller 2 console!?? and give chose players!??
1 console: Writing games from ps1-2-3 and price-400-500$, and people have choise< bay or not bay!!
2 console: not writing game from ps1-2 and price 250$- and 300$ ( for what 300$- for castrated console????)
and we all players have a choise- BAY 1 or 2 console!! whay SONY Has made a choice for us!??
WHAAAYYYY!????????
my verdict!! i dont bay ps3, i play ps2 games, beacose only UNCHARTED 1-2 dont need for me on ps3!!!!!!!!!! i love games from my ps2!!!!!!!
p.s. sorry for bad english!!!!!!
Well… All I have to say on the subject, is I wonder if the PSP, which is just as powerful (I think) and possibly slightly more powerful than a PS2, would be able to play these PS2 titles. That’s what makes the PS1 titles so popular. WIth the Go’s capacity it sure does leave enough room for some of those titles, but, at this stage it’s just speculation.
I’ll be amazed if software emulation will work well enough for Sony to want to include it in a firmware update OR sell it as a stand-alone product… Playing Ratchet & Clank 2 on my (European) 60GB a couple of days ago, the frame rate was well below what it runs at on PS2- I had no choice but to put the disc in my PS2 (again, an original launch model which I have no intention of getting rid of) and enjoy the strangeness of a wired controller for the first time in ages… I’m guessing that was due to software GS emulation, but without a US or Japanese launch model to test it against I just don’t know…
Quite honestly, even PS1 emulation is a little laggy on my PS3: trying to play Vib Ribbon it becomes apparent that the timing is off, and Bust-a-Groove is entirely unplayable…(not that I get the urge to play it very often, but that’s not the point…)
So I’m with the official Sony stance that the PS3 should be focused on its OWN software base, since as powerful as it is, it’s obviously better just being itself rather than pretending to be it’s predecessors… My PS2 runs PS1 games perfectly, and I’m happy to have it sat next to my PS3 on the shelf above the TV… I’d rather Sony didn’t waste time and money on trying to make PS2 B/C work if the PS3 just won’t run it fast enough with just software…
Who knows, perhaps the PS4 will be fast enough to emulate the entire family… We can but hope… it might save me some space in my living room!
The vast majority of people don’t buy a PS3 to play PS2 games. Sony released a press release about this. I think having them on the store is more viable. I understand having backwards compatibiliy in the beginning but being 3 years in its not necesary for the majority of people. The last PS2 game I played on my PS3 was GOW2. If you have a PS2 than use it. Look at it like this. If you have a PS2 and bought a 360 cuz the PS3 didn’t have B/C then you still won’t be able to play the PS2 games. Let’s be honest. If the choice is between Uncharted 2(PS3) and Grand Theft Auto(PS2) nobody on this board is going to choose GTA. Hook up the old PS2. It played them before and it will play them again.
You pay for what you get I love my Launch 60. Enough said.
On the issue of them taking BC out of the later model PS3:
I agree that BC probably never should have been implemented if it was only going to be scraped in later models, but it was said in the article that the hardware BC was up to 95% of all PS2 games before they decided to drop it in later revisions.
What I don’t understand is if it already has a 95% compatibility why take the chips out? Even if Sony was unable to get the other 5% of games to work they could have left the chips in and sold it as compatibility with almost every PS2 game. We are talking about a game catalog with 1500+ games, 95% is a giant success.
When the PS2 came out I had a PS1, DVD player, SNES, and a TV that only had two AV-INs. I bought the PS2 because I could then clear my room of both my PS1 and DVD player. This made it so I no longer had to reach behind my TV and unplug my PS1 every time I wanted to play my SNES.
The same situation hinders me now with a 360, PS3, TiVo, Satellite, GameCube, and PS2. I again don’t have room for the PS2, but because I was unaware Sony was going to put the axe to BC I have to unplug my GameCube (Which I DO still use) to play my PS2. It is annoying and when the PS3 came out seemed like it wouldn’t be needed once I had money to get a PS3, but who could have foreseen Sony back-tracking on the backwards compatibility.
I know a lot of people will read this and say I’m just being lazy and to deal with it. But you have to realize the whole point of BC was to consolidate systems and the ease of having two systems in one…and to boost sales.
And for the issue of PS2 games for sale on the PSN
I realize the PS2 era is coming to an end and will stop being sold as a self sustained system. I think it is a great idea for them to continue the PS2 games being sold on the PSN, but once my third PS2 finally bites the dust I don’t want to have to pay $20 to play GTA 3 because I wanted fly the Dodo around for an hour. I would however be fine with sticking the GTA 3 DVD into my PS3 let PSN read the disk, verify it is a legal copy and then let me download the game I already paid full price for when it came out.
That being said I “feel this would simply be a carefully staged ripoff on Sony’s part.”
Ken Kutaragi always saying: That the supporting of the games from previous generations of Play Station is the main priority for Sony!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where B\C??????????
@DGR8Mc187
I agree. I love mine too.
[...] Backward compatibility has been an issue that both Sony and the PlayStation 3 have faced since the console’s inception. However, when the God of War Collection was announced for the PlayStation 3, many saw it as the emergence of a solution to the problem. What may surprise some is the low cost of such a solution. The mere concept of PlayStation 2 titles remastered on the PlayStation 3 with additional content has given rise to some great possibilities. Coupled with the potential is that fact that according to Santa Monica Studio’s very own director of product development, John Hight, the development time was surprisingly short and successful. “It [development] lasted 15 weeks and we went into manufacturing 2 days ahead of schedule with no issues.” [...]