No backward compatibility! Isn't that taking a step-back by Sony and NOT a step-forward? I have lots of PS2 games and I like playing them on my current (Big and Bulgy) PS3... just taking this feature away dissuades me from buying the new PS3! BOO!!! :(

I don't think removing this feature is a big deal. I have almost never played my old PS2 games on my PS3. The new games and graphics are just so much better.

As for the previous comment, if you have a PS3 already, why would you even consider "upgrading" to the new one? It's not worth forking out more money simply for a slimmer machine.

seems stupid to me, there's a massive catalogue of excellent ps2 games and Sony mentioned a few months ago that they wanted to re-release them, or at least some of them.
Plus a large number of xbox games play on the 360, so another trump card for MS.

I think Sony's being a little smarter...My guess is that they'll provide downloadable versions of them to buy as the 360 is doing for original XBOX games. Yes that'll mean they SHOULD be able to just play the old games normally and will hack a few of the core gamers out there, but you can pick up the PS2 slim for £50 if you REALLY want to play them...
All told, they've got to try and recoup some of the RnD costs somehow!!

Pretty much since the announcement of the PS3 I've been waiting for them to announce a smaller cheaper successor model. Like a lot of other PS2 owners I'm a casual gamer and can't justify either the expense or giving over the space under my TV for one of the big "bleeding edge" consoles.

So here it is... and they've axed PS2 compatibility. A damned shame because now I won't be buying one to replace my ageing (slimline) PS2. I'm probably not alone in wanting one small cheap box that I can play all my console games on, as and when I've time. I guess when the old PS2 gives out I'll be replacing it with a Wii then. Thanks for nothing Sony.

Also, it's missing an ethernet port! Can't really game on wireless, its wired all the way for me!

Actually there IS an ethernet port, sorry my mistake! :)

I'm not a fan of Sony but it appears to be pretty smart thinking, dropping backwards compatibility from their cutting edge console. Immediately they drop the 'me too' tag. The majority of buyers wont even care about playing ps 2 games - they are 'upgrading' to next gen. Gamers worth their salt will have a PS2 wired up anyway and for the rest instead of dusting off their ps2 or getting one second hand they moan about their lack of MGS or whatever on forums and industry trade sites!

I like Sony more and more each day!

Oh, wow! An "external CPU"!!!

Um, I'm not going to put my faith in a source that doesn't know what a freaking CPU is. We know that there will be absolutely no -hardware- backwards compatability, but Sony has already filed patents for -software- backwards compatibility, so it's pretty stupid to say that the feature is "abandoned for good".

Think about it: They put FFVII, a game over 12 years old, on PSN for $9.99 and within a month it was downloaded 100,000 times. They are bound to know that they could get tons for PS2 games as well if they make a software emulator for the PS2 Emotion engine. Obviously that would allow for use of games you already have on discs.

I said in another thread, they always cut something out when they announce a price cut... and here we have it again. I've never known a company like Sony where every reduction is accompanied by a feature removal.

Compare everyone else's launch console with the current version and you will see either no change (as in the Wii) or you'll see additions (HDMI on the 360) to accompany the lower price.

I fail to see how offering a machine with lower specs for lower prices is considered a "price cut". The same for less = price cut, less for less = new "lesser spec'ed" version at a lower price, there's a difference!

HI THERE DIFFENTLY THE WRONG DIRECTION EXTERNAL CPU NO FASTER HARD DRIVES NO SOLID STATE FLASH DRIVE NO HYBRID HDD AND SSD COMBO AND THE WORSE PART IS THE POWER SWITCH IS ON THE BACK SOO YOU CANT TURN OFF THE CONSOLE SOO SONY GOING GREEN BUY LEAVING THE CONSOLE ON 24/7 365 A YEAR I HOPE SONYS GOING TOO USE BORG ENERGY SORCE

there are still some issues with the new model: i don't think BC is the biggest issue, but that said i've played more PS2 games on my "old" 60gb PS3 than i have PS3 games, there are some real classics out there!

did i read somewhere that you can no longer install and alternative OS on the PS3? that's daft, but what they should be doing is making Linux YDL available as a free (or paid) download like vidzone and what not. seriously the PS3 browser is rubbish.
but i guess what Sony have figured is that most people already have a PC that does all this anyway so perhaps it was surplus to requirements in the first place.

i believe that one day we'll see a PS4, i just hope that when it comes along it knows what it is and does what it should. has BC and Linux/firefox browser, music and films and most of all games. one thing that is unfortunate for the PS3 is that it doesn't have the glory (and library) of the PS2 to build on. but then it should really be able to stand on it's own feet.

as soon as they announce the death of the PS2, then we'll see PS2 games on PSN and nobody will care about BC. however they gotta be cheap like the PS1 games are now cos people will not be happy about having to buy it again.

LOL, I thought the reason for no BC is obvious. It's because Sony can still make a profit selling PS2 systems so it's not like it's costing them extra money to include a software capability that has already been created.

Once the financial reasoning shows them that BC is beneficial and that people are not going to buy PS2s, then they made decide to include it.

I have my original (george foreman grill) ps3 :D and i always wonder to myself why the hell couldnt they make the ps3 play ps2 titles regardless of region locking, i mean why? whats the point, its not like they gonna lose anything, nor gain anything. Someone enlighten me. Thanks.

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