GamesCom: No b/c for PS3 Slim, says Koller
- Posted August 19th, 2009 at 13:54 EDT by Mike Harradence
- 5,209 views
- 61 Comments
Sony America’s John Koller has revealed that the PlayStation 3 Slim will not include PS2 backwards compatibility, arguing that punters will fork out for the machine with the primary intention of indulging in PS3 gaming only.
Speaking to gaming blog Kotaku, the hardware marketing boss commented, "Backwards compatibility is off the table.”
Koller went on to insist that research has shown that a substantial chunk of consumers who purchase Sony’s black box are doing so only to play PS3 games, and haven’t touched PS2 products for some time.
"Now that we're at a point where we're three years into the lifecycle of the PS3, there are so many PS3 disc-based games that are available that we think - and noticed this from our research - that most consumers that are purchasing the PS3 cite PS3 games as a primary [reason],” he said.
“And it's not just like 50 or 60 percent. It's well into the 80 or 90 percentile range... Most of those are consumers who have not utilized their PS2 for a little while and they're ready to jump into the PlayStation 3."
Elsewhere, Koller said he expects the Slim model to replace its big brother within the next couple of months, with the current 80GB SKU to see its last days at retail next month, while the 120GB version is expected to linger for a while longer.
The PS3 Slim will retail for $299 USD and goes on sale during the first week of September.
Comments
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Jules909
- 2:19pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 4
I sold my PS2 with 20 games to a friend for 100 euro and put that money towards my PS3, sure there were a couple of games I missed but it was time to move on, I have absolutely no interest in backwards compatability, there are so many amazing games for PS3 with more to come, it's all good.
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area51employee
- 2:22pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 5
Don't have a PS2 anymore. Got big brother and little brother went away.
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Fijiandoce
- 2:24pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 6
i like the current model....... personal preference. it looks nicer, thats not saying the slim looks bad though. kinda rekon the 'fat' ones should still be sold.
as for ps2 games....RPG. i only have 2 this gen...maybe 3?? i forget. but my PS2 RPG collection is signifcantly bigger. and i likes my RPG :)
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michaelcorleone
- 2:47pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 7
totally agree, that should make the idiots who keep goin on about backwards compatibility shut up once and for all........want to play PS2 games? then buy a PS2. its all ps3 now. so keep it shut idiots.
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Empty_Cans
- 2:55pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 8
Having BC is nice to have, being able to pop in an old game you haven't played for awhile, but no one buys a PS3 to soley play PS2 games, what's the point, you might as well buy a PS2 and save yourself some money aswell, but like I said BC is nice to have, im lucky I guess as I have the 60GB model and I still have my fat PS2 lol.
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Tha_Last_Romeo
- 2:55pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 9
At this point... Sony should sell a USB attachment that can enable PS2 games.. Now that would be a plan. Just like XBox with the external HDD .
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Overcast
- 3:11pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 12
Well odds are if you don't have a ps2 by now you don't want one and if you do they're pretty cheap now so who cares? I was wondering if anyone else on this site is confused about Sony's marketing on this. I think it should be more agressive. If my competition's system was gauranteed to break within 6 months and breaking was a matter of WHEN and not IF, i would definetly play on that fact now that the system is the same price (cheaper if you count xbox live fees and the inevitable repair/replacement cost).
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The Mask
- 3:12pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 13
BC would help sales of PS3 because it means people won't need to keep a PS2 to play old games but I bought a PS3 because it's a PS3 the same way I got a PS2 to play PS2 games the fact that my PS3 is BC is a bonus although I'm the sort of person who keeps consols so I can play all my old games, ( for instance GT4 crashes and doesn't run smoothly on my PS3 but it works perfectly on my PS2. if demand is high enough i'm sure software emulation would be a welcome addition in future
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Dragon-slayer87
- 3:15pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 14
I'm a huge final fantasy fan, so i pretty much need BC.. (but have the 60GB model and a ps2)
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RustySpoon80
- 3:31pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 15
I've got all the (Fat) models of Playstations 1-3. But have hardly played any old games on the newer systems.
I dug out Sheep, Dog & Wolf to play on the PS3 but the graphics weren't as good as I remember them being.
PS3 is the future. Move on.
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GuitarMaster231
- 3:32pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 16
Not a big deal though. I can't play my PS2 games after playing stuff like Uncharted, Killzone 2 and whatnot.
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vinthedean
- 4:05pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 19
It's time Move On and Grow Up people. Only little kids and nastalgic people get the PS2 anyways.
I have the original 60GB with Full B/C and I have not entered a PS2 game in my PS3 for nearly 2 and half years.
There is only one game might get used and that is Mario Tetris (duing get together with family).
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StoneDogAiel
- 4:21pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 21
B/C would be nice but its hardly a necessity.
And stop saying punters, it makes me want to boycott something.
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Muzikguy
- 5:20pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 25
It's sad, but true. I haven't touched any PS2 game in probably 2 years. Only ones I've played on my PS3 were God of War 2 and FFXII. Plus, you can buy a PS2 cheap anyway if you wanted to. BC is a wonderful idea, but there really is no real reason to put it in the PS3 IMO
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GranTurismoOwnsPs3
- 5:39pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 28
@18, Good point man. I agree with this guy, he makes sense. Why have PsOne b/c and not Ps2 b/c ?
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Nicholes
- 6:55pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 33
Love my BC *hugs 60gb PS3
I also love graphics, but at the same time I'll still play PS2 games cause I'm a gamer, not a graphics whore. Actually yea I am a graphics whore too, and a gameplay whore, but I know how to keep things in perspective and enjoy the graphics and gameplay and see them more as relative rather than a set rigid standard.
Hey who knows maybe you unlucky saps that didn't get BC will still get it in a Firmware update, Sony didn't rule that out, and can enjoy the classic games you know you want to play.
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BassBorstal
- 6:57pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 34
Can prob look forward to a similar service to Xbox Originals in the near future me thinks!
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ZeRoAc1dKo0L
- 6:58pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 35
b/c would be nice to have if you are able to play most of the ps2 game... if not dont bother with it, would be a waste of time. plus the ps2 is very cheap and that is guaranteed to play all you ps2 game.
i have the 60gb, the only ps2 games i'd be playing on my ps3 is all the Metal Gear Series, and Kingdom Heart Series... I would also say Final Fantsy 7 but there's one in the PSN store now.
#27 and #30... yes 80gb does have b/c but only thur via a software emulator, and that only runs about 54% of the ps2 titles out there. The 60gb is the only ture b/c because the Emotion Engine chip thats installed, with that you can play about 90% of the ps2 game.
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Breakmoves
- 7:40pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 37
I heard rumors about Sony PS3 slim is not going to lower the price all over the world, such countries as Sweden. The retailers has still not lowered the price of PS3 slim.
That really sux if it's true.
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Sonan
- 7:55pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 38
The 60GB has the Emotion Engine and the Graphics Synthesizer so it plays a good 90%+ PS2 games while the first 80GBs like mine only have the Emotion Engine and thus play quite a bit fewer games. I can't play Battlefront II or WipeOut Fusion for very long until they freeze and I have to quit the game or reset through the PS Button menu.
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WISHBONE
- 8:27pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 40
ok no all you guys are stupid saying just buy a ps2 if you wanna play ps2 games BC is a big part of the ps3 i think does nintendo still make gamecube games NO does xbox still make xbox games NO does sony still make ps2 games YESS dumbest idea yet next to no right analog on the psp
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g-r-i-p-w-i-n-g
- 8:56pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 42
this is a bad machine compared to the current ps3, no linux, no flash or memory drives and no backwards compatability. rubbish......
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FatherOfOne
- 9:26pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 43
Ok this guy is an idiot. The fact is that IF YOU DON'T OFFER PS2 compatibility in the system then of course 90+ percent of recent purchases don't are about it. That is like saying that 100% of customers don't care about not having an HDMI/Component cable bundled in because the still bought a PS3.
Now I will say that they deserve some serious praise for getting the price down to $300. Excellent job guys, but please don't let dorks like this talk to the media. Sony is definately loosing sales because of no PS2 BC in these systems, but they have no way of really knowing the effect. I personally know of one person who just now bought a PS2 instead of a PS3 for this reason. They have no intention of buying "new" games because they can't afford it now, and they also don't have a HDTV, AND PS2 games are dirt cheap now. At $300 I "could" have convinced them to buy a PS3 "if" it had BC and they would have just stocked up on "cheap" PS2 games until the PS3 game prices come down.
In short, just say things like "we are looking in to the possibility of doing that, but we don't have any timeframe".
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BloodReign
- 9:43pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 44
@3 I've done the same, I got the same model and I only play ps3
the only time I've played a ps2 game is when I played God of War 1, but I used it just one day; so I don't think that's really THAT important
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Funeralfog
- 10:08pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 46
i still play ps2 games, thank goodness i bought it in '06
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ryuken
- 10:19pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 47
I cant wait to see the sh it talkers feel bad in pants after the PS3 takes its rightful place on top, not only in every other way but in sales too.
oh yeah has anybody read the new game informer?
Theres a great two page spread on all of the Console failure rates, haha wow just wow, I knew that the RRoD happened alot but daaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn!!
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Alpha2
- 10:27pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 48
"WAAH WAHHH I want to play PS3 games on my PS3 not PS2 games, WAAAAHH!!!" that was 2 years ago. see what it got you now?
Worst still you've managed to destroy the likely hood of it happening for the PS4 now, I hope you've got plenty of shelf space for all these consoles! idiots.
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DigitalBeast
- 10:41pm BST - August 19th, 2009
- 50
@2 My 80GB has PS2 BC ;) Yes, the older ones actually have software emulation. Not perfect, but it usually gets the job done.
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