PGN - Rumors have been growing these pasts’ weeks about both the PS4 and the Xbox 720, and while they are just rumors one big thing that many are concerned about it whether each console will support past gens titles. While we of course do not know, one has to ask why this is important to have.
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... for starters it will be the 1 deciding factor in making me buy a next-gen console at launch or not, cause I want it to be able to play my library of current-gen games, while waiting for next-gen games to come out.
2nd, if my current-gen console dies and the console itself is out of production, it means I not only lose a console, but a whole library of games I bought and enjoy. Which is pretty much what happened with the Original Xbox. Mine broke down shortly after the release of the 360, yet the original Xbox wasn't being produced or sold anywhere here in Holland anymore.
If next-gen consoles aren't BC, I'm switching over to Steam/Steambox, which won't have that problem.
Not that I love the idea, but Sony and MS will push on line content as much as they possibly can. I would love to see backward capability but I wont't be surprised if they get rid of it.
... but Xbox is also entering next-gen, and considering I also have a 360 with lots of games, and knowing how they deserted the original Xbox in such a way that after the 360 was released it was nearly impossible to buy a brand new original Xbox, I have my hesitations.
Especially considering the hardware of both current-gen HD consoles isn't 'great', in that you can't realistically expect them to last 5+ years.
This is why I would consider it a muct for both next-gen consoles to be backwards compatible with current-gen.
Yes PS4 should be able to play retail games of any older PlayStation version, PSX, PS3, PS3. No need to a excuse on why.
It will help a lot of users to jump over? yes it's good for the gamer.
But the most important thing here is, it will make it win a biger market shear, Xbox/pc only user, will have the power to experience the old PlayStation games plus next gen games all in one box.
Sony better add it if they want to win back some market shear.
On topic: WHO in their right mind wouldn't want backwards compatibility? However, it would be expensive since Sony would have to keep producing the Cell Chips that have to be specially made. It's not like AMD or Nvidia who they can cut deals with. The Cell Chips have to be specially made only for PS3 and PS4 and will cost a lot because of it's propriety technology.
So, with that said, I think that IF Sony (and this is a big "if") decides that Backwards Compatibility is too costly, then the next best thing they can do is allow you to play your PS3 games on Gaikai (EVEN if you only have the disc version). It's entirely possible, since the PS3 is capable of knowing what game is in the console even before fully booting the game. If you have Uncharted 3 disc in the PS4, and it can tell that it is UC3, then Gaikai can route you to their Uncharted 3 cloud server so that you can play the game.
YES, I know it's annoying since you cant play it offline, but it'll be MORE annoying if the PS4 costs a lot of money due to BC, and doesn't sell a lot of units. The less units sold = low 3rd party support. So, it may be one of many possible cost-effective alternatives. Whether we like it or not.
Producing Cell technology JUST for BC in the PS4 is like beating a dead horse. The tech needs to be taken off of the production line so Sony can start making a profit, instead of bleeding money on propriety technology.
Sony is a business and if they bleed money, then they'll go out of business.
so it will not cost much, I'm concerned is if it will over heat the ps4 by having it in just as a extra. I love the idea of gaika but I don't think sony will use such a idea, gaika is there to make money not to please us.
And I bet the first gen PS4 will have the cell but second geb will not just like the ps3.
The main reason why the Big 3 are heavy investing in making an all around media/entertainment console. Well at least those are the plans of MS> But I am certain Sony wants the same thing.
Nevertheless, going off sony's track record, it should look classy under my TV. I wonder how the Blu-ray player will compare to others on the market, considering the PS3's was better than a lot'on the market when it released.
EDIT: forgot about the nextbox lol. I never had an original Xbox, so when I got a 360 I thought I'd buy some old games from the original. Some lf them didn't work, which pi$$ed me off. I hope if they (Sony and MS) do BC, that they don't leave out good games (like PoP 2&3 on the 360....wtf?)
... maybe your user-account gets corrupted, maybe you can only have 1 active user-account on 1 console, maybe you don't a big collection of different consoles all hooked up to your TV, etc etc.
There are a few situations where it applies...
1) Gamers who have their current consoles die will be faced with the choice of new gen console or last gen
2) Gamers who want the new gen games but want to still play their last gen games
I know you can just keep your old console, but it simplifies the TV room and theatre room setup if you have only one console.
I think that trophies and achievements will carry over no matter what and they are not (to me) part of backward compatibility.
Or, it will be there. But they will stop supporting it after a year or so and choose to release them on their respective online service for the RRP and again, gamers will suck it up and buy.
Being able to put in a disk from this generation into a next generation console is a MUST, just like playing used games.
For the odd time you really want to play a last-gen game, keep you last-gen consoles and plug it in.
People complain so much about their next-gen systems not including the old gen system the already have.
I sincerely hope Sony/MS spend the money that they would have spent on BC on more power, better build quality, free game, bigger HD, etc.
BC is almost useless, keep your old console, it's worth nothing
I don't NEED to play my PS3 games on my PS4, but it'd be nice if I ever feel like it. Although I've been buying all my games digitally where I can for the last year now. So most of the games I will want to play I'll most likely be able to just re-download them.
As I always say. I'm buying NEW hardware to play NEW games with that hardware. If I wanted to play PS3 games I would just keep playing on my PS3 and not buy a PS4. To be able to do so would just be a bonus.
hell NO