110°

Why the PS4 will be just fine without backwards compatibility

Stick Skills says, "Sony began the current generation extremely confident that the PlayStation 3 would be a given. Everyone would buy it because of the Sony name, no matter the price, and games would come, no matter the difficulty of development. They were wrong. A series of mistakes, one being the decision to continue with their often maligned cell processor, caused a number of hiccups in the PS3's early life. The most notable on the consumer side was backwards compatibility with the PS2. Early models had varying degrees of backwards compatibility, but the process was difficult, and within a few years Sony was scrambling to lower the price of the console. One of the quickest to do this was to drop compatibility. It was a financial decision made to help the consumer with a lower price point, and a reality of upgrading consoles."

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stickskills.com
Abash4074d ago

Either way, BC will be coming via streaming thanks to Gaikai

NewMonday4074d ago

or just keep the PS3

it's not like they will impound it when the PS4 is released.

crxss4074d ago (Edited 4074d ago )

i will be selling my ps3 when i get my ps4. any amount helps. will also sell my 360 once i get the next xbox.

LAZL0-Panaflex4074d ago

I know what a bunch of dorks. "I wanna pay $400 so i can play twisted metal 2 and other $2 games"

NewMonday4074d ago

you can't have the cake and eat it too.

BC of PS3 games can't be simply emulated, they would need the same Cell chip/GPU setup from the PS3, they would have to stick an extra card on the PS4 that would rise the price up 100$-150$.

joab7774074d ago

I dont understand why everyone wants to sell it. It isnt like past consoles that only played games. If they implement backwards compatibility, it will cost more to produce, especially since the architexture is entirely different. Yeah, it may help with transition but if it costs more to produce, they will have to charge more. Maybe not as much as someone may get for selling their ps3, but if its a $75-100 difference, then whats the point. Wouldnt it be better to pay less and keep the ps3. Remember too, that the price will drop for the ps3 so u wont be able to sell urs for as much, especially a used one without a warranty. And heres the kicker, asi mentioned at the beginning, it does a lot of shit. It streams everything. It has netflix, obviously but also streams all the movies on my pc. Also, the store is full of stuff to buy yet. And if u r a ps + member, i am sure u have a backlog of stuff u have not got to. Its great for kids too. Oh, yeah, and its a bluray player. I will throw this badboy in my bedrroom so i dont have to move my ps4.

And, i understand how the industry works. I love playstation and i want them to be successful. They are not doing well because samsung is kicking their ass. I want to support them. The ps3 will remain strong for awhile and with a price drop, many ppl will be able to get one if they couldnt before. I guess i would prefer if the money went to Sony right now. I am not against used games etc. But i know how important the ps4 is to sonys success. I just wish they had offered some type of incentive for ppl to keep their ps3. Some type of cross play or something.

princejb1344073d ago

I don't want the extra clutter in my apartment
Especially all this money I spend on games

I would love if bc is included but if it isn't than say bye to my ps3 games as well as my ps3

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4073d ago
Peppino74074d ago

That's good news unless they somehow start charging you for it. I like the idea of putting in the physical disk that you own so the system knows what you have. Digital media should just come down too your purchase history. I don't see what would be so hard about that.

Donnieboi4073d ago (Edited 4073d ago )

But how will Sony make any money from letting us stream old games via disc readings? I mean, we can all just simply buy the games used at gamestop, couldn't we? Then how will Gaikai tell the difference? THEN, there's also the cost of running cloud servers 24/7. The cost of renting the data centers that hold the cloud servers. And finally, IF the reason why we can't play our ps3 games on PS4 is due to the fact that PS4 won't be using the IBM Cell chip, then doesn't that mean that the Gaikai has to use Cell technology back at the data center it rents, in order for the PS3 game to be emulated properly, before it is streamed into our houses? Wouldn't the ironic use of Cell Chips back at the cloud data centers cost just as much for Sony, as it would have cost to put in each PS4? Also, the streaming 24/7 and rental of data centers will cost Sony even MORE money. At the PS4 conference last Tuesday, even the Gaikai guy didn't seem entirely sure as to how practical this plan is. It really is a tricky one to turn a profit from.

What I wonder is: Could Sony make a special attachment (with a cell chip in it) that connects to the PS4 externally to allow us to use our PS3 blu ray discs in our PS4 blu ray disc drives? Also, allowing us to save PS3 psn games on our ps4 harddrives, yet using this Cell Chip external attachment to let us still play downloadable ps3 psn games.

Maybe that's a better solution, because the cloud solution (for old games; new, paid-for games is at least somewhat profitable) is far too costly for Sony to run.

gta28004074d ago

If it doesn't come, it won't change anything for me. I'm getting a PS4 for PS4 games! I love my PS3 but once I transition over to the PS4 I probably won't be looking back. I'm ready for the next gen.

The Great Melon4074d ago (Edited 4074d ago )

Depends. Can I play the plethora of disc based games I own across all three generations of Sony products? Or will I have to buy the Gaikai versions to "unlock" backwards compatibility on all my games?

Though I do think this is a great feature to have going forward, I cringe every time people call streaming games backwards compatibility. If we have to repurchase (speculation) everything to play what we already own in a physical format -- that is not backwards compatibility in any way. They are just selling us the games in a new format that has lag and video compression artifacts.

MikeMyers4073d ago

What Sony should do is have Gaikai take care of it. That way they can have the full PSOne, PS2, PS3, PSP, Vita and PS4 games running through it. They could easily tie it with the Plus service as well. A great revenue source that's for sure.

What we also may see is most games being online only aside from the bigger PS4 titles. Sony and other companies will slowly get consumers to buy digitally which of course will help reduce piracy and second hand game sales.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4073d ago
clintagious6504074d ago

I understand that ppl love BC including myself but lets say sony did put it in the ps4 & sells it for $700 there is just no way i will spend $700 just for BC. Im buying a ps4 to play ps4 games & have 3 ps3's i can use for ps3 games.

crxss4074d ago

i would buy a ps4 w/ BC for $600 though

gta28004074d ago

You know...maybe Sony could of made a PS4 only console and a backwards compatible PS4 and just put the higher price tag on it...it seems like it would be a win win situation for Sony and it's customers who want to keep their PS3 games. I have no idea if that would work but it seems pretty cool.

The Great Melon4074d ago (Edited 4074d ago )

Does anyone know if PlayStation games run on the PS4? I know that it can't play PS3 games, but given that I can play PS2 and PSone games on a computer made within the last five years I would hope they implement such non-demanding emulation on the console. Sony would win major points in my book if they added PS2 and PSone emulation to the PS4. There really isn't anything technical preventing that.

cloud4954074d ago

I'm not 100% sure but on IGN's wiki it says that it doesn't play any previous Playstation disc games including PS1 and PS2. Don't know about digital.

But I'm pretty sure PS1 and PS2 emulation wouldn't be hard to pull off so we'll just have to wait and see.

Temporary4074d ago

I dont understand the big deal about BC...it just makes the console more expensive. Just dont get rid of your PS3. SImple as that ... I plan on keepig mine after I get the PS4.

4074d ago Replies(4)
golsilva4074d ago

i wonder how gaikai bc would work. Lets assume it works. For psn purchases, it should be easy because gaikai can check your account download history and find which games you own on psn.

Yet for ps3 retail games, how can they check if you own the game. Yes, you can check game save data or trophies but that doesnt mean you own the game. You could have rented a game and still have some record on your account.

I was thinking if you insert the ps3 game into the ps4 and then use gaikai to recognize but doesnt that require the system to actually recognize the ps3 disc which means emulation which the ps4 likely wont have. So it gets tricky with retail ps3,ps2,ps1 games you own.

The Great Melon4074d ago (Edited 4074d ago )

I like that implementation. Rather than having your previous physical games tied to your account, the PS4 just checks the authenticity of your disc and allows you access to the Gaikai version of the game. Therefore, if ownership of the game transfers to another, so does access to the game. Bubbles for what I think you were saying in the last paragraph.

colonel1794074d ago

I used backwards compatibility on my PS3 when it launched, because I finished playing Resistance: Fall of Man and there wasn't another game I wanted, because the launch games were very few and not so good. So I bought God of War 2, and Shadow of the Colossus. I never had a PS2. After that, I played Kingdom Hearts II and I never used BC again.

With the games that have been announced so far for the PS4 (Killzone: Shadow Fall, inFamous: Second Son, Watch Dogs, Destiny, and all others that are yet to be revealed, I don't think there will be a reason to even need it in the first place. If you have a PS3, I don't see why would you need it, and If you never had a PS3, you can enjoy a great launch line up so far.

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280°

Sony Taps Bungie's Head of Revenue to Lead Live-Service Games

Sony has recruited Bungie's head of revenue Jaremy Rich to head up its live-service gaming division, Rich has announced on social media.

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techraptor.net
ChasterMies15d ago

Please do not put Destiny’s monetization into Sony’s first party games. The monetization is what’s driving players away from Destiny.

just_looken15d ago

The new temp boss is the sony cfo bean counter so i can see this being a thing get every penny.

Cacabunga15d ago

PlayStation officially losing it.. fans will never support gaas games

just_looken15d ago

@car

The new boss did a interview in japan he wants to tap into the mobile market like nintendio so he give 0 fucks about gamers/fans

https://www.pushsquare.com/...

Redemption-6415d ago

@Cacabunga
You only speak for you and those who think like you, but most fans will support what they want. Playstation and PC fans are literally supporting Helldivers 2 and that is a gaas. Maybe you wouldn't, but many more would if they like it.

Huey_My_D_Long15d ago

@Redemption-64
Look, Im not making any judgement calls about this guy, but I will say that Helldivers 2 GaaS model is unique to Helldivers, and legit the only other game I can think of thats similiar was the Avengers game except HD2 pass is still better.
The fact that you can earn in game currency in a way that doesnt make you feel like you have to grind forever, as well you being able work on that pass that you bought...on your own time without a time limit...that right there is fucking huge to me, and I can't name any game other than avengers that avoided trapping players with FOMO logic...I think GaaS on HD2 shouldn't be compared to the rest of the industry...it should be copied.

Einhander197215d ago

Cacabunga

Helldivers 2...

Redemption-64

In Europe it's a 60 40 split favoring PC.
In the US its a 60 40 split favoring PS5.

So PlayStation owners supported the game just fine, it's not getting carried by PC or anything like that.

FinalFantasyFanatic14d ago

@just_looken,
I'm perfectly fine with the way Nintendo entered the mobile market, I never touched their mobile games, meanwhile, the console/handheld stayed the way it is. As for being a bean counter, he's probably going to reel in these massive budgets that Sony's studios have had lately, I haven't played Spiderman 2, but I cannot see how they almost tripled the budget for that game.

@Redemption-64,
That's an exception to the rule, I'm expecting a lot of these GAAS games from Sony to fail, to be fair, they only need a few to succeed, but I would have preferred that they put more of their resources into other types of games.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 14d ago
DivineHand12515d ago

True their monetization is driving players away and at the same time, their decision to chop out content and convoluted systems is keeping new players away from the game.

Joe91315d ago

I don't think that will happen based on how things worked out at Naughty Dog now that we know what we do, seems they had the option to fully commit to live service games or stay making single player experences so they gave up on their live service game. We are not sure how things came about with Bend making a live service game but I hope that was not a forced situation. Sony doesnt seem like they are forcing studios to switch up but we will see, Sony's bread and butter is single player games it is how they dominated the console market.

Obscure_Observer15d ago

Yeah, I though Sony learned something from all their failures in the LS segment under Bungie´s disastrous leadership and supervision which led to games been cancelled, studios closed and all the people laid off.

Looks like Bungie still plays a major role in Sony´s LS initiative and Sony is not backtracking on their GaaS plans.

S2Killinit15d ago (Edited 15d ago )

Are we forgetting that Destiny is also a highly successful franchise? I feel like that definitely deserves mention here.

Besides, there is no reason why a person cant learn from past experiences.

Joe91314d ago

I agree, people act as if Destiny flopped when it came out lol it took 9 to 10 years for the numbers to fall yet people are still playing it add the success of Helldivers 2 no wonder Sony is going forward down this path.

S2Killinit14d ago

Personally, I see no problem with Sony also having service games as long as they make good ones, and more importantly they deliver the AAA story driven games that they are known for. So yeah, I agree 100% with you.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 14d ago
Christopher15d ago

I mean, this person made some pretty bad decisions at Bungie. I hope they've learned from them because I definitely don't see those type of ideas as good for PlaySation in general.

CrimsonWing6914d ago (Edited 14d ago )

Honestly, what’s to learn from? How to make people happily continuously dump money into a single game over its life-time? Buy season passes continuously for several years with a smile on our faces?

GaaS is a design decision that is everything wrong with this industry. The fact that Helldivers 2 did so well and people defend the monetization because it was $40 and is a fun game, scares the sh*t out of me to see that the door is open and all shift will probably be to replicate that in future games. We already know the ROI for traditional game dev cost isn’t doing it for them.

I thought with Jimbo leaving we’d see a change for the better… I’m not so sure now.

S2Killinit14d ago

Service games are being offered by everyone. Sony cannot afford to only create single player AAA games. No one can. They already said they will be doing both.

Abnor_Mal15d ago (Edited 15d ago )

Ps5 gamers in 2023 seemed to play more live service types of games, so regardless to how people feel about them, numbers don’t lie and Sony is going where the money is. I mean look at the excitement around Helldivers2, people are showing that they want live service games.

Christopher15d ago

They play long-time existing live service games like CoD, Fortnite, Apex Legends, Destiny 2, and the like. Mass majority of new live service games are considered failures and aren't moving gamers away from older games.

just_looken15d ago

Yep the huge issue with live service is they need paid players along with a reason to play them.

You forgot mobile market that also taps into that player base as well as the eve online style games there is only a certain amount of krakens/whales blind supporters compared to the amount of live service games we have its not sustainable math wise.

700 restaurants making food for every seat for 1000-3000 eaters just does not work out

Einhander197215d ago (Edited 15d ago )

Christopher

I am not a big live service fan and literally own zero of the games you listed, but that is not true, unless you call games that aren't the top games to be failures.

There are tons of live service games that are profitable.

Games don't have to be the biggest game ever they just need to make more than they cost.

I challenge you to show professionally prepared data that shows that more live service games fail than make enough to keep going.

Because all the data that I have seen shows that live service is less of a gamble than making a big AAA budget game which needs to survive off retail sales.

FinalFantasyFanatic14d ago

I sometimes wonder if we're at saturation point, where it's hard for a new game to join those ranks unless it's particularly exceptional, people only have so much time and money to devote to these types of games.

romulus2315d ago

Correction, they have no issue playing good live service games

shinoff218315d ago

Lol it's not even a quarter of the ps5s sold. Helldivers may have been a hit but let's not say most are enjoying it because truth is most(the real most ) don't care about it.

S2Killinit14d ago (Edited 14d ago )

I play what is fun. If a live service game is good I’ll play it as long as its not a money scheme which Helldivers is not.

And Im a single player gamer.

mastershredder15d ago

How do you kill a franchise that already been killed?
Destiny’s grind, cash-in-on-playbass-cha-Ching, and pop-culture-insertion mainstream-me-too bs totally killed any rep Bungie had. Sony/Bungie, if you are doing this to ward-off players, it’s already working.

crazyCoconuts15d ago

Headline truncated:
"... off a cliff"

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80°

Sony May Soon Let You Decide How Much NPCs Talk In Games

Sony has patented to add multiple dialogue modes to let players switch between how many conversations with NPCs they want in the game.

blackblades21d ago

Sony is like the only ones outta the 3 that has atuff like like this pop up changing thing in ways.

just_looken21d ago

Sony in the past has always been first at bat with new ideas/tech but in the end never fully use it or just toss it away.

blackblades21d ago

I think they did use some but yeah most usually never happened but at least they thought about it. Sony seeks things like this and other, Nintendo seek different ways of playing going by there different controler designs and console designs.

just_looken21d ago (Edited 21d ago )

some of the other stuff sony want's/owns never used
https://gamerant.com/sony-p...
https://gamerant.com/sony-p...
https://www.eurogamer.net/s...
https://metro.co.uk/2023/03...
https://decrypt.co/114754/s...

monitor/adjust game difficultly as you play
https://www.techradar.com/g...

Sony nfts
https://www.theblock.co/pos...

Pay ai to play the game for you
https://thebusinessofesport...

Oh all the above last 12 months

I just imagine a evil scientist with test subjects when it comes down to sony recent patent reports.

Kaii21d ago

Will we get dialogue options that won't spoil puzzles in a matter of seconds? :p

280°

Judge rules in PlayStation's favour in $500m patent infringement lawsuit

Genuine Enabling Technology was seeking damages, claiming the tech allowing PlayStation consoles and controllers to communicate infringes its rights.

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gamesindustry.biz
S2Killinit23d ago

Big victory for Sony. And a long time coming.

DarXyde22d ago (Edited 22d ago )

Crazy to think the savings from this lawsuit allows them to develop one AAA game.

Make it Bloodborne 2, please and thank you.

22d ago
Profchaos23d ago

Sounds like patent trolling they tried the same thing against Nintendo with the same pattern.

Motion and control input traversing over higher and lower frequencies seperate from each other allowing the controller to do both

Pyrofire9522d ago

Patents suck. Most of them are complete garbage.

Knightofelemia22d ago

So to recoup the money Genuine is going to take on Nintendo or Microsoft next. I hate patent lawyers they are some of the worst bottom feeders out there.

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