When/If b/c returns to the PS3, will it be a download?

[Azazel]

The guy who was going to sell me a brand new PS3 cheap about 2 months ago has now had it delivered. I've got about a day to get back to him and let him know if I still want it.

We all heard about Sony Japan hiring backwards-compatable engineers and so forth a little while back, so I have 2 real questions for the board (allowing, of course, that noone can say definitavely).

1) Will b/c be returning to the PS3?
2) Will it be available as a download for existing machines?

Yes, I still have a PS2, but the games on it look like pure ass these days compared to not only the 360, but XBox1 games upscaled through the 360 onto my HDTV.

thanks,

[schild]

Hm? Is it a 60GB?

[Azazel]

Nope, a 40gb. Which is the only kind available in this country for the last 6 months or so. It's the same as the US 40gb, essentially, only with local region for BR movies.

[schild]

I would get an 80GB if a 60 or 20 wasn't available at all.

[Velorath]

I would get an 80GB if a 60 or 20 wasn't available at all.

I'd wait until June when the 80GB is re-released with Metal Gear Solid 4 packed in as well as the new Dual Shock 3 controllers.

[Azazel]

80gb = not available in Australia. There's only 1 model avaiable in Australia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ps3#Retail_configurations


This guy is selling it, new in box for AU$400 as opposed to AU$700 which is what they want for them in the shops (he got it via redemption, for buying a Bravia).

$400 is about my upper limit for one of these things that doesn't have b/c. Even so, without backwards compat it's a maybe, since I already have a 360.
If it's say, highly likely that Sony will add BC to existing hardware out there, then I'll probably buy it. If it's unlikely, I'm more likely to wait and see what happens
later this year.

Since I already have the 360, I'm covered for most cross-platform games, and the few Sony exclusives aren't a priority at this stage. Blu-Ray would be interesting to
rent a couple of, but again, not a high priority at this point.

Remember kids, I'm not located in the US. Your release dates and pack-ins mean little to nothing to me. Hence the specific two questions in my OP.


So what do we think about the liklihood of future BC on existing 40gb machines?

[Velorath]

Remember kids, I'm not located in the US. Your release dates and pack-ins mean little to nothing to me. Hence the specific two questions in my OP.

MGS4 is supposed to have a worldwide simultaneous release, and the bundle has already been confirmed for NA and Europe.  Certainly I'd feel much more confident in spectulating that it will get released over there than I'd be in trying to predict how focused Sony is on BC since they've been sending mixed messages for the past couple years on where they place its importance.  Regardless, it would likely be out of your price range anyway since it would cost more at retail than the 40GB (it's $100 more in U.S. dollars).

Sony has been slow to get their online stuff up to speed (Home, in game XMB) and that's been more of a focus for them than BC.  As 80GB's BC is partly hardware-based, Sony has yet to come up with a completely software-based form of PS2 BC, so it would likely take a good amount of resources to get it up and running.  Doesn't seem particularly likely anytime soon.

[Azazel]

I'm not actually interested in MGS, since it's all cinemas and no gameplay. When/if I eventually get a PS3, I'll rep the HDD with something much larger than they supply it with anyway, so the extra 40gb from them is a nothingness that will just bump the price up by a substantial amount.

Good points on them being all over the place in terms of b/c and being slow at everything else though.

Might pass on the ps3 really. I'm not seeing any exciting reason to get one to be honest.

[NiX]

I'm not actually interested in MGS, since it's all cinemas and no gameplay.

I thought I was the only one. Would it be any cheaper or cost effective for you to buy the bundle and sell the game?

[Azazel]

Well, it'd be cheaper for me to buy the 40gb one tomorrow for like 60% of retail and then bump up the HDD at my leisure, and pick up a DualShock3/Sixaxis/wheteverthefuckinglatestcontrollersarecalled from Play-Asia...

It's not that I hate the PS3, or that I can't afford the $400. It's whether I really want to spend the $400 on the thing if it's not going to upscale my PS2 games, making it effectively a BR player and a machine to run a very few PS3 exclusives on.

[Velorath]

I'm not actually interested in MGS, since it's all cinemas and no gameplay.

I thought I was the only one. Would it be any cheaper or cost effective for you to buy the bundle and sell the game?

I thought the first MGS was decent, but it wore thin after that.  That said, as a free pack in, MGS4 is something I'd be more interested in than say, Motorstorm (although having just built a new computer, I'm unlikely to buy a PS3 until sometime next year at the earliest, if at all).

[Azazel]

Well, the guy now wants $450 for it, so he can keep it or sell it to someone else. My interest in a BR player that can play a couple of games doesn't stratch that far...

[ahoythematey]

If you are unsure about if you want it now then just wait.  It's an awesome BR-player but if that doesnt appeal to you then save your money until it feels good to buy, maybe a future exclusive will grab you by the nuts.

[Azazel]

Nod, I'm not too fussed. I'll wait and see what deals come up this Christmas, and if upscaling BC makes a reappearance.

[Riggswolfe]

If it makes you feel any better, my PS3 sees the least use out of my three next gen consoles. I use the Wii more than the PS3. And there is no comparison to how much I use the 360 compared to it. And no, I'm not just trolling Schild, I've got a kid and a fiancee who both love Wii-sports for fun and exercise respectively.

Right now, besides Bluray, there's just not alot to recommend the PS3. Awesome graphics and sound. Few games that you can't also get on the 360.

[ahoythematey]

To be honest, after giving this some more thought I don't think you should be fussed over any upscaling of games, I've rarely noticed it be more than an interesting plus for games(even with Vagrant Story and some others).  The BC itself is a big issue, and I'm guessing they will have it in a patch within 12-16 months when you consider how much emphasis they put towards updating the PS3 firmware.

However, I think you should focus on their downloadable PSN stuff and, as was said before, their upcoming exclusive titles.  I never thought a ten dollar game would help me justify my purchase of a $600 machine, but after playing Pixel Junk Monsters these last couple of days I feel pretty glad about splurging for the 60gig when I could.  If you can find some games like that to pique your interest, I'd say go for it.  Just stay away from fucking useless stuff that tries to fool you by being cheap.  No, you don't need Marvel Ultimate Alliance, and Enchanted Arms is not any better with six-axis.

[Azazel]

I was pretty unconcerned with the upscaling until I saw it in action on my 360. The upscaled games running on that look so much better than their PS2 counterparts it's a joke. The only problem with finding $10 games ot cause me to pull the trigger is that until I get a chance to play them first in demo form, they're just words. And the 360 already has the XBLM to cover a lot of that stuff for the time being.

[ahoythematey]

You need to convince a friend that they need a ps3, then test the waters at your leisure.  It's the f13 way.

P.S. Fuck sixth street and Vicci's overpriced drinks.