Three Steps Back

[Black Dragon37]

Eighteen months ago, the specialist media reacted with outrage at Microsoft's stunted backwards compatibility plans for the Xbox 360 - and for months after the launch of the console, Microsoft spokespeople ranging from rank and file PR men to the firm's games boss Peter Moore were regularly put on the spot over the firm's slow and unsteady progress towards making the bulk of Xbox games work on the new console.

At the time, there was much debate over how important backwards compatibility actually is - with some commentators dismissing the functionality as a red herring, a mere distraction that doesn't really affect consumer decisions when it comes to buying a console. However, more level heads prevailed to a large extent, pointing out that beyond the realms of hardcore gamers, few consumers want multiple boxes under their televisions in order to play games - and fewer still want to throw out their existing library of games when a new console turns up. All throughout the debate, fingers were pointed at Sony for comparison; Sony, whose PS2 had been almost perfectly backwards compatible with the PSone, and who promised that the PS3 would emulate that success.

Until last week, Sony kept that promise - with the US and Japanese model PS3s offering excellent compatibility with titles for previous PlayStation home consoles. However, we now know that the European PS3 which will launch later this month will be a redesigned model. Full backwards compatibility is out; a Microsoft-style software backwards compatibility solution is in, a move which Sony presumably hopes will cut costs early in the lifespan of the console.

Nobody doubts that Sony is desperate to bring down the manufacturing cost of the PS3, but perhaps we didn't realise until now quite how desperate the firm really is. The European model (and presumably future shipments in the US and Japan) will also feature a new chassis which is cheaper to build, which is exactly the kind of under-the-hood cost saving one expects from a console firm - but the fact that Sony is so keen to save costs on building the PS3 that it's willing so strike out functionality which it has boasted about quite openly for a couple of years comes as a surprise, and a disappointment.

European consumers, quite rightly, feel shafted by the decision. They are already facing a console launch months later than promised, and at a price point much higher than consumers in North America and Japan are being asked to pay - a price disparity which Sony has still completely failed to justify, even once taxes and fluctuating exchange rates are taken into account. Now it transpires that their expensive, delayed console is to be less functional than the cheaper systems which were being purchased elsewhere in the world three months ago. It's no wonder that not only are consumers hacked off, but that the mainstream press has also seen fit to report Sony's announcement in less than glowing terms.

Of course, the old debate has been rekindled - how important is backwards compatibility anyway? The answer in this case is simple - however important it was for Microsoft, it's at least five times more important for Sony. Five times more people bought PS2s in the last generation than bought Xbox systems; that's five times more people with a library of games they'd potentially like to play on their new system. Five times is conservative, though; you could argue that since Sony's demographic last generation included far more "mainstream" consumers than Microsoft's, there are far more people out there with PS2 games who are unlikely to want two consoles under the TV just so that they can play their old games. Alone, it's a factor that may not be enough to prevent many people from buying a console; but it's an annoyance, and right now, Sony could do with not annoying its potential customers any further.

Individual annoyances pile up, and between them, they become a reason not to buy a system. It might still be madness to bet against a company with a pair of successes like the PSone and PS2 behind it, but the simple fact of the matter is that there are dark clouds over the PS3 which were meant to dissipate with the launch of the console, and have done nothing of the sort. Instead, they have formed into a brooding mass which looms over the entire future of the platform. When a console hits the shelves and people start playing the games, much of the speculation and negativity which has dogged it up to that point generally drops away - but with PS3, if anything, it has redoubled.

This latest debacle over backwards compatibility simply adds to a long list of woes which Sony faces - a litany of PR problems which are winding their way through the mainstream press, no longer confined to the specialist media. In America, reports of PS3 units sitting on shelves unsold are rife, and SCEA's public fire-fighter Jack Tretton has lost vast amounts of credibility for his much-derided attempts to claim otherwise - with his statements having done little but fuel hostility towards the platform and the company. Here in the UK, the official line is that PS3 pre-orders are remarkably high; but with PS3 bundles being downgraded in price already, it doesn't take the flood of anecdotal reports to the contrary which we've seen from retail insiders in the last week to see that this claim is on shaky ground.

The tide of public opinion is against Sony right now, and there's only so far the company can go with the assumption that there are many consumers out there who are loyal to the PlayStation brand. After all, those consumers don't have to defect to the Wii or the Xbox 360 en masse for Sony to be in serious trouble with its next-gen ambitions - all they have to do is decide that the price is wrong, and stick to their PS2s for the medium term. If Sony can't turn around its fortunes and get the media and, crucially, the core opinion forming gamers back on side, then there's a danger that even its loyal fans will find that their loyalty doesn't stretch to nearly 500 pounds spent on an early-adopter piece of hardware - and if that happens, the firm's dreams of catching up with Microsoft's head-start by some time in 2008 will go up in a puff of smoke.

How can Sony reverse this situation, and salvage 2007 for the PS3? Software is part of the answer, of course - the firm desperately needs to get solid, reasonable dates on some of those headline exclusives, and it needs to make sure that the public sees them coming and is confident of the release schedule for the PS3 in the next 12 months. However, before bringing a clearly sceptical public on-board with a solid release schedule, Sony could try one other thing - namely making sure that there are no more nasty, headline-grabbing surprises in store for its sorely abused European consumers. Even rip-off Britain has a point where its tolerance will run out.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=23210

[Smokey]

European consumers, quite rightly, feel shafted by the decision.

no i dont feel shafted, or that im getting a "lesser" console. what is wrong with these wankers

[Kabbage]

Since I'm not in Europe. Snazzy "Hit-grab" articles that are 5 times more important to the site than the readers.

[LiquidEagle]

Honestly, that's a lot of negative press, and isn't really new news. Just whom did this guy write the article for? Saying BC is "five times more important for PS3 than it is for XB360" just because PS2 has sold 5 times as much is a poor comparison no doubt... even if he wanted to use that kind of multiplier he/she should be looking at Europe only, and not globally... Also, considering there are 1,245-ish titles released for PS2 in the US (I think it's safe to say those are the "mainstream" PS2 titles since they were part of the 2300-ish released in Europe and who-knows-what released in Japan), and the PS3 is promised to play 1,000+ titles, you're looking at a very small rate of mainstream titles (and even non-mainstream) that won't work on the system from the very start, and it's only going to get better. I think this author's statement that it's more important for PS3 to have BC than 360 is a kind of cop-out to hold a sort of double-standard.

Also,

The tide of public opinion is against Sony right now, and there's only so far the company can go with the assumption that there are many consumers out there who are loyal to the PlayStation brand.

Sony's not assuming -- they know consumers are loyal to the Playstation brand, especially in Europe, and they know this by the fact that they've dominated the console arena 2 generations in a row.

How can Sony reverse this situation, and salvage 2007 for the PS3? Software is part of the answer, of course - the firm desperately needs to get solid, reasonable dates on some of those headline exclusives,

Define reasonable. Is reasonable as long as you're willing to wait, or as long as it takes to get the game finished? There isn't a solid release date for any of the major upcoming Wii games (Smash Bros, Metroid Prime 3, Mario Galaxy), is anybody flipping out about that? Once again it's a double standard but it's also blatantly ignoring that Sony does have solid release dates for plenty of software, certainly no less than any other company, and asking for reasonable dates is unreasonable in itself.

I hope this author doesn't wonder why people are skeptical about the PS3, and I'll give a hint: It's not because the PS3 is a bad machine.

Okay, I'll finish that -- it's because of the gaming press.

Rant done, sleep begins now!

[VG Aficionado]

Pffff.

[masteratt]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAWN

Let's stop this crap people.
The more we post these, the more THEY write these.

Not to mention the bleeping thing didn't even launch everywhere yet and Sony probably has a ever changing/ growing plan for the next 10 years.

These morons are sitting there with their thumb up their ass analysing THREE freaking MONTHS before PS3 even launched globally.
Good job morons.

Sony knows how to run it's PS brand thank you very much dumbasses.

[Chris Metal]

wow so they're speaking for all us european gamers now? saying we all feel shafted? well F*ck that cause i don't, not at all.

[Goki]

Originally Posted by smokey777

no i dont feel shafted, or that im getting a "lesser" console. what is wrong with these wankers

Well your not European are you ! lol

Well as long as the games actually play then im ok. But worryingly Sony isnt a good software company specially with its own hardware. And looking at M.s below average backward compatibility, I do get a bit worried. Also note to Sony if they read this. Dont just rely on internet updates since majority of users dont play online games still. Sony needsto approach updates PSP style aswell as in updates with physical games. In order make sure everyones happy.

[B Dizzle]

wow

[Chris Metal]

Well your not European are you ! lol

yeah but smokeys in Australia, which is also PAL so he has to wait just like us, so this article is sort of directed towards him too. He supposedly gets the "lesser console" too.

[gibmonster]

I don't know about everyone else, but when I spend money on a new console, old games aren't what I'm going to be focused on. Granted there will be the odd ps2 title i will revisit once a year, but backwards compatibility or a lack of it, isn't a deal breaker for me nor has it ever been.

This is just another journalist who is focused on the now, desperate for clicks even if it's coming from beating a dead horse.

I do not feel like I'm getting a downgraded console...maybe with that damn EE out I'll have better cooling.

And again, average Joe ain't going to notice. Can we get out of our tiny thought ghettos please.

[Smokey]

Originally Posted by Chris Metal

yeah but smokeys in Australia, which is also PAL so he has to wait just like us, so this article is sort of directed towards him too. He supposedly gets the "lesser console" too.

thankyou

[rpgamer_2k5]

The PS3 is like the iPod. It's going to be able to sell on name alone and just like the iPod, its much more expensive than its alternatives. However as we see with the iPod, mainstream users feel that quality is on its side, even if many like myself don't think that the iPod is the god of mp3 players in terms of quality.

Its obvious that the PS3 is the iPod of next-gen consoles so expect users to accept its high price for quality titles.

[BruceWayneIII]

At first I was a bit concered about the BC (being European), however, since I've heard that over 1000 titles would work at launch, I'm not worried anymore. I don't think I will get a gimped product. I get a second revision motherboard in the PS3..

[Red_Eyes]

GameIndustry spreading FUD? LOL.
Backward compatibility is going to be fix by firmware updates. How hard is that to understand? GI are a bunch of idiots.

[VG Aficionado]

GamesIndustry has been quite harsh on Sony in the last few months. Because they're European, I guess, but sometimes they've reported some unconfirmed bad news and totally ommitted good news or didn't care to correct the FUD in the unconfirmed news when it was cleared up.

Meh, let this thread die. There will be so much goodness this week we're not going to give a damn about this crap anymore!