RF Generation Message Board

Yesterday – just one month from the console's official launch date – Sony sent round a curious press release to journalists detailing the ‘Hardware Specification of PlayStation 3 for Europe'. This seemed odd since other than switching to PAL and cutting on a different plug there seemed no need for a ‘European' PS3. Then it all clicked into place when Sony referred to the machine being “compatible with a broad range of original PlayStation (PS) titles and a limited range of PlayStation 2 (PS2) titles”.

Surely this couldn't be true, the PS3 released to the rest of the world officially plays 98 per cent of older PS2 and PS titles. So this was the hardware change...

It turns out that despite charging us a whopping great price premium Sony is actually cutting costs on the internals of our PS3s. Whereas consoles shipping to the rest of the world have a dedicated chip to handle backwards compatibility the European PS3s will scrap it in favour of weaker software emulation.

The reason: European law dictates that Sony will be responsible for the reliability of its console for up to two years and in the rest of the world it tends to be one year. Sony felt this could be compromised by the hardware which handles backwards compatibility so it was hauled out to replaced with a cheaper and more reliable software alternative that doesn't work nearly so well.

Article (http://www.trustedreviews.com/gaming/news/2007/02/24/European-PS3-Will-Play-Less-PS1-PS2-Titles/p1)

That really sucks. I wonder why Sony keeps hurting themselves.

The unfortunate thing is, they're not hurting themselves because the consumer keeps buying their products anyway. They could've charged $800 or more for the thing and the "at-launch" consumer would've still bought it.

Fortunately, post launch sales have slowed down because more reasonable consumers are looking more closely at the $600 price tag.

They will probably still sell out launch in Europe, though, even with this news. *sigh*  :hmm:

Erm... They are.

Well actually, here in Australia it's $999

What's this I hear about the European version not having motion sensing? Was that just crappy journalism?

I think crappy journalism, because the Harvey Norman add (yes the same Harvey Norman that uses 360s for a PS3 promo) mentions it. In fact Harvey Norman seem to be the only ones doing adds for it, because come to think of it I have not seen any other store or Sony themselves advertise it on TV yet.

I just read that the PS3 is the most preordered console in Europe ever.

Me too.

it seems strange that it should be the most pre-orderd console as really its out priced for most of Sony's normal customers, So other than the die hard Sony fanboys i dont really know who's going to buy one???

Either way i will not be buying one for a good long while... Overpriced garbage...
They had one on display (a Jap model) a few months back in Computer Exchange and i was not impressed one bit!!!
The backwards compatablility shouldnt really bother us though as im sure most of you here have both a PS1 and 2 ;)

I really cant see it outselling the Wii.... or 360 for that matter, but thats just my opinion...
Id personally love to see Sony get bitten hard!

Perhaps so, but why market a machine as a all-in-one entertainment unit capable of replacing multiple pieces of AV equipment then make you keep a PS2 handy because it can't quite play them all?

Because they can. And early-adopter consumers will buy it, no matter what the cost, whether or not they can fully utilize all its features. Sony realizes that they can pimp them for $600, EU800, Au999 and don't care that thier BC portfolio isn't 100%.

Because Sony make big statements like that regardless of what they can actually achieve...
Theyre more a Audio/Visual company. Its what they should stick to...
[/end hatred]

Rumour has it the PS4 will be a toaster with flashy lights and a sticker attached saying Playstation 4 :slick:

...and it'll cost $1200, EU1600, AU1999 and people will line up to pay it!

I just read the RRP of PS3 games is £39.99, AU$99.95, NZ$109.95, and I forget how much US$. The Xbox 360 game RRP is £49.99 but most sell at £39.99 and below. That could mean PS3 games are a more reasonable £29.99, like new PS2 games.

Good point James, but dont forget by the time your considering buying games, youre missing £500!!!
Not such a worry if it was the US/JP Price tag...

Ahh I remember the good ol' days when MegaDrive games use to cost that much. I never felt as ripped off though as the quality of games seemed better plus the media used seemed more worth the price tag as anyone can burn a CD and get a whole cheap bunch of DVD cases.

But then the even better days was buying C64 mags that came with a caste on them that would have about two demos and two full commercial games (one if you were unlucky). Now they were the really awesome days for gaming. You got a minimum of one new game a month. It's mo wonder my C64 collection was the biggest I ever had before poring a lot money into my new Saturn collection.