All PS3s To Lose Their Emotion...Engine
The Register has reported that not only will emotionless PlayStation 3s be arriving in Europe on March 23, but PS3s everywhere will lose the PS2 Emotion Engine (forcing the PS3 to rely on emulation like the Xbox 360) in the U.S. and Japan before the end of the year.
Europe may be the first region to get PlayStation 3 consoles that lack the PlayStation 2 Emotion Engine chip. It has been claimed other territories will also get the machine later this year as Sony strives to boost its profitability.
That comes from a Nikkei newspaper through Reuters. No doubt Sony is striving, in any way it can, to lower the production costs of the PlayStation 3. Smart move? In the end, I think so...but they should have done it from the get-go as Microsoft did with the Xbox 360, and look how well it's selling (with the notable exception of Japan). Lower the price, and I'll be much more likely to get a PS3.
The only downside is some sites are reporting that there will be no price drop on the PS3 before 2009...bummer. However, we'll see what happens, LittleBigPlanet has got me, for the first time ever, Jonesing for a PlayStation 3...and I just might bite (of course, bigger titles will also be required)...especially if U.S. PS3s are doomed to lose their emotions. Even though interest in the older games will, eventually, begin to fade as more and more new titles come out, I think backwards compatibility is wonderful, and it really is nice to have.
All PS3s To Lose Emotion Engine
[via EvilAvatar]
Super Timsy
Posted to Video Games on 9 March 2007
· Comments (5)
Other stuff like this: Backwards Compatibility, Emotion Engine, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PS2, PS3
Hmm. I had planned on waiting until Fall to see how the PS3 scene shapes up before I made the leap and bought one. Now, I'm thinking maybe I should just grab one while they still have the hardware in them. What to do, what to do? =O
If you're gonna get one, get one, I say. There's no price drop in sight, you'll pick up a reasonably priced Blu-Ray player, and you're ready for the Home beta in April!
Just do it. To quote Dangerous Liasons, "The shame is like the pain - you only feel it once."
If you already have a PS2 perhaps waiting would be an okay thing to do. Otherwise, I'd get the Emotion engine abled ones. I don't have that many titles in my PS2 library anyway, though.
personally, I find that the way that this is going to harm backwards compatibility is awful. I'm not fond of the 360's BC, and I doubt that the "solution" Sony offers will be any more acceptable.
further, I believe that I read an article which cited that this saves Sony $65. now that's nothing to laugh at, it's 10% off the console. this could provide savings sent to a market that cannot afford said unit. (come on, I pay less for 2 months of rent with my bf here!)
Sony seems to merely be doing its best to further and further alienate their fanbase.
Personally, I think backwards compatibility isn't really a big deal for Sony, especially considering HOW many people have PS2s? They've passed over 110 million sold, or something.
If you have PS1 and PS2 games, play them on your PS2. I think it's pretty simple. Sony should have stuck with software emulation anyways.