Confused about PS3 backward compatibility issue

A change of market leadership this generation can only be good for us, the consumer. It will force companies to rethink how to approach us and beg for our money.

 

I don't think a price cut is coming until the fall and it'll be the 65nm chipset with the EE emulated, launched with HOME installed on the 60GB hard drive and wireless controller for $399.

That is my prediction.

 

No way Sony will do a $200 price drop anytime soon...maybe 2009 LOL

 

that's about what they've been saying in every interview. =/

 

http://kotaku.com/gaming/eragon/pal-ps3-backwards-compatability-progress-update-244005.php

Ouch. One hopes that the unit they have was running a beta firmware and wasn't indicitive of what our European friends will get.

 

Whoa, one thing is both chips being 65mn, but a CELL/RSX? is that even possible now? cuz the heat output of that could fry an egg (and the console's shape would finally have some purpose:lol.

On the legal side, sony bought the rights to the GPU right? so there shouldnt be any Xbox-like issues...

EDIT: eragon?! jebus khrist! WTF is sony thinking? they should've kept the EE at least for the euro launch, cuz the stench of failure coming from this will not go away easily....

 

Yeah but the 690G is basically a motherboard chipset with a Radeon X1250, which is a very low-end GPU.

The RSX is much heavier, and seeing the heatsink that cools that thing in the PS3 makes me think we wont see a CPU+GPU until sony makes a 45nm version...

 

They were probably running on beta firmware, since the machines the European media have currently are for testing PS3 review software, not BC.

We will never see a CPU&GPU combo on the PS3 due to heat issues. They'll likely make the savings first on the 65nm die shrink for the RSX (the CELL is already being produced on 65nm) then on reassigning some of the tasks on the SCC southbridge (like WiFi and SATA controller). Then they'll reduce unused ports as is normal, perhaps 1 USB and the option to use a USB hub. Last to go will be the GS (perhaps merging it with the SCC) & eDRAM, which won't be needed in a few years time (or at least won't be seen as important compared to the cost savings obtained from the cut).

The case will probably see a change also, since it is a costly manufacturing process.

 

He, that Super Companion Chip, worst name ever, anyway, putting the GS on the I/O chip may save some costs, but I suspect it may create some issues on the long way, specially with early games...

On the other hand, sony is paying the bill for the stupid decisions they made more than 7 years ago while designing the PS2, and now they are going to pay this crap.

In my opinion they should keep it simple: make a PS3 and then a PS3+EE/GS that is BC.

 

or sell a PS2 compatibility add-on (basically an EE/GS on some sort of card), in the same way that the Core 360 can be made to play b/c using a hard disk

issues of memory bandwidth and daterate come to mind though

 

Indeed, remember the SegaCD? and all the crap sony needed to put into the PSX to make it work with the Snes? well, the problem with an addon is all the extra hardware that you need to make two separated units to work in tandem.

With all that crap the cost goes up, so much that it would be cheaper (or at least equal) to using the launch hardware.

Sony should make a lite PS3 with just what you need to play PS3 games. On the other hand, they may want BC becos theres currently no good games for the console...

 

As defended by Phil Harrison and Dave Karraker (WN = Wired News):

Link.

 

I love how they sound like soul-less robots that have little in the way of info (Granted, in this business, you have to keep your mouth shut).

 

They're probably sick to the back teeth of having every comment they make spun on forums into:

ZOMG!LOLz! Phil is taking aweh ma BC!

Man... Sony are the devil

This is against the constitution, I don't see how Sony can get away with this


they're going to take out the Blu-ray drive and replace it with a bigger harddrive so you can only get games online....


Etc.

 

Eh, maybe if they didn't have one of the biggest fuck ups since the Saturn launch on their hands, maybe they wouldn't have these issues. I mean, people were very hyped about the PS3 in 2005, but it slowly into one issue after another.