I Don't Need Backwards Compatibility In The PS4
View Large ImageFor me, backwards compatibility was one of the biggest selling points of the 60GB PlayStation 3. It really was.
But I've learned something over the course of this generation, and I've concluded that I really don't care if the next PlayStation has the same feature. I know, I have to explain, as most say b/c in the PS4 is incredibly important to them (and that's perfectly understandable).
Thing is, I've realized why I keep the PS2 hooked up. My current PS3 slim model doesn't play PS2 games and in truth, I don't like the way it emulates the PS1 titles (sound keeps cutting out in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, damnit). I use my PS2 to play any and all PS2/PS1 games I feel like revisiting. And in looking at my PS3 collection the other day, something struck me: I really have no desire to play anything there again, with the lone exception of Heavy Rain.
It has absolutely nothing to do with quality. I think we can all agree that games like Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, God of War III, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, The Resistance and Killzone titles, and Gran Turismo 5 are all pretty great games. And right now, every single one is well worth playing at any time of day. But I've discovered the reason I go back and play the older games is surprisingly simple, and those who remember those titles will sympathize.
It's a two-part combination; equal parts nostalgia and a style of gameplay we don't have much anymore. When I go back to Final Fantasy VII, it's not only because I want to relive those glory days, it's also because consoles really don't have epic turn-based RPGs with world maps, now do they? That goes for a lot of my RPGs. And sure, you could say Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is all about nostalgia, but I think we all know that GTAIV went in a different direction in terms of gameplay style and atmosphere, and GTAV will likely be similar. That arcade-y crazy theme in VC? ...may not see that again, and you'll never see the 80s theme again, either.
We're not really redefining gameplay anymore, so with only a few exceptions, I can't see going back to the PS3 games in the future. Why? Why would I play Uncharted 3 when I have Uncharted 4? Or Gran Turismo 5 when I have Gran Turismo 6? Or God of War III when I have God of War IV? All the new versions of those games will be pretty similar gameplay-wise, and likely better in terms of technical advancement. I go back to old PS1 (some PS2) and SNES games because I just don't have that particular style of entertainment anymore.
Chances are, most any PS3 game I look back on will be under the shadow of what may be its superior PS4 counterpart. It's most of the reason I'm not going back to play many games at all this generation. The bottom line is that I only really want to have access to gameplay styles that have died out (or are dying out), and while you find that two generations back, I don't think any gameplay styles we see in the PS3 generation will "die out" when the PS4 comes around. At least, I don't think so.
4/6/2012 Ben Dutka
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Comments (69 posts)
Riku994
Friday, April 06, 2012 @ 10:00:43 PM
10 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 1:50:10 AM
You can't run a iPhone app on an Android phone, because they are not compatible. If you understand? The PS4 will most definitely feature a blu-ray player, but just as definitely it will not be able to play ps3 games.
4 up, 2 down
Prince Perry
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 4:12:55 PM
0 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Sunday, April 08, 2012 @ 4:02:34 AM
Last edited by Beamboom on 4/8/2012 4:09:18 AM
2 up, 0 down
Irievibes
Sunday, April 08, 2012 @ 11:36:01 AM
they stopped making them because people found an exploit using that very same ps2 backwards comp. chipset to hack and run copied games on their ps3s
so sony decided to nip it in the bud early and dropped the 60 gig fattys with BC from the market
so it all depends on the architecture that ps4 uses, if its pretty similar , they can give us backward comp, if its a new type of architecture using new processors , then we might not get BC at all, not that it matters, i wouldnt mind keeping my ps3 , i still have my ps2 and my ps1 is in a box somewhere, if anything for nostalgia reasons
0 up, 0 down
Temjin001
Friday, April 06, 2012 @ 9:44:22 PM
Reply
Anyway, I love the old classics even if newer, more refined versions, exist. For me there's usually many reasons to revisit the older games: the art assets(visuals and sound), story, gameplay eccentricities (GoW2 is still better gameplay wise than GoW3), and the beloved classic nostalgia feel. I'm okay with the rare abnormalities that sometimes present themselves with newer hardware. It's way better than nothing at all and is something Im willing to pay extra for, and the PS3 did allow us to see our games through a digital output as an added perk. I'm still sore at Sony for having ditched the PS2 chips. I was misled to believe PS3 would be a bc machine. I sold my PS2 prior to my phat PS3 dieing. All that was on the market at the time was the PS3 slim. Whoa is me =\
9 up, 1 down
Phoenix
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 1:59:09 AM
It might not be a big issue for some, but I keep multiple systems hooked up, and having to keep a ps2 and ps3 hooked up already bothers me, and I dont wanna unhook the NES, she's been apart of my life for so long! ^^ .
6 up, 0 down
JustThatGamer
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 9:01:58 AM
I kind of agree with the op because for e.g. God of War 3 is clearly the best in the series in every aspect imo and it's the most acclaimed + beloved + best-selling game in the genre of all time, but I'd still appreciate bc in the PS4 in-case I want to play through all the GoW games again in chronological order then move onto 4 or 5 on the PS4 which will almost definitely be even better but without bc I'd be missing the ability to remind myself of why I love God of War if I can't play them all again.
So yeah new games are always going to be better than old ones unless you're one of those people who can't take their rose-tinted glasses off and can't see that games now are much better than they ever were, but I'd still like the option to play all my PS3 games.
Last edited by JustThatGamer on 4/7/2012 9:03:50 AM
1 up, 8 down
Temjin001
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 10:32:28 AM
10 up, 1 down
Temjin001
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 3:05:01 PM
As for the PS2 while id like to have one again I don't want to haggle around with controller cords again, especially now that HDTV's have me sitting further away these days. Aside from some shinobi games the majority of what I want on PS2 has been remastered in HD for PS3. And after having an HD version there's no way I want to go back to old sd. Plus those remastered games usually have FPS boosts, like GoW Collection for one.
I suspect the newer x86 archectures for the coming gen will help to make bc a viable thing from there on out, as I suspect a scalable console cycle is on the horizon for us.
1 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 3:42:13 PM
1 up, 0 down
Temjin001
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 4:55:30 PM
1 up, 0 down
Phoenix
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 9:29:17 PM
2 up, 0 down
Temjin001
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 9:53:47 PM
2 up, 0 down
FxTales
Friday, April 06, 2012 @ 9:44:35 PM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
daus26
Friday, April 06, 2012 @ 11:49:17 PM
If you're talking about the classic consoles, or Nintendo systems, then yeah, it can last quiet a bit. I think it's safe to say the PS3 slims are pretty reliable too (thank god).
1 up, 0 down
bigrailer19
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 12:26:31 AM
Something else thats funny; I also have a buddy who has a trick where everytime he gets the red light, he takes a hair dryer to it for a few min. On high, let's the internal components cool down and it starts right back up. This has gotten old for him and he's tired of backing stuff up every week, so he bought a slim recently, but it works for him.
Last edited by bigrailer19 on 4/7/2012 12:28:24 AM
1 up, 1 down
oldmike
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 8:40:32 PM
the ONLY problem i had is some time my controlers don't sink
and to fix that is plug them it(has happend 3 times)
the PS3 is a tank
0 up, 1 down
karneli lll
Friday, April 06, 2012 @ 10:00:49 PM
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4 up, 1 down
cLoudou
Friday, April 06, 2012 @ 10:08:40 PM
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7 up, 1 down
Doppel
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 1:49:14 AM
- Sony packs in almost everything in the 60GB PS3
"OMG It's too Expensive!"
- Sony strips down the PS3 to reduce cost
"OMG What about our PS2 games!?"
Backwards Compat isn't really high on my priorities. It's nice to have, but not really a dealbreaker to me.
7 up, 2 down
PAKINIPS
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 6:25:40 AM
Is it not that simple?
9 up, 0 down
Crabba
Sunday, April 08, 2012 @ 5:14:01 AM
1 up, 0 down
Metal Head
Friday, April 06, 2012 @ 10:10:39 PM
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1 up, 0 down
daus26
Friday, April 06, 2012 @ 11:43:43 PM
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Unfortunately, the original 60gb PS3s weren't so reliable so it died on me, so there goes my PS2 games. I still have my PS2, but there's no way I'm able to squeeze that in on my current entertainment setup. It's too much clutter. Nowaydays, audio and video are connected through one cable (hdmi), and all my setup revolves around it. Now if you don't mind having to connect another piece of console, added with the PS3, it's gonna be a mess when you buy the PS4. When you buy TVs, DVD players, computers, etc., it eventually comes to the point where you won't be able to connect them all, and leave space only for the latest ones.
Other than that, I don't know... but to me, having the luxury to play all generations of Playstation games in one console is pretty nice to have, even if it's not a total necessity. I'll eventually have to accept fate and just rely on hd remakes or something.
4 up, 0 down
bigrailer19
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 12:41:36 AM
Considering how you can pretty much get a PS2 for nothing now though, I don't think there's much reason to complain about no BC. You can get a PS2 for less than a new game.
1 up, 1 down
Beamboom
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 6:19:53 AM
Also, it kinda feels "wrong" coming from the PC world, to buy software that'll just work on my current machine, and with my next machine I'll start on scratch again. It feels... Wrong.
So I totally understand how backward compatibility would be preferable. It really would.
Last edited by Beamboom on 4/7/2012 6:20:29 AM
5 up, 0 down
bigrailer19
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 11:49:53 AM
1 up, 0 down
dembiscuits
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 12:27:39 AM
Reply
0 up, 1 down
bigrailer19
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 12:36:26 AM
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So with that in mind I only need one of those consoles and it would be nice if it could play my PS3 games as I always go back to Uncharted Drakes Fortune, when I'm not playing anything else!
But you won't find me crying over it, or harassing Sony for not including it. In fact I'd rather the system be a little cheaper than have BC, because I will still have my PS3.
4 up, 0 down
Temjin001
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 12:43:41 AM
Reply
1 up, 1 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 10:13:35 AM
0 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 10:56:05 AM
Last edited by Beamboom on 4/7/2012 10:56:32 AM
1 up, 0 down
BikerSaint
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 1:18:10 AM
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But, you know what??????
I still want all the options & gaming functionality that I can get on my console, so I definitely want to see BC put into the PS4!!!!!
Or....at least make a financially optioned SKU for a separate PS4 that has BC.
Just a few extra thoughts on this sit-rep......
Once BS is gone, and after the the prior console is no longer supported, your only option then basically boils down to buying another, is either buying a "used" console sight unseen, or getting completely "refurbed" model.
But....with buying a used machine sight onseen, you never know how it was treated & how long it will last.
Or that if it will even work at all after you've hooked it up.
The only one time I bought used(on eBay), it was a Intellivision-1 that also included 10 pictures that he took of it & it had looked like it was brand-spanking new from factory.
But after paying $110 for it, once I hooked it up, the red light come on(to show it powered up), but otherwise it was completely DOA on arrival & to this day, I can't still get it to work. The only reason I still own it, is that I hope to find someone who can repair it, and on the cheap since I've already got $110 invested into it.
Luckily for me, I had also found a Intellivision -2 around the same time, and that one does work, so at least I'm still able to play my ole time Burgertime, Stampede, Pitfall, games, etc.
So your only real option really whittles down to buying refurbs, which are fixed & also re-checked for any un-related problems, they are guaranteed to work, & they also come with some kind of "30 day, 90 days, & up to a 1 year" limited warranty.
Just make sure to check out the reputation of the refurb'er first before you buy.
Anyways, I have at least 9 retro consoles myself that are refurbs, and I've never experienced even 1 single problem from any one of them to this very day!!!! (KNOCK ON WOOD)
2 up, 1 down
dillonthebunny
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 1:30:15 AM
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but I did agree with Sonys statement only a few months ago where it said there was so much life left in the PS3 that there wouldn't be a PS4 any time soon, I was thankful for that.
when the PS3 came about I believe we had reached the end of the PS2, same with the PS1, although I believe that we had closed the book on PS2 more than when the PS1 ended, but my point is that personally I had reached that point where I was ready to move to another console, the only game I was playing at the time was FFXII and a handful of nostalgia. but thats ok, because we could always go back and play most of the games we loved.. it was fine.
I dont believe we are ready for a PS4, I dont think that I am ready for a PS4, but if it comes out I will buy one and im that sort of person that wont have two machines hooked up.. if i lived by myself and had all the space in the world, hell yeah.. I would have a 360 too.. but I dont. so as soon as a new console comes out I will change over.
(and here is the point of my post)
why should I invest my time in amazing titles coming up for them to be outdated by Xmas? if the rumors are true and GTAV isn't out by next year, that means I may have only ten months to enjoy possibly the best game on the system, what about DUST 514? that game is meant to last years, yet within 12 months of it coming out I may be looking at never playing it again, same with any other games that I could be looking forward to.. like maybe if that Fallout MMO was to ever come out or a Skyrim MMO, FFXIII VS, GT6, Tekken Vs Street Fighter.. the list is a big one.
I dont think im alone in my thoughts, I do believe that Sony could bring an emulator to the PS4 that will play these games, for the digital ones there could be a way of giving us a like for like versions on the PS4 if we have already paid for the PS3 one. .. that's if they couldn't do an emulator, which Im sure they could.
for the first time in a console I think B/C is really quite important if we are going to change over so soon, for the sake of a console war, for sales figures and just to get their foot in the door first or equally Sony will be damaging their fanbase, but I guess the risk to them is of less importance than being a year behind the competition.
I hope they sort something out. we really haven't seen the end of the PS3's life. the best most original games are usually made in the twilight years of a console, and here we are considering forgetting that and just going for a new powerhouse, where the devs will be concentrating on pushing it for the next five to eight years, its only when they are happy that they are not pushing it so hard that creativity comes out, I fear that the PS3 wont have this chance, well.. not fully anyway.
Last edited by dillonthebunny on 4/7/2012 1:35:39 AM
1 up, 1 down
Beamboom
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 1:53:52 AM
Reply
But with the change of architecture it's just so obvious that it can't be, and then it's ok.
Last edited by Beamboom on 4/7/2012 1:54:47 AM
0 up, 0 down
Ludicrous_Liam
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 3:01:10 AM
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2 up, 2 down
Geobaldi
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 3:06:52 AM
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Last edited by Geobaldi on 4/7/2012 3:07:15 AM
2 up, 0 down
Rogueagent01
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 4:03:55 AM
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I want them to take into consideration that money is tight around the world(for the majority of people) and basically release the cheapest possible model, with quality in mind. And then sell from there own site a super high end, balls to the wall, every bell and whistle model for whatever price they want. I would be willing to buy 2. And if they sell it themselves they can cut costs by not having to build, ship, and store millions of them to retailers. Just custom make them as the orders come in, I wouldn't even mind if there was a delay or wait period because of high demand.
1 up, 1 down
Fane1024
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 4:46:24 AM
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However, if the Vita is any indication, I've no reason to worry.
Last edited by Fane1024 on 4/7/2012 4:47:47 AM
3 up, 1 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 10:15:43 AM
1 up, 1 down
Beamboom
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 11:00:46 AM
I guess it's best compared to trying to get an Android app to run on an iPhone by copying over the app via USB. It won't work. :)
Last edited by Beamboom on 4/7/2012 11:34:34 AM
1 up, 0 down
Fane1024
Sunday, April 08, 2012 @ 3:47:41 AM
I probably only skimmed your comment, so full credit to you if you said it first.
@Ben
I would be fine with a modified version for PS4 if I didn't have to pay twice, but I doubt many developers would make the effort, so I'll keep hoping for full BC.
p.s. I meant to mention this, but forgot: I just hooked up my PS2 after at least 4 years (new shelf space), so I don't actually need my PS3's BC at the moment. That shelf space will most likely go to the PS4 when it arrives, though.
p.p.s. I actually had forgotten how to quit playing a PS2 game (i.e., just turn it off); I sat there for about a minute looking for a way to quit to the "XMB". 8{
0 up, 0 down
___________
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 5:19:25 AM
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ME, R&C, infamous, AC, enslaved, batman and heavy rain for instance.
nintendo has always had BC.
M$ has always had BC.
so why cant $ony?
this is one of the reasons why people hate $ony so much this gen, and is exactly why they have been bleeding money ever since the ps3 released!
there constantly the most expensive out there but are also the ones with the least features!
thats one of the biggest things thats hurting them this gen, there charging for a Ferrari and giving you a Suzuki!
the ps3 for instance on release was a sh*t load more expensive then the wii and 360 but offered so so soooooooooooooooo much less!
so why am i paying so so sooooooooooooooo much more?
their TVs another example are NO WHERE NEAR the quality of panasonic or samsung or hell even toshiba!
yet there more expensive!
why?
or another example their vio notebooks.
when i was looking for a new laptop last year there was a special on vio notebooks trying to get rid of stock.
up to 20% discount on ALL vio notebooks!
i found one exactly the same spec, size, everything exactly the same as the asus i was looking at and it was 800 bucks MORE then my asus!
and thats with the vio being 20% off the asus was RRP as it just came out, and the vio was older stock.
the older, discounted laptop is 800 bucks MORE expensive then the brand spanking now RRP laptop.
how does that work?
i just cant understand how you can release a inferior, or exact same product and justify charging more for it!
so in other words $ony better have BC because everyone else will, and everyone else will be cheaper!
if $ony releases the ps4 without BC they can kiss a massive portion of their fan base goodbye!
Last edited by ___________ on 4/7/2012 5:26:25 AM
0 up, 6 down
BikerSaint
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 1:50:00 PM
For your information the 360 is only semi-BC & won't play a lot of the original Xbox games.
M$ actually had to put out a listof which BC games could be played on the 360.
3 up, 1 down
___________
Sunday, April 08, 2012 @ 9:23:02 AM
gotta love it how you say something then put out 50 points for it and people reply saying its wrong because of 1 of the 50 points.
sigh, as the saying goes sheep will only see what they want to see!
0 up, 2 down
BikerSaint
Sunday, April 08, 2012 @ 10:38:03 PM
FYI, I gave you the real facts, & not your own fiction that you usually come up with!!!!
Less than 85% of Xbox games are are B/C with the 360 & most of the 271 games my own Xbox collections won't play on my 360.
And as far as sheep go's, you're sadly delusional if that's what you think!
I'm a hardcore biker & that's the farthest from being mainstream as you can get.
The mainstream actually hate us & I really don't give a f*ck what they think cause there's nothing at all they can do about it to stop me, except maybe getting a couple of their own stupid a$$es whipped once again.
So either get your facts right or go buy yourself a real f*cking fact-checker.
0 up, 0 down
CrusaderForever
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 7:33:42 AM
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1 up, 0 down
Killa Tequilla
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 9:03:20 AM
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4 up, 0 down
PC_Max
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 9:12:02 AM
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For me, I still have my PS and PS2, just not hooked up. I kept those PS and PS2 games that I enjoyed playing and on occasion replay them on the PS3 because I loved the gameplay, not paying too much attention to the graphics or at least give them a little lenience.
This gen the keepers are inFamous, Uncharted, Rachet, Heavy Rain and more, including the PixelJunk games and Flower/Journey games. They have replay value and they were fun. I am only talking about exclusive games here for the PS3. There are many cross platform game series as well.
Granted there maybe a time I will just not play them... but that will probably be when they ca tap in to the old brain and let me LIVE the fantasy. lol. Also, if you are in the game biz, its good to have something to fall back on for reference to see what worked and what didn't.
Backward compatibiity. Well, I think the PS3 games will still be comparable to the PS4 to some degree so it would be nice....BUT not necessary for me. I just want good quality games for entertainment.
Keep Playing!
1 up, 0 down
Laguna
Sunday, April 08, 2012 @ 1:03:02 AM
If the ps4 is so poweruful, surely it can play those old games cheaply?
If it plays ps1 and ps2 games, I can live with owning a ps3 slim and a ps4.
Its a tradeoff that I hope sony at least considers.
I don't want a ps4 at launch with only one $70 game to use for it because everything else sucks (remember RFOM was the only killer app at launch)
So I really hope sony gives us a degree of BC.
1 up, 0 down
Fat
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 9:41:46 AM
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0 up, 0 down
Clamedeus
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 9:46:57 AM
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1 up, 0 down
Miggy
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 12:34:39 PM
1 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 3:36:58 PM
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1 up, 0 down
DemonNeno
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 4:49:00 PM
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0 up, 0 down
CanadianGuy420
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 9:33:41 PM
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1 up, 0 down
Laguna
Saturday, April 07, 2012 @ 11:07:50 PM
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This sums up my feelings XD
2 up, 0 down
phade2blaq
Sunday, April 08, 2012 @ 6:00:02 PM
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0 up, 0 down
BikerSaint
Sunday, April 08, 2012 @ 10:52:24 PM
But I have a PS1, PSX, and 2 PS2's which I take very good care of(clean, ventilated, and re-cleaning my discs before each & every playtime.
And to this very day, I've never had a problem with any of them.
0 up, 0 down
cadpig
Sunday, April 08, 2012 @ 11:14:12 PM
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Why doesn't sony release a limited edition PS4 with a bigger hard drive and backwards compatibility?
2 up, 1 down
gamerswag
Monday, April 09, 2012 @ 5:49:57 AM
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0 up, 1 down
JROD0823
Tuesday, April 10, 2012 @ 8:45:00 PM
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I don't understand why so many people believe that b/c is so important. Making excuses like, "I don't want a clutter of boxes of different sizes making my living room look ugly", "I want to play my past gen games all on one box", and " I don't have the room on my entertainment center for more than one console" all sound like pretty silly reasons to want b/c.
I still possess every gaming console I have ever owned, with my 18 year old SNES at the head of the line-up, and you want to know the funniest thing? They ALL still work like new.
I think there is actually a very simple solution to everyones' b/c woes. If you want to play PS1/PS2 games, keep your PS2 slim or go buy one for $100 or less. And if you want to keep playing PS3 games once you get the PS4, keep your PS3 instead of giving it to your dog as a new chew toy or whatever the sad fate is that befalls your older consoles when you get a new one, because that's what a lot of the comments above make it out to sound like happens once you go next gen.
0 up, 0 down
Prince Perry
Reply
Friday, April 06, 2012 @ 9:33:05 PM