Gaming
PS3 backwards compatibility "unimportant"
Published Friday, Oct 19 2007, 11:14 BST | By David Gibbon
Sony has said that selling the 40Gb PlayStation 3 at a low price was more important to gamers than offering any backwards compatibility with PlayStation 2 games.
The firm has come under fire from gamers after launching the lower-specification console without the backwards compatibility seen in the 60Gb model, but Sony believes it made the right choice.
“Our research indicates that backwards compatibility is a secondary feature in consumers' minds and price is a bigger consideration when purchasing a videogame console,” a corporate spokesperson told GamesIndustry.
“If they want a PS3 that also plays their PS2 titles then they can purchase the 60Gb system, and if they are more concerned with price versus backwards compatibility they can purchase the 40Gb model."
Speaking to Reuters, Sony president Jack Tretton echoed the statement, adding: "Backward compatibility is a nice secondary consideration, but it's far from the number-one priority.”
Sony intends to stop selling the 60Gb PlayStation 3 as soon as stocks run out, concentrating purely on the 40Gb lower-specification model.
The firm has come under fire from gamers after launching the lower-specification console without the backwards compatibility seen in the 60Gb model, but Sony believes it made the right choice.
“Our research indicates that backwards compatibility is a secondary feature in consumers' minds and price is a bigger consideration when purchasing a videogame console,” a corporate spokesperson told GamesIndustry.
“If they want a PS3 that also plays their PS2 titles then they can purchase the 60Gb system, and if they are more concerned with price versus backwards compatibility they can purchase the 40Gb model."
Speaking to Reuters, Sony president Jack Tretton echoed the statement, adding: "Backward compatibility is a nice secondary consideration, but it's far from the number-one priority.”
Sony intends to stop selling the 60Gb PlayStation 3 as soon as stocks run out, concentrating purely on the 40Gb lower-specification model.
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