by Galvatron628 » Sat Sep 27, 2008 5:58 am
Microsoft has always used software emulation, but instead of just building a nice robust emulator that can play all games, they've been emulating games individually, and sometimes getting one down, allows 5 more to play, etc. I personally think its a load of crap and I am irritated that MS didn't create anyway for you to transfer Xbox Saves to the 360!
As for Sony here's there deal. Everyone complained about the $600 launch price tag of the PS3. The original 60GB ps3 however was the best model. Had all the necessary PS2 hardware built in, 4 USB ports, memory card ports, and all the other fine things PS3 has to offer. However that model was costing them $850 to build and they were selling it for $600! So as bad as the price tag was they were actually loosing money over it.
Over a year the price of Blu-ray diodes came down, and Sony was able to reduce the nm of the cell processor. Sony was able to break even on PS3's but at a cost: backward compatibility! The 80GB model released in 2007 at a cost of $500 was identical to the 80GB in every way except it lacked the cell processor and emulated it instead. The rest of the PS2 hardware was still intact. From what I hear its not quite as compatible as the 60GB but still works pretty well. The other new model, the 40GB was a new model all together.
The 40GB model has no PS2 hardware what-so-ever, and has a reduced nanometer cell processor in it. It is made at a cost of $400 and sold at $400. Sony has said yes it could be done, but they have lost so much on the system, they don't want to put the R&D into making an emulator for the 40GB model. As for the old 80GB model, the last of it was released in the MGS4 bundle and now is discontinued. There is now only one PS3: the "new" 80GB model, which is identical to the 40GB model except with an 80GB HD.
So yes BC is pretty much completely dead on the PS3. It does however play almost all PSX games. I think there's more involved however than putting R&D into an emulator: I think its because the PS2 is still very much alive and kicking and making Sony a lot of money. Add BC to the PS3 and you can no longer sell the PS2 for $130.
I don't really care anymore honestly. I got my original PS2 hooked up in my bedroom, with my original xbox sitting right above it! I don't think BC is that important and honestly with the 360's poor handling of it, and PS3's cancelation of it, I think its a fad thats just going to go away. The only system right now that has seamless BC is the wii... but not for very good reason. For whatever reason, Nintendo decided to stick with the same architecture as the gamecube for the Wii. Its nearly identical except it has more memory, and a faster CPU and GPU. When you pop a GC disk in, it just loads up a different Bios and turns into a Gamecube. So basically BC for the Wii is just a byproduct of the architecture!
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