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75% of PAL PS2 games will work on PAL PS3's
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EUROPEAN PLAYSTATION 3 COMPATIBILITY SITE LAUNCHES EARLY
It seems that Sony really have been striving to make up for all the love lost with early compatibility fears. Whilst standing by their original comments that backwards compatibility will not be the focus going forward, the early launch of its compatibility site reveals that 1,782 of the 2,451 PS2 titles (in the SCEE region) available will work on your PS3.
The 1.6 firmware upgrade to be released at midnight on March 22 has now been finalised, and the number of games listed is the number that will be available to those owners who upgrade their system software after March 23.
See press release below for details of the compatibility site and 1.60 Firmware upgrade:
European PLAYSTATION 3 Compatibility Site Launches Early
Firmware upgrade at launch to implement connectivity to Folding@home, background downloading and internet browser enhancements
London, 20 March 2007 – Sony Computer Entertainment Europe today launched the web site that will allow prospective PLAYSTATION®3 owners to see which of their PlayStation®2 titles are playable on the new European PS 3 hardware model.
The web site at http://faq.eu.playstation.com/bc lists those titles from the portfolio of PS2 titles available in the SCEE PAL territories that are playable on PS3.
“Our engineers have been working overtime, and have succeeded in delivering a significant number of playable PS2 titles for the European launchâ€, said David Reeves, President of SCEE. “We will be adding additional titles to this list in future firmware upgrades, but as we have made clear before, in the future our resources will be increasingly focused on developing new services and entertainment features exclusively for PS3, rather than on delivering PS2 backwards compatibility.â€
New owners of a European PS3 will need to install the latest firmware upgrade to play the PS2 titles listed on the web site. The upgrade will be available at launch from midnight on 22nd March through the PLAYSTATION®Network, from www.PlayStation.com or, for those unable to access the internet, on a disc obtained from local Customer Services.
The latest system software upgrade (Version 1.60) will deliver features such as Folding@home connectivity, background downloading of content from the PLAYSTATION®Store, support for Bluetooth® keyboards and mice, and an optional full QWERTY on-screen keyboard for text entry.
The Folding@home project allows PS3 owners to connect to Stanford University’s Folding@home program, a distributed computing project aimed at understanding protein folding, misfolding, and related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and many cancers. Using the power of the Cell Broadband Engine™, PS3 system can perform computer simulations for the Folding@home program ten times faster than your average home PC. Once PS3 system is updated to version 1.60, users can easily sign up to join the Folding@home program by clicking on the appropriate logo on the XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) under the Network icon. Then, when the PS3 system is left on and reaches idle mode, it will automatically begin a simulation and, once completed, send information back to a central computer(*1). Additional details about Folding@home are available at http://www.scei.co.jp/folding/en/.
Firmware Version 1.60 also delivers a more convenient process for downloading content to the PS3 from the PLAYSTATION Store. Up to 6 pieces of content from the PlayStation store can be queued up for download while the user enjoys other functions of the PS3 system, including playing games, browsing the web, using media functions including photo browsing, video and music playback. Progress of downloads can be easily tracked under a new Download Management menu under the XMB’s Network icon(2).
Firmware 1.60 also provides support for keyboards and mice enabled with Bluetooth wireless technology. Text entry is further expanded with the option to use a full QWERTY on-screen keyboard, in addition to the existing single tap keyboard. PS3’s built-in Web browser is also enhanced with the ability to zoom in to the optimal viewing size for the selected area of a Web page at the press of a button, as well as an optional tool for reducing flicker when the PS3 system is using interlaced video out (480i or 1080i).
(*1) To run the application automatically in idle state, PS3 must be connected to the network with both main power switch and power button turned on. Option setting must also be changed as this automatic feature is off at default.
(*2) Please refer to http://eu.playstation.com/help-support/ps3 for full functionality as some limitations may apply. The speed of download depends on bandwidth and network usage.
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Nice news but it seems the backwards compatibility site has already crashed.
Steam ID - LiquidSolid170 | PSN ID - LiquidSolid
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Phew, not too bad then.
Nope. We'll just have to wait until Sony get it back up.
SOTC = no known issues
God of War 1&2 = no known issues
DEVIL MAY CRY 3 = no known issues
FINAL FANTASY XII = some minor issues
GRAND THEFT AUTO: SAN ANDREAS = noticeable issues
OKAMI= noticeable issues
edit:
" 1. You avoid connecting any non-essential USB peripherals to your PS3
2. You avoid the use of "60Hz" and network modes (which may experience noticeable graphical corruption not present in the main game)
3. You should skip optional FMV sequences (a small number of games have graphical corruption in one or more video sequences).
4. A maximum of seven players can play (non-network) multiplayer PS2 games.
"
I ... don't know. I kind of like keeping my old consoles around. I wonder how important BC really is to sales.
(mind I'm projecting to pick up a PS3 sometime in 2008 or 9)
猿も木から落ちる
*gives Sony a thumbs up*
Now, just reduce the price by £100...
whilst I understand that having hardware BC is eventually going to to lead to worse/more expensive hardware, I think nintendo did it right by having hardware for the previous generation, and software for anything before that.
If BC is superior to playing on the origional console (like how component cables for GC are very rare, so playing GC games on Wii for most is the only way to get component out, and load times are a little quicker) then BC is very desireable.
If the PS3 played all PS2 games with near 100% compatibilty, upscaled to HD resolutions, and bumped the framerate up to consistant 60hz then I would be more inclined to buy one, as it is now, PS3 BC is not a selling point for me.
I don't see how BC made the Wii a problem. The Gamecube was running on a PowerPC chip. The Wii was deliberately designed to be cheap and not very powerful, and run off of a slightly faster PPC chip. If Nintendo wanted to make something with lots of crazy gigafloppahurtz, they could have done it on the PowerPC architecture (the same way the 360 did) and still retained Gamecube BC.
Give it time. Current compatibility rate is good start and after compatibility reaches certain point, upscaling and few other features should be easy task to add.
Exactly. And Microsoft could have achieved quite lovely BC compatibility if their first console's processor wouldn't have been Celeron, or X360 would have used x86 based architecture.
indeed, and if/when that kind of thing is implemented, I would be more inclined to get a PS3.
However, there is no reason to assume they will do that -
"in the future our resources will be increasingly focused on developing new services and entertainment features exclusively for PS3, rather than on delivering PS2 backwards compatibility."
Investing £430 in a PS3 in the hope that they will sort out BC, when they are specifically saying they aren't focusing on improving it is not something I personally want to do.
My point is that with Nintendo just doing it, and the Wii having the Wiimote hook, the situation is grand.
If everyone used a simple evolutionary approach to console development it would suck though.
Apple jumped from PowerPC to get the performance it needed. BC Nintendo style prohibits that kind of leveraging of tech to make the best console possible.
猿も木から落ちる
So it appears I have to buy a PS2 before moving onto the PS3.
Buggersticks.
Scholar and a Gentleman? Critical of bad science and religion? Skeptobot - Is for you!!
GITAROO MAN *** No known issues to date
GOD OF WAR I & II get *** No known issues to date - so that means the" test" by the german site was before the update is now nonsense.
OKAMI * Should play on PLAYSTATION®3 with noticeable issues
SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS *** No known issues to date -
Scholar and a Gentleman? Critical of bad science and religion? Skeptobot - Is for you!!
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=23614
So it's SC: DA, Oblivion, GRAW2, R6:Vegas, and FEAR. Were these titles a big part of the release? I haven't been following closely, but I've been under the impression that people were mostly looking forward to 1st party stuff. But even I know that Sony was relying on the strong launch lineup to help their European PS3 venture.
Such is life, I suppose. I mean, do you think the main PC market will ever switch to a different processor architecture to leverage better technologies and etc? Never gonna happen.
Since I was going to go through the Australian compatibility list with my PAL games, I figured I might as well post it here too.
So, here's the compatibility for my PAL games:
- Jak and Daxter: Not Listed/Supported
- Jak II: Intermittent Issues
- Jak 3: Intermittent Issues
- Singstar Legends: Intermittent Issues
- Guitar Hero: Not Listed/Supported
- Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater (82013): Intermittent Issues
- God Of War: No Known Issues
- Ratchet and Clank: Not Listed/Supported
- Ratchet and Clank 2: Not Listed/Supported
- Ratchet and Clank 3: Not Listed/Supported
- Final Fantasy X: Intermittent Issues
- We Love Katamari: No Known Issues
- Shadow of the Colossus: No Known Issues
So, that's:
5 out of 13 games which aren't supported
5 out of 13 games with intermittent issues
3 out of 13 games that work perfectly
While it's certainly not 75% of my games working perfectly, it's not a terrible strike rate. Still, I expected the rate to be a little bit higher, since most of my PAL PS2 games are older games.
I think I should point out that Virtual Console titles do not count as backwards compatibility. You have to rebuy any NES/SNES/N64 games you previously owned, which goes against the entire point of backwards compatibility.
Anyway, I'm happy. While a few of the titles I own and love aren't on the list (MGS2 and SH2 in particular), the majority are (FFXII, Tekken 5, MGS3:S, DMC1, GoW, etc). I hope they expand it on it pretty quickly though.
mausmalone: There were previously around 30 titles destined for the PAL launch, so I'm guessing that some of them were held back so they weren't lost in the mess. There's also a lot of rumours flying around that some companies are holding their games back and waiting for the PS3 userbase to get bigger (which is kind of stupid as they could've capitalised on the PS3's drought).
And here I was hoping for HD Okami.
To have the best experience when playing your PlayStation®2 titles, we recommend that:
1. You avoid connecting any non-essential USB peripherals to your PS3
2. You avoid the use of "60Hz" and network modes (which may experience noticeable graphical corruption not present in the main game)
3. You should skip optional FMV sequences (a small number of games have graphical corruption in one or more video sequences).
4. A maximum of seven players can play (non-network) multiplayer PS2 games.
I generally play in 60Hz mode when it's available, and skipping cut-scenes wouldn't be desirable in most games.
Ah ok, yeah I agree with you then.
Btw, anyone else find it hilarious that DMC1 and DMC3 have no issues but DMC2 does? Clearly that game was so broken, it even broke the backwards compatibility.
Still, assuming there isn't too much fudging over the definition of what works, then thumbs-up.
Barbie Explorer has minor issues. OMG PS3 doomed!
Ace Combat 2, Soul Reaver, Jade Cocoon, Tenchu Stealth Assassins, Tomb Raider II, The Legend of Dragoon, and Dynasty Warriors also has intermittent issues.
As for PS2 games, DISGAEA 2 CURSED MEMORIES, BEYOND GOOD & EVIL, CANIS CANEM EDIT, ZONE OF THE ENDERS, VIEWTIFUL JOE, TIME CRISIS 2, TWISTED METAL: BLACK, SILENT HILL 2, SILENT HILL 4 - THE ROOM, SONIC MEGA COLLECTION PLUS, SOUL CALIBUR 3, SPACE CHANNEL 5.1, SPLINTER CELL CHAOS THEORY, PRINCE OF PERSIA THE TWO THRONES, SPLINTER CELL DOUBLE AGENT, STREET FIGHTER EX 3, RESIDENT EVIL 4, JAK II and III, GOD HAND, GRAND THEFT AUTO: SAN ANDREAS, some of the Eye Toy games, TIMESPLITTERS 2, KINGDOM HEARTS I except for what looks like a greatest hits version, METAL SLUG 3, METAL SLUG 5, NIGHTSHADE, MARVEL VS. CAPCOM 2, LEGACY OF KAIN : BLOOD OMEN 2, NEED FOR SPEED CARBON, and all of the SINGSTAR games except one have the lowest rating.
Is that because they're both examples of distributed computing?
lol
They have listed the games with ratings. One "square" means that the game has serious issues. Three means it should play fine.
Unfortunately, a fairly large proportion of the "75%" that are compatible only have one square. So, claiming 75% compatibility is stretching the truth.
Still, it's better than many of us were expecting. Three out of 13 of my games have a perfect rating, and another 5 should sort-of work. That's not too bad.
Most probably.
It's either incompatible or untested. For most games, I think it is safe to assume that they are incompatible if they aren't listed.
FF7 isn't listed and they would be insane not to have it compatible. It also doesn't have MGS2 listed.
I guess so, we won't find out until after the PAL launch (which is this friday). It might just mean that the Guitar is incompatible with the PS3 (which means we'll just have to wait until an adapter comes out).
Seeing as Phil Harrison was only mentioning 1200 PS2 titles a couple of weeks ago (which means they got another 600 at least partially working in under a month), I'm hoping that the backwards compatibility updates will be big and quickly released.
Well, even if PS2 games were converted to "HD", the textures would still be blocky. So scaling up wouldn't really make that much difference.
Well, it would if your TV has a shitty upscaler.
I was referring to the PS3's BC upscaling (since that's what SPI was talking about).
My point is that even if the PS3 increased the resolution of PS2 games, the textures will never really be "HD". They can filter them to make them look a bit nicer, but in the end, PS2 games would have low-res textures, no matter what they do.
Yes, the textures will still be low res, but the ability to play the game in your HDTV's native resolution can make a huge difference depending on the TV.
Besides, things really far away will look nice. :P
The hell with Sony.