The new version of the PlayStation 3 will be launched in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Australasia on the 23rd of March, 2007, as expected. The big shock was then their press release stated that the European PS3 "would utilise a new hardware specification."
According to Sony:
The European PS3 will feature the Cell Broadband Engine, 60 GB hard disc drive, Blu-ray Disc player, built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, SIXAXIS wireless controller. It also embodies a new combination of hardware and software emulation which will enable PS3 to be compatible with a broad range of original PlayStation (PS) titles and a limited range of PlayStation 2 (PS2) titles.
For those of you reading carefully, this means two major changes. First, there is only one version, no 20 gig Wi-Fi-less version. Second, the machine ships with no emotion engine, the brawn and brains behind the PS2. The North American and Asian PS3 have this chip inside, allowing for near complete backwards compatibility. Long story short? As, most likely, a cost-saving strategy, the European PS3 lacks full backwards compatibility, and will likely feature the same update strategy currently employed by the Xbox 360.
In defense of this new hardware configuration, David Reeves, President of SCEE offered the following:
PS3 is first and foremost a system that excels in playing games specifically designed to exploit the power and potential of the PS3 system. Games designed for PS3 offer incredible graphics quality, stunning gameplay and massively improved audio and video fidelity that is simply not achievable with PS and PS2 games. Rather than concentrate on PS2 backwards compatibility, in the future, company resources will be increasingly focused on developing new games and entertainment features exclusively for PS3, truly taking advantage of this exciting technology.
Unfortunately, the only hole in this exuberent defence is that the technology is already there. In fact, I have it in my American PS3. Of course the PS3 games should look better than PS2 games, but the "rather than concentrate on PS2 backwards compatibility" line is a red herring. That concentration has already been paid for. You'd think with the 4D gaming debacle that Sony would learn to cut to the chase and level with consumers by now.
Sony has alluded to the fact that firmware updates, available via download or game discs, will probably increase the list of compatible games. European PS3 owners will be able to check whether their titles are compatible with PS3 at faq.eu.playstation.com/bc. The site will go live on March 23rd, launch day.
Sony is banking that the PS3 will have enough momentum to overcome this handicap. Only time will tell if a) European consumers will tolerate getting a lesser version of the PS3, or b) if the rest of the world will soon be getting a scaled back PlayStation 3 for the same price that those of us paid for launch versions. It will be a bitter sweet launch for the PS3 on March 23rd.
Note: This article contains content sent directly from SCEE:
About Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd.
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), based in London, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and sales of PLAYSTATION 3, PlayStation 2 and PSP (PlayStation Portable) software and hardware in 102 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. SCEE also develops, publishes, markets and distributes entertainment software for these formats, and manages the third party licensing programs for the formats in these territories. Between its European debut on 24th November 2000 and the end of September 2006, over 44 million PlayStation 2 consoles have been shipped across the SCEE territories, over 115 million worldwide, making it one of the most successful consumer electronic products in history. Between its European debut on 1st September 2005 and the end of September 2006, over 8 million PSP systems have been shipped across the SCEE territories, with over 24 million shipped worldwide since its Japanese launch in December 2004.
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