Exclusive: A girl with her PlayStation 4 today.
The Internet is ablaze with rumours that the Sony PlayStation 4 will be backwardly compatible. Not only that, but the PlayStation 3 will be backwardly compatible once again even though it used to be... but now isn't...
German site, Gamefront has done some good work by finding and translating a Sony Japan job advert. Our Google translation shows the key lines:
and
The job on offer is for 'PCS' staff - with PCS standing for 'Professional Career Staff', e.g. management and support rather than the game-creating Product Development Staff (PDS).
Not that the rumour mill is that interested in that; the words that are being extracted by the Internet are, "...and next-generation systems".
These are being slammed together with 'PS/PS2/PS3/PSP' and 'emulator' to prove that not only is PlayStation 4 going to be backwardly compatible, but PS3 is going to return to what should be its natural state of backwards compatibility - remember like the 60Gb versions were in the UK?
Is it only us, or is there a vague possibility that the job in question maybe to create legacy (e.g. 'classic' or 'old') games to a format that could be played in Sony's upcoming Home? Or that could be playable via PlayStation store downloads with some emulation encoded?
We would be steaming, spewing mad if we'd bought a 40Gb, £299, not backwardly-compatible PS3, got rid of our previous games, settled back in to acceptance only then to be offered a firmware upgrade in a year's time.
We would ask, "Why did you get rid of the 60Gb that had a version of the PS2's GS GPU on the motherboard (but not in the 40Gb) in the first place?"
(Sony would respond, "cost" and walk away quickly.)
Equally if we were Sony shareholders, we'd be saying, "Why not, like Nintendo Virtual Console and Microsoft Originals, make classic PSOne and PS2 games available as downloads? That will get people to come to Home?!! We've got thousands of those classic bloody games!"
As for the PS4 'in the works' stories. Well, of course it is... that's no big secret. The insanity is to think that Sony is recruiting people to build emulation software for a set of chips that haven't been bloody well finalised yet.
PSP-2 anybody? Eh?
German site, Gamefront has done some good work by finding and translating a Sony Japan job advert. Our Google translation shows the key lines:
"PLAYSTATION ® 3 features compatible development engineers."
and
" PS3 and next-generation systems, aimed PS/PS2/PS3/PSP implementation and improved emulator."
The job on offer is for 'PCS' staff - with PCS standing for 'Professional Career Staff', e.g. management and support rather than the game-creating Product Development Staff (PDS).
Not that the rumour mill is that interested in that; the words that are being extracted by the Internet are, "...and next-generation systems".
These are being slammed together with 'PS/PS2/PS3/PSP' and 'emulator' to prove that not only is PlayStation 4 going to be backwardly compatible, but PS3 is going to return to what should be its natural state of backwards compatibility - remember like the 60Gb versions were in the UK?
Is it only us, or is there a vague possibility that the job in question maybe to create legacy (e.g. 'classic' or 'old') games to a format that could be played in Sony's upcoming Home? Or that could be playable via PlayStation store downloads with some emulation encoded?
We would be steaming, spewing mad if we'd bought a 40Gb, £299, not backwardly-compatible PS3, got rid of our previous games, settled back in to acceptance only then to be offered a firmware upgrade in a year's time.
We would ask, "Why did you get rid of the 60Gb that had a version of the PS2's GS GPU on the motherboard (but not in the 40Gb) in the first place?"
(Sony would respond, "cost" and walk away quickly.)
Equally if we were Sony shareholders, we'd be saying, "Why not, like Nintendo Virtual Console and Microsoft Originals, make classic PSOne and PS2 games available as downloads? That will get people to come to Home?!! We've got thousands of those classic bloody games!"
As for the PS4 'in the works' stories. Well, of course it is... that's no big secret. The insanity is to think that Sony is recruiting people to build emulation software for a set of chips that haven't been bloody well finalised yet.
PSP-2 anybody? Eh?
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Comments
spudgun 18 Jan 2008 13:04
1/9
>The insanity is to think that Sony is recruiting people to >build emulation software for a set of chips that haven't been >bloody well finalised yet.
I've heard the PS4's processor will be dubbed "The Insanity Engine"
I've heard the PS4's processor will be dubbed "The Insanity Engine"
tyrion 18 Jan 2008 15:02
2/9
SPOnG wrote:
>The insanity is to think that Sony is recruiting people to build emulation software for a set of chips that haven't been bloody well finalised yet.
Is it just me that thinks that the PS4 will have a 2nd-gen Cell as its CPU and therefore will be fully backwards compatible?
From what I've heard, the Cell is the only place in the PS3 where you have to hit the metal, APIs cover the controllers, GPU etc. If the PS4's CPU is fully BC with the PS3's Cell, then there should be no problems with the PS4 playing PS3 games.
The same is entirely possible for the 360 of course, XNA counts for a lot of BC ability.
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deleted 18 Jan 2008 18:04
3/9
heres a thought,
who said the PS4 will have pyshical media? maybe just maybe it will all be digitally downloaded and therefore not require a drive, sure they could stick a bluray in for all your collection of HD movies, but why when they can charge twice, once on bluray and once on download, by time we reach PS4, internet speeds will be streaming HD movies and Games easily, and with MS, Sony & Nintendo Allowing downloads of Retro and Last and last before gen games, why would they want to let you play in on disc when they can charge you again for a download, still how big will the HD have to be? will we see the PS4 where you dont even have to downlaod anything just have a virtual hard disk linked to a network with access to everything you have bought, and to play or watch it just streams across? or is that PS5 material?
who said the PS4 will have pyshical media? maybe just maybe it will all be digitally downloaded and therefore not require a drive, sure they could stick a bluray in for all your collection of HD movies, but why when they can charge twice, once on bluray and once on download, by time we reach PS4, internet speeds will be streaming HD movies and Games easily, and with MS, Sony & Nintendo Allowing downloads of Retro and Last and last before gen games, why would they want to let you play in on disc when they can charge you again for a download, still how big will the HD have to be? will we see the PS4 where you dont even have to downlaod anything just have a virtual hard disk linked to a network with access to everything you have bought, and to play or watch it just streams across? or is that PS5 material?
XKaiminalX 18 Jan 2008 22:27
4/9
You know what makes me laugh about this, Its the fact that this is about a PS4 for all we know that will never exist, Second What clasic games does the PSX/PS2 actually have?
deleted 18 Jan 2008 22:48
5/9
XKaiminalX wrote:
You know what makes me laugh about this, Its the fact that this is about a PS4 for all we know that will never exist,
Unless, the world comes to an end before the end of the PS3 lifespan then its a certainty that a PS4 will come around, there is far too much money involved for sony to turn that down, and give it a few years and the PS3 will be a big contender,
XKaiminalX wrote:
Second What clasic games does the PSX/PS2 actually have?
have you ever you owned one or the other?,
PSone,
Syphon Filter
Ape Escape
Metal Gear Solid
Parappa the Rapper
Gran Turismo 1/2
Castlevania Symphony of the Night
Wild Arms
Final Fantasy VII/VIII/IX
Tomba!
Resident Evil 1/2
Tekken Series
Gran Turismo 2
Vagrant Story
Twisted Metal 2
Parasite Eve
Driver
The Legacy of Kain - Soul Reaver
Destruction Derby
PS2
Final Fantasy X
God of War
Gran Turismo 3 A-spec
Grand Theft Auto Series
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Jak&Daxter
Soul Calibur 2
Kingdom Hearts
Grandia 2
ICO
and many many more, to which im sure some replys will follow with lots of games i forgot to mention.
PreciousRoi 19 Jan 2008 01:52
6/9
OK fine, but who is going to want to play most of those now or in the future?
I mean, who needs the admittedly classic GT1-3? Personally, unless I can unearth my old gamesave somewhere, even nostalgia is not enough to make me want to do liscence tests again...or purchase and upgrade the massive amount of cars I would feel I have every moreal right to possess.
A few RPGs...mebbe a few fighting games and a handful of other titles...might be future portable fodder, but on a 8th gen or "future gen" console?
I don't think so...sure it sounds good...and I suppose it might be something to do while they wait for GT5...but I've said it before and I'll say it again BC isn't nearly as important as anyone thinks it is.
And PLEASE DEAR GOD, LETS NOT TURN THIS INTO A LISTING OF ALL THE "CLASSIC PS GAMES", shame hari, shame...
*smaller voice
but, err, umm, ahh, you did leave out Wipeout and Medal of Honor (the first two, the ones on PS2 were ballocks)
*warming to subject
oooh, and the one with the Crystal Method soundtrack, that was a goodun'...wait...damn, you hari...:P
I mean, who needs the admittedly classic GT1-3? Personally, unless I can unearth my old gamesave somewhere, even nostalgia is not enough to make me want to do liscence tests again...or purchase and upgrade the massive amount of cars I would feel I have every moreal right to possess.
A few RPGs...mebbe a few fighting games and a handful of other titles...might be future portable fodder, but on a 8th gen or "future gen" console?
I don't think so...sure it sounds good...and I suppose it might be something to do while they wait for GT5...but I've said it before and I'll say it again BC isn't nearly as important as anyone thinks it is.
And PLEASE DEAR GOD, LETS NOT TURN THIS INTO A LISTING OF ALL THE "CLASSIC PS GAMES", shame hari, shame...
*smaller voice
but, err, umm, ahh, you did leave out Wipeout and Medal of Honor (the first two, the ones on PS2 were ballocks)
*warming to subject
oooh, and the one with the Crystal Method soundtrack, that was a goodun'...wait...damn, you hari...:P
87th 21 Jan 2008 10:35
7/9
I was recently interviewed for a job, that works with SCEE as a client. I can tell you that Sony still considers the PS3 to be "Next-Generation".
HyperTails 21 Jan 2008 15:16
8/9
Er... that's because it is Next Generation.
Anyway, its hard to believe that even the PlayStation 4 is having its name thrown around now. What they should just do is offer a firmware upgrade that allows you to play more PS2 games (or any, if you own a 40Gb model) which is what should have never been taken away. Its funny, they take out the Emotion Engine and Graphics Synthesiser to reduce costs, which wouldn't have mattered so much had they continually offered updates. As it is, they stopped the updates for some reason, and left people like me with some PS2 games unplayable on my PS3 (MGS3, for example), or games like Killzone where the sound is out of sync in the intros so you have to skip them.
Anyway, its hard to believe that even the PlayStation 4 is having its name thrown around now. What they should just do is offer a firmware upgrade that allows you to play more PS2 games (or any, if you own a 40Gb model) which is what should have never been taken away. Its funny, they take out the Emotion Engine and Graphics Synthesiser to reduce costs, which wouldn't have mattered so much had they continually offered updates. As it is, they stopped the updates for some reason, and left people like me with some PS2 games unplayable on my PS3 (MGS3, for example), or games like Killzone where the sound is out of sync in the intros so you have to skip them.
Joji 22 Jan 2008 23:51
9/9
PS3 is current gen because it exists now. The use of next gen is somewhat of a double negative. Everyone should be using current gen and next gen so there's some scope of understanding. If PS4 every turns out to be a DL console, that's the day I stop buying consoles.
Sony, MS etc totally underestimate the customers relationship with physical media or digital download. Its about us and games, not all about them and what they want.
Hari, those PS1 games are sweet, but there's no way I want to download them as I own most of them. DL games to dl for PSP use are fine but beyond that I wouldn't bother.
The idea of a fully dl console is a scary one. Its the same kind of thing that put me off iPod, where everyone more or less needs a credit card to get iTunes (this was once the case, and apart from what you rip from cds, still is to a degree). Is this how we want gaming to be, the fruits of the rich and credit carded folk? I don't think so.
If dl gaming was such hot shiz, Steam would be doing much better than it is.
Sony, MS etc totally underestimate the customers relationship with physical media or digital download. Its about us and games, not all about them and what they want.
Hari, those PS1 games are sweet, but there's no way I want to download them as I own most of them. DL games to dl for PSP use are fine but beyond that I wouldn't bother.
The idea of a fully dl console is a scary one. Its the same kind of thing that put me off iPod, where everyone more or less needs a credit card to get iTunes (this was once the case, and apart from what you rip from cds, still is to a degree). Is this how we want gaming to be, the fruits of the rich and credit carded folk? I don't think so.
If dl gaming was such hot shiz, Steam would be doing much better than it is.