Sony, leading the horse race again?

[SignOfZeta]

The PS3 was the most powerful graphical doodad in the world when it came out. The iPhone never was. The change from one iPhone to the next is very incremental and they come out every year. Do you want annual incremental Playstations?

The direction they took with the Cell made sense at the time. The PS4 architecture was only fantasy back then.

If you want bleeding edge shit, pay for it. Sony is probably already going to lose $50 a machine (if not twice that). Isn't that enough? Sheesh.

Nintendo stuff goes backwards really well, but that's largely because it hardly goes forwards.

[shabba]

Finally, they're going to be supporting Smell-o-vision, YES!!!!!

I actually get this reference...am I that old? (Mad Magazine, no?)

I'll weigh in on the PS4 in one regard. I have 3 stepsons in the house, two of whom pretty much grew up with me. They are 15, 18 and 24 and Filipino. I'm 37 and white so I'd say we have the demographics covered for gaming.

After the PS4 announcement, we were talking about the system. The boys agreed, overwhelmingly, that it's not something they are interested in. None of them thought that having someone else pick up their game where they left off was neat, none of them were stoked about the social media interactions and they all, like their step dad, dislike the idea of games on the cloud.

I like having a physical disc and a case. Call me antiquated, but I don't care. It's thievery to keep the program on the cloud and I have nothing to show for it. The kids feel the same way. When the PS3 came out, my kids were much more excited. Several people stated it here that the software sells the system. I feel that, until there is something there like a GOW4 or GT6, I won't be getting a PS4 right off. My kids, a big part of the audience Sony is wanting to buy in, aren't sold either. What does that say?

[Arkhan Asylum]

What's funny is, there was a time when noone gave a shit about backwards compatibility, and now it's all people seem to care about with the next system is: "Can it play my old crap"

You already have the thing that plays the old crap.  Who cares if new thing play old thing.

[ParanoiaDragon]

Finally, they're going to be supporting Smell-o-vision, YES!!!!!

I actually get this reference...am I that old? (Mad Magazine, no?)

I'll weigh in on the PS4 in one regard. I have 3 stepsons in the house, two of whom pretty much grew up with me. They are 15, 18 and 24 and Filipino. I'm 37 and white so I'd say we have the demographics covered for gaming.

After the PS4 announcement, we were talking about the system. The boys agreed, overwhelmingly, that it's not something they are interested in. None of them thought that having someone else pick up their game where they left off was neat, none of them were stoked about the social media interactions and they all, like their step dad, dislike the idea of games on the cloud.

I like having a physical disc and a case. Call me antiquated, but I don't care. It's thievery to keep the program on the cloud and I have nothing to show for it. The kids feel the same way. When the PS3 came out, my kids were much more excited. Several people stated it here that the software sells the system. I feel that, until there is something there like a GOW4 or GT6, I won't be getting a PS4 right off. My kids, a big part of the audience Sony is wanting to buy in, aren't sold either. What does that say?

Might be Mad magazine, I used to read it all the time as a kid, but I don't specifically remember.

I'm a physical release person as well, though, I am finding that the more physical releases I get, the more room they take up.  Right now, I buy all physical releases of games I want, but when there's a game that's digital only, I've more recently become much more forgiving about that.

I remember when the SNES came out, & I was pissed that it didn't run NES games.  Atleast the Genesis had the Power converter!

[CrackTiger]

Smell-O-Vision is real and other similar techniques were used a handful of times in theatres.

What's funny is, there was a time when noone gave a shit about backwards compatibility, and now it's all people seem to care about with the next system is: "Can it play my old crap"

You already have the thing that plays the old crap.  Who cares if new thing play old thing.

The problem is that there was a time when games were all physical and didn't require any kind of b.s. digital rights licensing or online authentication. Now companies are pushing digital everything and then later on making them unavailable and/or unplayable.

[Arkhan Asylum]

The problem is that there was a time when games were all physical and didn't require any kind of b.s. digital rights licensing or online authentication. Now companies are pushing digital everything and then later on making them unavailable and/or unplayable.

That would happen with or without backwards compatibility.   Just because it's available on 3 platforms doesn't mean it won't be removed and unplayable on them all. 

So, no, I don't think that's the problem.

We're not in 100% digital mode yet, and people still complain about backwards compatibility.   They've been complaining about it since the Xbox 360 came out.

[CrackTiger]

The problem is that there was a time when games were all physical and didn't require any kind of b.s. digital rights licensing or online authentication. Now companies are pushing digital everything and then later on making them unavailable and/or unplayable.

That would happen with or without backwards compatibility.   Just because it's available on 3 platforms doesn't mean it won't be removed and unplayable on them all. 

So, no, I don't think that's the problem.

We're not in 100% digital mode yet, and people still complain about backwards compatibility.   They've been complaining about it since the Xbox 360 came out.

The other problem is that this passing generations' physical media releases often ship unfinished and are later patched repeatedly. I'm afraid of not being able to play games properly on hardware a decade or two from now. Our best hope for these games to be preserved properly is pirates hacking consoles and backing up all of the updates and distributing them.

[Arkhan Asylum]

The other problem is that this passing generations' physical media releases often ship unfinished and are later patched repeatedly. I'm afraid of not being able to play games properly on hardware a decade or two from now. Our best hope for these games to be preserved properly is pirates hacking consoles and backing up all of the updates and distributing them.

This isn't a problem with backwards compatibility.  This is just a problem.

It's not like when PS4 comes out, all PS3s on the planet explode and leave behind nothing but shiny black dust that shows fingerprints easily.

[Nando]

It's not like when PS4 comes out, all PS3s on the planet explode and leave behind nothing but shiny black dust that shows fingerprints easily.

LMAO!!

[jlued686]

It's not like when PS4 comes out, all PS3s on the planet explode and leave behind nothing but shiny black dust that shows fingerprints easily.

Yeah, and it's not like this generation's hardware is known for having extremely high failure rates or anything.. 

[TheClash603]

It's not like when PS4 comes out, all PS3s on the planet explode and leave behind nothing but shiny black dust that shows fingerprints easily.

Yeah, and it's not like this generation's hardware is known for having extremely high failure rates or anything..  

This is the reason backward compatibility is so important with the PS4, compared to say a SNES.  When I buy a digital download PSN game, that game is only available on my PS3.  It is correct that if my PS3 breaks, I can buy another system and re-download the games, but this isn't an infinite proposition.

Games will not remain on servers forever and games will remain for even shorter periods of time if there is no longer a market for them.  In this instance, when the majority of gamers move to the PS4, from the PS3, I would assume most of these games will not be available anymore.

Fast forward 10 years from now.  My PS3 breaks and I want to play a game of Double Dragon Neon.  Unlike in previous generations where if my system broke I could go out and buy a new system to play my old cartridges, this is no longer a possibility.

Backwards compatibility would prolong the duration these games I bought.

[geise]

Damn, I never really thought of it like that.  I rarely do DL only games.  I just have a few for my Vita, and that's it.  I do have to say that not many games I would really want to play decades later like I do now with the 80's and 90's stuff.  Regardless still a great point.

[Arkhan Asylum]

It's not like when PS4 comes out, all PS3s on the planet explode and leave behind nothing but shiny black dust that shows fingerprints easily.

Yeah, and it's not like this generation's hardware is known for having extremely high failure rates or anything.. 

Ive got a day one PS3 still going.  I've logged bajillions of hours onto it.

Failure rates aren't shit, anyways.  PS3s are still being made, the new models are better, and there are plenty to go around for the people who actually give fucks.

[jlued686]

My launch day PS3 works fine, too. But the second one I bought to use as mainly a bluray player is kaput.

However, the point that these games won't be able to played after the hardware is discontinued and the servers are shut down is still a relevant one.

For example, let's play out this imaginary-yet-completely-possible scenario: You paid $20 for Shiny Happy Fun Time on the PlayStation Store and loved the shit out of it. In a couple years, you want to play SHFT again, but your PS3 is on the fritz. So, you hit up a used game shop for a used, functioning PS3. You boot it up, enter your account information, and head to the PlayStation Store to acquire the copy you paid for. DOH! Sony has decided to remove Shiny Happy Fun Time from the servers, so you can't re-download it! NOOOOO! *tears*

And...scene.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Yeah that is a valid problem, but it has nothing to do with backwards compatibility.

That's just the future of gaming.

[jlued686]

That's true. I thought of that after I typed it out, but was so happy with my Super Happy Fun Time scenario that I let it ride. ;)

[geise]

I guess just ps3 backup to a 2nd drive is the only way around it...if you remember to do it before something malfunctions.  I usually never remember.

[Nazi NecroPhile]

Solution: DO NOT BUY DOWNLOAD ONLY SHIT!

[bob]

Solution: DO NOT BUY DOWNLOAD ONLY SHIT!

THIS!

[Arkhan Asylum]

Solution: DO NOT BUY DOWNLOAD ONLY SHIT!

hell yeah gimme dem boxes.

[TR0N]

Solution: DO NOT BUY DOWNLOAD ONLY SHIT!

To bad some games are digital only 

[TheClash603]

Solution: DO NOT BUY DOWNLOAD ONLY SHIT!

To bad some games are digital only 

I buy the boxed copy every chance I get...  I hate it when there is a digital only game I want!

[TR0N]

Solution: DO NOT BUY DOWNLOAD ONLY SHIT!

To bad some games are digital only 

I buy the boxed copy every chance I get...  I hate it when there is a digital only game I want!

Yeah it's annoying i do prefer physical to but if it's digital only i will download it.

[GohanX]

It's looking like the PS4 will win the next gen war by default. The Wii U is grossly underpowered and is failing at the moment, and Microsoft has been more concerned with being a content box than a game machine, and every time a bit of new information is leaked about the new Xbox I lose more and more interest.

Unless the new systems get some interesting exclusives, I think I'm out this gen. I'm not a PC gamer, but I might just throw a modest video card into my computer and stick with it, handhelds, and old systems for the next few years.

[geise]

That's a big problem with all these new consoles.   They seem to be more geared towards general entertainment rather than hardcore games.  In Nintendo's defense it will probably be the more game oriented machine out of all of them, since that's what it's main focus is.  Now I just think of it this way.  The less next gen rubbish I buy the more money I have for classic stuff I still want.  Games I know I will come back to and want to play.