Remember when the PlayStation 3 dropped in Europe? You might recall that once everyone stopped whining about the price, they found something else to complain about — PlayStation 2 backwards compatibility. It seems the problem was the lack of the Emotion Engine chip (found in the PS2), a hardware solution found in North American models of the PS3. Europe had to fend for themselves, instead having to deal with a software solution that left them not being able to play some of their favorite titles without noticeable issues.
Gaming Bitshas confirmed with SCEA that the upcoming 80GB PS3 will not include the Emotion Engine, instead relying on the same software solution PAL owners are familiar with. This makes sense — producing Emotion Engine hardware is likely far more costly than a simple software solution. In adding a larger HDD, it only makes sense that Sony had to cut costs somewhere.
Whether or not the backwards compatability will be similar to what we’re seeing in Europe is unknown, but just looking at thebackwards compatability listhas me skeptical. It’s noted thatBad Boys II: Miami Takedown“should play on the PlayStation 3 with some issues,” and that’s just completely unacceptable. Get it together by August, Sony.
