Blaze Lord
24/Apr/06, 09:35 PM
"Teams are working on the backwards compatibility for the PlayStation 3 - which, one programmer on this project has revealed to GamesIndustry.biz, will be accomplished in software rather than by building the PS2 hardware (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=16310#) into the PS3 console, as was the case with the PS2's emulation of the PSone."
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=16310
This doesn't parse with Ken's earlier (http://www.gamespot.com/pages/unions/read_article.php?topic_id=22970641&union_id=2923)comments, however.
Impress PC Watch: Will the PS3's backward compatibility with the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 be done through hardware?
Ken Kutaragi: It will be done through a combination of hardware and software. We can do it with software alone, but it's important to make it as close to perfect as possible. Third-party developers sometimes do things that are unimaginable. For example, there are cases where their games run, but not according to the console's specifications. There are times when games pass through our tests, but are written in ways that make us say, "What in the world is this code?!" We need to support backward compatibility towards those kinds of games as well, so trying to create compatibility by software alone is difficult. There are things that will be required by hardware. However, with the powers of [a machine like] the PS3, some parts can be handled by hardware, and some parts by software... the Xbox will be killing itself. The only way to avoid that is to support 100 percent compatibility from its [Xbox 360's] launch date, but Microsoft won't be able to commit to that. It's technically difficult.
Which, of course, was contradicted (http://www.ps3portal.com/ps3/article/328.html)this past March.
"TRC must be observed!"... TRC (Technical Requirements Criteria), also known as TCRs by Microsoft and Nintendo, are a significant portion of the certification requirements needed to get approval to release a title on a given console system. These generally include lots of details about how to utilize the hardware present in the system, and more importantly, how not to use it.
The unfortunate fact of the matter is that not all games pass all the TCRs. More often than not, the games that gamers enjoy the most, the ones that everyone recognizes as pushing the systems, fail one or more TCRs to do so. The console makers do pass their titles for certification in large part due to their ability to still pass other quality gates that revolve around stability.
So, first it was 100% back compat and hardware and software driven. Then it was not quite 100% back compat. Now none of the back compat is hardware-based. By Ken's own comments, they have a 'technically difficult' time ahead of them. And, what's more, the PS3 is now 'killing itself', after not only promising 100% back compat, but also slamming the 360 for software emulation- something the Sony guys themselves are now resorting to.
Is this the beginning of more disappointments, as we get closer to the ultimate hype machines launch? Almost definitely.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=16310
This doesn't parse with Ken's earlier (http://www.gamespot.com/pages/unions/read_article.php?topic_id=22970641&union_id=2923)comments, however.
Impress PC Watch: Will the PS3's backward compatibility with the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 be done through hardware?
Ken Kutaragi: It will be done through a combination of hardware and software. We can do it with software alone, but it's important to make it as close to perfect as possible. Third-party developers sometimes do things that are unimaginable. For example, there are cases where their games run, but not according to the console's specifications. There are times when games pass through our tests, but are written in ways that make us say, "What in the world is this code?!" We need to support backward compatibility towards those kinds of games as well, so trying to create compatibility by software alone is difficult. There are things that will be required by hardware. However, with the powers of [a machine like] the PS3, some parts can be handled by hardware, and some parts by software... the Xbox will be killing itself. The only way to avoid that is to support 100 percent compatibility from its [Xbox 360's] launch date, but Microsoft won't be able to commit to that. It's technically difficult.
Which, of course, was contradicted (http://www.ps3portal.com/ps3/article/328.html)this past March.
"TRC must be observed!"... TRC (Technical Requirements Criteria), also known as TCRs by Microsoft and Nintendo, are a significant portion of the certification requirements needed to get approval to release a title on a given console system. These generally include lots of details about how to utilize the hardware present in the system, and more importantly, how not to use it.
The unfortunate fact of the matter is that not all games pass all the TCRs. More often than not, the games that gamers enjoy the most, the ones that everyone recognizes as pushing the systems, fail one or more TCRs to do so. The console makers do pass their titles for certification in large part due to their ability to still pass other quality gates that revolve around stability.
So, first it was 100% back compat and hardware and software driven. Then it was not quite 100% back compat. Now none of the back compat is hardware-based. By Ken's own comments, they have a 'technically difficult' time ahead of them. And, what's more, the PS3 is now 'killing itself', after not only promising 100% back compat, but also slamming the 360 for software emulation- something the Sony guys themselves are now resorting to.
Is this the beginning of more disappointments, as we get closer to the ultimate hype machines launch? Almost definitely.