With the announcement that the PS3 40GB model is truly a reality, the issue of this new iteration of the PS3 showing up without backwards compatibility for PS2 games has started a small debate war within the gaming community.
Is BC really that important to those who are thinking about buying the new and less expensive model?
Anita Frazier, NPD’s industry analyst, says that BC is an issue that is quite important. "Our latest survey which covered this subject, ‘Next-Gen Functionality’ showed that backward compatibility ranked second only to ‘Has games I want to buy’ in terms of desired features – nearly 70 percent said that it was an important feature to them whereas 90 percent said that the availability of enticing new games was important."
This means that the number two feature that gamers wanted in their next-gen consoles was BC. This won’t fare very well for consumers who are thinking about buying the 40GB PS3.
But others in the industry think the BC issue is way overrated. DFC Intelligence’s David Cole said, "I have always thought backwards compatibility is a bit overrated…you assume that almost anyone interested in a PS3 already has a PS2. It is a very simple matter to hook two systems up to the TV."
So is not having BC really a big deal for the 40GB PS3? The answer should be apparent when the 40GB model hits European and Japanese store shevles soon.
[via GameDaily]
