PS3, $400 40GB Model?

[MottZilla]

Well many things have been popping up though it's not confirmed yet but likely will be soon. It seems there's going to be a new 40GB PS3 system for 400 bucks. I think they've finally got it to a decent price point then. They still lack a great pool of software to play, but is anyone atleast more interested in the PS3 with the possibility of picking it up for only 400$ opposed to 600$ or 500$?

I'd actually consider it at $400 but that's my limit. I bought my Xbox 360 at $400 and it wasn't too painful. But I'd need some games to go after. MGS4 is coming out soon and Ninja Gaiden Sigma is out. And Multi-platform titles I have the 360 for that.

Anyone change their mind on the PS3 when it comes down to $400 or do you have to wait for it to go lower?

[Warlock]

There is definately a new SKU coming:
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3163278

Whether or not it's 40GB at $400, I don't know.

I still don't think I'd buy it at $400. There are still no games I'm interested in.

[Modus Ponens]

The PS3 has Virtua Fighter 5. The only problem with that is what you need to play it--someone else of the same skill level and a lot of time to practice. Now, I will grant that it's also going to come out for the 360, but the 360's d-pad sucks, so I'm curious about how well it'll play.

[MottZilla]

The 360 version however, has online play which as I heard the PS3 version doesn't. Not interested in MGS4 or NG Sigma? When you have the 360 that really limits the games since you have no need for multi-platform titles on PS3.

[Dark Knight]

I'd actually purchase the PS3 if it dropped to $400. MGS4 and Ninja Gaiden Sigma are more than enough to get me started and Unreal Tournament 2007 is going to be released soon. I'd probably also get Final Fantasy XIII whenever it's released...but given that I didn't enjoy XII, I'm a bit iffy on the next installment.

[DarkDragoonX]

...but the 360's d-pad sucks, so I'm curious about how well it'll play.

Buy an arcade stick. Problem solved.

[*b*]

I don't care about the PS3 to begin with, and $400 is still a hell of a lot of money for a gaming platform. It'd have to take a lot (Possibly even .hack) for me to actually want one, let alone actually buy one

[Orn]

The 40GB model wont have any backwards compatibility.

[Dark Knight]

You know, I've scoured the official playstation website for information about this lack of backwards compatibility you speak of and yet, found nothing. Care to post a link to the source of this claim?

[phattonez]

Since when did $400 become a good price for a system? I'll pay at most $200 and I would still be hesitant at that price.

[Warlock]

Since when did $400 become a good price for a system? I'll pay at most $200 and I would still be hesitant at that price.

I agree - you can get a 360 for about the same price with a 120GB hard drive. The only real thing PS3 is offering over that is their "wonderful blu-ray player" which frankly I don't give a crap about. Plus, 360 actually has games worth playing :P

Maybe I'll pick one up when it gets super cheap and they actually have some decent titles, but for right now I'm still passing.

[erm2003]

You know, I've scoured the official playstation website for information about this lack of backwards compatibility you speak of and yet, found nothing. Care to post a link to the source of this claim?

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/825/825213p1.html

According to this article Orn is correct, at least about the model being sold in the UK. The 40 GB model will not be backwards compatible with PS2 games. Funny how you couldn't find it on the official site. How horrible would it be for people to buy that model for that price expecting the backwards compatibility only to find out it's not there. They should probably make it a bit more clear.

[MottZilla]

Yes this is a big deal that they dropped backwards compatibility for now with the 40GB Euro model. Apparently the PS2 Cpu+Graphics chip which was replaced in the 80GB(US) and all Euro models with just the graphics chip from the PS2, is now being removed atleast in the Euro 40GB model.

We haven't had any confirmation about a US 40GB $400 model, or any US or Japanese model losing the GS (ps2 graphics chip). But one can only imagine they do intend to bring it out here. Backwards compatibility is a bigger deal earlier on and no so later on. Most people only play the latest games and don't bother playing their older games after awhile. And obviously there is the confusion this will cause. Some PS3's will play PS2 games, some won't, yet all will play PS1.

But if you look at it this way.. when most buy the PS3 they are buying a next-gen console to play next-gen games. They may or may not have had a PS2. If they did, they can just as easily keep the PS2 around until they no longer want to play PS2 games. And they get a price break off the PS3.

The only thing I wonder is how much really did it cost to leave the GS chip in for the half software/half hardware backwards compatibility. I really think they should have left it in not to break the cycle of BC.

But to me this isn't a deal breaker at all. I'd rather a cheaper system than one that has more usb ports, some multi memory card reader, and PS2 compatibility. Afterall I still use my PSOne to play PS1 games.

[Warlock]

I thought they were replacing the Emotion Engine with their stupid software emulation crap. Or do they still need some kind of chip for that?

[MottZilla]

There's 2 chips, Emotion Engine aka EE (CPU) and the GS (Graphics Synthesizer). Software emulation allowed them to remove the EE and emulate it via software. The same is not possible with the graphics chip. While they might be able to do some HLE it would suffer compatibility issues which then would best be sorted via per game hacks, similar to how the Xbox 360 has per game tweaked emulation.

The PS3 as "powerful" as it is, cannot emulate the PS2 from the year 2000. :p Too complex of a machine.

[Warlock]

lol that's sad

[MottZilla]

Only sad because they boast that PS3 is ubber powerful, and that it's a misconception that the Xbox 360 and PS3 are on the same level. They insist the PS3 is way beyond or something. So then when the PS3 can't emulate the PS2 in software it's pathetic. :p