Make the Playstation 3 backwards compatible around the world!

Some years ago I chose to purchase a PlayStation 2 because it could bridge the gap in our gaming technology until I upgraded to the next family computer. The PlayStation 2 could also double as a DVD player, so it was excellent value at the time.

I did my research and chose the PlayStation 2 over the XBox because the PlayStation 2 had backwards capability and could play some of the PlayStation 1 games still available at that time. The XBox has some other excellent features, so I've had a few thoughts over the years, but on the whole, I was very pleased with the PlayStation 2.

Dedicated gaming machines such as the XBox and PlayStation series also have the advantage of being reliable technology. I have known of instances when one person purchased a PlayStation version of a game and the other bought the PC version. The person with the PC version had trouble, but the person with the PlayStation version was able to play their game. (This is not necessarily a criticism of the PC, as Personal Computers are designed to perform a number of useful business and academic tasks in addition to playing games.)

I was excited to hear that the PlayStation 3 was going to be launched. I also trusted the Sony company to understand that the family would want to continue to play the library of games we had collected...after all, Sony were a great company and had known that PlayStation 1 game owners would want to continue to play their favourite old games as well as take advantage of all the new games that come out when a new model is launched.

However a review of the coming PlayStation 3 in a computer gaming Magazine warned that the model to be launched in Australia had little backwards capability.The Model launched in the US had superior backwards capability, but even that did not have perfect backwards capability.

I haven't bought a PlayStation 3 to test the reviews statements, but I sort of believe them as the independant games magazines have no real reason to lie. I also notice that the PlayStation 3 has not been as popular in Australia as one would have expected given the PlayStation fan base.

If you are a PlayStation 3 owner please take this poll and help me collect information about whether the PlayStation 3 is really backwards compatible or not. It is hard to get a major company to listen, but you never know, they could notice the page and I would like them to know that people all over the world would like a backwards compatible video game machine.

As I have been told that the PlayStation 3 has been released in different models around the world, please scroll to the correct poll box for your country of residence and vote. Feel free to check back later and see the results of the poll.

In case this all sounds a bit frivolous, I want to put forward the case of the parents who have invested money into PlayStation 2 games for their children and children who have spent their pocket money on PlayStation 2 games or received them in the past as Christmas or Birthday presents.

If the new system is incompatible with those games, the parents money is wasted and the children's pleasure in their games is forfeit. Today's families have enough challenges without their new game machine lacking backwards compatibility!