Videogames, in identical fashion to books, films, or television, have a history that is just as important as its future. With Sony threatening to relinquish its support for the backwards compatibility function in the 40GB PS3 SKU, we thought we’d take a look at the backwards compatibility situation in detail. Given that the PS3’s relationship with PS2 and PSone titles has a dogged past, it’s certainly a contentious issue for the potential PS3 owner.

After all, a gamer could’ve easily spent a decade of their life and a small fortune on PlayStation games from the last two generations. Since Sony has had serious issues with providing its own software for the PS3 platform, many gamers that are new to the console will want to fall back on their retro collections, at least until the bigger publishers start to back the PS3 in 2008. The ability to upscale PSone and PS2 games in 1080p was also a vicious incentive to buy the 60GB model. However, officially, at the very least, the 40GB PS3 will not support PS2 and PSone games whatsoever. Or will it?

The problem with this move by Sony is that, once again, the electronics giant has contradicted itself in the public eye. In 2005, Phil Harrison emphasised the importance of backwards compatibility, citing it as an item of the utmost importance to Sony Computer Entertainment. In an interview with website GamePro during May of last year, he stated that, "Backwards compatibility, as you know from the PlayStation One and PlayStation 2, is a core value of what we believe we should offer."

On top of that ironic morsel, he stated this, in regards to Microsoft’s limited support of the original Xbox titles on the 360, “I don’t believe that was backwards compatibility.” So, why has Sony had a contradictory change of heart? According to the Wall Street Journal, SCEA CEO Jack Tretton stated that losing PS2 compatibility in the 40GB model isn’t “dramatically reducing Sony’s costs of manufacturing” the PS3, either. Therefore, the reasons behind the removal go beyond that of the initial factory costs.

Perhaps the most likely explanation stems from the fact that PS2 backwards compatibility is sourced from a combination of software and hardware on the PAL PS3, rather than merely containing the PS2 Emotion chip like the American models. Most games have to be individually emulated to work on the PS3, which is why the official PAL b/c website (faq.eu.PlayStation.com/bc) is such a mismanaged mess. In the case of the 40GB SKU, it’s just time effective for Sony to turn its back on the complicated affair, since this model has taken out the PS2 semiconductor hardware that made 90 per cent of all the games compatible.

Does the 40GB really, unanimously outlaw all PS2 and PSone games without exception, then? Not exactly. Play spoke to a Sony representative, deciding that for balance’s sake, we’d give the company a genuinely fair chance to explain the situation, “Backwards compatibility for PSone titles remains the same no matter how many times the model is changed,” said Sony. Good news for PSone fans. Anyone wanting to play PS2 games, however, won’t be so lucky, “The increased complexity of using a software-only solution for each and every title means that to ensure accurate software emulation for the majority would be technically challenging, time consuming and costly.” According to Sony, however, there’s no guarantee that the PS3 won’t play some PS2 games. It’s pot luck, really. Don’t expect the majority of your PS2 games to work on the PS3, but if some do, this is to be considered a bonus – whichever games rely on software emulation will work.

In clarification, the 40GB model will support PSone games to the same degree as the 60GB PS3, but its PS2 compatibility is not something that Sony is going to take responsibility for. According to Sony’s representative, firmware updates will “continue to support (PS2) backwards compatibility” for the 60GB model, but we’re not sure that this will always be the case. There was a reason, of course, that the sales of the PS2 topped 120 million, but it seems that a fruitful, epoch-shattering generation of gaming legacy is about to be left behind by Sony. Then again, you don’t have to throw away your PlayStation 2 and your standard television – it just would’ve been nice to see Sony follow through with one of its promises for a change.