SCEA CEO Jack Tretton dishes: DRM is in, backwards compatibility is out, and video UMD lives on
By Ryan Block 
posted Jul 16th 2008 3:18PM
posted Jul 16th 2008 3:18PM
We got a chance to sit down with Sony Computer Entertainment of America's CEO Jack Tretton, who gave us the lowdown about a few things we've had on our minds.PS3
On backwards compatibility: Jack explained that Sony looked at how to "not take a greater hit on production cost, without losing PlayStation's heritage ... Hardware / software for backwards compat wasn't all that expensive. ... but we're selling PS2 software to PS2 customers, and selling PS3 software to PS3 consumers." Still, Jack seems to feel like it may have been the wrong move. "I would like to have had it in there, but Sony's collective strategy determined we could afford to lose it. We've now gone down that road, and we're not going back."
On DRM and the video store: As of right now, Tretton is a firm supporter of the need to DRM content on the PlayStation platforms, and Sony believes that "the drm for a song maybe isn't as important for a movie and a game... this is way too hard a business to make money in to allow people to own multiple copies for the price of one." (That's what they all say!) "I'm all for allowing an individual consumer having the freedom to do with their content what they want," but Sony has no intention of opening its video up any more than it has to.
PSP
On drive or flash storage: Sony has "definitely thought about storage on the PSP," and understands the inevitable "march towards digital content delivery device." But in terms of a drive-based PSP, they have "nothing that's imminent." (Read: don't hold your breath.)
On how downloadable video affects the already sad state of UMD: UMD "has struggled, and it wasn't handled effectively from the beginning. ... I firmly believe in a digital model" as they're rolling out, but Sony is "still going to support UMD" as a device for movies.
What's preventing PSP software sales: Three things. Title ports from PS2 games (people don't want to buy the same title twice), and the PSP's media functions. But Jack put the most emphasis on "piracy in the hundreds of thousands of units are preventing software sales. it's a problem that affects our software sales right now."
Home
On what the crap is going on with it: Part of Home's issues thus far have stemmed from "the disconnect of when Sony took Home out of the creative minds and put it the hands of business minds... but I would rather ship it two years from now with a lot of good stuff, than open it as some ghost town. We have to do a good job of populating it." For the record, that doesn't mean Home is coming out in two years -- they just want to make sure to get it right. Of course, it could be argued that the entire concept behind Home is flawed. There, we said it.
Biz
On having Kaz, former head of SCEA, running PlayStation from Tokyo: It's been a favorable situation for Jack and the US team, because Kaz understands the US market and its needs better than Kutaragi did. "He understands the challenges... there's a better understanding for our business than there's ever been. Howard Stringer has also gotten involved in the PlayStation business."
Didn't Stringer get involved because PlayStation was hemohorraging cash? "Most of what we did before didn't have a lot to do with the rest of Sony's business... but we can no longer be an island off the coast of Sony Corp." Which is to say, this time PS3's launch touched many of Sony's businesses and interests across the company.
DONT TASE ME BRO!!!
your rating just got tased, bro
in b4 dark_alex
DRM, check
no backwards compatibility, check
Keep using a BS proprietary format, check
3 very different and very acute types of FAIL from Sony. Aren't they trying to stay in business?!
Microsoft and Sony are both big fans of DRM, support proprietary formats, and neglect backwards compatibility - and they both make billions of dollars every year.
Its farcical to correlate these stances with profitability. If profitability was a serious concern facing these stances, then they would have tackled them long ago. I hate all of the above as much as you do, but its idealistic to think it will change anytime soon.
Agreed, lets waste time on special formats and piss Sony customers off at the same time...GENIOUS!
I hate DRM. I am even against purchasing digital files, because the physical is easier to play at a friend's place. Plus, I can use Handbrake (for personal use, of course) for making DRM-free copies for my iPod.
If I ever were to buy a digital file of a movie, and no DRM-free versions are out there, it would be iTunes. Why!? Because I can remove the DRM easily through Requiem 1.7.3.
I already detest Sony through their anti-consumer friendly approach when they put the rootkits on their CD's, and they weren't even sorry! Why should I trust what I purchase from them?
I'm glad my 20GB PS3 has full BC.
Too bad I NEVER USE this feature.
I understand where you are coming from, but most companies do all of thos things like Ninitendo with the DS. it uses proprietary cartridges, and doesn't even allow for a flash card slot. Most companies do this and I dont see it going away anytime soon.
tell me what you'd use instead of UMD for Sony's catalogue of games on the PSP. Everyone has grand ideas of digital distribution, but they don't realise that not everyone is like them, and these people that aren't like them do hold the moneybags and do shop in bricks-n-mortar stores, and these stores are ESSENTIAL to the success of a console.
Sony *do* know that UMD is the ONLY solution for storing their games reliably and cheaply. It's the PERFECT solution and it had to be made because there simply was NOTHINIG out there that would do the job in a PORTABLE console.
Can you think of something better? Keep in mind COST of replication having to be kept at minimum.
No PS2 backwards compatibility...Booooooooooooooooooo
"Hardware / software for backwards compat wasn't all that expensive"
If software BC isnt that expensive just put it in!
yep .. and to all those who said backward compatibility isn't going anywhere yesterday ....
Kiss my hairy black a$$ ...
They said in another interview its about 30 dollars of hardware to do the partial BC of the current 80gb. Add to that the software development and its a good chunk of change. The original full hardware BC of the 60 gb was about 55 dollars (no software work needed).
So if they can take out a 30 dollar piece of hardware and cut out the software costs and redirect that towards making games or lowering the price of the console, its not entirely a bad move.
They also said they can always do a full software solution, but its expensive and time consuming, and they have many other things they would rather focus on before getting to something like that.
No PS3=more PS2 sales.
They figure if you have a big wad of cash to throw down for the unprofitable ps3, you can also give them some more for the profitable PS2. Who said corporations play nice?
durh, ment to say no ps3 backwards compatibility=more ps2 sales
The software compatibility was already there (albeit only about 60% compatible) but it was better than nothing and yet they trashed the whole idea. I for one have held out buying a PS3 just for this. Thanks for making up my mind to never buy one (or find the old 60Gb used) Jack.
I really thought I was going to miss this feature when the Xbox 360 came out. I haven't wanted to play an original Xbox game since I got the 360, and if I really decide I want to, I can just drag it out of the closet.
I like the "we're selling PS2 software to PS2 customers, and selling PS3 software to PS3 consumers." But you could be selling PS2 AND PS3 software to PS3 consumers, and possibly make more money in the process.
If it costs $30/console to add in software BC, and consumers buy a few more inexpensive PS2 games above the PS3 software they've already purchased, Sony has made back the investment. PS2 games are much more likely to be impulse buys.
@Citrico
I strongly agree with his statement that PS2 customers buy PS2 software and PS3 customers buy PS3 software. I bought both a 360 and a PS3 within 5 months of launch and I have never thought once about buying software for their predecessors. I have USED the backwards compatibility on both, but the amount I will use that BC has diminished greatly. The only games on PS2 I will want to play years down the road are GTA and MGS.
In short you said "If it costs $30 to add BC, and consumers buy a few more PS2 games Sony has made back the investment." It may only be $30/console, but at 2M units per year that's $60M. Keep in mind Sony only gets licensing fees for those PS2 sales. Let's say on average Sony gets $5 per PS2 game. To earn back that $60M for BC they would have to sell 12M PS2 games or 6 PS2 games for all 2M PS3s. If only 10% of PS3 users buy PS2 games, that goes up to 60.
So, from a financial perspective, it's very difficult to justify BC after the launch window. At launch it's easier because you justify the cost as it helps reduce barriers to entry so you can move your customers onto the new platform. It's sad BC is gone and all those classic games will be "lost in time", but hell...even Vista's causing the same issue.
This is me not ever buying a PS3 then... I don't have a PS2 but there are certain games for it I really want to play, I have already bought shadow of the colossus.
I'm just gonna buy a PS2 then or borrow a friends.
Yeah, no BC at all in the future or for the current 40gb is a really bad idea on Sony's part. I have a friend who is in a very common situation. Until they bring BC to the cheaper model he wont buy it.
That's where I am, too. No BC = no sale.
i guess im causing bad software sale........if you catch my drift.
Pardon?
meaning hes pirating psp games
Well gee, if you don't want to bother with backwards compatibility, I don't want to bother dumping four benjamins on your half-baked attempt at forcing me to purchase new games.
no offense but what other kinds of games would you buy for a next gen console? I know I didn't buy a 360 (well before I sold it due to RRoDs) to play regular xbox games (in fact I sold them all). Was it nice that I could if I wanted to? sure! did I ever use that aspect of it? not really.
Hey, moron, go buy a PS2 if that's what you want to play. Are you that dumb?
"Forcing me to buy new games" you're an idiot, they BUILT THE DAMN THING TO PLAY NEW GAMES. If your PS2 is so important to you, why don't you KEEP USING THE ONE YOU ALREADY HAVE?!?!?!?
Perhaps he meant actually playing his back library on the $400 system that was promised with the ability to play them.
promised ? is sony his girlfriend or something?
the point is, without backwards compatibility your library of title drops to a fraction of what it was otherwise... so while you had a choice to buy old OR new games before, now you can only buy the new ones which are 3-6 times more expensive. I got Shadow of the Colossus, Resident Evil 4, and Warrior Within for $20, and I got Sands of Time for $10. Then, I got F.E.A.R. for $60. The ability to toss in an old PS2 game was huge for me, since there are still PS2 games I want to play and part of me dies each time I drop a substantial portion of the cost of the console on a game. Backwards compatibility also means I don't have to have a PS2 with its wired controllers lying around, and power cord and composite video cable as well. My current TV setup involves 5 cables - 3 power, and 2 HDMI. Why would I want to throw another box and more wires in?
John @ Jul 16th 2008 5:15PM
My current TV setup involves 5 cables - 3 power, and 2 HDMI. Why would I want to throw another box and more wires in?
------
To play PS2 games? ;)
This... I .. ... what......
i don't know what to say anymore
I wish PSP was a birth child of Apple. PSP updates would've been so much cooler with Apple than anything from Sony. Imagine a PSP with touchscreen, a hard or flash drive, solid music and video player.
Pass.
You mean paying for updates would've been so much cooler with Apple, right?
So you mean an iPhone with x, ^, o, and [ ] buttons?
But then it would just be an iPhone with... (you see where I'm going?)
you forgot the "...and no games"
Not to mention a proprietary port and proprietary software. No console integration... I could keep going.
actually, if you remember before the psp was released to the public, the psp consisted of a glass top and tactile sensor buttons in placed in the glass, it will be hard to find a picture, but it did exist.even if only in conceptual stage
there are many speculated reasons why sony didn't produce this design:
1.very expensive
2.low battery life
3.heavy
4.awkward button placement
Just as out of touch as our Republicans in office.... nothing to see here folks. Well you do have to give them credit though for backing their UMD till the very bloody end... even if they could easily implement some read only memory sticks like sandisk is doing with the Write once SD cards.
You're a damn moron if you think Democrats are any better than Republicans.
Go back to playing your 3DO.
I can't believe there were people rooting for Blu-Ray to "win"
Be careful what you wish for I guess...
Please... as if MIcrosoft is going to make a more open format.
Microsoft didn't develop HD-DVD, Toshiba did. Don't say stupid things without doing the 5 seconds of research it takes to realize you're wrong..
DOWN WITH DRM!
Backwards compatibility will be back.
They took out rumble tech from the controllers and said we didn't need it anymore, it came back eventually. I know it's because of two different reasons but I just have a feeling.
And who buys UMDs O.o? I only had 2, Spiderman 2 that came with the PSP at launch and the Family Guy Movie i got from Amazon for free. Mot people I know rip movies to a Memory stick. I mean why pay $20+ for a UMD with no DVD type extras?
I bought craploads after the format failed and they were easily found for $3-$5 from retailers who were no longer going to carry them.
But didn't you hear it didn't "fail", that's why they're still gonna support them. And you didn't buy them at full price.
I know of nobody who bought the PSP for UMDs... but I know many people who bought the PS3 because of the Backwards Compatible selling point.
Sony does not have their priorities in line. I just hope they're not standing around wondering what happened when they're caught with their pants down....
At the moment, Sony are removing BC from the unprofitable PS3s as it could eat in to their profitable PS2 sales. When they finally put the PS2 to rest or sales slow down a lot, they will definitely bring it back.
That's why Microsoft is gradually adding BC support for original XBox games: XBox was killed the day the XBox 360 was released and BC wouldn't eat into the sales of the original XBox.
Software BC will come back...
SONY cannot afford to leave a huge PS2 library unsold as digital distribution.
I long for the day when I can download a video off of the XBL Marketplace and watch it on a PS3, or vice-versa. Companies should just work together instead of isolating the consumer to a specific brand. However, they'd probably do that through DRM, so...just let everyone do what they will with their purchased media and go after the unlawful ones. Be fair, man!
I can kind of see the business logic behind their reasons but not really the good business logic behind them. I have a PS3, and it's good but make it better Sony! We want DRM free stuff and backwards compatabilty! Hell we'd even settle for an emulation based system for PS2, it should be possible with the PS3's hardware.
Blaming piracy is a bit silly given that everyone faces that problem.
i think the problem is very bad specifically with the psp because the psp is bought mainly by avid gamers who are internet literate and know how to get the psp set up etc , whereas the nintendo ds is bought across the board by a more mainstream audience or parents, amny of which dont even know games can be pirated or how to go about doing it or are worried the police will arrest them for it.
I said it before and I'll say it again - are CEO's and other high-level executives just completely out of touch with reality?
No, they just live in an alternate reality where all problems are the cause of the pirates and not bad decisions
i dont understand this attitude at all. the psp is overun with game piracy. its a fact. and backward compatability would be nice but sony was getting its kicked at retail because of its high price.
its a business , not a charity. the value is still there and the most intresting games are their. free online service, blu ray player , you want all that for 50 bucks ?
What I want runs in the opposite direction of everything this company does right now. Turn around please, because I'm not going to.
Um mod it, and I don't think I would want to pay 300+ for one, which is most certainly what Apple would charge. Rethink your thoughts Apple fan boi...
It would be cool if they offered the PS2 emulator software on PSN store for like $50-$80 bucks. Then people with 40gb systems can buy it if they want.
I don't know why everybody complains about DRM. "I need to backup my games". Bullsh*t, you know damn well why you hate DRM, but there is this sense that unless a company makes everything open source and gives it away for free then it's bad. I'm not innocent in circumventing DRM, but I'm not going to say "Hey, if I buy this I should be able to do whatever I want with it. Who cares if it allows millions of people to acquire your product for free. I need to make backups"
UMDs are very robust. So your point stands.
There's a great bunch of homebrew apps and emus out and that's the real reason for me, frankly. Simply wouldn't have bought a unit unless I could do extra things with it. Though avoiding the ability to easily download a new game ior app (Go!Explore) is certainly a 'bonus' that's sometmes hard to ignore...
What people have against DRM is that, if you buy a song from ie. iTunes you can play it on your Apple stuff... but what if you want to listen to the song in your car? Do you have to pay again to get a version you can use in the car? So why shouldn't you just buy a regular CD and then listen to that in the car and on your mp3 player when you want?
If you're into homebrew and emulation, get a GP2X. No fear of bricking from a future software update.
Dream on ...
The um mod* reply was to Rezwan...I apologize that the broken comment system here is a complete waste nad Engadget never fixes it.
Actually I agree with the video DRM, just for the fact that a lot more work and money goes into producing and making a movie than recording an album and both a DVD and album are sold at roughly the same price point. Plus it doesn't bother me, as long as I can download my video and watch it on my PS3 and then take it on the go on my PSP I'm good. For those who like the freedom to lend, trade, or sell their videos theres always DVDs and Blurays.
I own ~25 PS2 titles (I also have an Xbox and a Wii so I don't play favorites), it seems that Sony is too stupid to realize that everyone wants their cake and to be able to eat it too. I want replay my favorite games for years to come. (the only thing that prevents me from getting a X360 is the drastic 15% failure rate, if Microsoft can show a decent track record for the last year on reducing faulty systems to match Wii and PS3 failure rates (for the same year): then I'm sold (if anyone can show this to me then I'll will buy one, my younger brother already owns one and I'd love to borrow his games.
UMD was a stillborn because it's ultra proprietary (PSP only) and DVDs are now cheaper (and circumventable for easy transfer to the PSP).
UMD "Movies", while not as popular as you might have hoped, are in fact still selling. UMD by the way is a great platform (far from stillborn), see the following link for a list of UMD games http://www.metacritic.com/games/psp/alpha/
@required
I don't believe anyone is suggesting that it is flawed for use as the storage device for gaming media. As far as that goes, it doesn't matter if they are offering a proprietary format because the platform on which it will be played is proprietary. As a movie storage format, it is ridiculous. I will never buy a movie in UMD format considering I can buy a memory stick and put whatever movie I want on it anytime I want. The ability to use UMD's for movies is there and as such, it is great the Sony has made it possible for the consumer to take advantage of it. From where I sit, though, it makes a lot more sense to let users take the games the have already purchased for PS2 and throw them into their PS3 as opposed to taking a movie they own on DVD then going out to buy it on UMD.
@required
I'm sure many uniformed parents with spoiled kids make up the bulk of UMD movie purchases.
I'm not arguing against the use of a PSP as a PMP, it does that great (those sony limits the MAX replay display size of memory stick stored media)
I'm arguing that UMD as a media format that has no compatibility with any other hardware, and it cost more then regular DVDs {which offer better quality}. UMD "movies" were a dumb idea when Sony decided that the PS3 wasn't going to support UMD playback.
And BTW I use and own a PSP-2000 (scratchy screen, poor analog control location, worse text entry known to humanity) (7 bought games), UMD is a good game storage format for the time being, in the future though an online distribution model might offer more in terms of direct sales.
CosterMonger @ Jul 16th 2008 10:07PM
I'm not arguing against the use of a PSP as a PMP, it does that great (those sony limits the MAX replay display size of memory stick stored media)
----------
Old news. Not anymore they don't. There are no differences between UMD and memory stick with regards to resolution.
@tekdroid
thanks for the correction, 3.30 was out in March of 2007, sorry for the misinformation.
I have never wanted to put a PS2 title in my PS3. Dunno why, just hasn't happened.
I have over 50 PS2 games, I have only played ONE PS2 game on my PS3 (God of War 2) and since then I've never played another PS2 game again.
I got a PS3 for PS3 games, I admit they were a bit scarce at first, but right now there is a stready stream of good games, so much so that I have a back log of 3 games (I have a life outside of video games).
The way I see it, dropping backwards compatibility wouldn't be such a big deal if Sony hadn't marketed it as one of the main features. So they got everyone comfortable with the idea, and now they're just changing their mind, which is making everyone go WTF?
shit happens
No BC is just one more reason I'm waiting to buy a PS3. I want the upscaling they did for the PS2 titles in the 1st gen PS3s, and I don't want my entertainment unit further clogged with multiple consoles. I didn't bite on the inital PS3 cuz there were no PS3 games worth having at launch, and now BC is gone. Dammit.
The upscaling is highly overrated, especially if you own an HDTV 40" or larger. PS2 games look like crap on my 50" being upscaled by my PS3, which is why I haven't played any PS2 games since that first one I played on my PS3.
UMD is a gateway to piracy, no joke. I hacked my psp because ISO on memory sticks load faster, use less power and I can stack several games on one stick as opposed to toting around a bunch of UMDs. Not to mention make my own eboots of PS1 games I already own. So my initial intentions were honest.... but the draw of downloading the games you DON'T legally own is strong once you have it hacked. It's your fault sony!
Speaking as someone who just bought a PSP after having a DS for a long time, I was horribly disappointed by two things:
1. As mentioned in the article, the games I thought were new releases were just remakes of old things I'd played as much as 10 years earlier and nothing more than blurry (stretched video) re-releases. Final Fantasy War of the Lions? Yet another Castlevania remake? I mean, come on, I don't want to play the same games I already have but repackaged.
2. Unlike my DS (clamshell) and iPod, the screen scratches up like crazy. I was so angry and disillusioned I tossed it in the garbage out of frustration (though I relented and fished it out later, but I was that pissed off). It means it isn't a portable system to me at all and negates the whole reason I wanted to buy it - as something I can carry with me easily while biking and not worry about it. Instead I have to carefully use polishing cloths and buy soft cases and junk for it.
Thankfully I found where to order a converter to the memory stick format, but I already want to stick with my DS. It's small and I don't have to worry about it or buy a bunch of extra stuff afterwards.
Mind you, I -want- to like the PSP. I love the idea of it handling video with such aplomb and being expandable (even if it is via a proprietary format). The only other device that comes close in that regard is the Creative Zen (not the new X-Fi) as it uses an SD slot. And, arguably, the games should be good. But I think most of them aren't designed with the PSP in mind, but are just ports. At least on the DS you get completely remade ports, generally, though all those meaningless thrown-in stylus minigames get old quick.
Reading so many opinions like yours I keep thinking more and more that PSP and DS are really not targeting the same market. Just like the article yesterday mentioned about PS3 versus Wii, except that I kind of agree with the CEO and not with the Engadget (so much for the "oh no he didn't" - it should be reserved for REALLY out of line comments, not simple opinions). I only liked two games on DS (I own about a dozen) but I liked, played and finished between 5 and 10 PSP games. DS is cute, just like Wii, but it just doesn't have games that interest me. In the end the only reason I have DS is because I usually buy all consoles anyway (they don't come out all that often and it's the software that makes the bulk of the ownership price anyway). It doesn't mean anything that the games are original if they're crap.
After reading this article I have to ask, why wasn't it done in a Q/A format. This makes it seem like a lot of his answers could've been taken out of context (weather it was or not, I dont know).
I want to know when the new PS2 is coming out in the US personally...
should be out soon , i think 2000/ 2001 , i cant wait
Wow. How many of you decided to buy an Xbox360 to play Xbox games? How many of you bought a Wii to play GameCube games? WHO does this????? The point of buying UPGRADED hardware is to play NEW games, correct???
''I'm not going to buy a PS3 because it cant play PS2 games.'' Wow. And here I thought people were buying next-gen hardware to play next-gen games. Thats essentially saying ''I wanna buy a $500 PS2, JUST to use the features I can get for $149.''
The fanbase of this website has the most f*cked up logic I've ever seen on the internet. Goodbye.
People want to play their old games too which is the issue... I like to toss in a few of my xbox games on my 360 every now and then, and I'd be pissed the fuck off if that wasn't possible.
where u going?
i would like to play ps2 games too , but i cant ,.. it makes so angry .. arrrggghh!
I dont think you get it. People arent buying next-gen systems to exclusively play last gen systems, of course we're buying it to play next gen systems. But some of us either dont have the last gen system, have a broken system, or dont want the clutter of multiple consoles therefore we want the ability to play our last gen games. For example, I want to play through Metal Gear Solid 1 - 3 before I get MGS4 but I can't do that on my PS3.
@ Rad: Why should I get rid of my catalog of games when new hardware comes out? I sold my Gamecube when I bought the Wii, kept all my GC games. Still play them. Got rid of the Xbox when I bought my 360, kept all the Xbox games. Still play them. I have many a PS2 game that I still play from time to time. But I'm not getting a PS3 until I can get rid of the PS2 and still keep the PS2 games.
Oh, and it is "Current-Gen" consoles and games. I know this because one is currently in my house. The "Next-Gen" is the one now in development.
i want to play mgs 3 again too, but i cant .. it makes me so angry ... arrrrggghh! im seriously pissed the fuck off!
"How many of you decided to buy an Xbox360 to play Xbox games? " --> Me
"How many of you bought a Wii to play GameCube games? " --> Me
"WHO does this?????" --> Me
"The point of buying UPGRADED hardware is to play NEW games, correct???" --> Yes. And to play old games also when my Xbox or GameCube finally quits. This would mean that my old games are sort of like investments that I can enjoy (legally) and not feel BURNED by companies that are only out for profit.
By your logic it is more economically sound to buy a PS3 AND another PS2, but for me it is better to have a PS3 with BC. It cuts the cost of getting another PS2, correct? Besides I am a minimalist. If I get a PS3 with BC my old PS2 goes to someone that needs it, like a cousin.
@sinjinn
to gizmodo?
Miguel has the best point, I don't desperately need to play my collection of PS2 games on my PS3, but that is what I might want to do.
My main frustration is that BC was a major marketing point for Sony early on (at the time a reason to early adopt because you could play the massive library of PS2 games oh and Resistance), just like FULL-HD (which is a full load of crock, since not every game is native 1080p http://www.makeyougohmm.com/ps3-1080p-games/ ).
I will be getting a PS3 for MGS4 and for all the wonderful Sony exclusives like R&CF:TOD, Uncharted. If Sony could have 60GB model's features with a 120GB+ and a DualShock3 for $499 it would be my ideal.
I'm still wondering why the $399 version is referred to as the "core" package, wishful thinking I guess.
I did. I bought a PS3 to play PS2 games. Not exclusively, but that was a key reason. I had a PS1, wanted PS2 games for a long time, but waited enough so that the PS3 eventually came out. Once I got it, I started buying PS2 games, and was very happy with them. Too bad my 60GB died.
Oh..
Sinner
For me, the big issue with purging BC is that I bought my PS2 in 2001, and it's starting to act pretty sluggish. I like all the games I have for it, though (most particularly the Guitar Hero series), and want to continue playing those.
I was looking forward to saving the money to grab a PS3 to replace my slowly-dying PS2, and allow me to use the blu-ray player. However, since Sony has decided to just do away with BC altogether, I will just forego the PS3 altogether. If my PS2 dies, I'll just get another one. And I'll likely get it used. So instead of Sony making more money off me from buying new hardware and likely new games, they will instead be making NO more money off me at all.
Their choice probably made sense in the boardroom; they just forgot to check it with their customers. Oops.
Re BC- were the 80gb models outselling the 40gb models? If so, its probably a dumb move. If not, its a great move.
I bought the 60gb ps3 because it enabled me to ditch my ps2 but keep the few games I had and wanted to play. Fast forward 1 year and I've not played any of those games for longer than 5 minutes. I'm too busy playing 360 games, playing blu-rays, playing lumines 2 on my PSP, playing Mario Kart or ACWW on my DS. Heck, I even spent more time renting Motorstorm instead of playing Kingdom of Hearts on my ps3.
I don't begrudge people who want BC, but I think it's overrated. Of my xbox games, a couple of them did not work on the 360 so I (tried to) get rid of them (1 was too scratched up, stupid gamefly purchase) and the rest I traded in for pennies at gamestop. I could sit down and play GTA san andreas but it means not playing GTA4, or COD4. The 30 hours spent playing KH/KH2/Pirates/etc. on my ps3/360 means 30 hours I'm not spending playing ps3 or 360 games, including mass effect, GTA4, COD4, etc.