Backwards compatibility – it’s been a hot button subject for console manufacturers as of late. Sony and Microsoft both have had grief about their policies on this subject with this generation of consoles. The most recent update is that Sony is coming very close to officially no longer supporting backwards compatibility of PS1/2 games on the PS3.

There is obviously a cost to maintaining compatibility. Since hardware architecture typically changes between console generations, this means that a game built to the hardware of last generation won’t natively work with the machines of the current generation. There are two solution to this problem – either make sure that the hardware from the last generation is included in the current generation (increasing component costs), or create a virtual emulation of the hardware to run games and patch the games to work on the emulator (incurring testing and development costs).

So, with there being an obvious cost to backwards compatibility, what are the benefits? Well, first you have an incentive for early adoption of new consoles, especially by groups that don’t have the last-gen machine. You don’t have to keep multiple systems in an A/V rack. It helps retain interest in the current generation of consoles and games. And, probably most importantly, it’s a move that consumers appreciate. Backwards compatibility sends a message – ‘We are committed to providing you the experience you want and deserve.’

It’s no secret that Sony has been getting some pretty bad press over the last year plus, and it’s not hard to see why. Decisions like this reek of short term madness. In effect, Sony is trying to shave a few dollars off the bottom line in order to bring down product costs. However, they are gambling with their customer base, which could have serious implications in the long run – you can’t sell games to someone who didn’t buy the system in the first place. And, if you say backwards compatibility isn’t a desired feature, I’m sure there are many opposing examples, including myself – I don’t currently own a working PS2 and haven’t for a while. If I were to buy a PS3, the first game I’d be playing on it is likely the PS2 God of War, not the PS3 Resistance or Motorstorm.