Escapist News Now: PS4 to Stream PS3 Games Via Gaikai

[Escapist News Now]

PS4 to Stream PS3 Games Via Gaikai

At the Tokyo Game Show president of Sony's Worldwide Studios announced that Gaikai streaming services will bring Playstation 3 games to the PS4.

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[Gezzer]

UM... this really isn't the backwards compatibility that most people are asking for.
The PS3 already does this, with the only difference being that the games are downloaded and installed instead of streamed. This new PS4 service means I get to repurchase my 60+ library of PS2 and PS3 games in a new form factor, streaming, if I want to play them on the PS4.
Thanks Sony, but I'll just keep my first gen PS3 with real backwards compatibility to play those games.
Don't get me wrong, not saying that PS4 has to have it,and I won't buy one if it doesn't, but please don't try to sell me something as a feature that's actually a revenue stream instead.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

Wow, these is old news. lol. Basically you get to rebuy your old games again regardless if you have the proof on your PSN account that you have played them already. Massive rip off i think. Will there be a back lash like people bitched and moaned about XB1? Will Sony reverse its choice? Nope. Long live the rip off that is Sony. Now i have no problems buying old PS1 - PS3 games if i never played them. But rebuying them is criminal. MS better not do this shit as well.

 

[rofltehcat]

I guess it is better than no backwards compatibility at all but this way people who didn't own a PS3 before can get titles they want. Remember that there will be people who had a PC, 360, Wii or handhelds and these may want to play old titles, too.
B compatibility is also about having a large(-r) library vs. a small library at launch.

For the people who already have a PS3 this isn't gonna be worth much though.

 

[BrainWalker]

I have a 360 and was thinking of switching over to Sony next gen with the PS4, so this kind of works for me, but it's still really shitty for people who already own PS3 games. Why would you screw over your loyal customers like that? This is such a bad idea I feel like there has to be some kind of workaround or something. Like, part of the new cost of PS+ goes to a partial Gaikai subscription that lets you stream PS3 games Sony has record of you already owning or something.

 

[Ghadente]

so my tower of PS3 game discs will still be useless on a PS4... really nto making me want to get a PS4 right away. absolutely no good reason for the lack of backwards compatibility, just a big F U to the customers.

 

[Draconalis]

so my tower of PS3 game discs will still be useless on a PS4... really nto making me want to get a PS4 right away. absolutely no good reason for the lack of backwards compatibility, just a big F U to the customers.

One of the Escapist contributors wrote a huge article breaking down why it's completely understandable why the ps4 will not be backwards compatible.

Basically though, if you don't feel like looking it up. The PS3 attempted to be innovative with it's processing power. This is why making games for the ps3 was so hard. Hardware that lacks those 6 cell processors are incompatible with the game's programming.

It's literally an incompatibility issue.

 

[Xman490]

I have a 360 and was thinking of switching over to Sony next gen with the PS4, so this kind of works for me, but it's still really shitty for people who already own PS3 games. Why would you screw over your loyal customers like that? This is such a bad idea I feel like there has to be some kind of workaround or something. Like, part of the new cost of PS+ goes to a partial Gaikai subscription that lets you stream PS3 games Sony has record of you already owning or something.

I, too, find this beneficial to me because I haven't had a PS console before.

All of this complaining is as strange as the articles about this announcement that has already been made in February's reveal and June's E3. There isn't even a list of the games available on the Gaikai launch (on neither this tertiary source video nor the original IGN article yesterday), and no specific date for the launch has been announced either... from what I guess, as the IGN article has gone as in-depth as necessary. I haven't watched the full keynote speech.

 

[wulfy42]

First...how can so many games be incompatible if:

A: Many were already released in digital format as well as on disk.
B: Many are going to be released as streaming games for the Ps4?

Seems like you could easily offer backwards compatibility by allowing players to send in their disks (old Ps3 games) and have those games registered on the new streaming system for the Ps4.

I am tired of paying for games over and over again at this point. There is no reason for it anymore except greed...especially when many of them have been purchased in digital format.

If I bought a game in digital format for the Ps3...why the heck should I have to pay for it again just to play it on my ps4 (unless it was upgraded or something for the ps4..that would be different).

If it's too expensive to make PS4 systems backwards compatible....how about you just release ALL the ps3 games (eventually..but starting with a good nice selection of 50+ games) as streaming games on the Ps4...as part of the Playstation plus package (you can only play them while subscribed to playstation plus mind you...but more and more ps3 games are added each month....and none are removed like now...meaning you have a ton of games available to you for a very low price.

This would drastically increase the sales of the Ps4...and since only ps3 games over a year old would be offered....it wouldn't really detract from any real PS3 game sales at all (well it would for used games...but sony and the game companies don't get a dime of used game sales anyway).

Or how about just having more games released the more people send in old Ps3 games or turn them in to supporting locations or something?

Shrug...there has to be some solution that allows people with large (huge) Ps3 libraries to still play without having both systems set up.

 

[GonzoGamer]

Just great, I get to buy my favorite ps3 games all over again? Thanks sony.
They really just need to shut up for a couple of months. Everyone was psyched about the ps4 at the announcement but now they've gone back to their old habit of saying stupid shit.

 

[DocZombie]

Here's how Nice Guy Sony could implement this:

I take my PS3 game disk and pop it into the PS4 blu-ray drive. Then, whenever I login to PSN, and choose the streaming service, the system says "PS3 physical media detected - would you like to stream this game?" I press X to confirm and the game starts streaming!

Prior purchase of a game's digital copy on PSN could unlock access in a similar way (even more easily, since PSN already knows I bought the damn thing!)

This would even keep the way open for PS3 game rental, as the Gaikai stream only works while the disk is in the drive.


(Yeah, it's the same idea as keeping the install disk in the CD-ROM drive from PC gaming circa 1994 - sue me!)

 

[bandit0802]

The point Sony seems to be missing is that we want to be able to play the games we already own on the new system. I don't really have the space to keep a ton of consoles around, and I have a lot of games on the PS3 I still like to play and want to keep playing. Streaming PS3 games is good, and I don't mind paying for games I don't already own, but there needs to be some way to access the games we've already bought on discs. At the very least, there should be a feature where you put the disc in, the PS4 identifies the game, confirms it's a legit copy, and then you have access to that game! Seriously, I'm no game programmer, but how hard would it be to implement this?

EDIT: Just saw DocZombie posted the same thing. Great minds think alike! Just please don't eat mine.

 

[bluegate]

so my tower of PS3 game discs will still be useless on a PS4... really nto making me want to get a PS4 right away. absolutely no good reason for the lack of backwards compatibility, just a big F U to the customers.

I feel you brother, I'm still holding out on buying a super nintendo after Nintendo decided to fuck me...
All my nes games are useless on that thing! Well, I've shown them, I won't be buying one of their consoles unless they patch in backwards compatibility into their snes console!

 

[Fox12]

Wow, these is old news. lol. Basically you get to rebuy your old games again regardless if you have the proof on your PSN account that you have played them already. Massive rip off i think. Will there be a back lash like people bitched and moaned about XB1? Will Sony reverse its choice? Nope. Long live the rip off that is Sony. Now i have no problems buying old PS1 - PS3 games if i never played them. But rebuying them is criminal. MS better not do this shit as well.

Well, XB1 isn't backwards compatible, and their more stingy then Sony.

I'll probably purchase a PS4, but there's no way I would repurchase a game I already own. This is the reason I've started turning toward PC gaming.

 

[Gezzer]

Here's how Nice Guy Sony could implement this:

I take my PS3 game disk and pop it into the PS4 blu-ray drive. Then, whenever I login to PSN, and choose the streaming service, the system says "PS3 physical media detected - would you like to stream this game?" I press X to confirm and the game starts streaming!

Prior purchase of a game's digital copy on PSN could unlock access in a similar way (even more easily, since PSN already knows I bought the damn thing!)

This would even keep the way open for PS3 game rental, as the Gaikai stream only works while the disk is in the drive.


(Yeah, it's the same idea as keeping the install disk in the CD-ROM drive from PC gaming circa 1994 - sue me!)

No, no. It's actually a really good idea. Want to guess how much of a chance it has of happening? It could be a pivotal move for Sony one way or the other. Offer a way to have backwards compatibility for games that would of been impossible otherwise, or turn it into a cash cow. I'm inclined to think corporate greed will win out. But I could hopefully be wrong on this.

 

[Gezzer]

so my tower of PS3 game discs will still be useless on a PS4... really nto making me want to get a PS4 right away. absolutely no good reason for the lack of backwards compatibility, just a big F U to the customers.

I feel you brother, I'm still holding out on buying a super nintendo after Nintendo decided to fuck me...
All my nes games are useless on that thing! Well, I've shown them, I won't be buying one of their consoles unless they patch in backwards compatibility into their snes console!

Okay, first off this isn't meant to start a flame war, just to answer your post, but I think there's two points that you're kind of missing in this whole thing.
The first is really very minor and barely has any bearing on backwards compatibility on the PS4, but there has been a tradition of backwards compatibility with both Sony and MS. This one is just a bit disappointing but not a deal breaker by any means. The fact that it's never been a touted feature of the PS4, and in fact with PS3 games is pretty much impossible, makes it more of a oh well, that's cool Sony I understand.
The second is a bit more problematic. Your example you used about not having backwards compatibility on the SNES for NES games misses s major point. How many NES games did you have to rebuy to play on the SNES? I'd say it's pretty safe bet to say none. Well Sony seems to be saying they do have backwards compatibility, but you'll need to pay for the service kind of makes it sound like they're trying to sell you your games back again. If you know anything about the "fair use doctrine" courts have ruled that once you have paid for a product, you can't be forced to buy again because of a shift in format. That's why if you buy a cd you can rip it and make mp3s. Or make a cd out of a vinyl record. Or for the really old among us make a mix cassette from your records. Of course the DRM law is a whole other kettle of fish, and is an attempt to do an end run around the "fair use doctrine".
Well this change from Bluray PS3 games to streaming is simply a format shift nothing more because they're not doing anything to make the game compatibile on the PS4, instead it's been streamed from a service and is the same game. The fact that it seems to being sold as a backwards compatibility feature yet is simply a format shift makes it a bit dodgy. It's not a majorly evil move on Sony's part, and I wouldn't let it stop me from buying a PS4 (haven't decided yet) it's just seems a bit slick is all.

 

[loa]

Offering rentals of games you already own -which doesn't even work in all countries apart from requiring an online connection, mind you- is not exactly "figuring out" backwards compatibility.

At least sony has an actual technical reason with their switch to a sane architecture while microsoft doesn't include it because that would be rewarding their loyal consumer base and give them an edge over the ps4 and we can't have that.

What I don't understand though is why they don't let the ps4 also eat vita cartridges so people who get a ps4 (a lot of people) will also buy vita games and might even get a vita too.
I guess the thing just sold well enough with its amazing, vast library that this isn't needed and surely, the launch lineup alone will be enough to sell the console, as history has proven multiple times.

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

so my tower of PS3 game discs will still be useless on a PS4... really nto making me want to get a PS4 right away. absolutely no good reason for the lack of backwards compatibility, just a big F U to the customers.

Well, for the PS4, given it's pretty damn different architecture, there is a reason, and it's a fairly good one at that.

But yeah, still kinda a dick move for those who have already bought the games... no discount, no transferal of games, nothing? But cool for the people who didn't get to play the exclusives and such on the PS3, and I'll be able to play the Last of Us, since I doubt my struggling PS3 could handle it...

 

[TallanKhan]

While I am completely aware that the PS3 uses substantially different architecture to the PS4 I don't believe backwards compatibility is as impossible as people suggest. In support of this i offer up the following observations:

A number of upcoming Sony releases have been planned for both the PS3 and PS4. Now if developing for the PS3 required everything to be so radically different and was so time consuming this would surely be impractical. Rather I suspect that this is a relatively easy fix and doesn't require any major changes to the finished product but instead some tinkering around the edges which, even if it couldn't be straight up compatible, could probably be achieved with a patch.

Secondly, the fact that a great many PS3 games will be available virtually off the bat as digital download for the PS4 would suggest that they are either completely compatible in their current format, or the work to make them compatible has already taken place.

Just my two cents.

 

[bluegate]

Spoiler: snip

Okay, first off this isn't meant to start a flame war, just to answer your post, but I think there's two points that you're kind of missing in this whole thing.
The first is really very minor and barely has any bearing on backwards compatibility on the PS4, but there has been a tradition of backwards compatibility with both Sony and MS. This one is just a bit disappointing but not a deal breaker by any means. The fact that it's never been a touted feature of the PS4, and in fact with PS3 games is pretty much impossible, makes it more of a oh well, that's cool Sony I understand.
The second is a bit more problematic. Your example you used about not having backwards compatibility on the SNES for NES games misses s major point. How many NES games did you have to rebuy to play on the SNES? I'd say it's pretty safe bet to say none. Well Sony seems to be saying they do have backwards compatibility, but you'll need to pay for the service kind of makes it sound like they're trying to sell you your games back again. If you know anything about the "fair use doctrine" courts have ruled that once you have paid for a product, you can't be forced to buy again because of a shift in format. That's why if you buy a cd you can rip it and make mp3s. Or make a cd out of a vinyl record. Or for the really old among us make a mix cassette from your records. Of course the DRM law is a whole other kettle of fish, and is an attempt to do an end run around the "fair use doctrine".
Well this change from Bluray PS3 games to streaming is simply a format shift nothing more because they're not doing anything to make the game compatibile on the PS4, instead it's been streamed from a service and is the same game. The fact that it seems to being sold as a backwards compatibility feature yet is simply a format shift makes it a bit dodgy. It's not a majorly evil move on Sony's part, and I wouldn't let it stop me from buying a PS4 (haven't decided yet) it's just seems a bit slick is all.

The thing is, I don't care enough about this to have a heated argument about it on the internet, I was just fooling around in my earlier post. I'm a member of the "I'll just play my games on the console they were released on." camp.

However, if you feel you have a strong case with that law you were quoting then I suggest writing to one, or many, consumer rights organisation(s).