PS3 Questions

[clint g]

Is that an IR remote that can work with the PS3 or is it just a blu-tooth PS3 remote? If so..whats the dongle for?

 

[Haggis and tatties]

I take it the remote is IR, that's what the USB dongle thing does, if it was bluetooth it would probably not need the USB thing, plus it works right out of the box, no pairing up to the PS3 involved.

Works a treat, and i like the chrome down the side, goes with my 60 gig launch PS3.

 

[BigFoot]

^ I presume you can't turn on the PS3 with the remote though right?

Anyway, a little while ago Logitech released a Harmony PS3 remote adapter which allows you to use your harmony remotes with the PS3. From what I hear it works great.

 

[Haggis and tatties]

^^^Yeah you cant turn it on, only off.

 

[Aragorn]

I was going to say hold off on buying a PS3 until the cheaper slim model comes out, but it looks like it's too late for that.

 

[Vance]

If you don't care about blu-ray then I would say go Xbox 360 (someone had to say it )

PS2 backwards compatibility is useless to nonexistent in newer models of PS3.

Spoken like a tru X360 fanboi. :P Fat lot of good a X360 is going to do for his substantial PS2 collection. :P

On the newer PS3s, backwards compatibility is not built in, but there are quite a few ways to get it. The absolute easiest is to get a PS1 game from the PSN store for a couple of bucks - the first time you install it, the new emulator software will download for all PS1 and PS2 support. The other ways require a settings and firmware update which isn't quite as intuitive.

Your best bet, though, is to try to find one of the older PS3s (they're still out there, just dig a little) which has all the features 'on the board', including the hard drive. You'll be VERY glad you did.

 

[Vance]

Next paycheck I should probably get a game - any suggestions for great PS3 games?

Tough call, and it depends on what you want...

Little Big Planet
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
Burnout: Paradise City
Ridge Racer 7
Oblivion (Game of the Year)
Fallout 3 (Game of the Year, out to the public in October)
Lego Batman
Lego Indiana Jones
Metal Gear Solid

The PS3 lineup has been fairly anemic for a long time, but that's finally really starting to change as SoA wakes up and starts getting more titles in (particularly from Japan, which SoA has been skimping on). There's a bunch of new stuff coming (which I can't go into detail about, sadly) that will finally give the PS3 a more substantial library.

 

[Kirk's_Tights]

Not sure if this has been brought up yet but I play all my PS1 and PS2 games on my PS3.

I friggin <3 my PS3.

If you are looking for games, I recommend Ghostbusters RE5 and GTA4.

 

[Vance]

I really enjoyed Valkyria Chronicles, but it may be a bit much of an acquired taste for others to get into. The grinding wasn't that bad (especially, say, compared to Disgaea), but it takes a little bit to figure out how the game REALLY works. (Hint: Scouts are gods. Use them, and aim for the heads.)

 

[Kirk's_Tights]

I really enjoyed Valkyria Chronicles, but it may be a bit much of an acquired taste for others to get into. The grinding wasn't that bad (especially, say, compared to Disgaea), but it takes a little bit to figure out how the game REALLY works. (Hint: Scouts are gods. Use them, and aim for the heads.)

I got confused on that game and gave up. I had no idea what I was doing, lol.

 

[firehawk12]

Well, it doesn't hurt that there's a mission in VC that you can finish in 1 turn. You can grind that for infinite money.

 

[Vance]

I got confused on that game and gave up. I had no idea what I was doing, lol.

It's worth sticking out the tutorial mission, and just getting a feel for it. It's probably one of the best, most moving 'war' stories out there, despite being purely anime as well. (I nearly cried at one point, I admit it...)

There's a free demo on PSN. Grab it, play the two missions in it for free to see how scouts, etc, actually work. The tank is almost always a big-ass target, so you'll rely on your troops more.

 

[Vance]

Well, it doesn't hurt that there's a mission in VC that you can finish in 1 turn. You can grind that for infinite money.

The big grind for me was nearer the end, the 'two turn' run at the Windmill. But, dammit, I LIKED grinding that one, particularly at that part of the story, since you really want to give some payback!

 

[Kirk's_Tights]

I got confused on that game and gave up. I had no idea what I was doing, lol.

It's worth sticking out the tutorial mission, and just getting a feel for it. It's probably one of the best, most moving 'war' stories out there, despite being purely anime as well. (I nearly cried at one point, I admit it...)

There's a free demo on PSN. Grab it, play the two missions in it for free to see how scouts, etc, actually work. The tank is almost always a big-ass target, so you'll rely on your troops more.

I should probably do that, good call.

I haven't played many games like that but I got the gist of it, I just wasn't sure what exactly I was to do and what to use against the enemy, lol.

 

[Skywalker]

On the newer PS3s, backwards compatibility is not built in, but there are quite a few ways to get it. The absolute easiest is to get a PS1 game from the PSN store for a couple of bucks - the first time you install it, the new emulator software will download for all PS1 and PS2 support.

Whoa, seriously? I need to try that out.

 

[firehawk12]

I can't imagine it'd add PS2 compatibility. They're working on a way to get the EE to work on Cell, but apparently the problem is that they need a way to recompile PS2 code to run on the new architecture on the fly.

Well, it doesn't hurt that there's a mission in VC that you can finish in 1 turn. You can grind that for infinite money.

The big grind for me was nearer the end, the 'two turn' run at the Windmill. But, dammit, I LIKED grinding that one, particularly at that part of the story, since you really want to give some payback!

Yeah, that's the mission I'm talking about... but you can do it in one turn with Alicia. At least, I think you can.

 

[Rincewiend]

Posted earlier this week on Joystiq:

In Sony's on-again/off-again relationship with PS2 backwards compatibility on the PS3, we've had our hopes raised to the stars and dashed again more times than we imagined possible. Today, Siliconera discovered what appears to be but one more volley in the company's neverending game with our hearts, filing for a patent for software back in December of last year (published publicly just last week). According to the report, the software is intended to "decode and recompile" the hardware used in the PS2's defining chip, the Emotion Engine, possibly allowing for previously unplayable PS2 games to become playable.

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/29/sony-patents-software-based-ps2-cpu-emulation/

 

[Haggis and tatties]

The EE chip has already been emulated in the original 60gig EU/UK and the later 80gig NA PS3 way back in 2007 in their launch...the only thing stopping full BC in all models of PS3 is emulating the GS(Graphics Synthesizer) chip, which is in both the models i mentioned above, if Sony have found a way to emulate that chip with the cell then it looks like full software backward compat could be available for every model of PS3.

 

[firehawk12]

Yeah, that was it. I think it was strange because Sony recently filled a patent for EE emulation on a Cell. Well, December 2008 anyway.

 

[Haggis and tatties]

^^^Who knows, they might just have something up their sleeve with this slim PS3 and the impending price cut rumour, and now this EE emulation patient thing....

Could we see a slim PS3 with BC onboard....your guess is as good as mine.