Sony to digitally distribute PSone, PS2 titles to PS3s?

Source: Self-explanatorily titled UK game-news site Gamesindustry.biz.

The official story: "We have made no new announcements regarding PlayStation 3 since the initial guidance that was provided at E3 2005. We will be providing further details in due course."--Sony Computer Entertainment America rep.

What we heard: At E3 2005, Nintendo announced it would digitally distribute its entire back catalog of first-party NES, SNES, and N64 games to owners of its forthcoming Revolution console. Besides pleasing lovers of all things Mario, the announcement also raised the prospect of third-party publishers generating new revenue from old games via the service.

Indeed, digital distribution of old-school games has proven very popular on the Xbox 360. While many launch titles for the console have sold fewer copies than expected, the Xbox Live Arcade games Microsoft sells and distributes via its Xbox Live Marketplace have gained widespread use. Since it went online last November, Marketplace has seen over two million Arcade game downloads, according to a recent speech by Peter Moore, vice president of Microsoft's interactive entertainment division. The game downloads include such classics as Joust, Gauntlet, Robotron 2084, and Smash TV, as well as Xbox 360 demos, some of which are more than 1GB in size. 

With Nintendo poised to make a fortune and Microsoft already cashing in by digitally distributing older games, it would make sense that Sony would follow suit. That what GamesIndustry.biz is claiming it has confirmed this week, via conversations with "several senior developers" who "have spoken informally with Sony about the question of digital distribution on consoles." Specifically, the article cites "one source from the development arm of a major third-party publisher claiming that Sony has been discussing the technical feasibility of providing PSone and PS2 titles over digital distribution with them."

While GamesIndustry.biz doesn't name names, a downloadable catalog of older PlayStation games makes sense. Sony has already announced the PS3 will play PS2 and PS games, meaning the backward-compatibility issue has presumably already been tackled. There are also widespread reports that Sony is at work on an Xbox Live-like online gaming service called PlayStation HUB, which would almost certainly need to have a digital delivery system. Also, as GamesIndustry.biz points out, high-speed Internet connections have made downloading games, which previously would have taken hours, a minutes-long affair. Digital distribution of multiple-gigabyte games has become commonplace for PC gamers, as evidenced by Valve's Steam service.

But the most compelling argument that Sony will digitally distribute games onto PS3 is that it simply can't afford not to. The company will lose a hefty amount of money on each PS3 hardware unit it sells, meaning it will be looking at any way it can to generate software dollars. Being able to sell millions of already complete titles digitally would avoid the usual development and retail distribution costs, and would therefore be very profitable even at a budget price.

Bogus or not bogus?: Almost certainly not bogus--if Sony, which is reportedly having hardware issues with the PS3, can pull it off.

184 Comments

  • gatsbythepig

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 7:23 pm PT

    Wadelleha

    They can afford not to. They actually have a library of backward compatible games that are on CD and DVD. Also given the capacity of the hard drive and the additional expense to get more space it is very unlikely any ps2 game will be downloadable. It is more likely some psone games wil be downloaded.

    Waha

  • StumpyTrash

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 9:54 pm PT

    Yet again competition benefits the consumer!

  • RomnEmpire

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 8:41 am PT

    I won't be using this service. I grew up on Nintendo classics and memories come from Nintendo, not Sony. Maybe I'll miss something, but too bad. I'd rather play The Legend of Zelda then FFVII.

  • Cainekass29

    Posted Mar 17, 2006 5:47 pm PT

    This is a great idea. And considering the amount of titles you would have at your fingertips, and not have to pay out the butt for it on a an E-Bay bid, or any shipping cost....great idea!

  • thayes007

    Posted Mar 17, 2006 10:10 am PT

    Sony owns the word "innovation" they dont need to copy

  • DaPlayasPlaya

    Posted Mar 16, 2006 12:25 pm PT

    Yep mos def, Sony shood try and innovate something, the eye toy bought em' sum time though. I guess wot really matters is that those of us who hasn't had the opportunity to play the awesome ps1 and ps2 games we missed out on, can now do so and hopefully sum awesome (original) ps3 titles as well .

  • crystos

    Posted Mar 16, 2006 6:20 am PT

    Funny how sony is jus ripping xbox live. But I have 2 agree I owned a saturn with the net link system....so sega is teh true innovator

  • ewjim

    Posted Mar 15, 2006 12:03 pm PT

    Download PS game??! This could be great!!!

  • vicsrealms

    Posted Mar 15, 2006 11:15 am PT

    That would definetly be nice, since I have a lot of PSX games that I can't replace and someone of them having givin' up the ghost, so to speak. I hate when I play games like this into the ground. ~sigh~

  • Sandman100

    Posted Mar 15, 2006 9:17 am PT

    Some of the old game would be cool but I'm not going to spend $800 dollars for it. Sony where are the new games.

  • Rezaleo

    Posted Mar 15, 2006 7:30 am PT

    when a console like "X360 " comes out soon then surely it has lots of problem.but sony is perfect in any electronic stuffs.so no matter ps3 comes late cuz they wanna make another perfect console like olders ones.when u wanna collection of hardware u shud wait.but i hope the price will be less than 600$ that any fans can get that

  • nkey1979

    Posted Mar 15, 2006 5:17 am PT

    too much fanboyism. people should play the games that excite & appeal to them regardless of what system it is on - personally i will be buying a Revolution - i like the direction Nintendo gaming is going in + cant wait to get my hands on their back-catalogue.

  • IceRider_3000

    Posted Mar 15, 2006 4:37 am PT

    Damn Sony is copying Nintendo from the begining. After what Nintendo did to their sorry ass. They just being spiteful but thats ok. Nintendo will raise high...Sony just trying to make a BIG profit because they know that their are alot of suckers out there lol peace.

  • smokey_77

    Posted Mar 15, 2006 4:01 am PT

    why do you all live in the past (sega,etc,etc) this is awsome cant wait to download some old games

  • grnidbandit

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 9:06 pm PT

    first off sega went out of business cause the games were easy to rip thus no one buying games and also the ps1 getting popular. the dream cast was a real good system even had windoes CE on there i believe never owned one but use tto go to my friends house,that machine had alot of potentail .sega lost lots of money and went on to be a software developer. actually sony approached nintendo with the idea of the ps1 but nintendo said no and look ps1 and ps2 have sold 200 million units. the ps3 will never have a hard drive after releasing one for the ps2 they seen the average ps2 user has no need for one and thats why when the ps3 comes out the cosumer will have the option of getting different size memory stick cards and i think possibly SD, that way if you need 1gb of memory you can have that, if you need less than you can have that too. so anyone who says hey sony isnt #1 is lieing to themselves, they made alot of these game frachises big and we know some of the best games to be on a sony machines, so xbox has halo and ninja gaiden i wish those were on sonys list but thats what makes the xbox good, nintendo has mario zelda and metroid so thats good for them , stick with you guys play , but in the end the only ones that will appreciate this online service are playstation 3 owners which i plan on being one no matter how much it costs.

  • patjuan

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 9:03 pm PT

    This article is bogus. If you guys were not too busy arguing about stupid stuff like who is copying who. It does not matter. However the article fails to mention that Sony did not create all those games for the PSone or PS2 therefore they must secure a license from the developers of all those games for their download service to work. It is illegal to distribute another person's or companies work, characters, and storyline. Furthermore, this could be an extremely expensive venture because of backwards compatibility of the PS3 and used psone and ps2 games can be found cheaply on the Internet at amazon and ebay and EB games and at gamestop. Also the developers of those PSone and PS2 games may ask Sony to pay a fee to include their games since retro gaming is popular.

    The developers of the PSone and PS2 games could see retro gaming as a trend and decide to support all three platforms. It is a win win situation. Think about this, the source code is already created. All a developer has to do is produce an emulator that conforms to the controls of the consoles. This would provide another revenue stream for developers. But their are too many companies and so many licenses to acquire that this is not going to happen.

  • link15000

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 8:58 pm PT

    i'm a nintendo fan and i'm find with this.nintendo has 10 years more great old games than sony

  • Commandofreak92

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 8:53 pm PT

    You know has anyone thought that maybe Nintendo was ripping of Microsoft by making an online download service. If you forget XBL was the first real online gaming option.

  • jgyhgh

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 8:07 pm PT

    i know the launch titles of ps3 on page http://playstation.about.com/od/ps3/a/PS3LaunchGames.htm go to it

  • Solidmist

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 7:49 pm PT

    LMAO!!! Sony is doing it again, why can't they EVER do anything by themselves without ripping off Microsoft or Nintendo. This just proves how pathetic Sony is.

  • jgyhgh

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 7:40 pm PT

    i know the launch titles on page http://playstation.about.com/od/ps3/a/PS3LaunchGames.htm
    go to it now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • BobTowilliger

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 7:10 pm PT

    It's great to know that Nintendo is still the innovator, and somehow continues to get rubbed out of the credit and business it deserves. Without Nintendo gaming would be drastically different, and this is the thanks they get?

  • chibi-acer

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 7:00 pm PT

    What the heck? I thought PS3 was backwards compatible. Why would I want to play digital versions of games I already own? And the games I don't own, I'm not interested in (hense my not owning them).

  • jimbo102671

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 5:58 pm PT

    If the games would be for download, the sizes of the files would be pretty large. Without a HDD inside the PS3, where can those games go? Bandwith costs for such files will be an issue on this as well. While I would like such a feature in PS3, I won't hold my breath for any of the larger games (Final Fantasy VII, to name one).

  • Skelitor

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 5:32 pm PT

    I'm not complaining really. Everyone is ripping off of everyone these days. Why not make it for something good. There are a couple of games that i missed out on that i would love to play.

  • Charlie2688

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 2:53 pm PT

    Is it me or do I smell something that could be come REALLY COOL!!!! lets hope that Sony can manage this "online" thing correctly...

  • sniper_99

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 2:42 pm PT

    sweet news for me!

  • sandswipe

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 2:42 pm PT

    Right now there is a 15% chance I'll get a PS3 before they dip below $200. If I can get Vib Ribbon and Parappa the Rappa on this thing for cheap, though, I may skip the 360 version of Metal Gear 4. It still mostly depends on whether sony has a less then thirty percent failure rate on the PS3. Everyone I know has lost a PS2, some people have lost two. That really isn't a legacy I can invest $800 in.

  • CJip

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 2:12 pm PT

    wow i get to pay 500 bucks for a system thats not even completely backwards compatible with the last generation? oo thats gonna make my wallet fry. Come on Sony, Nintendo's at least giving true BC with the gamecube titles. Id understand PS3 doing the virtual console with ps1 titles but not ps2.

  • GoddBless

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 2:11 pm PT

    :
    SolidFear
    Sony is not copying Nintendo! I'm sick of hearing of this. I'm sorry, but Sony had this, and an online service developed for the Playstation 2, very long before the PS3, 360, or Revolution were even announced. If Sony is going to release an 80GB HDD, then you could hold tons of PS1 and PS2 games, including music, movies, demos and stuff, all on one HDD, so it actually seems more feasible than most think. If I could go back an download Vagrant Story and Bushido Blade, that would be more than enough reason to buy a PS3, and I'd be the happiest person here. But seriously, anyone who thinks Sony does nothing but copy Nintendo needs to open your eyes, and realize that, that is not true.


    You're right they don't just copy off of Nintendo. They copy off of everyone. Remember that's why they got sued an can no longer use the dual shock controllers. I also hear that they are copying the Xbox 360 achievement system and call them "Entitlements". Then again maybe they had the idea 1st and they just are taking forever to implement it. Plus didn't they say PS3 isn't coming with a HDD. So what 80GB HDD are you talking about?

  • collinsworth

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 1:47 pm PT

    OMG they better bring back Bushido....

    I freakin love that game, but boy could it piss ya off. No life bar just 2 ninjas with katanas. Rock on

    Hook Em Horns

  • xcom44

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 1:34 pm PT

    I see what your saying killswitch but its not necessarily right......

    To put it simply yes Sony does have the best marketing group, and Sega didn't really know what they were doing and this led to there downfall. However......

    Nintendo wont go down the same routs is Sega. Nintendo has way too many loyal fans who want touch another console with a barge pole. There are so many different franchises on Nintendo that most people are bound to like one of them. There's Pokemon, Mario,Zelda ...the list goes on.

    I personally am a Sony fan, but it doesn't mean that all other consoles are crap!

    Back to another subject, yes i think Nintendo are the most innovative company, I mean look at the Revolutions controller! Sony or Microsoft wouldn't dream of it. Rather than saying that they are wrong for using similar ideas to each other, the companies are actually improving on each others ideas so really its a good thing......

  • K1LLSWITCH

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 1:13 pm PT

    Again I say that if it wasn't for Sony there wouldn't be any games out there of today. And yes Sony has taken some of the games that was first on the Nintendo, but Sony has made them better. N-64 games, at the time, were $80 a pop. Too expensive for cartrige games. 10 or 20 cents to make on CD. And to responde to that kid out there that said that if Sony wasn't around there still would be a console war between Nintendo and Sega. Sega still wouldn't be around today because they didn't know what they were doing. Spending way too much money on crap consoles, in which they never really supported them with games. Dreamcast was one of them. Awesome system, but only a few quality games for it. Hmmmm sounds familiar doesn't it Microsoft? And as for Nintendo. Enough said. They need to fire their marketing manager and the president of that company. Their leader is leading them to Sega's destination, NO WHERE. By 2008, they'll be making Gameboy games and that's it. But anyways, keep playing what your playing. Enjoy them, have fun. But as for me, I'm going where the games go. Not where the mascots go.

  • htaler

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 1:03 pm PT

    How much would you cash out for a downloadable game for PS3? I wouldn't mind paying 9.99USD for PS1 and 14.99USD for a PS2 game.

  • tonemd_basic

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 12:28 pm PT

    JetLag123
    "hmm...I wonder if anyone here has actually invested into an emulator.... "
    Posted Mar 13, 2006 9:04 pm PT

    Invested, no. Taken the time to download one, yes.

    Still doesn't make this rumor any less positive for gamers and Sony. Instead of trying to scour the internet for a ZOE: 2nd Runner ISO, I could just download it legitimately on my PS3.

    Now Hermits, Sheep, Lemmings and Cows have a download plan for older games. Hurray for capitalism.

  • skyvader

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 11:52 am PT

    It isn't so much as who is copying who. It matters as who can sell it best. Sony came out with the dual shock controller after Nintendo had their analog stick in the N64. But they made it better as there were "two" analog sticks. The whole download old games idea may have been made a big thing by Nintendo but it wasn't until MS had live arcade and then later Sony see it as inevitable to do the same thing. If Sony were NOT to do this then they would be doing what Nintendo did when it came to next gen format for the N64. Sega and Sony both went CD and N stuck it out with carts. Sometimes it makes better sense to join the crowd. In this industry there are lots of instances where a company does something and the other one ups it with something similar or better. That is the basic design of competition. If they really wanted to, these companies could hold off saying anything about next gen until launch day. But we as consumers demand to know what is going down and the news industry has their ways of getting it for us. Sort of like knowing what you are getting for xmas before opening the present. Maybe the hardware people should not release any information about anything and just suprise consumers as they use it. Wow! I didn't know it could do that! Lets see what else it can do.

  • sandy4v

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 11:24 am PT

    SONY must do it and I know they can

  • Big_Will

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 11:22 am PT

    even though it is copying off of nintendo, there are a lot of games that me and my brother didn't get because of money problems, but if this is true, then that would help. too bad nintendo doesn't do that with some gc or gba games as well. (missed a lot of those as well)

  • snarple_basic

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 11:03 am PT

    This could be a cool feature if they price it right. I would be interested.

  • Superheroretard

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 10:32 am PT

    Copying? Don't be rediculous. Following this logic every automaker copied Mercedes and so all cars not Mercedes suck. So Pepsi copied Coke, Burger King copied McDonalds, and every portable music player of today copied Sony because they invented the walkman. Thats ridiculous. Besides if Sony is copying Nintendo isn't Nintendo copying Gametap. You can d/l all sorts of games on Gametap. Nintendo has their game library as does Sony and Microsoft each of these companies should allow downloads of there games for the respective fans of each system. I don't see how the ability for a PS3 to d/l games would effect someone who planned to buy a Rev. Its not like you're going to be able to d/l mario 64 onto the PS3.

  • buildar

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 10:24 am PT

    If anyone sleeps they have enough time to download a PS2 game with a DSL or cable internet connection. Either way i'm excited to be able to download hard to find games, though i lament not having a hard copy. I hope sony comes through and produces a good download service.

  • jameston80

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 9:49 am PT

    To death919 how can you say that nintendo is being copied, microsoft is the first to have older games downloadable, so in perspective Nintendo is ripping off Microsoft, Microsoft has had their xbox live arcade titles a couple of years now!! So do your studies before you go blaming the other companies.

  • ReyWing

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 9:32 am PT

    Anybody remember the Commadore or the Kalico-Vision??? ANYWAYZ, nyuck nyuck nyuck, you "gamers" are so funny. Some of ya'll are waaaaaay too serious about your console worship. Basically, go ahead Sony and Nintendo with the online thang and good luck! I can see it only benefiting the gamer community. I for one would rather purchase an old game through an online service than emulate it on my PC. I also loathe monthly payments but if it allows me to play ALL my console's games on it, then its worth it. If it's just for one game (ala WoW, FFXI), i dont think so. That's why i love Guild Wars.

  • lageasy311

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 9:29 am PT

    what i would also like to point out is, this is just speculation...has anybody even bothered saying that...all i hear is bashing about how sony copied.....bla bla bla.....sony has not even confirmed this lol......let alone the price so why is everybody knocking???

  • vaejas

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 9:24 am PT

    I too am against monthy paintments.

  • spartan202

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 9:12 am PT

    the only bad thing is if they start to charge monthly paintment

  • lageasy311

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 8:52 am PT

    IT sure does get old fast listening to fan boys piping on about Nintendo was first....wah!!!! good god, do people even have lives anymore? Who gives a rats a$$ if Nintendo was first. Atari was truly first but nintendo was made anyway. What about then...oh yea, that's right, you were'nt born yet. If you wanna go there, we can go there. And from what most of these posts are saying....Sega did it first Nintendo when will you learn to innovate and stop taking drugs to come up with your next zany adventure. ANybody with me on this?

  • frontier49

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 8:50 am PT

    Sony: Just give us your $$.

  • bobreturns

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 8:41 am PT

    first something is created (an idea) by nintendo then it is copied by sony sony even copied nintendo by making a console in the first place

  • silentmobius

    Posted Mar 14, 2006 8:33 am PT

    Amongst all the bickering, nobody has said anything about import games. It would be nice if you could download a lot of the Japanese games that were never released outside of Japan.

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