PS3 backward-compatibility site OL

One of the primary concerns stemming from Sony's announcement at this year's E3 Media & Business Summit that it would be discontinuing the 60GB PlayStation 3 model was that the 80GB console lacked the Emotion Engine chipset. The EE allowed games from Sony's previous hardware generations to be playable on the PS3 without having to be emulated through software. Given that it would be a Herculean task to make each game in Sony's extensive back catalog playable, many speculated that the emulation process would lead to limited backward compatibility.

In March, Sony Worldwide Studios president Phil Harrison attempted to alleviate gamers' fears about the backward compatibility of the European 60GB PS3, which uses software emulation. The full-time executive and MotorStorm enthusiast called the outcry from European audiences an "overreaction," and stated that more than 1,000 PlayStation 2 games would be emulated by the console's March 23 European launch.

Now that the North American market will be experiencing the same varying degrees of backward compatibility as in Europe, Sony has launched a BC search engine on its Web site. A bit slicker than the current European list, the site's search function allows users to check the compatibility of PS2 and original PS games for both the 60GB and 80GB models. Search results will indicate either "No major problems for this title," or a full rundown of what issues can be expected when the game is played using the PS3.