Deeply stupid article, and here's why:
1. Playstation was built on the back of third-party software. Meaning that Sony doesn't actually own or control much of its past.
2. Pre PS3-era software was never licensed for digital distribution, meaning that there are likely many issues regarding rights that would need to be worked through and renegotiated. A lot of games have disappeared because things like music and likeness rights would need re-licensing.
3. To say Sony has never been interested in its back catalogue is a lie. The breakpoint clearly is around the PS3 where the B/C functionality was stripped out as part of manufacturing cost saving.
4. PS3's oddball architecture presents numerous difficulties for implementing B/C. Certainly during the PS4's life-span they had no choice but to look to keeping that generation alive via streaming (PSNow) and remastering because of the challenge of emulating the CELL.
5. The previous point leads to a problem with curation and presentation; Is there any gain to offering something like Shadow of The Colossus in all 3 versions? PS2 original, PS3 remaster, and PS4 remake. It might be fine for connoisseurs but for newcomers it looks messy and confusing.
6. Regarding the infamous Jim Ryan quote: Was he really off-base with his comment? How big a market is there for decades old driving simulations, its not like there's something unique and creative about real-world cars and race-courses recreated in more primitive fashion than in subsequent iterations of the series.
7. Lastly there's a big difference between preservation and recycling old product for profit. Selling old stuff to a tiny niche market or as catalogue filler on storefronts/services is not preservation. I'm sure if people were being asked to pay equivalent to the original rrp of such titles there'd be complaints! That such stuff has to be bundled in order to be sold at budget prices is I think a good indication of what the perceived value is of a piece of vintage software in today's market.
At which point I have to conclude that people actually care far less than they protest that they do! Collectors pay top-dollar for old, rare pieces, so why devalue these things for novelty and cheap nostalgia?