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[sonycowboy]

I have to wonder what exactly the SD and CF card slots are for. If they are going to require magicgate for game saves, maybe DL content? I would think that would be encrypted too so it would have to be on MS. The only thing I can think of is viewing pictures from your digital camera.

Well, a ton of TV's, DVD players, set top boxes come with them for digital camera slide shows & short movies. They are ridiculously cheap ports to include, but I will be disappointed if Sony requires all saves to be on MS. They're twice as expensive currently, although with the advent of the PSP, that's fallen quite a bit (and many of us have them anyway).

 

[Guy LeDouche]

So they can sell more MemorySticks?

Like the PS2 HDD, it's just back-up. You'll need a MS regardless.

 

[kaching]

I don't see much reason for sony to limit game saves to Memory Stick other than time/technical constraints and even that seems a stretch when there are 4/7/15/42 in 1 flash card readers selling for $15 dollars or less that are able to efficiently translate reads/writes to and from the particularly card you happen to have plugged in.

As for licensing fees on Memory Sticks, I think Sony relaxed those quite a bit a few years back so I don't think that's amounting to a significant cash flow in any way. They'd probably increase their cash flow on Memstick sales more by simply pricing their own Sony branded sticks more competitively with the likes of Sandisk.

So I'd like to think that with the PS3 you'll be able to select from any available storage location to save to - if you have one of each type of flash card plugged in, then all three should be options, and this is all provided at the OS level.

 

[Flo_Evans]

So I'd like to think that with the PS3 you'll be able to select from any available storage location to save to - if you have one of each type of flash card plugged in, then all three should be options, and this is all provided at the OS level.

The problem is, DL content (specificaly the microtransaction kind) sony is going to want a way to restrict the copying of this stuff. Hello magicgate.

 

[Miburou]

So why are there CF and SD slots if you can't save to them?

 

[SKOPE]

Backwards compatability lesson...

PlayStation 3
-PlayStation games
-PlayStation 2 games

Xbox 360
-Select Xbox games

Revolution
-GameCube games
-GameCube controllers
-GameCube memory solutions


...am I wrong on anything?

PlayStation 3
-PlayStation 2 USB peripherals

...hopefully.

 

[kaching]

The problem is, DL content (specificaly the microtransaction kind) sony is going to want a way to restrict the copying of this stuff. Hello magicgate.

I was strictly talking about game saves, not DLC, but you have a fair point. However, I think there should be other ways to secure the content other than Magicgate, esp. when Microsoft is going to have to figure out how to do the same with a generic harddrive (or maybe it isn't?) in the X360 for their DLC.

So why are there CF and SD slots if you can't save to them?

No guarantee they won't be used for saves yet but, even if they weren't, they could still be useful accessing jpegs and mp3s from, for example.

 

[Agent X]

Let me start by reminding readers here that the article is reporting on rumors. While it's obvious that the PlayStation 3 won't have the PS1/PS2 controller ports and memory card slots built-in, there's no confirmation that there won't be some method of using your old controllers or memory cards on the new system. It's funny to see some people here saying "BOO! -1 PS3 SALES" when nothing has been set in stone yet.

Besides, I'm sure they will come out with something that will allow you to transfer them and if not, its not like you won't be able to download most of the saves off the internet and put them on a memory stick.

Regarding memory card saves, they could also arrange it so that the PS3 could connect to a PS2 using USB or Ethernet, and use that connection to transfer the files from the memory card in the PS2 to the...whatever...in the PS3. Of course, that wouldn't benefit someone who was an ardent PS1 fan but decided to skip out on the PS2 altogether (unless he borrowed a friend's PS2 just to do the transfer).

I would be very surprised if there isn't an easy and affordable method of transferring game saves over from PS1/PS2 to PS3 available at or close to the PS3 launch, just because it would cause a negative backlash if there wasn't.

I don't see why PS2 <> USB adapters wouldn't work.

The only way they could work is if the PS2-to-USB adapters were recognized by the PS3's operating system, and if that OS could pass the input along to the PS1/PS2 game programs. This would have to be programmed into the PS3 itself, because existing PS1/PS2 games don't use the USB ports to read joypads, joysticks, flightsticks, many steering wheels (not counting Logitech Driving Force or similar wheels that plug directly into USB), dance pads, or anything else that would normally be plugged into the controller ports.

It's just nice that Nintendo's ensured full memory card/controller compatibility for games that need that.

I don't want to veer too far off topic, but has Nintendo announced if the existing Game Boy Player could be connected to the Revolution, or if they'll have a Revolution-specific solution for playing GB/GBC/GBA games?

If you are referring to memory sticks, those aren't standard. They are Sony proprietary.

There are several manufacturers of Memory Sticks now, and lots of different devices from multiple manufacturers that can use them. It's not any more "proprietary" than other widely available flash memory formats such as CompactFlash, SD, MultiMedia Card, SmartMedia, or xD-PictureCard.

 

[Bebpo]

There's a hell of a lot of PS1/2 accesories on the market (DDR pad, Beatmania controller, Drumania drums, various light guns, all kinds of arcade sticks, steering wheels, all kinds of normal controllers).

Sony is not stupid, they'll let you use your Beatmania controller when you play Beatmania PS2 games in the BC mode of PS3. But yeah, you'll probably need to buy the official Sony PS2 controller -> PS3 controller adapter for $30.

 

[jarrod]

I don't want to veer too far off topic, but has Nintendo announced if the existing Game Boy Player could be connected to the Revolution, or if they'll have a Revolution-specific solution for playing GB/GBC/GBA games?

Not yet, though Nintendo's cooled to the idea of connecting their console and handheld lines directly it seems. I sort of doubt we get anything like the Super GB or GB Player again honestly.