Convinced - $399 PS3 coming in October

[Dodece]

@shams

The emotion engine was removed which was true and was replaced with software emulation on the main board. However their are still legacy chips on the main board that allows for this to be done. Once you remove those chips emulation or not the machine cannot do anything. That said the rumor is very explicit that this model is completely stripped down.

@everyone

This is what makes these tales rather hard to swallow. Yes Sony has shown gross incompetence, and has a horrid track record with backwards compatibility this generation. However to truly abandon backwards compatibility is like breaking covenant with their loyal customers. Backwards compatibility is a promise, and was one of the things that grew the Playstation brand. I am not sure it isn't the customers fault though the Europeans bought a neutered machine and were damn happy to do it.

Further more if this is true it actually has disastrous implications for the PS2 and that consoles developers. Those developers has a strong ally in backwards compatibility. Which encourages people to still buy the console, and to buy games for it. Since in the past they could bring their library with them. However if the majority of the PS3s on the market were the ultra neutered machine. Then the old library would become instinct, and the developer base will die that much sooner.

Personally I cannot bring myself to consider that Sony is actually this stupid. Were they to do this it would show a complete disconnect with their customers. That connection is tenuous at best right now, but still it is like a act of betrayal. The fans will respond accordingly. Which would be a massive war cry. Were this machine to actually exists as the rumors are saying it does. Then this could be the sku that kills the PS3, and the brand. Thats never good news for enthusiasts.