We know a lot of you Sony PlayStation 3 backwards compatibility fans are worried sick about what the future holds for this feature with the demise of the 80GB PS3 SKU. Is there hope? There has to be. PSN chief Eric Lempell was quoted in an interview that possibilities exist in bringing BC via their online service. Read on for the details.

EB Games is currently taking pre-orders for Sony's behemoth 80GB PlayStation 3 model. And if we are to believe the recent listing found on the retail chain's online site, consumers should be getting it starting tomorrow, August 1. It comes with MotorStorm, aside from the now-standard five free Blu-ray movies.

Consumers should take note that these new SKUs don't come with the Emotion Engine so those who are planning to buy it will encounter problems with backwards compatibility. Despite that, it should be remembered as well that Sony has promised to come up with a software solution to this in the future.

Furthermore, EB Games cautioned that it is possible to have one or two-day turnaround time for initial deliveries that will cause some delays. The new SKU is priced for US$ 599.99. We know a lot of you currently own PS3 units right now. Anybody planning to buy a new one?

Interested parties may place pre-orders to EB Games by clicking our Read link below.

GamePro managed to catch up with Sony Computer Entertainment's (SCE) Jack Tretton during this year's E3, and sat down to discuss why a flash drive was not included in the redesign of the PSP. Tretton was also asked how he perceived the handheld gaming experience. Interestingly, GamePro also asked him how he would describe each of the three currently competing consoles, in terms of food.

Tretton said that Sony didn't include a flash drive in the redesigned PSP simply because they wouldn't want to shortchange the people who already had the original PSP handhelds. He emphasized the importance of not leaving out any consumer every time a console or handheld changes design.

I think one of the risks you run into when you get into [embedding flash memory into a new PSP model] is, what happens to the people who already bought it? And are you going to get the development community to make UMD based games? We have to make sure that anything we do, as far as the evolution of hardware, doesn't leave consumers behind.

He then talked about bringing the console experience through handhelds, which he said that the PSP is able to do with its high-end hardware. Tretton's previous definition of portable gaming was likened to something that "little kids on airplanes [play] to keep them quiet". With the PSP, however, Tretton said that they were able to port over the console gaming experience that will appeal to a broader range of people, not just children.

On a more PS3-related note, Tretton announced that gamers now have two choices on the PlayStation 3 console - whether they want the 60GB PS3 powered with the Emotion Engine, or if they prefer the 80GB PS3 that uses software emulation. With the 80GB flavor, he said, gamers get US$ 160 worth of value for only US$ 100.

Now comes the fun part. When asked about what each current game console will be should he describe them as food, he has this to say (in the process adding yet another jab towards Microsoft's Xbox 360):

I think the PS3 is the Surf 'n Turf. You want the lobster and steak and you're going to give yourself the treat of getting the best thing on the menu. The PS2 is your favorite burger restaurant -- you go there for comfort food and it's just always good and is a good value...[As for the other two consoles], one [Wii] is a lollipop, and I'm too old for lollipops. The other one [Xbox 360] I get sick from once in a while because the cook isn't always reliable.

Check out the full interview in the Read link!

It has been confirmed that the 80GB PlayStation 3 models originally released in South Korea will soon be available to North American consumers. It'll have a price tag of US$ 599 and a copy of video game title MotorStorm will be bundled with it.

Aside from that, we also got word that the new model will do away with the Emotion Engine chip. Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) spokesperson Kimberly Otzman explained,

The current 60GB model utilizes a hardware and solution for backwards compatibility, namely the Emotion Engine chip. The new 80GB PS3 will use a software solution for backwards compatibility, similar to that currently found in the PAL model.

The spokesperson noted that the Emotion Engine chip will not be phased out as it will continue to ship with the 60GB models. However, those who will purchase the new model in August will "likely need to download system updates to ensure backwards compatibility".

For purposes of discussion, keep in mind that Nintendo has made the Wii hardware compatible with GameCube software while Microsoft has always offered updates to make the original Xbox titles run on the Xbox 360. This will be the first time PlayStation 3 owners in the U.S. will have to download updates for backwards compatibility.

This is definitely mixed news for fans of footy games. While there are plans to release a patch for the PS3 that'll allow for online support for the PS2's Pro Evolution Soccer 6, there doesn't seem to be a definite date for such a patch to appear.

One of the main problems with playing PES6 now is that the emotion Engine has been taken out of Euro PS2s. To play certain games or to allow certain games their full functionality, people would have to wait for patches to come that would remedy those existing problems. Unfortunately, Konami noted the game as playable but "with noticeable issues," one of them being the disabling of multiplayer.

There's good news and bad news behind all this trouble though. The good news is that, according to Eurogamer, "Sony told Eurogamer this morning that we'd probably not see a fix until the next firmware update." The bad news is that, since Sony just released FW 1.6 a little over a week ago, there's no date for any sort of new firmware scheduled.

Take it for what it is though, sports fans. You WILL be getting your PES 6 fix eventually, and that's definitely something worth looking forward to in the meantime.

Now that the PS3 has finally been released in Europe, it is once again time for that phase in a gaming console's life when everyone just wants to see its guts. Hence, the Swedish site Console.se did just that, and took some nice pictures of the PAL PS3's motherboard.

Known as the PS3 PAL COK-002 Motherboard, it's pretty much a beautiful green and silver panel of technology and silicon, just like its U.S. counterpart. The main difference would be that there seems to be a gaping hole in the spot where the Emotion Engine was supposed to be.

Anyway, I am admittedly a non-techy, so all I know is that the glorious 2816 x 2112 images of the motherboard are really pretty to look at. However, I do know that there are a lot of you out there who can probably see a whole lot more than I ever could in this sea of chips and plastic. Because of this, we've put up the whole set of high-res photos that the folks from Console.se took, and you just simply have to download it via the link below, extract it, and enjoy.

Download: PS3 PAL COK-002 Motherboard images

Remember the European PlayStation 3 compatibility status site that we told you about a couple of days ago? If you are a fan of Pro Evolution Soccer 6 (PES 6) on PlayStation 2 (PS2) and have actually browsed though the said site, you might know by now that it listed the video game as playing but "with noticeable issues."

According to publisher Konami, the single player and the versus modes of PES 6 are actually compatible with the PS3. The "noticeable issue", however, refers to the game's online features. Konami explained that this is due to the alterations made to the console's hardware specifications. It would be remembered that the Emotion Engine, alongside the graphics synthesizer which powers the PS2 was removed and replaced by another. Sony assured fans that compatibility issues will eventually be resolved through firmware updates.

To those who insist on playing PES 6 on the PS3 (yes, that includes us), Konami suggested that players should avoid using 60Hz and network modes. Doing so will cause, the company explained, "noticeable graphical corruption not present in the main game."

With the PS3 finally landing in European soil by March 23, 2007, things are still not quite all and well for this console, even at this late a stage. As the story goes, there have been many issues regarding the European PS3's lack of an Emotion Engine which basically allows PS2 games to be played on Sony's new console. However, we have all been assured that despite this deficiency in hardware, the missing feature will be made up for via software emulation, and will instead rely on a combination of hardware and software.

Still on the topic of the PAL PS3's missing Emotion Engine, the latest statement that Sony has made about the matter was that the PAL version of the console will instead "be equipped with a different chip that processes graphics for PS2 games, but the backward compatibility of the machine will be lessened."

Well, to put that to the test, the German site Cynamite managed to acquire a PAL PS3, so they decided to test its backwards-compatibility with 12 popular PS2 games (that is, 12 PS2 games you'd want to be stuck on an island with - according to Cynamite anyway). The titles that they decided to use were:

• God of War
• MGS 2: Sons of Liberty
• MGS 3: Snake Eater
• Shadow of the Colossus
• Guitar Hero 2
• Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
• Okami
• GTA: Liberty City Stories
• Eragon
• Final Fantasy X-2
• Ratchet & Clank 3
• Lumines Plus

The end result? Out of the 12 titles, only Eragon worked. All other titles refused to start up and instead referred them to "future software updates and the Sony Website to read the downward compatibility list."

Oh well. So much for that. Well, here's to hoping that the guys at Sony hurry up with those firmware updates that they promised, so that European PS3 owners can play ye good olde Viewtiful Joe, already. And Castlevania Lament of Innocence. And the Prince of Persia trilogy. And Final Fantasy XII. And Space Channel 5.

In the aftermath of GDC 2007, Sony Worldwide Studios chief Phil Harrison called for PlayStation 3 owners in PAL regions to calm down regarding the issue of backwards compatibility and expressed his confidence that the PS3 will dominate once more.

Harrison reminded everyone that backwards compatibility has always been important to Sony and that it will always be part of their strategy. He reiterated earlier statements that even if the Emotion Engine is removed from PAL PS3's, software emulation combined with hardware methods will enable a growing number of PS2 games to be played on their next gen console.

"it's important to remember that the PS1 catalogue remains unchanged, and definitely, March 23, we expect over 1000 titles to be playable for PlayStation 2. Within that list is the vast majority of games you would want to play," says the Sony stalwart.

He also expressed faith in the Blu-ray disc technology, saying that what happened when DVD's took over is quite likely to have a similar effect in the case of the PS3. He noted that the innovations that Sony is making will help the medium grow and as it proliferates, consumers will see the true value of the PS3.

Harrison adds "I only have to remind myself of what it was like in the HMV store near my office in London when we launched the PS2. There were 16 aisles of VHS, and one aisle of DVD. Within a few weeks that had almost completely inverted, and I imagine it will be the same with Blu-ray disc."

However, he did concede that all the major players in this console war have their goals and niches. Confronted with predictions of analysts that the market shares of the Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3 will be more evenly distributed this time, Harrison said "yes. I think that there have always been different market shares depending on the region, and I think we've always seen that in the history of PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2."

The Sony boss was quick to put the spotlight back on his turf, however, as he concluded "certainly, in parts of the world where PlayStation is most successful, to a certain extent it defines the videogame market - and that will continue."

Of the three next-gen consoles locked in this three-way fandango that we call the console war, the Sony PlayStation 3 has received the bulk of the negative press lately. Issues regarding its price, backwards compatibility, and new hardware have drawn a lot of gamers to message board debates.

If you're a PS3 owner or still trying to figure out which game system to get, fear not. It's still too early to tell how this war will turn out and the high-end console is far from beaten. Here are seven reasons why it's good to have a PS3:

1.Exclusive games - Sony has had its wins and losses in the battle of keeping big games exclusive to its fold, but hey, the key pieces are still in place. When you've got the Metal GearandFinal Fantasyfranchises in your roster, you can never be counted out. How about the Ratchet and Clankand God of War series? They're still with Sony and there's a good chance that they might be for all time. As development tools are made more available for the system, we can expect a beefed up roster.

2. HD graphics - So far, the PS3 is the only console in the mix which can take full advantage of the power of a cool HDTV, and what we get is simply eye-popping. One can argue that HDTVs aren't in most homes at this point, but in the next three to four years, they may very well be.

Click on full article to see the rest of the reasons why you should love the PS3.