European PS3 users screwed

Well, that's kind of how I feel to be honest. If you read my previous PS3 posting here then you will appreciate that one of the reasons I opted for the much more expensive Sony PS3 over and above the hugely cheaper Microsoft Xbox 360 was the fact that I have an extensive collection of PS2 games. The ability to be able to play these on the PS3 is something of a critical concern when you have young kids hooked on things like The Simpsons Hit and Run, Barbie Horse Adventure and Pro-Evolution Soccer. And yes, I know I could probably buy a PS3 version of PES but that is missing the point: I already own the latest version and don't want to spend yet more money on the same thing.

 

Which is why I am feeling just a little peeved right now, having just heard the news that the European PS3, this is the one that costs an arm, leg and half a torso more than the US or Japanese versions, will play far fewer PS2 games than either of those. Whereas the US and Japanese versions of the PS3, for example, are compatible with 98 percent of PS2 games, the European version won't be. Sony has not put a percentage on it, but has confirmed that the backwards compatibility is "not going to be as good as the US and Japan models."