Could we see a return of backwards compatibility on the PlayStation 3?

Remember the old days when Sony focused on “backwards compatibility?” The PlayStation 2 not only allowed you to play PlayStation 1 games, but also music CDs and DVDs right out of the box.

The original release of the PlayStation 3 also had the ability to play old PlayStation 1 and 2 games out of the box, music CDs, DVDs, and this one format you may know as…Blu-ray. Well that didn’t last long (the backwards compatibility, I mean). In the end the 60 gig and 20 gig first generation models were too expensive and scared some customers away from buying the new system, along with the lack of blockbuster titles. Sony decided to save some money and cut the costs by removing backwards compatibility on the PlayStation 3 in future models. It was great if you had an original 60 gig or 20 gig, but if you never bought one or your original kicked the bucket (like me), you are out of luck. The alternative was to dust out the PS2 system out of the closet, or wait until a company releases your games on the PSN.

Enter Gaikai and the rumored deal Sony has with them about Cloud gaming. It’s a special service that may allow PS2 and PSone titles to be streamed via your PlayStation 3 system. If all goes well many first-party classic titles can be played with an option for third party developers to sell their back catalogs to allow you to stream the game. If so this might be a good day for people with a huge library of PS one and PS2 games. Let’s hope we hear more information at E3.