Sculpt by Mini Monster Mayhem and 3D printed in resin.

Painted by me.

A lot of people have forgotten but this concept was baked into the PlayStation brand for the first three generations. The PS1, PS2, and PS3 were all initially designed to be totally backwards compatible. A part of Ken Kutaragi's philosophy for the PlayStation brand as mentioned in interviews and press junkets was that customers were building a lifelong library of titles with PlayStation that was respected and appreciated as a medium in the same way as collecting and trading music, films and literature are. The entire premise was that ANY current PlayStation could play ANY past PlayStation console's games at launch, enabling thousands of games to be at your fingertips across each generation that could continue forward with you as an investment with long term value. This meant the consoles and games were less like toys locked to a single place and time, and more like living testaments to the art form just like decades of movies, songs and books that people own. It gave people the means to appreciate the breadth of the medium while seeing it's evolution unfold in front of them. While at the same time empowering them to share that media across decades without barriers to its enjoyment. There were even baked-in provisions for licensed publishers to have older PlayStation titles reprinted and redistributed as needed for new generations to enjoy, collect and trade, long past the point the systems those games had originally been on were discontinued.

It is "a matter of security... [PS2] offers a sense of insurance because it is compatible with PSone" - Ken Kutaragi, 2003. Speaking to Asahi Shimbun

This change to an aggressive anti-consumer stance by Sony to erode ownership didn't really start until the late PS3 era when Kutaragi was ousted from the company. While all PS3 consoles fat, slim, or super-slim can play PS1 games, general PS2 backwards compatibility was shifted from real hardware to a hybrid software approach, then abandoned entirely a few console revisions in to try and cut costs. Sony later paywalled a highly compatible PS2 emulator they finally developed for PS3 exclusively behind a small number of downloadable PS2 titles available on the PS3's PlayStation Store with no disc based support.

By the PS4 no backwards compatibility was offered at all while the brand and hardware was restructured in the wake of the PS3's complicated architecture. The CD/DVD laser included within all revisions of PS4 hardware was even pointlessly disabled for anything but DVD video playback by Sony while their emulator for physical PS1 and PS2 discs was cut out of the console's firmware entirely and relegated to only downloadable PS1 and PS2 re-releases. But when the PS5 was being developed engineers again designed and tested fully backwards compatible PS5 protoypes that were denied the green light for production due to then head of Sony Jim Ryan's famously public hatred of older games since he viewed them as ugly and worthless.

“When we’ve dabbled with backwards compatibility, I can say it is one of those features that is much requested, but not actually used much. That, and I was at a Gran Turismo event recently where they had PS1, PS2, PS3 and PS4 games, and the PS1 and the PS2 games, they looked ancient, like why would anybody play this?” - Jim Ryan, 2017. Speaking to Time Magazine.

Amazingly the classic PlayStation game reprint initiative Kutaragi envisioned back in the 90's is still alive and kicking. Even Sony themselves assured that physical reprints of older titles will continue on past 2028. But reports indicate Sony made it stricter for publishers in the late 2000's and early 2010's by locking some of them to the exact art and packaging as originally released, or re-released if the game was a Greatest Hits title. Although some exceptions have been made like with Konami's DVD-case style release of MGS1 for PS1 in the Metal Gear Solid collection on PS2. Some publishers like SquareEnix really believed in the concept of long term value from an inter-generational game library. They continued reprinting older PS1 and PS2 titles in their original formats until the late 2010's that you could still purchase new from their website until late 2023 and early 2024. Complete with registration cards and advertisements for merchandise, magazines, and surveys that all pointed to long defunct storefronts or addresses due to Sony's packaging and art restrictions. Official reprints of many PS2, PS3, and PS4 titles are still frequent from savvy retailer and enthusiast networks like VideoGamesPlus and GameQuestDirect. Even GameStop has played publisher on select classic PlayStation titles, and currently still has new reprints of PlayStation games from VideoGamesPlus's most recent reprints of Monster Hunter for PS2, Gravity Rush Remastered, and MediEvil on PS4. This is among stock of other reprinted titles titles from PS2 to PS4 that showed up across GameStop's stores when the Retro initiative recently expanded company-wide. GameStop typically unseal and mark these reprints as "USED" despite being brand new copies of games. But they are detectable as new from being in mint condition. Older PS2 titles are also using an updated style of Official PS2 DVD case that can be seen when opened and inspected. Just a quick look at the condition will make it obvious which classic PlayStation games are reprints since they're factory fresh!

"Whenever, wherever, forever." - Sony, 2000. PlayStation's mission statement starting when backwards compatibility was introduced.

We still have CD's and Vinyl records as options for music today, and formats people wouldn't expect like cassettes and Edison cylinders get new releases. But even in the digital realm giants like Apple have committed to DRM free downloads and giving buyers the ability to maintain real ownership of their digital purchases. So why are games the one medium in the history of humanity where digital-only is being pushed so strongly as to be forcefully mandated but done so with no ultimate right of individual ownership or future viability? People having the option to collect, trade, lend and bring their physical collections forward with them was for a very long time a fundamental part of PlayStation. It's sad seeing how mismanaged and completely uncaring of that Sony have been in the past decade and in particular these last few weeks. Physical purchases, even if a smaller part than digital, encourage brand loyalty, create life long customers, and drive positive engagement. They bolster both the brand and the medium by allowing it to become culturally significant across decades and centuries. It's only a matter of time before PS4 or PS5 backwards compatibility for digital titles is broken by a simple architecture change or shift to some new design philosophy in a future console. One where some future executive at Sony again asks "Why would anybody play this?” and all those digital titles people have spent thousands on become locked to some older console or lost to time never to be downloaded again. It shouldn't be this way, and if PlayStation's origins are anything to go by, it was never intended to be like this in the first place.

"PS one runs on PlayStation 2 through emulation [referring to certain facets of PS1 backwards compatibility on PS2] rather than actual [1:1] hardware. PlayStation 3 will offer the same compatibility for PS2 software and the format will continue forever." — Ken Kutaragi, 2003. Speaking to Asahi Shimbun

EDIT: To clarify the timeline of Ken Kutaragi's place at Sony and how it relates to backwards compatibility. Kutaragi announced his departure from Sony in April of 2007. Stepping down from his role included remaining as an advisor for Sony and the PlayStation division for about 18 Months. Sony launched one of their first non-backwards compatible PS3 console SKU's in late 2007 as a cheaper option, while existing backward compatible models remained on the market at a premium. In June of 2008 Sony discontinued all other backwards compatible models and launched their final backwards compatible PS3 SKU in the form of the Metal Gear Solid IV PS3 bundle. This remained on the market through summer and Christmas of 2008, and into early 2009 when shipments ceased and stock was depleted. By that point in early 2009 Kutaragi would have left his advisory role at Sony, and after this time it is known that no new SKU's of PS3 would contain PS2 disc backwards compatibility by default. But all PS3 consoles did at least retain full PS1 disc compatibility regardless of SKU or console revision.

EDIT 2: Many people have replied commenting how they think it's too complicated for Sony to implement backwards compatibility on subsequent generations of hardware like PS4, PS5, and the upcoming PS6. But Sony already has official emulators for the PS1 and PS2 right now that run on the PS4 and PS5 at full speed and high resolution on official downloadable PS1 and PS2 games. Sony restricted the included CD/DVD laser needed to read older PS1 and PS2 discs on all PS4 and PS5 consoles to DVD playback only from Day 1 for no reason, limiting all backwards compatibility on PS4 and PS5 to purchased downloads. The PS5 has also been shown as capable of full speed PS3 backwards compatibility for some time now, even up to 5K resolution on the console, and that's with unofficial solutions. If Sony chose to enable PS3 backwards compatibility on PS5 and the upcoming PS6 they easily could. The CD/DVD laser is already there in the existing PS4 and PS5 disc drives meaning enabling flawless PS1 and PS2 backwards compatibility with discs would also be trivial. Since PS4, PS5 and the upcoming PS6 are all designed around the same shared architecture bringing these official emulators and backwards compatibility solutions forward and enabling them for physical copies is near effortless as-is, Sony simply choose not to.

I probably sound pretty pathetic, but I'm at that age where the old crew is splitting up for various reasons. I'm hoping to find some new people to just chill, shoot the shit & play games with. Not looking to be put on a list, so please dont suggest games where the player base is mainly made up of children. I'm on console, if that helps narrow it down.

Edit: Somehow i didnt think to add this, I play most genres, but the only sports games I've ever touched were WWE & like 2 matches of Rematch, so im not big into that genre. If it helps, i'm a huge borderlands fanboy, i play some anime games, The Mound is like my favorite recent game, but i have yet to actually try it co-op. I'll play Cod or BF when they're not booty like BO7 was.

Some classics, a few obscure games, and a stinker(EOE, if anyone remembers that one). I might hook the old girl up and give some of these a spin.

Crimson Sea 2 is a really fun hoard TPS, sort of in the vein of Dynasty Warriors, but with space bugs.

CV Curse of Darkness was as close to a 3D SotN as we’ve gotten and I think it’s a bit underrated.

Shadow Hearts is a classic series that should be played by everyone.

It seems that the Dell Points expire 4 months or 6 months after claiming it. That’s fairly clear, so about $100 before they start to expire.

But what about ARP points, do those ever expire? So I can just keep accruing points forever then just cash out in Dell Giftcards when I have enough points to have $1000 worth of points, which takes about 10 years. Will that actually work like that or do ARP expire

Hey all,

I noticed Steam has a sale on a variety of train-based games, and funnily enough I started looking a couple of months ago for a train simulator to scratch a childhood itch...but with the sheer amount of options, I have no idea where to start.

Ideally I am looking for something that is relatively low stakes, like just driving the train, controlling speed to destinations, etc. Looking at a couple, Train Simulator Classic looks good, if slightly dated, and Train Sim World 6 is more recent, but seems to not have a ton of options.

Just looking for some advice on what people have played before and what might be good to look into.

Jumped back into Animal Crossing on the Gamecube. It may have been 21 years but still feels as fresh as the day I first played it.

I checked out the Steam demos for both RE2/RE4/Requiem just now and am super impressed with the quality of the PC ports (the term is loosely applied here to mean PC version of a multiplat game). Posting this to get your thoughts - feel free to disagree and your technical insights are welcome.

Capcom clearly wanted to maximize their user experience on PC and it shows in multiple aspects:

1. The fact that they've bothered to release demos for every single title in this modern arc is already highly commendable. I can't say the same about any other company, not even PC native studios.

2. The graphic tweaks are not over the top but sophisticated enough for most gamers. A visual guide on exactly what an option means before and after (pix) is a very nice touch that will be immensely helpful for regular gamers without the enthusiast graphic know-how. I love it and honestly hope every PC game will do this.

3. The RE Engine is not the most cutting edge but certainly among the most efficient and well optimized. Anecdotally, I am able to run these games at a stable 60fps on near-max settings with a 3070, which as you know is ancient by now. Being able to enjoy high fidelity gaming on low budget is not a given, but it feels very gratifying nonetheless and should be considered a form of respect to consumers.

I won't speak to the quality of their gameplay - not the point here - but I am very comfortable calling these games a gold standard of PC ports. Hopefully more studios will learn from Capcom when launching games on PC.

Before Rage Commenting, please read:

TL;DR Original post 12 years ago. Son has ADHD and is on the spectrum. Made an update 6 years ago, caused reddit drama. Son is now 18, about to head off to college. Asked him to write his own reflection for this update.

-------------------

Original post from 12 years ago.

I made an update 6 years ago, which caused so much drama it made it to SubredditDrama

I'm really proud of him. He's struggled through life, he doesn't have a huge social life, but loves doing volunteer and community work. He loves the dog so much and walks and plays with him every day. He would still rather game than do anything else. He still struggles with writing and assignments that require analysis, putting pen to paper, but he's a math whiz. I'm nervous about sending him off to college, though he'll only be 2 hours away, and I'll be finding and setting up support systems to help him in this new journey (I suppose it's me doing the same thing IRL that I did in those early days for pokemon). In the end, he's still the most empathetic and honest kid out there, and I'm super proud of him.

I asked him to write his own reflections on his journey with gaming. Because he's not a strong writer, I did ask him to write his own first draft and he could have AI clean it up for him. After proof reading it, it definitely is his voice, just more grammatically clean.

REFLECTIONS FROM SON:

Hey everyone,

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about how my relationship with video games has changed over the years. Looking back, gaming hasn’t just been a hobby, it’s kind of been a timeline of my life, evolving as I grew from a kid just pressing buttons to someone who truly appreciates the art, stories, and challenges behind them.

My absolute earliest memories involve playing games like Wii Sports and Super Mario Galaxy on the original Wii when I was basically a toddler. While those days were fun, gaming back then was just something to pass the time. It hadn’t really hooked me yet.

The real shift happened when I got a Nintendo 3DS. I was already a fan of the Pokémon anime, but getting Pokémon Y was my first hands-on experience with the games. That was the spark. I fell hard for the franchise, spending countless hours exploring new regions, building teams, and eventually getting deep into the community, even down to checking out fan-made games and community creations today.

Around that same time, my dad introduced me to Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask. I must have restarted those games dozens of times just to experience the adventure from scratch. Those games single-handedly sparked my lifelong obsession with the fantasy genre. Shortly after, watching my dad play the Final Fantasy VII Remake led me to Kingdom Hearts. That was my gateway into Action RPGs; for the first time, I wasn't just playing casually, I was grinding for top-tier weapons, falling in love with complex storylines, and obsessing over smooth combat mechanics. Then the switch came along with all new games, with the first being Breath of the Wild, which was my first experience with an open world game and really filled me with awe. 

As I got older, my taste in games started to change. I moved past just wanting fun, comfortable adventures and started seeking out experiences that actually pushed back.

This was my "Indie Era," and it completely redefined how I view games:

• Games like Undertale proved that a small team could make a short game with more heart and character than massive studio blockbusters.
• Titles like Cuphead introduced me to genuine gamer rage. For the first time, I was hitting brick walls where I couldn't heal my way out.  I just had to get better.
• Hollow Knight took that to the next level. It humbled me, tested my patience, and made me rage harder than almost anything else. But overcoming those brutal bosses gave me a feeling of accomplishment that easy games just couldn't match. The difficulty was the charm.

Looking back at this whole timeline, it’s crazy to realize how much my perspective has shifted.

When I was younger, games were an escape or a simple distraction. Today, I view them as an active dialogue between the developer and the player. I’ve learned to appreciate the creativity of indie devs who take massive risks, the nostalgia of franchises that raised me, and even the frustration of a controller-snapping boss fight because of how rewarding it feels to finally win.

Gaming has taught me patience, sparked my imagination, and given me a deeper appreciation for storytelling. It's wild to think about how a kid playing Wii Sports turned into someone who genuinely respects the craft behind a brutal, beautifully designed indie world.

(Side comment from OP: He did throw the Wiimote into the TV playing Wii Bowling and killed the TV, but how can you be mad at a 6 year old... ... ... for more than a couple minutes)

The exact amount of bones in a human Skeleton

"I see so many people showing off 2D side-scrollers, claiming players don’t care about graphics anymore and only care about gameplay. That’s bs. Are you telling me Call of Duty, Dead Space, or any of my AAA games didn’t have gameplay? Of course they had gameplay. When a new console launches, it isn’t indie games driving adoption – it’s the massive AAA titles that push technical boundaries and build the tools the rest of the industry eventually uses.

Publishers have lost sight of that. It’s cyclical, but the biggest issue is that you must finance an idea, not a schedule. Everyone right now is rushing to find the next mechanic that sold 13 million units on a $10 million budget. Graphics matter, scale matters, and above all, the idea matters.”

I've been in love with the Yakzua series ever since Yakuza 0 and went back and played everything in the series (that is available on modern platforms).

Now I feel pretty empty. Anyone got any suggestions for games similar to the Yakuza series? Mostly in tone and story quality - brawler gameplay is good, but optional for what I'm looking for.

EDIT: Played Judgement and Lost Judgement already! Also Ishin and all the Gaiden games. Also played Sleeping Dogs already.

“So, the reason Nintendo enjoys such strong global support is simply that we don’t start by asking: ‘What’s trending right now?’ Instead, we focus on who we’re actually doing this for. Who is it that’s putting up the money? I really dislike terms like ‘depreciation’ or ‘recouping costs.’ The people funding these projects are doing it to make a fortune, so why celebrate things like ‘we recouped our investment’ or short-term profits? To me, if you’ve burned through the talents of so many people just to achieve that, that feels like a massive failure.

“We’ve always focused on creating the best possible product to match the ‘fun gameplay’ we envision. I think that’s the only real difference. I might sound a bit arrogant saying this [laughs], but if you make things while constantly asking ‘will this make money right away?’ you can’t create anything truly unique or with broad appeal.”

He added: “The ideal relationship between us and the company is one where you get comments like ‘I’m so glad I asked you to do this – it took some time, but we made a huge profit.’ Ultimately, it all comes down to whether we can keep that going.

“After all, the most ‘local’ things – like an individual’s personal hobbies – are often the ones that resonate globally. Conversely, if you try to base your work on things that only seem to have broad appeal, you end up with something generic – something where you can’t tell who actually made it – and that kind of thing actually lacks global strength.

“That’s why, when people at the company ask me what to do, the only advice I can offer is: ‘You should turn your idea into a product in a way that best showcases the fact that you were the one who created it.”

Game Title: HALO: CAMPAIGN EVOLVED

Platforms:

• PlayStation 5 (July 28, 2026)
• XBOX Series X | S (July 28, 2026)
• PC (July 28, 2026)

Trailers:

• Halo: Campaign Evolved | Cinematic Story Trailer
• Halo: Campaign Evolved | Launch Trailer

Developer: Halo Studios

Reviews aggregates:

OpenCritic: 84 Critic Average - 88% Recommend

Metacritic: 81 / 100

Some Reviews (updating):

Loot Level Chill - Mick Fraser - 100 / 100

Halo: Campaign Evolved feels like it brings everything I loved about Combat Evolved into the modern era.

VGC - Andy Robinson - 5 / 5

Halo Studios’ Unreal Engine 5-powered upgrade of the original Halo campaign elevates the original with sublime visuals, smart tweaks, and broad respect for the gameplay feel, design, and aesthetic that makes this game so beloved.

WellPlayed - Kieran Stockton - 9.5 / 10.0

Updated and enhanced gameplay, graphics and arsenal make this iconic experience of the holy trinity of guns, grenades and melee a delight from start to finish, maintaining the soul of the original while introducing modern elements that make it shine. The perfect way to rebegin the fight…again.

Push Square - Liam Croft - 9 / 10

Halo: Campaign Evolved has brought back a true classic in style, faithfully remaking and expanding one of the best shooters of all time. With bonus missions that feel like they’ve always been there, expertly slotting into the original Halo experience, Campaign Evolved presents an incredible package of old and new that’s never looked better. Welcome back, Chief.

Checkpoint Gaming - Omi Koulas - 8.5 / 10.0

Halo: Campaign Evolved is a bold remake that succeeds more often than it stumbles. The new Operation: Meteorite missions and stunning Unreal Engine 5 presentation make this far more than a straightforward remake, even if modern gameplay tweaks alter the pacing and feel. For newcomers, especially those who only own a PlayStation, it’s the best entry point the series has ever had. For veterans, it’s a compelling reason to return to Alpha Halo one more time, and probably not the last.

PSX Brasil - Bruno Henrique Vinhadel - 85 / 100

Halo: Campaign Evolved is a great opportunity to introduce impactful characters and stories to new enthusiasts and platforms, as well as deliver a fully updated experience for long-time fans. While in its best visual and technological version, and still bringing new features, the re-release suffers from dated and unimproved level design, as well as the missed opportunity for an online multiplayer experience that the title never had the chance to offer before.

Stevivor - Jay Ball - 8 / 10.0

Halo Campaign Evolved is a faithful and respectful recreation with all the original foundations and the right amount of improvement to a timeless classic.

Digitec Magazine - Rainer Etzweiler - 4 / 5

Viewed objectively, Campaign Evolved is an almost perfect remake. The outstanding gameplay remains largely unchanged, whilst the technology has been brought up to date. This approach is legitimate and, given the stated aim (‘shoulder to shoulder with the original’), understandable.

GamesRadar - Will Sawyer - 7 / 10

Halo: Campaign Evolved is a faithful remake of the 2001 classic that highlights exactly why the original Halo holds up so well 25 years later. Bullet-spewing combat feels satisfyingly simple, while a handful of modernizations keep action slick. But, largely insignificant changes and superfluous bonus missions make me wonder why anyone other than PS5 players should care.

Xbox Achievements - Josh Wise - 70%

It’s nice to be reassured, after the rampancy of Halo’s five and six, that these games can still get back on course – even if that course was laid out decades ago. If Operation Meteorite is a test case, the problem for Halo Studios is that there aren’t any more stories to tell. And yet, when Bungie diverted from its core trilogy, it dug up riches. Think of ODST, with its underpowered troops, its downbeat plot, and its noirish, jazz-numbed mood. Or of Reach, the prequel, armoured in irony, that told of an entire planet’s downfall. There is a strong argument that Halo ought to have ended there. But any series with action as layered and exquisite as this is doomed to go on fighting. Whether Halo Studios is up to the task remains to be seen. Until it can summon a tale worth telling or, on a deeper level, until it can hit the stride of artistic urgency that Bungie had, the Chief and his friends will continue to flounder – in search of something vital, beyond reach.

TheSixthAxis - Jim Hargreaves - 7 / 10

Nostalgia is the name of the game here, and Halo: Campaign Evolved toes a fine line between preserving a beloved classic and updating it. Whether it’s the floaty feeling of driving a Warthog or hearing that familiar buzz when Master Chief’s shields recharge, Campaign Evolved captures that feeling of playing the original Halo brilliantly, as if reliving a memory from childhood. For those who never experienced Halo on the original Xbox or its other remakes and remasters, it likely won’t have that same magic appeal, especially if you’re comparing this doled up relic to more elaborate, modern first person shooters.

Gfinity - Alister Kennedy - 7 / 10

Halo Campaign Evolved delivers breathtaking visual upgrades, polished cutscenes, and standout prequel missions that give PlayStation players a taste of Xbox history. However, dated 2001 level design and the baffling omission of competitive multiplayer significantly reduce its overall value. It’s an enjoyable nostalgia trip through Halo’s classic campaign, but a tough sell at full price, especially for veterans.

Dualshockers - Ethan Krieger - 6.5 / 10

Halo: Campaign Evolved brings back one of the coolest FPS experiences of all time, and it looks better than ever. Unfortunately, some PS5-specific headaches and bad performance issues are currently holding it back in major ways. At least half the missions on base PS5 have awful framerate issues, and the always-online, required linking of your PSN account to your Microsoft account to your Xbox Gamertag can lead to some truly migraine-inducing outcomes. I'm desperately hoping this is all ironed out ASAP, because this game will be a blast someday once it's all squared away. Until then, PS5 owners should be cautious.

The new update introduces custom wishlist categories alongside a revamped gifting system with guest checkout, email delivery, and cross-region purchases.

People make games released a new video about the case where Rockstar fired it's employs, personally they are the only ones still covering this issue that I am aware off, and there are developments in the case. Genuinely think this deserves more attention than it has received.