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Still using a PS2, Gamecube & Wii here.
Quite fancy a PS3 in the new year when the prices really come down, but is their any real point?
Does Gran Tourismo 6 have better gameplay than Gran Tourismo 4 for example, or is it purely enhanced graphics?
Did gameplay actually move on much with the PS3?
Worth buying one just to play some of the standout games?
If so, what?
And is the latest PS3 backwards compatable with my PS2 games?
Been out of the gaming loop for a while, so honest advice appreciated.
If actaul gameplay hasn't moved on that much, I'll not bother.
Depends...gameplaywise, it's hard to beat Elite on a 48k Spectrum, Batman the Movie on an Amiga or Grand Theft San Andreas on the good old PS2.
But you can't blame the lack of vision of game producers on the hardware...there's lots of decent new stuff around, FarCry 3 is pretty darned good, as is Portal 2, Sins of a Solar Empire and Civilisation 5.
All of which are far nicer to play with a system running an Nvidia 660.
Pretty much everything you've asked is entirely subjective, but I made the leap from PS2 to PS3 when they first came out and it's a much better machine. The BluRay/media centre thing is almost worth the price by itself, especially given they'll be getting a lot cheaper soon, and the games are noticeably more pleasing on the eye than earlier consoles.
And is the latest PS3 backwards compatable with my PS2 games?
The current ones aren't, but the first batch of "fat" PS3s were. There'll be quite a few coming available on eBay in the near future I'd say, and I wouldn't worry about age-related failures as I've had mine since day #3 and it's still going strong.
Sometimes the gameplay is better. GTAV for example, the world is huge and in credibly detailed, in a way that was not possible on PS2. Better processing means better 3D worlds not just in appearance but in the way they function. And things like AI and physics models are much better. In GTAV you can play golf, tennis, watch hours of tv, all sorts of random stuff that is just in there because it can be. Plus each version of a successful title is bigger and better funded.
Not to mention 8-10 years of development in gaming generally. The whole medium has matured a lot since PS2 days. You used to just run around and shoot stuff, now many games are stories, with characters and plots. This is brilliant Imo. Well, in some games it is. Infamous was a decent game to play but the plot and acting really was risible.
At the other end of the spectrum are simple fun games, that you can download for a few quid. The low cost of distribution over the internet means that small studios or even individuals can take a gamble on some concept game, which allows all sorts of creativity. Journey is a good example. And The Cave is a sort of platform puzzler straight from early 90s 16-bit days but superbly done. You wouldn't spend £30 on those which means it's not worth the investment to produce, distribute and market them traditionally.
Since you mentioned Gran Turismo, watch the GT6 trailer and look carefully at the physics of the cars.. Stunning.
Then there's online gaming too, that's improved a lot.