Sony's counter-attack.

[Nerf]

A couple of months ago I pitched an idea to NBT that I was going to watch ECW from the earliest starting point and do a write-up of what I watch for EWB. Next thing I know, everybody and their mother is doing it, so I look like a trendwhore now.

There were some bits of 1992 available on YouTube, but I decided to pick up from the first episode of what will become Hardcore TV and go from there. The next supercard is Summer Sizzler in a couple of months. I have seen a lot of this before, so I will try to cover the gimmicks and traits of each character the best I can, but at this point there wasn't a lot worth mentioning. Most of the roster is comprised of former Tri-State Wrestling Alliance guys that will still be here for years to come, though mostly jobbing to the homegrown stars on house shows.

Eastern Championship Wrestling TV

April 6th 1993 - Philadelphia, PA

I decided to watch this first to get the feel of the show, and then watch it again while I write my thoughts. Rookie mistake. I had to watch this twice and you lucky fucks get to not watch it at all!

Opening Credits. Fear the Word Art!

Jay Sulli and Stevie Wonderful welcome us to the inaugural edition of ECW on Sports Channel. ECW President Tod Gordon comes out armed with the ECW Television title; the tournament to crown the first champion will start tonight. Gordon announces that he's adding a third man to the commentary booth and Eddie Gilbert comes out. The Prez says that Gilbert isn't the third man and plays a clip of Terry Funk trying to beat up Sam on an episode of Quantum Leap. Funk, who threatens to kick Hotstuff's butt, is the third man! He cuts a promo putting over ECW and the fans but it isn't very good.

ECW Tag Team Titles: The Hell Riders vs. The Super Destroyers © (with Hunter Q. Robbins III)

Super Destroyer I and II are your unstoppable monster heel tag champs, complete with black masks and the theme from "Halloween." EZ Ryder is the future Chubby Dudley and HD Ryder is... well, he's here. Hell Riders jump Super Destroyers to start the match, but it doesn't last long. The commentators literally spend the entire match arguing over which Super Destroyer is in the ring. It doesn't help that they tag out every couple of seconds. Basically a squash with the Super Destroyers getting the win after a standing senton splash. It isn't as impressive as it sounds. Terry Funk leaves to get an interview with "Hunter Q. Robbins the Turd." He flips out and demands respect while his clients just leave. Funk repeats the insult just in case you didn't get it the first time.

Hype video for the reigning ECW Heavyweight Champion and noted surfer dude The Sandman.

ECW TV Title Tournament: "Wildman" Salvatore Bellomo (with The Cosmic Commander) vs. "Ironman" Tommy Cairo

I'm not entirely sure what the Cosmic Commander's gimmick is. He looks like a Mighty Boosh character. I think Sal Bellomo becomes a member of the Full Blooded Italians at one point, but he's actually billed as Italian so it doesn't work. Tommy Cairo is currently undefeated and Terry Funk wants to interview him too. He cuts a generic white-meat babyface promo. The match starts.

"I tell ya one thing, I wouldn't want to wake up in the morning and roll over and see Salvatore Bellomo in bed with me" - Terry Funk

The Cosmic Commander distracts the referee and Johnny Hotbody hits the ring. Nobody knows why because he has no beef or allegiance with either man. He climbs the turnbuckle whilst Big Sal holds Cairo up, only to miss a diving fist and knock Bellomo to the outside instead. Tommy Cairo wins by count-out and Johnny Hotbody attacks him after the match. He misses a diving elbow and then bails. Johnny Hotbody is not very good at this.

"Hitman" Tony Stetson vs. Rockin' Rebel

Hat Guy is in the arena and in pretty much the exact same seat as always. Guy is patient, if nothing else. This is probably the match of the night, but don't be fooled, it is 90% rest-holds. Rockin' Rebel is not a fat hick at this point. He is just a cocky guy with a mullet. In fact, Tony Stetson also has a mullet. And I bet they are not the only ones. Rebel is also the number one contender for The Sandman's title and Jay Sulli is going to try and interview him after the match because fuck you, Terry Funk, that's why. Rockin' Rebel rolls Stetson up and uses the ropes for leverage to pick up the win. After the match, he shouts a lot and is going to take Sandman's belt and end his career.

ECW TV Title Tournament: Larry Winters vs. "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka

Larry Winters also has a mullet! Before the match, Snuka cuts a promo. I'm not sure what he actually says and I'm not sure he does either. He has signed some kind of contract though and introduces Eddie Gilbert. Snuka is the first member of Hotstuff International, so there's the foundations of our first heel stable. Larry Winters barely gets a move in, but Eddie Gilbert still feels it necessary to choke and trip him from ringside. Larry Winters is not Rowdy Roddy Piper or Beth Phoenix so he does not kick out of the Superfly Splash.

When we return, Ernesto Benefico is warming up in the ring. Terry Funk makes excuses for the show being really awful, and actually asks the viewers to be patient because they are new. Sal Bellomo and the Cosmic Commander come out for the second time and we have our first (of many) impromptu matches!

Ernesto Benefico vs. "Wildman" Salvatore Bellomo (with The Cosmic Commander)

Sal literally kills him in about 15 seconds. Apparently Funk and Sulli were trying to finish up the show and Sal ruined it for them... so why was Ernesto even in the ring?

Terry Funk and Tod Gordon finally close the show without interruption. They hype up next week's show but they aren't even sure whether next week is the Semi-Finals or the second half of the Quarter-Finals. Regardless, The Sandman and, more importantly, Terry Funk are here next week! We close with another clip of The Funkster's Hollywood excursions and it is better than the rest of the show. Overrall, it hasn't been great, but we all know it gets better, so let's grin and bear it for now. Funk is, obviously, the saving grace of the show, though for all the wrong reasons. I expected to write more than I did, but I covered pretty much everything that was worth writing about. All the matches were short and sloppy brawls, so I will cover them in more detail once we actually see some wrestling.

[ROC]

I wouldn't say this is a counter-attack. I mean, they are still pretty fucked by the fact that people aren't gonna spend $400 more just to wait a year for any awesome games to come out and only being able to play PS2 games, when a) PS2 is cheaper and has a better lineup and b) the XBox 360 has built a decent lineup of titles on it and costs $200 less.

[The LBTN Express]

Does anyone really care about backwards compatibility? I never used it on the PS2 and I've never used it on my 360. If I wanted to play the older game I'd keep my older console just like I've still got my Xbox and my PS2 and will be keeping it once the PS3 comes out.

[GoGo Yubari]

Does anyone really care about backwards compatibility?

*Raises hand.*

This is a nice feature. Unfortunately for Sony, what their "counter-attack" really needs to be is like two hundred dollars off the price of their system. Such is life. 'til then, I'm going with the Wii.

[ROC]

Does anyone really care about backwards compatibility?

[Xero Gravity]

Obviously people care, or else they wouldn't bother doing it.

My PS1 died a long time ago, so I use my PS2 regularly to play the few old games I still have. If it didn't, I'd be pretty fucked as 80% of the games I play are PS1 games.

It's nice to see the trend's going to continue onto the PS3...at least there's some good news.

[Dingle]

With a backwards compatability feature, I'll gladly buy a PS3 (Well, depending on pricing) if there are no new games out because It'll still be playing games and besides, I need a new Playstation as it is, with mine fucking up constantly.

[destroyed]

I dont play ps1 games on my ps2 very often, but I like to get out Smackdown 2 once in a while.

[Dan]

Psh.

Poor people don't buy PS3.

[Docpepper]

They should have done it the same way they did for the ps2 . You could use the ps1 memeory card only for ps1 games and vice versa. Now though we will have to purchase a special adapter.

Sony better hope that the launch is really good. I've went from Going to buy it at launch to Waiting a few months after launch . They are trying to make the ps3 more than a gaming system and if they don't watch out it could bite them in the ass

[zero]

Backwards compatibility is a must for any console now. 360's isn't THAT bad though, no additional cost and most of the games are available. I think the only glaring omissions are Beyond Good & Evil and the last Oddworld game.

However, I certainly don't see how this is a counter-attack at all. "Thanks for buying our $600 system, now go out and pay an extra $40 so you can play old games on it." Seriously, is Sony trying to kill their video game market? I just can't get over how much they've lost their fucking minds when it comes to the PS3.

[thatshortguy]

Backwards compatibility is a must for any console now. 360's isn't THAT bad though, no additional cost and most of the games are available. I think the only glaring omissions are Beyond Good & Evil and the last Oddworld game.

However, I certainly don't see how this is a counter-attack at all. "Thanks for buying our $600 system, now go out and pay an extra $40 so you can play old games on it." Seriously, is Sony trying to kill their video game market? I just can't get over how much they've lost their fucking minds when it comes to the PS3.

To be fair, the original XBox didn't have a huge catalogue to begin with. While games like Halo, DoA, and others definately should've have (and, for a large part, have) been brought over, the catalogue paled in comparison to that of Sony. Therefore, Microsoft correctly assumed that they didn't need to overtly worry over the matter. Since it's very likely that Microsoft will add more franchise games by the end of the 360, subsequent MS systems will definately need the ability.

Sony once again tacks on accessory costs. If anything, this turns me away from the PS3 further. Why not have it built into the system's software to allow copying from memory cards to the hard drive and vice versa? For piss sake, three previous systems (XBox, Nintendo 64, and SNES) were capable of this in a similar degree (hard drive <-> memory card or battery pak <-> memory card). So what makes the PS3 need an adapter for this?

Simple. Lazy programmers and a greedy company.

Edited August 7, 2006 by The Midget

[Guest muddatrucker]

Whilst I have no intention of ever buying another games console, add me to the list of people who don't see backwards compatibility as a feature worth caring about.

[zero]

Sony once again tacks on accessory costs. If anything, this turns me away from the PS3 further. Why not have it built into the system's software to allow copying from memory cards to the hard drive and vice versa? For piss sake, three previous systems (XBox, Nintendo 64, and SNES) were capable of this in a similar degree (hard drive <-> memory card or battery pak <-> memory card). So what makes the PS3 need an adapter for this?

Exactly. I assume they realized they couldn't get away with the bullshit multi-taps again, so they came up with another way to get an extra $30-$50. This is just like when the original XBox wouldn't let you watch DVDs on it unless you bought the remote.

[The Kraig]

I might care if the PS2 actually had any games worth playing on the PS3.

For example, 360 had bc for KOTOR, KOTORII, Doom 3, Halo, Halo 2 among a ton of other (admittedly mostly crap) games. The only 360 game I have right now, that I play regularly is GRAW, so to me, it was a big deal.

I can see this being a big feature for those who absolutely love their old PS2 games. I'd miss God Of War if there wasn't a new one coming out. Same with SD vs RAW. And I've played the GTA games beyond death.

Basically, Sony should be focusing on making good games for the PS3. But it seems they've already done this, so there's no point in complaining now.

[zero]

Eh, I look at it just the opposite Kraig; the PS2 has loads of great games on it, yet I see absolutely nothing other than MGS4 to justify a PS3 purchase.

[9 to 5]

Resident Evil 5 I would add to your list Zero.

[The Kraig]

Gamecube version was better. >_>

[ROC]

Gamecube version was better. >_>

[zero]

Resident Evil 5 I would add to your list Zero.

It's coming to the 360 as well.