should I get a 1st gen PS3? for how much?

[onmode-ky]

If you are using the backup utility as a fallback for your game saves in case the PS3 dies, you should know that those backups can only be restored to the PS3 system from which they were taken. The backups cannot be restored onto another PS3; they are meant to save your butt should your PS3 experience a failure in the hard drive, not a complete system death. For transferring your data to another PS3, there is another utility (but it does a full-on data move rather than a copy, and it obviously requires both PS3s to be functional).

 

For preserving your game saves for the ability to use in another PS3, should your existing unit suffer spontaneous combustion or other such malady, you should manually copy your game saves to a USB drive. I do this periodically myself (though my copy destination is a PSP-loaded Memory Stick rather than a flash drive, and that in turn is copied to my computer's hard drive--which itself gets periodically backed up to an external hard drive). Granted, if you've never done it before, then the first time will be a pain. Subsequently, though, you only need to do it for saves that have been made/updated since the previous backup (it helps a lot that PS3 save data is always timestamped).

 

Heck, I even have backups for my PS1, PS2, PSP, GameCube, and Wii game saves. My username here is a dead giveaway that I'm serious about data integrity.

 

onmode-ky

 

Edit: The previously mentioned PS+ cloud storage is also a viable alternative to my second paragraph above, though you need to continue subscribing to maintain access to it. Notably, it is the only way that copy-protected saves can be backed up.

Edited December 20, 2012 by onmode-ky

[cimerians]

Yeah all true.

 

I have a USB stick too but since Sony now allows 1GB cloud save storage (and I'm a Plus slave) I simply enable cloud saving for ALL my games and it just uploads whenever I play the game. VERY convenient (Microsoft has that too).

 

I backed up my PS1, PS2 and Gamecube game saves as well. I also have my PSP saves backed up too.

 

I'm the same way. There's nothing like losing a 100 hour game save especially if it unlocks special features for the game. Granted you can get other peoples save files at places like Gamefaqs but it's nice having your own original.

 

Not sure how and if its possible to back up a Dreamcast MU......

[ComputerSpaceFan]

Oh okay this is very useful info, thanks guys!

So, just so I'm clear, all my Fallout 3 saves (something I'd sure hate to have to replay) I can copy them manually to a USB stick and then, if my PS3 dies or if I buy a new PS3 for the bedroom or something, I can copy those save files over on the new machine and when I put Fallout 3 back in there, it works like my original playthrough? Game saves aren't locked with DRM?