Just a little while ago, Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) announced a new price point for their machine, which dropped the PS3's price by $100, including the 80GB SKU. Along with the announcement, as Gamingbits reports, came the 80GB and 60GB PS3's system specs, but in addition to those came a footer on the PS2 backwards compatibility on the PS3:

First of all, let's make something clear here; by slashing 100 bucks off both SKU's price tags, Sony has brought the 60GB PS3 to a more affordable $499, while the 80GB model will retail for $599 - the same as the 60GB SKU, right before the price reduction announcement.

"Backwards Compatibility-- Some PlayStation 2 or PlayStation format software titles may perform differently on this system than they do on PlayStation 2 or PlayStation systems, or may not perform properly on this system," the footer reads, just as I've found via the mentioned site. Of course, this doesn't answer any possible questions related to the PS3's Emotion Engine and Graphics Synthesizer hardware. Have they been removed? Luckily, a SCEA representative has answered that question, as Gamingbits contacted SCEA for clarification:

"The current 60 GB model utilizes a hardware and solution for backwards compatibility, namely the Emotion Engine chip. The new 80 GB PS3 will use a software solution for backwards compatibility, similar to that currently found in the PAL model," said Kimberly Otzman, SCEA Corporate Communications Representative.

So yes, the Emotion Engine is gone, but hey, if they say they have a "software solution" for the backwards compatibility, I can't imagine the newer solution not being better than the old one. Rest assured, an official US Playstation 2 Backwards Compatibility list will be soon specified too, as the mentioned gaming site hints, but until then, check out other articles on this year's E3, within our Games section, as every developer, publisher and peripheral-maker is bringing tons of products to the scene, this time around.