7 replies to this topic

[godslabrat]

Since there rumors (sketchy ones, but still) that the next MS console will be locked out of playing used games, do you think MS would bother to make it backwards compatible with the 360? The last few generations have shown BC to be a big factor in the first year or so of sales, it'd be odd for them to buck that trend. Also, with so many 360 systems considered unreliable, MS would be wise to give gamers a way to extend their collections into the next gen of hardware. However:

*MS did a really sucky job of making the 360 BC.
*Most 360 games would be "used"
*MS probably sees the sales of last gen titles as just as "bad" as used games, or even pirated games.

*

[Rex Dart]

I never expected the upcoming MS console to be backwards-compatible with any previous hardware's games, except maaaaaaaybe XBLA purchases/games. And probably not even those. I don't think the used games hubbub, if it winds up being true, would affect BC anyways.

[Metal Ghost]

I think that BC gets a lot of lip service, for sure. However I have never seen any verifiable source that they are a big factgor in 1st year sales.

Not saying that they aren't, I just wonder if it's overplayed a bit by some gamers.

Regardless, there's a better chance of full BC happening this go around than last, since now Microsoft owns the chip designs. For the original Xbox the parts were all off the shelf (which is also why they couldn't benefit nearly as much by cost reductions over time). So unless they were willing to continue to pay Nvidia, for example, royaltites into the entire 360 generation, the only recourse they had was through emulation. Using that avenue, they did the best they could.

[godslabrat]

Metal Ghost, on Wed Feb 1, 2012 3:31 PM, said:

I think that BC gets a lot of lip service, for sure. However I have never seen any verifiable source that they are a big factgor in 1st year sales.

Not saying that they aren't, I just wonder if it's overplayed a bit by some gamers.

I don't think it's as big of a deal to the "hardcore" crowd, but in my experience it's been at least a passing interest in the casual crowd. For people who don't like a lot of "stuff" on their TV, it's nice to consolidate boxes... and for people who feel "obsolete" when something new comes out, it gives them warm-and-fuzzies that their money spent doesn't go to waste. For those people, a lack of backwards compatibility is a check in the negative column. And, I'd say among the more hardcore crowd, not making the system BC can be seen as a lack of effort on the part of the manufacturer, kind of a "What, you couldn't be bothered?" feeling.

It's actually been so long since we've had a traditional console that WASN'T supposed to be BC that it's hard to see any hard data that could be used to make a comparison.

[Lord Helmet]

I don't really care about BC. It would be nice to have just so I could dump the old console...but won't keep me from buying a the new Xbox.

Now not playing used games...that might.

[HuckleCat]

godslabrat, on Wed Feb 1, 2012 2:13 PM, said:

Since there rumors (sketchy ones, but still) that the next MS console will be locked out of playing used games, do you think MS would bother to make it backwards compatible with the 360?

It depends on how they make the hardware.

Now, from what I understood, the original Xbox had enough differences with the 360 that the games are basically running under some kind of emulation. With the PS2 and 3, they supposedly have chips from the older system to allow the BC to work. (Not sure if that's true)

If MS decides to make the next Xbox just like a 360 with the only differences being a more powerful GPU, CPU, and more memory, then BC would probably be an easy task. Especially if the new GPU is made by the same company. Sort of like running older PC games on a newer rig.

[Atariboy]

Rex Dart, on Wed Feb 1, 2012 2:27 PM, said:

I never expected the upcoming MS console to be backwards-compatible with any previous hardware's games, except maaaaaaaybe XBLA purchases/games. And probably not even those. I don't think the used games hubbub, if it winds up being true, would affect BC anyways.

If it can play XBLA games, why wouldn't it also play retail games?

I imagine the question on if this will play 360 games rests on the architecture of the system. Weren't the biggest roadblocks to Xbox BC due to the switch by MS to different vendors for major components and because they didn't own the designs for things like the nVidia graphics chip?

I believe neither is the case today. Rumors point towards the same major companies like ATI being involved with the Xbox 720 and I believe MS controls the hardware used in their system rather than the outside vendors like was the case on the PCesque Xbox. Hopefully that means this thing will be able to easily play existing 360 code with relative ease, and if not, they will hopefully be better prepared to fully emulate it unlike the mess that transpired on the 360.

I have little doubt it's wishful thinking, but I'd love to see them improve their emulation for the original Xbox 1. The system shouldn't need all the shortcuts taken to run a Xbox 1 game like the 360 did, presumably making the job much easier than it was the last time around and allowing a single program to run 99% of the software rather than customized versions of the software that were almost game specific. And it would allow them to take a second crack at selling digital Xbox 1 classics, especially at a time when people might start becoming nostalgic towards it in the next few years. I bet they could even figure out how to restore Xbox Live functionality fairly easily for original Xbox games when played on the 720. Roll out $5 Xbox downloads and start rolling out $10 downloads of early 360 games like Call of Duty 2 and you have an instant Virtual Console and the opportunity to make money off games that were paid for years earlier that are just sitting idle.

Anyways, ignoring my daydreaming about MS giving the original Xbox some attention on the 720, 360 backwards compatibility is going to be very important to me. I've bought dozens of downloads and have dozens more that I want to buy. I see 360 compatibility as being a way to ensure these downloads remain available for an extended period of time. Instead of them potentially being unavailable to redownload a few years after the 360 has kicked the bucket when they pull the plug, 360 compatibility should ensure that they remain available (At least on the 720) until they drop Xbox Live support for the Xbox 720.

Anything that extends the shelf life of my downloads is a good thing to me.

Edited by Atariboy, Fri Feb 3, 2012 4:49 AM.

[HatefulGravey]

I would like to say that when they stop the ability to buy used games I would stop buying games all together, but that isn't true. I know I'll get the next xbox at this point. I'll surely buy a lot less, but I'll still buy. What I'm not looking forward to is trying to get the next console. I'm sick of there being about a 5th of the consoles that should be around at launch on the shelf. It can take months to get one, and that is crap.

As far as BC goes, it better be. I wont buy one for almost a year if that isn't part of the package. This happened with the 360 for me as well. I need a few games to make it worth buying, I'm sure it will take a year to get those games out for the new system before I really care enough to bite on it. I can just play what I have and wait for good stuff to buy the new stuff.