Atariboy

There's so many great games on earlier systems that I'll never even get to see the start up screens on before I kick the bucket that I'm not too terribly concerned. If they all but kill current generation gaming and force me to just buy games as I play them, I'll survive I suppose. It just leaves more time and money to put towards classic gaming, which isn't a bad trade off.

Although I doubt I'll ever stop playing current generation games completely. I might threaten to, but I don't see ever drawing back completely from modern gaming. I'll likely just switch to buying and playing through 2-3 games a year rather than building up a library as I go with the expectation of playing through it in the coming years like I have been doing.

I even see many independents and small studios and such hating on the used game market. They're in for a shock if I'm any indication. If I'm buying just what I have time to play, I'm sticking with known quantites like Zelda games. Gone will be the days where I do something like pick up Red Faction for $10 used on the PS2 thinking I'm not out much if I don't like it, and subsequently going out and buying rereleases for the newer games and eventually buying them as they come out.

Take away my options and freedom is going to just force me to play it safe with what few purchases I do make. Gone will be things like blind buys and such.

Disappointing, but not too big of a deal.

For starters, much of the PSP's library isn't even available on PSN. So that ensures a large swath of the library was going to be unavailable even for consideration for inclusion on this discount program.

Secondly, the publisher had to actually sign up to participate in this program. That takes care of most of the library that is available on PSN.

Third, the few publishers that did enroll decided on the discount. It's my understanding that beyond Sony, the discounts the Japanese got were rather marginal at best with the 3rd party publishers charging prices not far from the standard download MSRP.

Lastly, it seems plausable to assume that many of those that have an interest in PSP downloads on the Vita already had taken an interest in them on the PSP. Thanks to the Go (Which had PS3 controller support, an attractive selling point if you wanted to use tv/out), I know I already own much of what I'd be interested in when it comes to downloadable PSP software.

Beyond wanting a downloadable version of Activision Hits: Remixed (The Vita's controls look like they will suit this compilation better than any PSP did and I had no urge to play this on the Go when I could just fire up the PS2 version to play on my tv), I can't think of a UMD game in my collection that I haven't either already bought the downloadable version of or would be interested in upgrading to the downloadable version.

The program was going to be of such limited utility (Only a very small percentage of the library would've been available, the discounts were mostly minor, and how many people would've taken advantage of this for more than a game or two?) that its loss barely even registers.

akator, on Wed Feb 8, 2012 1:22 PM, said:

They never announced anything for the Go and no territory got a transfer program. All they said was that they were considering a way for UMD owners to get their game on the Go. It never went beyond that.

BillyHW, on Fri Feb 3, 2012 3:19 PM, said:

Saving on the license fee to the DVD Forum and the Blu-Ray Disc Association to enable video playback is precisely why they did it.

Oblivion had a similar issue with Shadowmare. Haven't seen him in dozens of hours despite supposedly respawning at the nearest stable when you fast travel.

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

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.