Backwards Compatibility is a Feature Customers Want, Expect
Published June 06, 2006
Editor's Note: This is a Point/Counter Point discussion between Matt Paprocki and Ken Edwards on the backwards compatibility of games on the Xbox 360. Please let us know what you think of this issue in your comments below. Check back soon to read more on this topic. If you have not already, please read the previous articles in this discussion.
Microsoft will provide what their customers want. They will bend over backwards, especially in Japan, to get an Xbox 360 (and a nice Samsung HDTV) into your living room. Granted, they are working against an unknown (the PlayStation 3) but until Sony drops to Number 2 in the market, Microsoft will always need to match, and exceed Sony any way possible.
If Microsoft's customers did not want, or care, about backwards compatibility, we would not be having this discussion. But they (we) do care about it. In the book The Xbox 360 Uncloaked, backwards compatibility is not just mentioned in one small part, but throughout the entire book.
It is a topic that Microsoft does not take lightly because this is what the customers want and expect. Since the launch of the PS2, we have come to expect backwards compatibility, for better or worse. I leave that for you to decide.
With a report of the PS3 including the PS2 hardware for backwards compatibility, and the Nintendo Wii using the same family of processors as the GameCube, Microsoft needs to have feature parity with its competition, and when possible, exceed it.
I am not at all concerned with die-hard gamers. I don't think Microsoft, Nintendo, or Sony are either.
My point revolves around the "casual gamer." People not like Matt and myself, who do not game everyday, buy or rent games every week, and follow the industry almost by the minute. Casual gamers are the "it" demographic that everyone is targeting right now. This is because it is the demographic that will grow the gaming industry.
Die-hard gamers will buy Outrun 2006, King of Fighters NeoWave, Panzer Dragoon, etc., to play on their Xbox. They will not be getting rid of that system. They will not store it in the closet to make room for The Next Big Thing. In fact, most die-hard gamers wouldn't dream of playing their games on a console other than the one the game was designed for — to a point, that is sacrilegious.
But Xbox 360 owners are notall die-hard gamers. Sure, a large percentage of the early adopters are from the die-hard crowd, but that is the way it works. Far more "casual gamers" will purchase the system over time, and will want the convenience of backwards compatibility.
Running the previous generation software is really a happy medium. It is good for both camps. And this does not just apply to consoles, or computers for that matter. It applies to many things. Why is the HD-DVD format backwards compatible with the DVD-9 format? That, my friend, is convenience (among other things, but lets not stray too far here).
Ken Edwards is the Gaming Editor at Blogcritics, and calls Breaking Windows home. Ken works part time for Student Publications at BGSU as the Webmaster and System Administrator. He is also a freelance web developer.
- Backwards Compatibility is a Feature Customers Want, Expect
- Published: June 06, 2006
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Gaming
- Filed Under: Gaming: Xbox
- Writer: Ken Edwards
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Comments on this articleComments
that's bullshit i want xbox games to run on the 360 not some but all.how many people got rid of their xboxes because we were told every game would be compatible with the 360.i'm done trying to make xtra room for that big ass xbox just to play games that were promised to play on my 400 dollar system..no excuses just get it done
"that's bullshit i want xbox games to run on the 360 not some but all."
That would be nice and ideal, but it may not happen, unfortunately.
"how many people got rid of their xboxes because we were told every game would be compatible with the 360."
I don't know how many people got rid of their Xbox's, esspecially if they did so because of the specific impression that the old games would work on the new system, but if they did, then they were foolish in doing so.
While this current decision by microsoft to not continue to make the backwards compatibility updates does contradict their previous statements, they never did say that every old Xbox game would absolutely, positively be playable on the Xbox 360 eventually with no if, ands, or buts.
They said that there goal was to ultimately TRY and make as many of them compatible as possible, with the optimal goal being making them all compatible if possible (at least that's what it said in anything that I've read on the matter). They specifically said that the emulation process can be complicated, and they recognized the possibility that some games may be harder to make compatible then others. Plus, they likely do not want to create an emulation update that when put onto the hard drive would possibly interfere with any of the 360's main functions (including playing the newer 360 games).
So, logically, no one should have gotten rid of their Xbox until the updates were done and complete. If they got rid of it prematurely, then that was a case of bad judgement on their part.
However, I believe that this would only effect a handful of people anyway. As stated by Microsoft, there hasn't been enough interest in the backwards compatibility to warrant spending the cash on contnuing to make the updates.
"i'm done trying to make xtra room for that big ass xbox just to play games that were promised to play on my 400 dollar system..no excuses just get it done"
Well, again, it would be ideal for the compatibility to continue, and having 2 large systems set up is not exactly optimal, but there are reasons and excuses for what is happening. If you just choose not to see them, understand them, and realize them, then you're just forcing yourself to be blind to the reality of the situation.
For the recoard, I would PREFER for the compatibility updates to continue. I would prefer to see every Xbox game work on 360 (provided that the updates do not conflict with any of the system's other functions for any reason), but I can also accept the reality of the situation. I'm not thrilled about it either, but I can accept it.
I have downloaded to compatibility updates that have occured so far, so I've done my part in supporting them to try and keep them going. But, obviously not enough people have done this accross the board to make it work the trouble of continuing to do so.
If you really want to see backwards compatibility for this system continue, then I would suggest getting the word out there to as many 360 owners as possible in any way that you can to tell them to download the updates if they haven't done so yet. If enough people do so, then it could make Microsoft change their minds on this matter. But if not enough people are interested, then it doesn't make much sense for Microsoft to spend a ton of money on a feature that only a handful of people are interested in. They'd be better off making other features that a larger part of the overall audience would enjoy.
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Here's the thing I don't get. If so many people care about backwards compatibility, then why aren't they utilizing it?
Peter Moore pretty much said the reason that they won't continue with the downloadable updates is because not enough people are using them. They likely can track how many times the updates are downloaded. And if not enough people are downloading them, the it just brings up cost issues.
I am somewhat on the fence about this myself. On the one hand, I can understand why they would stop making the updates. On the other hand, I have downloaded the updates that have been available so far and would be interested in having more. However, if I have to settle for playing my old games on the old Xbox, I can live with it.
It does stink for those who do want the updates. But clearly, if not enough people are using this feature (which can be tracked in this case), then it must not be THAT important to many of them.