The story so far on Xbox 360 backwards compatibility

[Richter Belmount]

http://kotaku.com/gaming/gdc07/gdc07-360-bc-work-slowing-242776.php

It may have been lost in the news yesterday, but right after the Microsoft Blogger Breakfast I cornered Chris Satchell to ask him about the future of the Xbox 360's backwards compatibility.

He said that Microsoft still has a team working on it, but that they won't continue to do so forever.

"At some point we're going to focus less on it," he said. "When you get to the end of this year there will be a reduced focus on backwards compatibility. There are so many 360 games out there. I don't know if it's important anymore."

So that now leaves the Wii as the only console that seems to keep that as an important feature. Is it? Brian Crecente

[Ze_ro]

There's nothing that implies any time line, let alone anything that would lead you to believe it is happening "soon".

--Zero

[Richter Belmount]

Im not going to debate that, bad name for the topic

[Nintendo Gamer]

.....

[Technosis]

More than likely, Microsoft can't see a business case for continuing to pay the salaries of programmers to increase the list of compatible games.

[njiska]

"So that now leaves the Wii as the only console that seems to keep that as an important feature. Is it? Brian Crecente"

Yes, because apparently the PS3 doesn't exist in this world.

Europeean PS3s have software only backwards compatibility. Far less support then the US PS3.

[Griking]

I really don't have a big problem with this. I never expected EVERY original Xbox game to be compatible. I mean, is everyone going to get up in arms because they can't play their old copy of Barbie Horse Adventures on their 360?

[agbulls]

I admit to being frustrated by this. I had all three consoles last generation, and purchased the XB version often due to the superior visuals. Now, in order to eliminate clutter, I've gotten rid of my original XB. What does this mean? It means I regret having bought XB games and not buying the PS2 version. I have a PS3, and its plays everything with no problems. Long term problem? No. Short term frustration? Hell yes.

[MegaDrive20XX]

That stinks....well no 2D fighters will make it for sure now :) Thanks Microsoft, ya green case lovin' bastards...

I still wish I could play Silent Hill 2 again...or Metal Gear Solid 2....or Return to Castle Wolfenstien..oh well, I guess it's for the better.

[Neil Koch]

I really don't have a big problem with this. I never expected EVERY original Xbox game to be compatible. I mean, is everyone going to get up in arms because they can't play their old copy of Barbie Horse Adventures on their 360?

Well, actually Barbie Horse Adventures _is_ one of the compatible games, which is a bit of a noodle-scratcher.

[SaturnFan]

I really don't care.

Halo
Halo 2
San Andreas
Ninja Gaiden Black
Shenmue II

Works already and thats the only BC games I own and care about playing on the 360.

[PapaStu]

Well, actually Barbie Horse Adventures _is_ one of the compatible games, which is a bit of a noodle-scratcher.

There are lots of games that are programmed similarly and when they are working out the emulators they try out all kinds of games. Sometimes it only takes a few tweaks to make a game work when that inital emulator was designed for some totally different game.

[heybtbm]

I admit to being frustrated by this. I had all three consoles last generation, and purchased the XB version often due to the superior visuals.

I'm in the same boat. While I haven't ditched my original Xbox, easily 50% of my games are not yet backwards compatible. Since last year, I've been picking up the PS2 versions and selling my Xbox versions just so I can play them...but usually the PS2 version ends up looking and playing terrible. I still hate the analog stick placement on the PS2 controller. C'mon Microsoft...give us a B/C update with Mercenaries at least.

[Richter Belmount]

Or atleast with one good 2d fighter

[Melf]

I really don't care.

Halo
Halo 2
San Andreas
Ninja Gaiden Black
Shenmue II

Works already and thats the only BC games I own and care about playing on the 360.

Unfortunately, not everyone is you. ;)

I won't be happy until OutRun 2, Orta, Chronicles of Riddick, D&D Heroes, and a few others are compatible.

[Rob2600]

I'm in the same boat...easily 50% of my games are not yet backwards compatible.

The majority of gamers these days don't spend up to $600 on a new video game console so that they can play the same old games they've been playing for the past five years on machines they already have. They spend up to $600 so that they can play new games.

If you want to play your old games, just keep your old consoles. That way, the games are guaranteed to work.

Besides, time has not been kind to all but a handful of games. Trust me; go back and play Triple Play '98, Magic Carpet, Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions, Flintstone's Bowling, MediEvil, Mega Man Legends, Bushido Blade, Outlaw Golf, Blood Wake, or Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee. You'll wonder how you sat through most games. Even best-sellers like Final Fantasy VII or Metal Gear Solid look and feel crusty compared to some other timeless classics.

[agbulls]

The majority of gamers these days don't spend up to $600 on a new video game console so that they can play the same old games they've been playing for the past five years on machines they already have. They spend up to $600 so that they can play new games.

If you want to play your old games, just keep your old consoles. That way, the games are guaranteed to work.

Besides, time has not been kind to all but a handful of games. Trust me; go back and play Triple Play '98, Magic Carpet, Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions, Flintstone's Bowling, MediEvil, Mega Man Legends, Bushido Blade, Outlaw Golf, Blood Wake, or Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee. You'll wonder how you sat through most games. Even best-sellers like Final Fantasy VII or Metal Gear Solid look and feel crusty compared to some other timeless classics.

Do I really even need to qualify these statements with a friendly response? :frustrated: SIGH. Ok, I'll be nice--cause I've done this before. Let me remind you YOU'RE ARE ON A CLASSIC GAMING FORUM. Many us still play with our Atari 2600 and Colecovision--let alone all the games you've mentioned. Sure, some haven't aged as well as others--but that is not the discussion we're having. We're talking about XB games that came out in the last five years---with some as recent as last year. These hardly qualify as "crusty." To even say that the original Metal Gear Solid plays crustily (is that a word?) honestly tells me you might be on the wrong forum. Let me point you in the right way... http://www.gamefaqs.com. Oops, that wasn't nice. ;)

[Joker T]

I don't use 360 for Xbox games very much but I do enjoy using it for that occasionally. Halo 2 in 720p 16:9 is pretty awesome.

[Rob2600]

Many us still play with our Atari 2600 and Colecovision--let alone all the games you've mentioned. Sure, some haven't aged as well as others--but that is not the discussion we're having. We're talking about XB games that came out in the last five years---with some as recent as last year. These hardly qualify as "crusty." To even say that the original Metal Gear Solid plays crustily (is that a word?) honestly tells me you might be on the wrong forum. ;)

The reality is that we classic gamers are in the minority. Most people spend hundreds of dollars on new consoles to play new games. The top video game manufacturers know this.

I know that not all of my favorite Atari 2600, NES, SNES, etc. games will be perfectly emulated or even emulated at all. That's why I still have some of my old consoles. That way, I can play them whenever I want.

[njiska]

Well as far as Retro gamers are concerned i think you just made a key point.


Do I really even need to qualify these statements with a friendly response? :frustrated: SIGH. Ok, I'll be nice--cause I've done this before. Let me remind you YOU'RE ARE ON A CLASSIC GAMING FORUM. Many us still play with our Atari 2600 and Colecovision--let alone all the games you've mentioned.

We still play with out 2600s and Colecovisions. WITH THE ORIGINAL SYSTEM. We don't go gaga over things like Atari Anthology. I mean sure we like it, but a retro gamer strives for the ORIGINAL GAME ON THE ORIGINAL SYSTEM so that we can have the ORIGINAL EXPERIENCE.

Why do you think i own a Pong? Hell i can play that on everything down to a graphing calcuator, but the fact is as a retro game we don't just want retro games on new systems, we want the original as it was intended.

And really how many of you actually use your new system for playing older games? At least after you a ways into the next generation. I rarely use my PS2 for PSX games and while yes my Wii is subbing for my GC, i don't actually use it to play many Wii games in reality it's not really anything more then a GC.

[agbulls]

Well as far as Retro gamers are concerned i think you just made a key point.



We still play with out 2600s and Colecovisions. WITH THE ORIGINAL SYSTEM. We don't go gaga over things like Atari Anthology. I mean sure we like it, but a retro gamer strives for the ORIGINAL GAME ON THE ORIGINAL SYSTEM so that we can have the ORIGINAL EXPERIENCE.

Why do you think i own a Pong? Hell i can play that on everything down to a graphing calcuator, but the fact is as a retro game we don't just want retro games on new systems, we want the original as it was intended.

And really how many of you actually use your new system for playing older games? At least after you a ways into the next generation. I rarely use my PS2 for PSX games and while yes my Wii is subbing for my GC, i don't actually use it to play many Wii games in reality it's not really anything more then a GC.

You've JUST pointed out the EXACT reason as to why the 360 should be totally backwards compatible. You don't need your PSX, cause you have a PS2. You don't need a Gamecube, cause your Wii is taking care of it. Of course we want to play games as they're originally intended. Both the PS2 (and the PS3) can totally take over the systems before them. The Wii can do the same for the cube. Its just too damn bad the 360 can't do the same. I like to eliminate boxes if I can when the emulation isn't emulation---its THE EXACT SAME THING with the exact same controller. Oh well.

[j_factor]

I think it's silly to say that it doesn't really matter to the average gamer. Backwards-compatibility was a huge selling point for the PS2.

If the 360 had full backwards compatibility, it would be a lot more attractive to me. Hell, I'm still wondering why my Dreamcast can't play Saturn games.

[Rob2600]

Backwards-compatibility was a huge selling point for the PS2.

Yes, because Sony had turned it into a huge selling point. In reality, did most people camp out and wait in line to buy a $300 PlayStation 2 so they could get it home, hook it up, and play their old games? Of course not. They wanted to play the new, high-resolution games! Besides, once most people played the next generation of NBA Live, Madden NFL, Metal Gear Solid, Gran Turismo, etc., do you really think they'd be excited to go back to the choppy, twitchy PlayStation versions?

Remember, classic gamers are the minority now. Most gamers today are of the casual type and want new and improved technology, not the old stuff. That's why I don't get upset when a console isn't backwards-compatible and that's why I've kept some of my old consoles.

[PallarAndersVisa]

I've played maybe 2 psx games on my PS2. FF 7 and SotN.

I've played one Xbox game on my 360, Halo 2.

I think there are a lot of people out there like me who would rather play next gen games on their next gen systems. Backwards compatibility maybe be a selling point, but I imagine it is a difficult task to program all this shit into a new system at the same time trying to go FORWARD in technology with new games.

[Iron Draggon]

I really don't understand people who get pissed off because a new system has limited backwards compatibility, or no backwards compatibility at all... so you bought all those old games for the old system, and as soon as the new system came out, you sold the old system, but you kept all the old games... you are an idiot... if you weren't gonna keep the old system, you might as well have sold all the old games too... I know alot of people think that the only way they can get a new system is to sell their old system, but that's retarded... if you really want the new system that badly, you can get it and still keep the old system too... and why wouldn't you, if you're gonna keep all the old games? why would you keep all the old games if you're gonna sell the old system? it's like getting pissed that you can't play all your Genesis games on your SNES... if you want to play XBOX games, then keep your damn XBOX!

[nate1749]

interesting strategy, say they will have backwards compatibility and put a small team on it until it's not news anymore, then get rid of the team.

I think that a lot of the buyers are moms/dads and they need the assurance that the hundreds of bucks they spent on old games could be at least be played on the newer system (even if the kid is never going to do so). Plus I may rarely or maybe even never use a feature, but that doesn't mean I still don't want it. I mean I never want to go 160mph or will simultaneously use 3 power adapters and I'm definitely never folding my back seats all the way down, but for whatever reason I still want my car to be able to do all those things.

Nate

[Richter Belmount]

I really don't understand people who get pissed off because a new system has limited backwards compatibility, or no backwards compatibility at all... so you bought all those old games for the old system, and as soon as the new system came out, you sold the old system, but you kept all the old games... you are an idiot... if you weren't gonna keep the old system, you might as well have sold all the old games too... I know alot of people think that the only way they can get a new system is to sell their old system, but that's retarded... if you really want the new system that badly, you can get it and still keep the old system too... and why wouldn't you, if you're gonna keep all the old games? why would you keep all the old games if you're gonna sell the old system? it's like getting pissed that you can't play all your Genesis games on your SNES... if you want to play XBOX games, then keep your damn XBOX!

Yes thank you for the long winded rant. But the xbox community will beg to differ , after being promised full backwards compatibility as a feature of the xbox 360 , by the executives of the microsoft corporation.

[wallydawg]

Why hasn't anyone cracked the code on this yet? I know nothing about any of this or how you would even go about doing such a thing, but to me, it seems the same as cracking psp to play ps1 games.

I'm sure I'm way off on this and is making it sound way too easy.

[PallarAndersVisa]

Yes thank you for the long winded rant. But the xbox community will beg to differ , after being promised full backwards compatibility as a feature of the xbox 360 , by the executives of the microsoft corporation.

microsoft never promised full compatibility.

[Ze_ro]

I'm one of those people who never had an original Xbox, so I was looking forward to the 360 being able to play a lot of the original Xbox games. For the most part, it plays almost all of the popular ones... but there are still a good chunk of games I'd like to see them work in before hanging up the towel, such as Outrun 2, Panzer Dragoon Oorta, Jet Grind Radio Future, King of Fighters 02/03, Samurai Shodown V, and a few others.

But original Xbox's are pretty cheap these days, so even if these titles don't come along, I can always just buy another system... it's not like I don't already have 25 of them sitting around :roll:

--Zero

[Richter Belmount]

microsoft never promised full compatibility.
Well microsoft never ever promised so , if someone didnt take the time to read any of the gaming news sites.

[ubersaurus]

Well microsoft never ever promised so , if someone didnt take the time to read any of the gaming news sites.

...Huh?

[j_factor]

Yes, because Sony had turned it into a huge selling point.

No, I think backwards compatibility is naturally a big selling point, as long as the previous system was popular. I remember a lot of people lamenting the SNES's inability to play NES carts.


In reality, did most people camp out and wait in line to buy a $300 PlayStation 2 so they could get it home, hook it up, and play their old games? Of course not. They wanted to play the new, high-resolution games!

In reality, did most people camp out and wait in line to buy a $300 PS2? No. I mean, I see what you're saying, but I think backwards-compatibility played a big role in early PS2 sales. People could sell their Playstation to buy a PS2; that made it more attainable. A lot of people, while interested in the new games, didn't want to give up their old games right away. People don't necessarily like abandoning ship completely on the previous generation. That's why PS2 was the #1 console last year, and why SNES was the #1 console in the wake of the PSX/Saturn launches.


Besides, once most people played the next generation of NBA Live, Madden NFL, Metal Gear Solid, Gran Turismo, etc., do you really think they'd be excited to go back to the choppy, twitchy PlayStation versions?

Perhaps not, but few people bought that many PS2 games right off. The vast majority of people, when buying a new system, only start with one or two games for it. And usually, there aren't many worthwhile games early on anyway. Backwards compatibility made it more comfortable for people to get into PS2, because while they only had that one or two new games for it, and while they were waiting for more PS2 games to come, they could still play their PSX games. I believe that's a big part of why PS2 sold as well as it did as quick as it did, despite having few noteworthy games early on.

Also, most early PS2 games were hardly free of graphical flaws...


Remember, classic gamers are the minority now.

People who want to play games for systems that are just at the end of their lifespans are not classic gamers. Early adopters are in the minority.

[Greg2600]

My personal feeling is people make a big stink over demanding backwards compat. but then they get the new system and games, and quickly forget about the old one. However, I can see the point of moving to a new system, and then trading in the old one and games. If you're not a collector or classic gamer or pack rat (I abhore the thought!), maybe you'd like to hang on to your most fave games and still be able to play them. I may consider doing so with my Xbox in a year or two, if the 360 interests me. It's a nice option, but the console makers shouldn't be scolded for limitations. You are buying a new system, designed for new games. Now I am of the feeling that Nintendo should make every attempt at getting their VC games to work 100% correctly, since you have to pay for those.

[Kitsune Sniper]

A lot of people, while interested in the new games, didn't want to give up their old games right away. People don't necessarily like abandoning ship completely on the previous generation. That's why PS2 was the #1 console last year, and why SNES was the #1 console in the wake of the PSX/Saturn launches.

This is why, if I end up buying a Nintendo DS, I won't discard my Game Boy Advance.

I still have some Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. There's a few I'm hunting down for my own personal collection. Backwards compatibility is very important to me, and that is the main reason why I won't purchase an XBox 360, if at all. :(

[johno590]

BC was never an issue with me really. Half of the Xbox games I owned worked with the 360, but when I sold my Xbox I put most of the games with the system even if they did work with the 360 or not. I still have the Halo's and KotoR's but other than that theres nothing else I want to still play from the Xbox days.

[GM80]

I still have the Halo's and KotoR's but other than that theres nothing else I want to still play from the Xbox days.

It's amazing how quickly the Live userbase disappeared from the original Xbox once the 360 came out. About 6 months ago, I played Crimson Skies on my 360. The last time I had played it, over a year before on the original Xbox, it was one pretty active, enjoyable, and easygoing community.

That day, there weren't any matches to be found, so I hosted a game. That was at 2:00 in the afternoon on a Saturday. I was doing some stuff on my laptop so I left it running in the lobby. By 3:00, one person had popped in and chatted for a second, then logged off.

Talk about dead. Unless it's Halo, don't count on finding much value in the Xbox Live aspects of the backwards compatible titles.

[Mr. Smashy]

Backwards compatibility is a funny thing. Still, I've never been convinced to abandon an old system in favor of a new one.

Going from the Game Boy to the Game Boy Color is probably the best implementation of backwards compatibility I've yet seen. I suppose that the Neo Geo Pocket and Pocket Color are similar in that regard but SNK probably shouldn't have made the original Neo Geo Pocket in the first place. I really like the Pocket Color, though. I don't have an Atari 7800 so I'll leave that one alone.

The PlayStation and PSOne moving to the PS2 has its ups and downs. I don't think that I've seen a PSX game that had much benefit with the disc speed setting set to 'fast'. The 'smooth textures' option made some games look better and some games look a bit worse. Being able to output in component is probably the best feature of running PSX games on a PS2. I still hang onto my original model if only for the system link port for some great Wipeout action. For the PSOne, I have the Sony 5" LCD and car kit so that won't be going anywhere, either. I also can't seem to get a PSX mouse to work on a PS2. I'm not sure if that has to do with my using a 3rd party mouse. I'll have to get the official Sony PSX mouse one day.

Even when the PS2 moved to the slim design, the loss of the hard drive bay, i.Link port, and reports of some compatibility issues (with games like Tekken 5) were disappointing to me. I'm sure I'll get around to playing some system-linked Time Crisis 2 and 3 sometime.

The Wii does a nice job with GameCube backwards compatibility. I love how it keeps the controller ports and memory card slots but running GameCube games in progressive scan on a Wii doesn't seem to work properly for me with every game. I'll need to look into that one a little more. Still, I'll keep the GameCube if only for the Game Boy Player but likely for running a handful of GameCube games in 480p.

The PS3 is a cool piece of hardware but it doesn't seem too great for backwards compatibility. The lack of controller ports is a pretty big drawback since I really like all of those crazy Namco controllers (NegCon, JogCon, taiko drum, GunCon, Ace Combat 5 flight stick) and some of the Logitech steering wheels are pretty cool. I haven't been able to check to see if the GunCon 2 works on a PS3 quite yet. The biggest gain seems to be the HDMI connection but it's not all that beneficial since most PS2 games run in 480i at best. Even though the PS3, when connected via HDMI, displays at a minimum of 480p, there's still an obvious difference in visual quality when in-game settings are changed to display the game in progressive scan (like God of War, Guitar Hero II, Resident Evil 4, and so on). I'd love to see what the PS3 can do with Gran Turismo 4 when it's set to 1080i. With the standard Sixaxis controllers running PS2 games, I'd equate it to the Wavebird on the Cube where they dropped rumble in exchange for wireless. Sure, they could have both but I still favor wireless over rumble. The decision for backwards compatibility through emulation in the European market brings up a few questions. I'd like to know if future PS3 firmware revisions will allow for North American systems to offer the option of running the games through emulation or through the on-board PS2 hardware. If the Xbox 360 is any indication, games could look much better if the PS3 could increase the emulated resolution to 720p or even 1080p. Even running some 480i games in a proper 480p through emulation might be nice.

Backwards compatibility on the Xbox 360 is pretty great for what it can do but still has lots of room for improvement. It's great how the system can still output the video signal as 1080p or any other standard resolution while running the game in its standard resolution. For games like Halo 2, it'll even run at a higher resolution than what the game was originally intended for. To me, a regular Xbox controller has no advantage over the standard Xbox 360 wireless controller in terms of function. The biggest issue I have with Xbox 360 backwards compatibility at the moment is inability to run just about any game that's even mostly 2D like all the games ported from the Neo Geo and all the Capcom fighters. Another thing I'd love to see would be the 360 with HDMI hitting retail. My original Xbox is an essential part of my home theatre and won't be going anywhere for a very long time.

With the Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360 getting regular system software updates, I'm staying hopeful that there will be some major changes addressing some of these issues someday soon.

[eggwolio]

This is why, if I end up buying a Nintendo DS, I won't discard my Game Boy Advance.

I still have some Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. There's a few I'm hunting down for my own personal collection. Backwards compatibility is very important to me, and that is the main reason why I won't purchase an XBox 360, if at all. :(

I'm amazed that it took so long for someone to say this. The inability to play some of my favorite classics on both the DS as well as the Game Boy Micro really really bothers me. Call me crazy but I'm just not ready to give Alleyway up...and I probably never will be.

[Flack]

What's more frustrating to me is the fact that backwards compatibility was promised and used as a selling feature. When you say a videogame console is backwards compatible, regardless of any legalese or fine print these companies are trying to hide behind at this point, it means "it will play the last generation of games." Now don't get me wrong, with backwards compatibility there are always casualties of war. When Windows 98 came out it was advertised as backwards compatible, and for the most part it was, but I'm sure there were little applications here and there that stopped working. That's to be expected, but along the same lines, that should be the EXCEPTION and not the RULE.

I think all this emulation bullshit that they are doing with the 360 should have been done long before they ever sold a single unit. Saying something is backwards compatible implies that when you get it home you will be able to play your old games. It doesn't imply that they may be able to code something to allow the game you want to play to work in a year or two. That's BULLSHIT. And unlike some of you little fanboys, I'm an equal-opportunity hater. I think what Sony's doing with their European launch is just as despicable. Like I said, if you can count the exceptions on one or two hands, I can understand that. There are always 3rd party controllers (Guitar Hero controller, for example) that I kind of think, "hey, that might not work on the PS3." But being told that hundreds of games won't work, I don't think you should be able to call your console backwards compatible at that point. I think you should have to change your marketing to say, "we wish it was backwards compatible!" or "partially backwards compatible" or "here's a list of the games that are backwards compatible" or something like that.

It's a shame that Nintendo did such a good job with their own backwards compatibility because in all honesty, backwards compatibility was very important to me on this round of consoles and I doubt very seriously in the future that I will believe what ANY company says about backwards compatibility. I had visions of moving one console (my PS3) to the living room and being able to play my entire library of PS1, PS2 and PS3 games in one place, but apparently that is simply not the case. If you think I am foolish in wanting this then so be it; I was going off of what Sony as a company was telling me; likewise, Microsoft is doing it to its customers as well.

I call bullshit.

[Flack]

I really don't understand people who get pissed off because a new system has limited backwards compatibility, or no backwards compatibility at all... so you bought all those old games for the old system, and as soon as the new system came out, you sold the old system, but you kept all the old games... you are an idiot... if you weren't gonna keep the old system, you might as well have sold all the old games too... I know alot of people think that the only way they can get a new system is to sell their old system, but that's retarded... if you really want the new system that badly, you can get it and still keep the old system too... and why wouldn't you, if you're gonna keep all the old games? why would you keep all the old games if you're gonna sell the old system? it's like getting pissed that you can't play all your Genesis games on your SNES... if you want to play XBOX games, then keep your damn XBOX!

That's like buying a car that says it gets 40 miles per gallon, taking it home and finding out it only gets 20 miles per gallon, and then calling the person an idiot and saying, "well that's what you get, you shouldn't drive so much, no car gets 40 miles to the gallon, it's your own fault you idiot, you should ride a bike."

The fact of the matter is, backwards compatibility (whether it's a feature you care for or not) was used as a MAJOR selling point on these consoles; and now that the consoles are sold they've changed their story.

[Mr. Smashy]

I had visions of moving one console (my PS3) to the living room and being able to play my entire library of PS1, PS2 and PS3 games in one place, but apparently that is simply not the case. If you think I am foolish in wanting this then so be it; I was going off of what Sony as a company was telling me; likewise, Microsoft is doing it to its customers as well.

I call bullshit.

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/deadrising/news.html?sid=6124746

Here's an article from May of 2005, long before the Xbox 360 hit retail. I think that they've lived up to their statement pretty well since the system's launch. Headlines are great but the article's the part that tells the story.

[Flack]

Right, but here's another quote from that same timeframe.

"At launch, Xbox 360 will be backward compatible with the top Xbox games," Xbox PR manager Michael Wolf told GamesIndustry.biz today. "Our goal is to have every Xbox game work on Xbox 360. You will NOT need to purchase a new 'version' - your original games will work on Xbox 360."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=8996

They are not meeting that "goal" very well. And Sony's decision to drop the "PS2 chip" during their European launch is even tackier, IMHO.

[Flack]

I really don't have a big problem with this. I never expected EVERY original Xbox game to be compatible. I mean, is everyone going to get up in arms because they can't play their old copy of Barbie Horse Adventures on their 360?

Oddly enough, Barbie Horse Adventures: Wild Horse Rescue was on the compatibility list from the launch. Of all the titles that don't work, I guess they figured this one was important enough to spend time on.

http://www.gamesfirst.com/?id=976

[Leo_A]

If you did a little research, the reasoning why titles like those are BC have been mentioned many times before, even at DP.

[j_factor]

Even if you just go by the "top games" remark, I don't think they've met that yet, and they certainly didn't come close to that at launch. Morrowind is still not BC, and that was one of the biggest Xbox games. Same story with Project Gotham Racing. Also, as the article Mr. Smashy linked to points out, the "top-selling Xbox games" remarks were very ambiguous; when I first read those comments I thought they meant that a significant chunk of Xbox games might not be compatible, but most would be. I never suspected until the original BC list was released that it would be a small minority of original Xbox games.

[nate1749]

someone mentioned that classic gamers are the minority, I'm not going to say they're the majority, but it can't be that much of a niche market if they have plans to market classic games to be purchased for a small fee on their systems.... Right?

Back to the topic though, I think they're doing some back-pedaling though, I've read the articles (not just the headlines) and the implications then are different than the implications now.

Nate

[nate1749]

Here's an interesting link I came across, http://www.xbox.com/en-AU/games/backwardcompatibility-overview.htm

Q. Will new and future Xbox games be backward compatible?

A. That's our goal. Reiterating Todd's Q & A: "We're not going to forget about the console that got us where we are today. Xbox still has a very bright future with many top-tier titles coming out from the world's best developers. To that end, we are working with developers to certify that their games will run on Xbox 360 down the line."


Now see "that's our goal," is definitely a different implication than what was posted earlier.

Nate

[dylan0228]

Any more news on more BC games? It`s been a few months since the last update & I`m ready for more. I also think it would be awesome if they started making achievement points for regular Xbox games! Probably won`t happen though.

[heybtbm]

Any more news on more BC games? It`s been a few months since the last update & I`m ready for more. I also think it would be awesome if they started making achievement points for regular Xbox games! Probably won`t happen though.

That would be cool. The upcoming Vista version of Halo 2 will have achievements. Not exactly what you're talking about...but it's a start.

[GM80]

I also think it would be awesome if they started making achievement points for regular Xbox games! Probably won`t happen though.

I've often thought that the emulator should be capable of monitoring basic events that are occuring in the emulated game in order to give some Achievements for playing through original Xbox games. While some of the more complex types of Achievements wouldn't be possible, something like "Finished Level 7" or "Scored 100,000 points" doesn't seem like it would be too hard.

Of course, I'm not a programmer at all and am just talking out of my rear. Maybe it's a lot harder than that. Plus, that's more work "in the past" for MS and I'm sure they want to keep moving forward. Still, a few Achievements per game would have been cool.

[dbiersdorf]

Still haven't been able to play my copy of Panzer Dragoon Orta... :(

[TurboGenesis]

Still haven't been able to play my copy of Panzer Dragoon Orta... :(

or GunValkyrie, or JSRF, or Otagi 1&2, or ToeJam and Earl III, or ...

aw F the only games I have that work are Psychonauts and House of the Dead III

[Richter Belmount]

I feel like we are the only message board talking about this anymore.

[Auxilla]

Microsoft loves you guys.No need for BC am I right?No...

[agbulls]

Can I get a big HELL YES?

\\^_^/ \\^_^/ \\^_^/ \\^_^/

Panzer Dragon Orta is NOW on 360
Street Fighter Anniversy Collection is NOW on 360 --- Guess I'm back on live tonight

April showers have yielded us a Back Compat update The latest backwards compatibility update is now available over Xbox Live (or will be very soon.) This free update brings the complete list of original Xbox games that you can play on your Xbox 360 to over 300. Remember, your original Xbox games will look better than ever on Xbox 360 running in 720p and 1080i with anti-aliasing. You can also play cross-platform between Xbox 360 and the original Xbox over Xbox Live.

April 2007 Back Compat titles added/updated:

Tenku (Japan only)
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Legend of Aang (EMEA/ANZ)
Breakdown
Call of Duty 2: Big Red One
Call of Duty 3
Cars
Crash Bandicoot 5: Wrath of Cortex
Daisenryaku VII
FIFA Soccer 2007
Full Spectrum Warrior
Guilty Gear Isuka
Innocent Tears (Japan only)
Jet Set Radio Future
King of Fighters 2002
King of Fighters: Neowave
Mad Dash Racing (Japan only)
Mech Assault 2
Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction
Nascar 2006: Total Team Control
NFL Fever 2004
Oddworld Munch's Oddysee
Panzer Dragoon Orta
Petit Copter (Japan only)
Phantom Dust
Reservoir Dogs
Return To Castle Wolfenstein
Rugby League 2
Sengoku Warriors (Japan only)
Sonic Riders
Soul Calibur 2 UPDATED
Spider-Man 2
Star Wars: Republic Commando
Street Fighter Anniversary Collection
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07
Tony Hawk's Underground
Ultra Bust a Move /ULTRA Pazzle Bobble
Unreal Championship 2

[Richter Belmount]

I freakin know , im pretty happy :) i think im going to pick up phantom dust and Daisenryaku VII

[GM80]

That now leaves one original Xbox game on my shelf that doesn't work (Toejam & Earl III). I'm a happy 360 owner.

[Nesmaster]

The only one I personally care about on that list is Mercenaries! :D

[norkusa]

I'm really surprised they added SF Anniversary Collection. I thought they were purposely leaving that one out because they already had SF2 on the Live Arcade.

[Trebuken]

I've been waiting along time to play Republic Commando...thanks for the update notice...

[whoisKeel]

Sweet. I haven't played Panzer Dragoon Orta yet, gonna have to pick that one up. I never had the old Xbox.

[diskoboy]

Finally! With JSRF and Panzer Dragoon, all my Xbox games are now backwards compatible.

A reason to break out the old Xbox games, again.

I hope JSRF looks as good in HD as I dreamed it did. ;)

EDIT - JSRF doesn't support 16:9 mode, but still looks really good.

[slip81]

when are they gonna add the brothers in arms games?!

[MegaDrive20XX]

Guilty Gear Isuka wasn't released on Xbox...why is that listed?

*edit* Nvm, in Japan it was..

[briskbc]

Crap. I just (last week) sold my Unreal Championship 2. It was still new. Crap.

[agbulls]

We still don't have Beyond Good and Evil or Capcom vs SNK 2. I never finished BG&E and would love to play it. Arghhh.

Panzer looks the same to me in 720p. Maybe I'm just use to it?

[heybtbm]

Daisenryaku VII
Full Spectrum Warrior

Excellent.

And now for the title I've been waiting for (what seemed like) forever...


Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction


I think every Xbox title I own is now officially backwards compatible. Awesome.

[E Nice]

Crash'n'Burn still isn't backwards compatible. Are there any 16 player online console racing games out there?

[Leo_A]

Just over half of my collection remains unsupported, glad I've kept a original Xbox. At least this added three games to the list. Still missing some great games such as Beyond Good & Evil, the two Capcom Classics Collections, Project Gotham Racing 1 and 2, and many others.

[Trebuken]

So the question is...will there be any more games added to the compatibility list this year???

[ProgrammingAce]

I don't think so, no. But they haven't officially killed the project.

[VACRMH]

Son of a bitch...I sold SF: Anniversary and now I could be playing it on live?

V_V