360 Backwards Compatible With Halo 1&2 Thus Far, Nothing Else

[Major Scud]

A recent GamePro (http://gamepro.com/microsoft/xbox360/games/previews/49071.shtml) article with a snippet concerning 360's backwards compatibility (supposedly as of yesterday) was promptly taken down via force-choke from Microsoft.

Fortunately a vigilant GameDreamZ.com user (http://www.gamedreamz.com/index.cgi?m=stories&s=read&id=4734), with his keen ctrl c/ctrl v fingers, captured the important snippet for benefit of us all.

Lastly, and most importantly, came our backwards compatibility test. Our hopes were high as the 360 played the first game we threw at it: Halo 2. Hooray! All the speculation indeed turned out to be true and, performance wise, the game plays exactly the same, if not better than on the original Xbox, with no slowdown or hiccups. Interestingly, the textures seemed more crisp, perhaps due to the more advanced anti-aliasing. Of course, the console choked on every other first and third party game we threw at, with one exception, the original Halo.
I for one am disappointed. I sold my xbox to pay for my 360 pre-order, and now all my games (save the halo duo) are going to be paper weights until more emulators come out. Some may never be compatable (poor poor Jet Set Radio Future).

:(

[Bubby]

360 Backwards Compatible With Halo1/2, Nothing Else

Nothing like a sensational headline for a non-story.

[Liquidize105]

That's the way it works (thus far) :p

It's not entirely a non-story though. If back-compat only works for Halo1/2 at launch, then it's a problem.

[MrMeatshake]

'choked' how? didn't play or was slow?

[Last of the Red Hot Mamas]

A guy over at the Gaming-Age forums claims he was told by some ATI guys that Fable would be playable at launch as well.

[Ludoc]

I'll be a very sad panda if there is no backwards compatability, there are still a few xbox games coming out that I'm looking forward to and was hoping to be able to play them on the 360. I'm giving my xbox to my sister when my 360 arrives so the only chance I'd have to play them is if there was some kind of backwards compatability. This kind of thing is making me start to regret my pre-order.

Please tell me there is a rational explanation for this. Were they using a completed 360, or did MS just lend them a dev kit/early build to play around with? I don't see why they would take down the article solely because it made MS look bad.

[earthworm48]

GamedreamZ?

http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php?date=2003-12-17

We will just have to wait and see.

[Ludoc]

It's most likely bullshit. After digging around the gamepro website, what a chore that was, I found this page (http://gamepro.com/microsoft/xbox360/22379/info.shtml), a list of 360 articles. One of the links was to the same broken page alluded to by GameDreamerZ (http://gamepro.com/microsoft/xbox360/games/previews/49071.shtml). The title of the link was "Hands-On: My First Xbox 360" and right below the link the descriptor was "We go hands-on with our very first Xbox 360 debug kit."

It's not only probable, but likely that the degug kits wouldn't have all the bugs worked out of the xbox emulator. This is just a case of something being blown out of proportion due to shitty reporting by Gamepro, go figure.

Edit: I took a screen shot just in case Gamepro takes the dead link off the list of 360 articles. And yes, I know it's huge but I'm an image posting noob and don't know how to just post a clickable thumbnail.

[jacob.armitage]

im really not to concerned about the B/C anyway. Ill be caught up playing the new games before i want to start playing some of the older anyway, and by then hopefully the emulation % will be quite higher.

[KamaItachi]

I think it's a pretty fair bet that most of the companies close to Microsoft will have their games emulated on the 360. Weren't they throwing a hopeful 90% compatability figure a while back?

[bapenguin]

While I doubt this is true....it sure does suck.

[Draft]

Protip: if you want to continue playing all your Xbox games, DON'T sell your Xbox. MS has all but said full BC is probably never going to happen, so you're only setting yourself up for dissapointment.

[emperordahc]

HaaHaa! I'm sorry but I do have to laugh at all of you fanboys who sold your XBoxs to get the 360. I've been saying that the backwards compatibility won't be global enough to ditch the XBox ever since they announced it was G5 processors instead of x86.

So let me get this right; all of you ditched your XBoxes to preorder a system that hasn't proved itself, with very few noteworthy games coming out (outside of Oblivion and the arguably doubtable Perfect Dark Zero), and in doing so has choked all your original XBox game libraries down to only Halo 1 & 2? So sad. :)

My XBox is still running just fine w/ all my oddball third party games, thank you. :)

[TrackZero]

Good followup Ludoc.

[DannoHung]

Yeah, I have to agree that selling your XBox before you know for sure that your favorite games will work on the 360 is pretty tarded.

In ANY case, common, let's be honest people, does there really NEED to be a game that's backwards compatible BESIDES Halo 2 to satisfy most of Microsoft's install base?

[bapenguin]

HaaHaa! I'm sorry but I do have to laugh at all of you fanboys who sold your XBoxs to get the 360. I've been saying that the backwards compatibility won't be global enough to ditch the XBox ever since they announced it was G5 processors instead of x86.

So let me get this right; all of you ditched your XBoxes to preorder a system that hasn't proved itself, with very few noteworthy games coming out (outside of Oblivion and the arguably doubtable Perfect Dark Zero), and in doing so has choked all your original XBox game libraries down to only Halo 1 & 2? So sad. :)

My XBox is still running just fine w/ all my oddball third party games, thank you. :)

I still have my XBox and plan on keeping it when the 360 comes out.

[fitbabits]

Protip: if you want to continue playing all your Xbox games, DON'T sell your Xbox. MS has all but said full BC is probably never going to happen, so you're only setting yourself up for dissapointment.
Protip! Fucking classic... :)

Hands up if you buy Game Pro. You, at the back, I can't see your face.

[zangster]

Will someone please find the link to the story that says MS is providing BC with emulators on the harddrive. I know it was posted on here and it might calm some of these concerns.

[Morratut]

MS are providing BC with the most popular,biggest and best titles first. Fine with me seeing as i only buy the AAA titles.

More BC profiles will be created and updated via Live i've read.

I don't see a problem.

If you want all your old xbox1 games running from day one then yes you will be dissapointed.

[doubtingthomas]

Another one on the pile. I'm not buying a 360 so I can play old games.

[Heretic Machine]

Still got my XBOX. Even when I planned on buying a 360 (rather than winning one) I wasn't planning on selling my XBOX. That's just not a very good idea. Though I'm honestly a bit worried about the viability of live-life for the XBOX, mostly because of the hard-drive. I have to wonder if I'll be able to switch it on a few years down the road and still throw in a game.

Oh well, guess those crazy emulator guys willl have to work out something. As for the 360, I'm guessing that backwards compatability will be a long-term project if it's done right.

[kathode]

Why would they bother including a full suite of emulation profiles on the debug kits?

[zangster]

"In Soviet Russia Xbox 360 debug kit emulates you."

[bapenguin]

Why would they bother including a full suite of emulation profiles on the debug kits?

Rational thinking prevails again.

[Vjornaxx]

One of the first things I'm going to do when I get my 360 is pop in Chaos Theory and see if it works on Live. Until that happens, I'm keeping my Xbox powered and plugged into my network.

[Mrbunchypants]

Well this is very much a bad thing. Well to me it. You see in the last console wars ps2 had full BC. this ment that game where still coming out for the ps1 and would be playable on the ps2. Also it ment that if one say smaller devopment company want to say make a game for the ps2 that would use a ps1 dev kit that the big boys don't need anymore.

Not to mention the fact that alot of people aren't going to leave there xbox hooked up just to play the old games once the 360 comes out. it's going to go into storage with all those games that don't work.

And how would you like to be releaseing a xbow game in this month or next only to have it's sales go down the tube cuz it wont work on the 360. this is a very sad day for those games.

[Jacob Singer]

You guys realize you can buy a $20 switch-box at Radio Shack and keep your Xbox (and all your other consoles) connected AT THE SAME TIME as your 360, right?

Sheesh...

[DiBiddilyBop]

Why would they bother including a full suite of emulation profiles on the debug kits?

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say: Because that's the most likely thing to have to debug. Better question: why wouldn't they?

[Jacob Singer]

Not to mention the fact that alot of people aren't going to leave there xbox hooked up just to play the old games once the 360 comes out. it's going to go into storage with all those games that don't work..

Wait a sec... so now it's Microsoft's fault that people are gonna put their old consoles into storage? What?

It's simple, people. You wanna play Xbox games, leave your freakin' Xbox connected.

[bapenguin]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say: Because that's the most likely thing to have to debug. Better question: why wouldn't they?

That's not what a debug kit is necessarily for.

[Wonka]

Hasn't it been confirmed already that fall release Xbox games will all be 360 compatible to keep the publishers happy? It would seem to me that this at least would be a given...

This rumor smells a little bit like BS to me... It might be partially true though. They might have very few older titles working so far...

[Fontainne]

You cannot play a retail game on any of microsoft's Debug Kits, Xbox or 360. You can try as you might to pop in any disk of your choosing it will not work. The Debug kits are designed to work off of hardrives, or off a burned CD that does not have the Retail Microsoft Libraries thus making it impossible to run the product on anything but a debug kit. Likewise Retail Products do not have the Microsoft Debug Libraries and will only run on a Retail Box.

When a product is shipped to microsoft/sony for certification it is tested by their internal departments. If they pass certification the debug libraries are removed and the game is loaded with the retail libraries and sent to manufacturing.

If a company was to change content after they received certification from microsoft they would have to go through the certification process again.

There may be a possiblity that Halo 1 and 2 received special attention (as their 2 top titles) and had their libraries loaded into the 360 devkits so developers could do performance tests and see that the hardware actual works. But that is entirely a special case.

[Xerxes]

This post makes baby Jesus cry. Microsoft said in a week or two they will release the full list online in a week or so with continous updates. MS first party titles are a given, not just halo games.

[Bumbuliuz]

This is the reason my soon to be "old" Xbox isint going anywhere. I have around 40 games and I still want to be able to play them perfectly.

[Groo]

Microsoft needs to quit dicking around, and release the BC list. Otherwise, we're going to be seeing bullshit stories like these popping up.

Microsoft has already started mass producing X360s. If that's the case, won't they have to have the emulator done by now, so they can load them onto the harddrives?

Whether or not the X360 has backwards compaitability isn't a big deal to me. I'm not spending $400 on a new console so I can play old games.

[ChypeFlux]

Meh, this type of 'backwards compatability' is just going to suck for the average consumer. Mom and pop put down the money to buy one having heard some rumor that it plays Xbox games (with the assumption that it's ALL Xbox games)...only they find out it doesn't.

And before you say the uninformed consumer deserves to get screwed, maybe think first that it's a PAYING albeit uniformed consumer.

I hope this whole deal bites *** in the ASS and hard.

[ChypeFlux]

Microsoft has already started mass producing X360s. If that's the case, won't they have to have the emulator done by now, so they can load them onto the harddrives?Heh, you don't have any idea how it's going to work, do you?

As of now, there is no emulator....the current plan that developers have heard is much, much lamer than this.

Now, it's possible they have a generic emulator planned, but I highly doubt it, at least not for a long time...

[Jacob Singer]

Meh, this type of 'backwards compatability' is just going to suck for the average consumer. Mom and pop put down the money to buy one having heard some rumor that it plays Xbox games (with the assumption that it's ALL Xbox games)...only they find out it doesn't.

And before you say the uninformed consumer deserves to get screwed, maybe think first that it's a PAYING albeit uniformed consumer.

I hope this whole deal bites *** in the ASS and hard.

Again, if the "average consumer" already has an Xbox with lots of games they want to play, THEN DON'T FUCKING UNPLUG IT!

Stop blaming Microsoft for people's irrational behavior.

I hope this whole deal bites stupid, uninformed people in the ASS and hard.

[Xerxes]

If i'm not mistaken the emulator is on the harddrive. It's the games that'll need like code that hooks into the emulator or patches. As they continue updating old games people still want to play with the BC patches you'll get from Live. I think that's included with the free Live as well. So for a while we'll probably get auto-patchs for a while. And this dad buying his son a $400 and the cheaper normal xbox games, should be ok buying the popular stuff. Azruik isn't goign to cut it.

If they cover the same bases now, MS can smudge the truth and say stuff like now we have 15 million live users sooner than later and what not. I only say 10 million cause it's almost a gimme past that I don't know. Didn't they only sell like 16 million xboxs.

[Ernst_Jager]

the 360 could not play ANY original xbox games and it wouldn't concern me the slightest. I have zero interest in playing old gen games on a next gen system. There is a reason why I upgrade to a newer system. If you want to play the old games pick up a old system. After the new systems come out, finding a good used one should be very easy.

[Atorak]

Microsoft has already started mass producing X360s. If that's the case, won't they have to have the emulator done by now, so they can load them onto the harddrives?

I have a feeling that this isn't the case. Sure, I bet a number of games are done at this point, but you can bet your sweet ass there will be a pretty hefty download on November 22nd when comsumers start logging on to the new XBox Live! accounts.

And that download might include a lot of last minute fixes / additions.

[51|RandoM]

It is funny to watch the fanboys claim that they were keeping their xbox anyways and it isn't an issue.

Well, I got news for you, when Microsoft claims a significant percentage of backwards compatibiliy and then delivers exactly two titles, there is a problem.

All of this is predecated on the story being true, of course.

[ChypeFlux]

Again, if the "average consumer" already has an Xbox with lots of games they want to play, THEN DON'T FUCKING UNPLUG IT!

Stop blaming Microsoft for people's irrational behavior.

I hope this whole deal bites stupid, uninformed people in the ASS and hard.Um, no, think again.

As an example, I currently do not own an Xbox. If there were games coming out for 360 that I wanted but there were also old Xbox games I had never played but wanted to...it would be in my best interest to just buy the 360 so I could do both.

Of course, I'm not going to do this because I know that Xbox games are not guaranteed to work on the 360. This is the single reason I cancelled my pre-order and why I'm going to wait until I know the old Xbox games I never had a chance to play are going to be playable on the 360.

Another way to put it is that this is the first console I know of that DOES NOT have >99% compatability out of the box... Frankly, no one has done this before because it's a bad idea that is only going to make the average consumer unhappy.

Anyway, we're all entitled to our own opinion, so please don't tell me what to think or how to feel, got it?

[baz]

BC for the xbox is a big thing for me. As I have a crippled no HD pal xbox, I can't play any of my xbox games above 480i, I've actually been holding off playing my current xbox games until the arrival of my 360 so that I can enjoy them in HD.

I have a reasonable amount of faith that most games will be BC eventually, so I'm still holding off.

[ChypeFlux]

joystiq (http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000807043872/)
"..Xbox titles will have to be recompiled to work on the new hardware....."

*** responded to this article to correct one other point that was made (that wasn't accurate and I didn't bother quoting for that reason) but did not correct the statement that Xbox titles have to be recompiled to work on the new hardware.

This is a huge point that you'd think they be eager to correct if it was in fact erroneous...because the implications of it are terrible in terms of what it means for BC...And if you don't understand, this effectively means that there is zero chance a game will work on the 360 until *** converts the executable for each game.

So, this is why I think their approach to BC is completely terrible. For me, it was enough to cause the cancelling of my 360 pre-order.

[Jacob Singer]

Um, no, think again.

As an example, I currently do not own an Xbox. If there were games coming out for 360 that I wanted but there were also old Xbox games I had never played but wanted to...it would be in my best interest to just buy the 360 so I could do both.

Of course, I'm not going to do this because I know that Xbox games are not guaranteed to work on the 360. This is the single reason I cancelled my pre-order and why I'm going to wait until I know the old Xbox games I never had a chance to play are going to be playable on the 360.

"Old Xbox games you never had a chance to play"????????

So let me get this straight. It's Microsoft's fault for not making their BRAND NEW CONSOLE backwards -compatible with games YOU DON'T EVEN OWN?????

Now I've heard everything...


Another way to put it is that this is the first console I know of that DOES NOT have >99% compatability out of the box... Frankly, no one has done this before because it's a bad idea that is only going to make the average consumer unhappy.

The average consumer probably doesn't care one way or the other about backwards compatibilty. If they already have an Xbox, they can leave it connected. If they don't, I doubt they're gonna go out and buy a slew of old Xbox games to play on their brand-new 360. The Gamecube wasn't backwards-compatible with ANYTHING that I'm aware of...


Anyway, we're all entitled to our own opinion, so please don't tell me what to think or how to feel, got it?

I didn't tell you how to think or feel, I stated my opinion, just like you did. Got it?

[NoName]

"Old Xbox games you never had a chance to play"????????

So let me get this straight. It's Microsoft's fault for not making their BRAND NEW CONSOLE backwards -compatible with games YOU DON'T EVEN OWN?????

Now I've heard everything...
What's wrong with this idea? And why so many question marks? I don't have an xbox, but if I got an xbox360 it would be nice to pick up some heavily discounted games that were for the xbox I never got to play.

Oh, and it is Microsoft's fault for not making their new console backwards compatible. Who's else fault would it be?

[Jacob Singer]

There's a BIG difference between "this is a horrible business practice" and "it would be nice if they did it".

[Major Scud]

Wow, an editor REALLY took poetic licence with my post. My original post talked about this is a POSITIVE AND A NEGATIVE because in the article they mention halo 2 DID have anti-aliasing added to it, to make it look much nicer then the xbox version. As for me selling my original box, not all of us have unlimited gaming funds. My wife was not going to let me get the new one, unless the old xbox could partially pay off my order. I traded in my system and games I didnt want anymore, and that paid $250 of my pre-order. I just think microsoft saying "99% compatability" and "around 15-25 xbox games will work at launch" is really freaking bad if only halo 1 + 2 work out of the box. I agree that probably some games will be downloadable on the 22nd. I just think microsoft not announcing b/c at this point means theres some bad news there, and this article seemed to back it up.

[ChypeFlux]

"Old Xbox games you never had a chance to play"????????

So let me get this straight. It's Microsoft's fault for not making their BRAND NEW CONSOLE backwards -compatible with games YOU DON'T EVEN OWN?????
Ah, so you do get it.

Or wait, maybe you don't.

In any case, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you are at least capable of understanding.

So, yes, I had originally heard they touted backwards compatabilty...So I think, gee, I'd been meaning to buy an Xbox but doing it this late in the console life when the 360 release is coming up in a couple of months....I should just wait and get the 360 instead and then put in a pre-order for one.

After doing some research discovered the BC doesn't work how it did for the PS2 or GBA, and in fact, didn't seem like BC in any useful sense of the word, so decided to screw the pre-order and I'll just wait and see how it turns out before throwing out $450 bucks.

And since you apparently are new to how system launches usually turn out, so I'll describe what's typically happened in the past...

What usually happens is that there are a handful of games ready right at launch which is then followed by a drought of sorts where there aren't many new titles coming out. Hence, a perfect time to pick up the a few Xbox games to fill in until the 360 launch titles start to come out with more regularity.

Anyway, I predict *** will be sorry they took this approach. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. ;)

[Zanzibar]

The debug kits wouldn't have much of the emulation software on it, particularly a month before ship. I'm surprised it had any at all.

Right now, boxes and boxes of the Premium Xbox package are sitting somewhere in a warehouse. NONE of them have the Hard Drive packed in yet - do not be surprised if, when you open your Premium box, the very first thing you'll see is the HDD, which will be packaged near the top for easy access. The HDD will be loaded with stuff, then added to the Premium boxes at the very last minute before they leave the warehouses to make their ship date.

Until then, don't read in any of this bullshit as 'fact'. As was mentioned earlier, the original Xbox debug kits didn't play retail games, so it wouldn't surprise me if that had something to do with this as well.

[ChypeFlux]

What's wrong with this idea? And why so many question marks? I don't have an xbox, but if I got an xbox360 it would be nice to pick up some heavily discounted games that were for the xbox I never got to play.

Oh, and it is Microsoft's fault for not making their new console backwards compatible. Who's else fault would it be?Agreed, there's nothing wrong with the idea.

BC that isn't >99% is not BC...it's something else, which is fine I guess, but *** should not even suggest that it's BC. Use some different terminology or something.

[Jacob Singer]

Ah, so you do get it.

Or wait, maybe you don't.

In any case, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you are at least capable of understanding.

So, yes, I had originally heard they touted backwards compatabilty...So I think, gee, I'd been meaning to buy an Xbox but doing it this late in the console life when the 360 release is coming up in a couple of months....I should just wait and get the 360 instead and then put in a pre-order for one.

Ah. I see. You didn't buy an Xbox, or the games that go with it. Even though it's been out for several years, and the "launch window" is long gone, and the machine has been discounted. You think Microsoft should now reward you for not purchasing their previous product by making their new product 100% backwards compatible, so you can buy discount versions of games you didn't bother buying during the original Xbox cycle.

Yeah, that makes a lot of business sense.

By the way, using a "$" in place of an "s" in words like Micro$oft, George Luca$, etc., is just really, really funny and cutting edge. Please keep it up! You're so edgy!

[ChypeFlux]

Ah. I see. You didn't buy an Xbox, or the games that go with it. Even though it's been out for several years, and the "launch window" is long gone, and the machine has been discounted. You think Microsoft should now reward you for not purchasing their previous product by making their new product 100% backwards compatible, so you can buy discount versions of games you didn't bother buying during the original Xbox cycle.

Yeah, that makes a lot of business sense.

By the way, using a "$" in place of an "s" in words like Micro$oft, George Luca$, etc., is just really, really funny and cutting edge. Please keep it up! You're so edgy!Unfortunately, the point you missed out on is that *** themselves have stated the purported backwards compatability. It didn't work the other way around, heh. But keep trying!

[Groo]

Heh, you don't have any idea how it's going to work, do you?

If you seem to know something the rest of us don't, please, share with the class. Because it seems that you're in the same boat as the rest of us.

And Xbox games wouldn't have to be recompiled to run on a potential X360 emulator. The whole point of an emulator is to avoid the need for this.

[TheBrainKills]

"My wife was not going to let me get the new one, unless...."

Dude, your wife better have talents only a French whore would have ;)

[zangster]

As an aside, can EA pass a by-law that says no one can use the $ in place of the S when referring to Microsoft as MS. Or if they're going to do so they're at least required to refer to Sony as $ony or the P$2/P$3 in the same post as such.

Anyway, back to what I was going to write. Where was I? Oh yes...OH NO! Over a month from shipping and someone that got a hold of a debug kit and tested a feture that didn't work. This must truly be the end of civilization and the next-gen of video games for if the debug kit, not the retail version, doesn't have this feature then there's no way it'll be available for the consumer.

I'm pretty certain I read a story several weeks ago (please someone find that story) that Microsoft has paid for the right to emulate the current graphics chips on the Xbox 360 so that games would be backwards compatible. Then there'd be a series of emulators available on Xbox Live or at the in-store kiosk which users could download. Gradually, the library of BC Xbox games would grow, but they would be starting with AAA titles and bestsellers. There was no guarantee of all games being compatible, but there was going to be an effort made.

I'm really curious if all of the people who claim they NEED BC for their gaming experience to be complete had ever intended to purchase an Xbox 360 in the first place.

[ChypeFlux]

If you seem to know something the rest of us don't, please, share with the class. Because it seems that you're in the same boat as the rest of us.

And Xbox games wouldn't have to be recompiled to run on a potential X360 emulator. The whole point of an emulator is to avoid the need for this.Unfortunately, the developers I have spoken have stated that no, there is no emulator. *** has to physically translate each executable...

And as I already pointed out, when joystiq reported on the state of BC on the 360, *** went out of there way to correct other erroneous points in the article (namely that you might have to repurchase a game you already owned )...but did nothing to refute the recompiling claim. Why? Because it's the truth?

So, maybe they have plans for an emulator at some point, but unless I've been lied to, there is absolutely NO EMULATION being done on the 360 at this time and probably not for the near future. 360 "BC" currently requires manual translation of each game at ***, at which point the game will be available to the consumer.

Until that is done, there is zero chance you can pull a random game off your shelf and have any chance it will work at all.

This is not BC in the sense we all know and love (well, some of us appreciate this )...this is something entirely different.

And despite what someone else in this thread thinks, I could care less except for the fact that *** announced the feature first... I previously had no expectations for the feature considering the hardware differences..

[ChypeFlux]

Oh yes...OH NO! Over a month from shipping and someone that got a hold of a debug kit and tested a feture that didn't work. This must truly be the end of civilization and the next-gen of video games for if the debug kit, not the retail version, doesn't have this feature then there's no way it'll be available for the consumer.BTW, what are you on about? The last person to mention BC working or not working on a debug/development kit was something like 20 posts ago?

I think most of us would agree that has nothing to do with anything.

I'm talking about how it is planned to work on retail systems, which is all that matters to me.

[TheBrainKills]

As a non-Xbox owner I too was looking forward to this feature, but if it isn't working, it would be nice to know fairly soon as launch is only about a month away. It won't change my decision on buying one but it changes what games I could buy.

[zangster]

I'm talking about how it is planned to work on retail systems, which is all that matters to me.

Aw fer chissake:

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3143142

And if you google xbox 360 backwards compatibility you get:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-28,GGLG:en&q=xbox+360+backwards+compatibility&spell=1

And if you misspell compatibility (as I did) you get this:

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-28,GGLG:en&q=xbox+360+backwards+compatability

You'll find plenty of stories there to backup BC on Xbox 360 but I guess you won't be happy until you pop in your copy of Drake of the 99 Dragons to see it for yourself.

[fitbabits]

You'll find plenty of stories there to backup BC on Xbox 360 but I guess you won't be happy until you pop in your copy of Drake of the 99 Dragons to see it for yourself.

That's it, you've done it. The mere mention of Drake has been known to have caused people's bowels to evacuate - and you go posting it on EvAv!!!! You callous bastard. :)

[ChypeFlux]

Aw fer chissake:
You'll find plenty of stories there to backup BC on Xbox 360 but I guess you won't be happy until you pop in your copy of Drake of the 99 Dragons to see it for yourself.And perhaps you missed the point where a developer I trust that is currently working on a 360 title has stated, that no, the original Xbox executable has to be translated in order for it to work. There may be partial emulation of the graphics hardware, but it's not full emulation because it first relies on a translated executable.

In short, only games *** translates will work. There is apparently no chance any other title will work until this happens.

I'd love to be wrong, but after asking for an e-mail clarification this afternoon, I'm told this is the current approach.

[zangster]

That's it, you've done it. The mere mention of Drake has been known to have caused people's bowels to evacuate - and you go posting it on EvAv!!!! You callous bastard. :)

It's like that South Park when the boys play the Brown Note (http://www.moviewavs.com/cgi-bin/spark.cgi?Episode_317_The_Brown_Note=317_amazing.w av) on the recorder that causes you to lose instant control of your bowels.

[zangster]

And perhaps you missed the point where a developer I trust that is currently working on a 360 title has stated, that no, the original Xbox executable has to be translated in order for it to work. There may be partial emulation of the graphics hardware, but it's not full emulation because it first relies on a translated executable.

Then we'll have to agree to disagree as I'm slightly more willing to believe the dozens of stories I've read from reputable online sources (because everything you read online is true) rather than some nameless developer you know and trust who you're paraphrasing here (because everything you read online is true).

I think this weekend I'm going to track down a copy of Drake (http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/action/drake/index.html).

[Phades]

Another way to put it is that this is the first console I know of that DOES NOT have >99% compatability out of the box... Frankly, no one has done this before because it's a bad idea that is only going to make the average consumer unhappy.

So I take it that the only consoles you know of are the Playstation 2 and Nintendo's Handhelds?
And perhaps you missed the point where a developer I trust that is currently working on a 360 title has stated, that no, the original Xbox executable has to be translated in order for it to work. There may be partial emulation of the graphics hardware, but it's not full emulation because it first relies on a translated executable.
Well I AM a developer and I can tell you that's not true. Your friend Harvey is wrong.....

(note: By "developer" I mean "gamer" and by "not true" I mean "I have no idea, just like you." I just wanted to join in on the 'random claims to support my argument' fun.)

[ChypeFlux]

So I take it that the only consoles you know of are the Playstation 2 and Nintendo's Handhelds?No, what I mean is that of two consoles I know of that have claimed backwards compatibility, it's not the shoddy 'BC' that *** is trying to push on consumers.

But I'm happy to know that I'm wrong. I'll still wait until release to verify that I'm actually going to get one.

[fitbabits]

No, what I mean is that of two consoles I know of that have claimed backwards compatibility, it's not the shoddy 'BC' that *** is trying to push on consumers.

But I'm happy to know that I'm wrong. I'll still wait until release to verify that I'm actually going to get one.
This is unrelated, but I have a question - why do you use $ instead of S? And how do you pronounce it? Microdollarsymboloft? Seems a mouthful to me.

[thegameguru]

man...its still uber l33t to use *** instead of Microsoft around here..

neato!

[Xerxes]

*** ?!?

Oh wait, now I get it, they have alot of money. Good one. O_o

[fitbabits]

*** ?!?

Oh wait, now I get it, they have alot of money. Good one. O_o
That can't be it, though - if it were, ChypeFlux (and others) would surely replace every S with a $ when writing about organizations with lots of money. Or am I missing the point? :rolleyes:

[Xerxes]

Oh you mean like $ony.

[Zeal]

360's backwards compatibility is an attempt to save face with the original Xbox userbase. It's a gimmick, it'll be more trouble than it's worth, and it isn't needed.

It's just a way to appear like Sony has nothing on them.

[fitbabits]

Oh you mean like $ony.
Exactly. Or, by extension, $uper Mario. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Prince$$...

[carneconcarne]

LUDOC , you cunt, you 1400 pixel wide image fucked 90% of peoples h-scroll. That is just gay.

[Heretic Machine]

Wow, an editor REALLY took poetic licence with my post. My original post talked about this is a POSITIVE AND A NEGATIVE because in the article they mention halo 2 DID have anti-aliasing added to it, to make it look much nicer then the xbox version. As for me selling my original box, not all of us have unlimited gaming funds. My wife was not going to let me get the new one, unless the old xbox could partially pay off my order. I traded in my system and games I didnt want anymore, and that paid $250 of my pre-order. I just think microsoft saying "99% compatability" and "around 15-25 xbox games will work at launch" is really freaking bad if only halo 1 + 2 work out of the box. I agree that probably some games will be downloadable on the 22nd. I just think microsoft not announcing b/c at this point means theres some bad news there, and this article seemed to back it up.

The next time she wants an expensive piece of jewelry, just tell her that her old jewelry will have to pay for some of it.

[zangster]

This is unrelated, but I have a question - why do you use $ instead of S? And how do you pronounce it? Microdollarsymboloft? Seems a mouthful to me.

Maybe it's pronounced "Microshift4oft".

[fitbabits]

Maybe it's pronounced "Microshift4oft".
You could very well be right. Perhaps we should look to the people who do it for an explanation?

[Twigz'N'Berries]

First off, Carneconcarne should be banned for life. He is the worst kind of troll.

Now, I honestly didn't figure MS would focus their attention on BC immediately because they had to get those next gen games up and running in a short time. Honestly, i think the BC will start off small and grow over time...like Allarad said. I think it is way more important that all of the games that are coming out for the xbox are compatible with the 360. Otherwise, it will definitely hurt xbox game sales. Now, you all realize that Xbox production is going to stop soon, if it hasn't already. MS probably feels they have paid enough of their console entry fee w/the original Xbox. They want gamers to migrate over from the old Xbox to the new 360. Support for the old guy will dry up over the next 8 months.

I wouldn't panic over this until we can get more info closer to November 22nd.

[kathode]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say: Because that's the most likely thing to have to debug. Better question: why wouldn't they?

Ok, let's throw out the fact that developers are not debugging their own previous titles for backwards compatibility, right? (and that's a pretty big thing to throw out given that it's true).

The question still remains why any single developer would need a full suite of emulation profiles. Why do I need to know how well any other game other than my own is working?

I even tried the test myself. Let me just tell you right now - The article is complete bullshit.

[mister_slim]

Ah. I see. You didn't buy an Xbox, or the games that go with it. Even though it's been out for several years, and the "launch window" is long gone, and the machine has been discounted. You think Microsoft should now reward you for not purchasing their previous product by making their new product 100% backwards compatible, so you can buy discount versions of games you didn't bother buying during the original Xbox cycle.
That's how MS would like you to do it. Rather than losing money on two separate pieces of hardware it would just be one, and they pick up a little more cash for games where the sunk costs have already been recouped.

[Ludoc]

LUDOC , you cunt, you 1400 pixel wide image fucked 90% of peoples h-scroll. That is just gay.

Wow, calling me a cunt. That's more than a little harsh. Does it seriously bother you that much to have to use your left and right arrows?

By posting relevant information, debunking a news post that would only errupt into a flame war, did I offend you? Have you, at some time in your past had a tramatic experience with large pictures? If so I am sincerly sorry for bring up your painful childhood memories.

If, on the other hand, the actual reason you are upset is due to the fact you had to pend fifteen seconds of your life scrolling back and forth, fifteen second you feel may have been better spent trolling internet forums, I feel quite justified in telling you to "Go fuck a goat."

[The Great Gatsby]

Why do I feel like half the people on here just come on to start a problem? Like they get off making idiotic comments or something.

[Dracula-X]

I had a feeling BC was going to be an issue one way or another, I had already planned to keep the XBox where it is. I'd imagine *** (yeah, I said it) would rather have people who had passed up on the XBox to buy the damn thing for its games in addition to the 360...

[Twigz'N'Berries]

I really don't think Microsoft wants people to buy the Xbox once the 360 comes out. They lose money on every single system they sell. Since they want a larger install base on the 360, and they have kind of invested a ton of money on the success of the 360, I really think they would prefer that people buy the new system.
Several sites list the rumor that MS will stop producing Xbox 1s shortly after the launch of the 360. I think MS would rather have future developers make their Xbox 1 games Xbox 360 compliant. The olde catalog will slowly be emulated. By the time the PS3 rolls out, I sincerely hope MS has made at least 100 games BC.

Speaking of BC, will the B.C. from Peter Molyneaux be making the leap to 360?? For that matter, has anyone heard anything else about the supposed True Fantasy Live Online game making a resurrection on 360?

[Wonka]

I saw Molyneaux interviewed on TV last week. In that interview he claimed that BC was not presently being made for anything, but that the thought of ressurecting it for the 360 HAD in fact occurred to him. So in conclusion not even Peter knows if he will ressurect that or not... In the interview he seemed much more excited about another project where you would live a "normal" life and have nearly complete freedom over how it turns out. Sounded way to ambitious to be practical to me. At least the guy has high aspirations...