EA: PS4, Xbox 720 unlikely to offer backwards compatibility
- Posted February 13th, 2013 at 04:53 EDT by Mike Harradence
- 19 Comments
Blake Jorgensen, chief financial officer of Electronic Arts, has said he doesn’t expect Sony and Microsoft’s next-generation consoles to offer backwards compatibility with current-gen games.
Jorgensen offered that next-generation platforms are likely to eschew the feature in favour of focusing more on cross-device connectivity.
Speaking during a Q&A session at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference in San Francisco (quoted by Gamasutra), the executive commented: “We have internally, not no one externally has really seen what the look and feel be like on the new consoles.”
While stating he would “reserve judgement” on how well PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720 will be received, he added: “I think people are going to be pretty excited.”
"An important thing to remember is that next-gen consoles will most likely not be backwards compatible.”
"And if you [play] multiplayer on a game, you'll most likely not be able to play with someone on a different generation," he continued.
"If you're a FIFA player and, and the soccer season's starting in August, and all your friends are playing FIFA, you're going to want to be on the same box that they're on. So if they all go out and buy a gen-four box if it comes out at Christmas, then you'll most likely do it. If they all hold on and continue to play on third-generation, you'll probably not see that box purchase until after the soccer season's over."
Jorgensen went on to suggest that the next batch of consoles will encourage deeper cross-connectivity, with phones, tablets and other such devices playing a part in the next-gen cycle.
"I do think once again without describing the new consoles, you've got to assume they're going to be highly integrated into the living room and the house, and there will be a lot of capability for interaction,” he said.
"I think as well you're going to see a lot more integration between tablets, phones, and the consoles over time. You're going to see people playing on glass at the same time they're playing on the console. And there's going to be some exciting innovations around that.
"And I think it's going to be an extension of moving from what's in the living room to what's outside the house. Even though it might not be playing on the console, it's connected to the console in some way."
Sony is hosting a special PlayStation Meeting on February 20, where it is expected the console maker will unveil the PlayStation 4. PSU.com understands the machine will launch in November, though this may possibly only refer to the U.S. and/or Japan.
Similarly, Microsoft is expected to lift the veil on the successor to the Xbox 360 in the coming months – possibly at E3 – with plans to launch the console worldwide later this year.
Stay tuned to PSU.com for more details.
Email
Related Content
Comments
-
-
johnstation86
- 7:21am EST - February 13th, 2013
- 2
It'll be a kick in the teeth if the new PS isn't backwards compatible.
-
Jared Sweeten |
LoganCrusher- 9:10am EST - February 13th, 2013
- 3
I don't mind having my PS3 and PS4 connected to my TV - would be nice but not a deal breaker
-
Fenix
- 9:14am EST - February 13th, 2013
- 4
BC is why I got a PS3, else I wouldnt of gotten one for another year or two. Once I heard it was leaving I rushed out to buy one, If itwasnt for the game collection I amassed I highly doubt I would off bought another.
PS4 with no BC just means its going to need a lot of games to "wow" me, and will be a few years before I bother.
-
TheTenth666
- 9:29am EST - February 13th, 2013
- 5
1) I really wanted BC on the PS3 and bought the 60Gb, I played a few times DoA hardcore and Splashdown, and SMT Nocturne for a few hours, then I didn't touch a PS2 game ever. So it won't be a choosing element next gen.
2) the XBOX360 being essentially a PC, it would be pathetic if there is no BC on the 720, will only prove how backwards Microsoft is as a software company (Windows already proved that again and again)
-
darkprince650
- 10:25am EST - February 13th, 2013
- 6
Not having BC isn't a problem for me. I actually have all my consoles from the NES to PS3 still hooked up. So it just means I have to keep my PS3 hooked up. No big deal.
-
honomaru
- 10:40am EST - February 13th, 2013
- 7
Early consoles will most definitely be backwards compatible, but probably only with digital software. For some reason I see the ps4 pulling out some new disc format which would make the disc drive inherently incompatible with any physical ps3 disc. I have a feeling the ps4 discs will be smaller altogether, and probably the cases will be a size somewhere between the current ps3 cases and the psvita cases. This isnt based on any facts, just a hunch.
I doubt ps4 will actually release this year in the west or Europe, but if it did, I definitely wont be picking it up at launch. Im pretty sure that through the end of 2014, there will still be many games that are current gen exclusives with next gen ports coming out many months later. It'll be that way for awhile I surmise. Next gen will need an awesome exclusive game or group of games with virtually unlimited replay value, something akin to Halo 1 for the Xbox when not that many people played Xbox. And this would need to happen fairly early on.
Also it needs great apps from the start that connects its users in some way. And that's not just for people in your friends list. They need to provide more opportunities to meet new people besides just Playstation Home. A simple chatroom for people with psn accounts or something. Idk.
I just cant remember the last time we saw a really good home or portable console launch. -
A_Drifter |
A_Drifter- 11:28am EST - February 13th, 2013
- 8
OH man.... I understand inovation and the need to progress, but I feel that we (the customer) are being condecended to. Honestly, think about the slogan for PS3... It only does................EVERYTHING. So why is there a huge push on the new system? Sony promised things with the PS3, like group chat and a not laggy messenger, but I digress, but not making it backwards compatible on purpose? THat feels like a middle finger to me.... They said that the ps3 wont be backwards compatible (except for a few models) because they had plans on releasing ps2 games as downloads for more money..... Espessially now, with so many games that keep re-releasing HD style is total BS to me! What is the point to that? Look at the hitman games.... do you know you can buy those games for like 2 bucks a piece for your ps2!?!?!
My thinking is this, it is a gaming console..... not a tablet, not a computer, not a terrible 90's arcade system that uou jump around and use motion sensors....So, in conclusion, why should I buy your new GAMING consloe Sony, if you aren't planning on innovating games? Oh, but Drifter, you can go on youtube, wireless integrate with your TV, not play any ps3 games because we want to make money and force you into buying a ps4 with the same graphics.....
P.S.
Games and their graphics operate off of the consoles themselves, they do need to be powerful enough to run the game, as well as its' textures and what not, but it is also based off of the engine. I know for a fact that studios are not pushing the limmit on their games. They use lower polycounts on their characters, different shaders for quality renders. Do we really need a new box that says it has more inside (which I believe) but, will the studios use that power? (Don't say Uncharted or Killzone. Honestly, I want you to count how many games graphics this generation wowed you.)
-
honomaru
- 11:40am EST - February 13th, 2013
- 9
@8 I dont understand who you are trying to blame. Maybe you can clarify. First you attack Sony for forcing us to make the leap to next gen by potentially reducing compatibility (remember nothing has been comfirmed yet). If they do make it so that it it has zero backwards compatibility (which I doubt) then yes I am inclined to agree that this would be a huge middle finger to us. But again I doubt this will be the case.
Btw the retail value of those games go according to the vendor of the actual games and not the console developer. So when you see hitman in the bargain bin at gamestop, used for like a buck, none of that money is going to Sony. Not even the developers make a profit from the reselling of used titles. Sony has to sell the games with the intent of making a profit, which is different from Gamestop just trying to get old used crap out of its stores.
You later say that unless it is an innovative machine you wont buy it? "it is a gaming console..... not a tablet, not a computer, not a terrible 90's arcade system that uou jump around and use motion sensors"
So you would buy a crappy arcade system? Im sorta lost on your argument here in particular.
Lastly, you say that theres no point in getting the new consoles because even though they are more powerful, developers are not pushing the limits. "They use lower polycounts on their characters, different shaders for quality renders." The reason they use lower poly counts and things of the like is to save resources either to streamline development or have the console run the game as efficiently as possible, which would be due to hardware limitations, not developer laziness or w/e you're implying. Also you cannot really blame hardware developers for lack of software that pushes their systems. Developers at least need the option of doing the best work they can possibly do. In my opinion I think its better for them to have the technology and not need it, rather than them need it and not have it.
It really comes down to what gets released for it. Like you said, its a GAME console first and foremost, so if the games for it suck, then we as consumers reserve the right to not purchase it. But as a business, Sony sorta does have the right to release whatever they want especially if it does push the boundaries even a bit over what the ps3 is capable of.
-
Alpha2
- 12:31pm EST - February 13th, 2013
- 10
If we dont even have the ability to play the Downloadable titles from the PSN store, this will be a major fail, and I'm not talking about them re-releasing Fat Princess fo PS4 and asking us to pay 2 dollars for the upgrade, I mean straight up the downloads we get for PS3 should work on PS4 or they can consider me a lost sale. I'd already prepared myself for the potential cluster-eff of no PS3 backwards compatibility but if what EA is claiming here is what people think the consumer WANTS in their house then they've forgotten how to ASK the consumer what he wants, either that or they've forgotten what a game system is and frankly don't want to be in the games industry, so we shouldn't be giving them money for what are increasingly becoming difficult to call game systems.
We have all these Devlopers screamign that we need new systems with more power, but with hardly any innovation in what makes a game enjoyable or fun. The upcomming Watchdogs game that everyone seems to think will be Next gen can still arguably be done on the current gen systems, You might lose a few layers of ambiant textureand the street might not look as wet after it rains but it would still be doable. Things like watching youtube and netflix are nice but they should only be considered extras, things you plop on the end of the list of features to spide up the pot, they shouldn't actually BE the pot! We're being forced to accept this potential BS generation jump based on what they want to sell us, not based on what we actually want to BUY.
-
masta_js |
masta_js- 2:28pm EST - February 13th, 2013
- 11
If i buy a PS4 it's gonna be for the new games ofcourse, if i really wanted to play old games over and over again i would be sticking with the console i have for now. Doesn't make sense for me to buy a new console to play most old games again, that would be a waste of my money. I mean i'm lookin foward always to what new tech Sony comes up with and how cool games are gonna be on the PS4. Killzone 4, Uncharted 4 or maybe a new LBP even and other games also. But we'll see soon on the 20th feb.
-
-
-
Gameoholic007 |
Demented007- 6:45pm EST - February 13th, 2013
- 14
It doesn't matter to me if there is BC on the PS4, im buying it for next gen gaming. Its funny, but at the same time pathetic, that if the next gen console doesn't have BC, some of you people cry like little girls, and you let that make up your decision on whether your going to buy the console within the first year of its release. Thats one good reason to KEEP your PS2's & PS3's if your still going to play those past gen games. O_O
Sony won't change their mind just because some of the Playstation users feel this way. Get use to it people. Times have changed, and so has gaming. (unfortunately) =)
-
jaynet333
- 8:39pm EST - February 13th, 2013
- 15
Since it sounds like the next gen Playstation is to be x86 based, instead of using the cell processor, there's no way it will be BC with PS3 games - at least not using the physical disc in the console itself. Perhaps Sony will be able to leverage Gaikai to bring some PS3 "classics" to the PS4, for an extra $$$, of course.
-
-
princevegeta1980
- 11:11am EST - February 14th, 2013
- 17
Didn't sony ALREADY confirm that PS4 won't have BC for PS3 games? Guess these guy's are living under a rock and only just came out, lol!
-
Allen Heffley
- 1:43pm EST - February 14th, 2013
- 18
I don't understand why Sony wouldn't do backwards compatability. Did they totally screw things up with the articture of PS3 that it's so different and now we can't have backwards compat. with PS1/PS2/PS3 forever? Sony invented backwards compatability. PS2 has more software than any other console and having a huge collection of old games to play on a new console is a huge bonus. Get rid of the old console, still play your old stuff and new stuff you aquire.
-
This will permanently ban this user and delete all associated comments. This action is irreversible, are you SURE you want to do this?!
