Official Explanation of Backwards Compatibility on 360

[True Poet]

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

Current-gen Xbox games to be "recompiled" for Xbox 360

Following earlier indications that the Xbox 360 will only be backwards compatible with some Xbox games, Microsoft has admitted that existing software will need to be recompiled before it can be run on the new console.

The problem, it says, is down to hardware incompatibility - since the current Xbox uses an Intel processor, but the 360 will use IBM's PowerPC architecture, while NVIDIA's graphics solution is being replaced with an ATI one.

As many commentators have pointed out over the last few months, this means backwards compatibility problems. The solution Microsoft has reached is apparently to recompiled current-gen Xbox games so that they can be played on the 360. First on the list, it says, are the best-selling Halo titles.

The news has raised more questions than it answers, however, as it suggests that gamers may need to purchase titles they already own in order to play them on an Xbox 360 - and almost certainly means that only a sub-set of Xbox games will ever be playable on the new console.

Sony and Nintendo have already confirmed that their next-gen consoles - the PS3 and Revolution - will play all the games in their respective back catalogues, offering consumers a huge choice of titles at launch. Microsoft was unavailable for comment at the time of writing.

We expected the obvious problems which would arise from B/C to a completely different architecture, so now it is a bit easier to see what was meant with providing this feature for "best-selling titles". This also fits with some of the points Siren was alluding to back before the unveiling, if I'm not mistaking?

[watashi]

Meaning, it's a re-release on another console.

[ReCnaLz]

This news must really suck for current xbox gamers. I mean having to re-buy games that was very popular on the current xbox just to play on xbox360...that just sucks. I guess most xbox players will either have both xbox and xbox360 consoles at their home.s

If this news is true which seems like it is, wouldn't xbox game sales go downhill from either now or when xbox360 is launched?

[siren]

Umm, you can believe me or not on this one, but so far when it comes to the Xbox360 my fact have held true.

MS is working amazingly hard to make the 360 backwards compatible. They had very heated debates leading up to E3 about whether or not to announce it. They spent almost a year now working on just that feature. Being able to put in your current Xbox discs and play them on the 360.

They have it working. Are there bugs yet? Of course. Will they get them all fixed by launch? Most likely not. But that is a large part of the reason why they are focusing on the top sellers.

1) The top titles will work. This means that if your title sold anything reasonable and didn't end up in the bargin bin within a month of being released, it will most likely work.

2) Even if they haven't guarenteed it to work, it may just work. There are a finite number of things games can do with hardware. Usually the best selling games do the craziest stuff. They go out of their way to get the most out of the hardware. Thus, the theory goes, that if you get the top selling games to work, over 90% of the remaining will flawlessly.

3) MS is building their BW compat engine to be upgradable. After launch they will continue to test games and make them work. People will be able to report flaws in games. MS will fix the flaws and add support for additional titles over time. Hopefully hitting near 100% backward compat within a year or 2 tops. The updates will be available over Xbox Live Silver for free and in retail stores for something like $5. The updates may even be included on 1st party titles for free.

So how is Sony and Nintendo getting such better BW compat?

The PS3 is a significantly larger leap over the PS2 than the Xbox360 is over the Xbox. Thus there are less performance related issues. They need less optomizing to get the games to work right.

The revolution is basically a GC running at higher clock speeds. This, all they do is clock down everything and GC games play fine. No work involved for the most part.

[TheSpinningCube]

If they need to re-compile games to work on xbox 360, that's not proper backwards compatability.

[evanft]

Yeah. BC, to me, is taking the old disc and putting it in the system and playing it like I would on an Xbox.

But that's very good to hear, siren, that they've tried really hard to get BC working. It's a great feature, and I don't see how you can't have it when there are a lot of great Xbox games coming out this year.

It would just not make a lot of business sense to abandon a huge back-catalogue. I mean, in the first few months of the system, there are probably going to be about half a dozen games worth playing (Kameo, PDZ, Oblivion, Gears of War, PGR3 come to mind), but there are about 18 Xbox games worth playing. There are also a lot of great older Xbox titles, not all of which were best sellers. Now, to me, if I'm going to be spending my money on a new console this holiday season, why should I pay $300-$400 for a 360, and a couple hundered more on games, when for that much money I can get an Xbox and a bunch of great games, especially if I mine the discounted titles (of which there will likely be many after the 360 launches). But adding BC will allow me to go ahead and get 360 AND the great Xbox games coming out later this year.

As a side not here, I plan on buying an XBox+games sometime around the 360 launch as a lot of people will be looking to raise money for a 360, make room, etc. Retailers will also be likely to have big time sales on Xbox games.

[luxurys]

New Armored Core 4 Details
By: Justin Pinter

Recently PSU had the chance to Q&A Patrick Riley, one of the lead producers behind Armored Core 4. New details were given on everything from online mutliplayer modes to features in customizing your monster mech.

Highlights from the Interview:

- Story takes place 10 years after the first Armored Core
- Armored Core 4 will be using a proprietary engine that supports 720p, 480p widescreen and 480p HD output.
- AC4 will utilize downloadable content for future updates/patches
- Intra-regional multiplayer so players in the US can take on players in Japan
- Tons of customablity for your mech including; boosters, leg types, Primal Armor, and weapons.

You can read the full interview here for even more information. From the sounds of it, Armored Core 4 will be a definite buy for PS3 owners.

Armored Core 4 will be a definite buy for PS3 owners.

Sounds too much like PR talk, IMO. Don't get too comfortable with those guys. I'd mention how badly ALL the other Armored Core games played.

[ps3 Wanna be]

Whoops I went live just after Seb I think. I deleted mine and made a few alterations to Seb's, like removing the word "Recently" and removing the last sentence.

Justin, you seem to start a lot of your articles with "Recently". Try not to do that.

Live!