Microsoft Exec: "If You're Backwards Compatible, You're Really Backwards"

[mirasiel]

*Looks up from playing Baldurs Gate, System Shock 2 and Ufo:Enemy unknown*

Yeah, who ever wants to play their old games...pfft losers.

 

[Little Gray]

Only five percent of customers play previous-generation games on new gaming systems.

Okay, let's do some math. 77.2 million Xbox 360s sold worldwide. Even assuming a third of them are replacements or a household's second console, that still leaves 51.46 million users. That means Microsoft is pissing off a solid 2.57 million people. Just pause for a minute and think of how many of those people, knowing that whatever they get they won't be able to play their 360 games on it, will choose to buy a PS3 or Wii U instead. How much potential profit Is MS losing because of that? I can't say, but certainly enough not to ignore it.

It actually is a really interesting question. How many of that five percent actually care about backwards compatibility? When I had my old ps3 I used to play ps2 games on it but when I ended up getting a slim I didnt miss the lack of it in the slightest. It really makes me wonder how many people are of the same mind as me.

 

[cricket chirps]

Oh, Microsoft. You silly goose. Throwing your customers a bone is so 2001. Throwing them an Xbone, now - THAT'S the future!

I can't wait for sales numbers to start showing up.

Do you mean you can't wait for sales numbers to start showing down?

Nah, I mean sideways. #trollface

Yeah, I don't think they'll see more than the usual shooter and sports fans, in terms of audience.

Actually you are correct, if the world is just then their sales numbers will be sideways.

Just a straight line at zero.

 

[Covarr]

Only five percent of customers play previous-generation games on new gaming systems.

Okay, let's do some math. 77.2 million Xbox 360s sold worldwide. Even assuming a third of them are replacements or a household's second console, that still leaves 51.46 million users. That means Microsoft is pissing off a solid 2.57 million people. Just pause for a minute and think of how many of those people, knowing that whatever they get they won't be able to play their 360 games on it, will choose to buy a PS3 or Wii U instead. How much potential profit Is MS losing because of that? I can't say, but certainly enough not to ignore it.

It actually is a really interesting question. How many of that five percent actually care about backwards compatibility? When I had my old ps3 I used to play ps2 games on it but when I ended up getting a slim I didnt miss the lack of it in the slightest. It really makes me wonder how many people are of the same mind as me.

PS2 had pretty well stopped getting new games by the time PS3 Slim came out... hell, even when the first PS3 dropped backwards compatibility, it was already way slowed down. What both companies are doing this gen is to not have any BC to begin with, while the previous generation is still alive and well. I dunno how big a difference that makes, but it's not worth ignoring.

P.S. Thanks

 

[Adventurer2626]

Then I am the most backwoods yokel you'll ever meet. Granted I mostly PC but I do enjoy old console games. I want to be able to enjoy them still even after the original console warranty has fossilized in the ground. Remake collections or backwards compatibility: your choose.

 

[Arqus_Zed]

According to him, only five percent of customers play previous-generation games on new gaming systems.

... That's because the current gen doesn't allow you to play many of them.

Yes, there are some that work, and yes there were some crappy HD remakes, but the vast majority of Xbox games didn't work on the 360, and the PS3 ironed out backwards compatibility in later versions.

If the entire Xbox library had been available on the 360, I am certain that the number would be more than 5%.

This.

Plus, some of the PS2-games I tried to play on my PS3 (mainly RPGs) caused some weird glitches to pop up - glitches I did not have while playing them on a PS2. (i.e.: Lucifer's Call crashing at random moments, the graphics in Digital Devil Saga looking more blurry, Persona save dates that just randomly disappear - talk about a heart attack.)

That, plus the fact that a PS2 boots up quicker than a PS3, actually made me go out and buy a new PS2 Slim.

 

[DanDanikov]

Can you imagine if they did with the PC? 'Windows 8 is not backwards compatible, not even with emulation' it would be total outrage.

Microsoft are really testing the waters of what they can get away with in the console market- I don't doubt there is a core market that has enough money to not care about being milked over and over again with annual releases of rehashed games overpriced, cheap, shake-down day-1 DLCs and season passes. The question is whether it's viable to totally alienate everyone outside of that (maybe it is!). There might be a market for TV/Sports/Call of Dury orientated players only.

 

[Frotality]

you know the funny thing about these surveys is that through lack of perpetual internet connection, rentals, borrowed games, and just plain s**t that uploaded account data cannot know, you really have no f**king clue how interested people are in backwards compatibility because only a very small percent of gamers actually complete surveys and the rest is guesswork.

i would say just come out and say you cant make money off of games people already have, since you seem perfectly content to publicly insult the very concept, your not going to sell s**t on that joke of a console either way.

 

[Snotnarok]

The comment just is idiotic, there's nothing to back the statement up. Only ____% play older games on their new gen consoles? Okay that's because 5% are supported by Xbox 360 and the new PS3's don't support that at all, so that's a bogus number to begin with.
The lack of backwards compatibility hurts a console because people want to buy the new one right? But they don't always want to part with a their library of games from the current gen and if you sell the current system you can put it toward the new one. Well, not having this compatibility really makes me (and others assumed) not want to upgrade because now you don't have that extra credit for the console, you would lack your games and the launch titles are always crap & to top it off $65 per game and now of course for the Xbone $65 for a USED GAME it's going to make buying the console a larger investment.

I think the proof that BC is a thing people adore is the mass of games on GOG & Steam that people buy and swear by, games going back to the 80's that can be still played with a bit of fiddling...games people are still playing. So what's the counter statement? Some people like to move on to the next game and not look back, okay, a lot of others don't and I know those who've said this years later regretted it and wanted to play the game again. Derp derp.

 

[Rossmallo]

My. Fucking. God.

I'm utterly certain that he is just outright trying to piss people off now. You cannot be this utterly stupid and cruel by accident. I refuse to beleive that.

 

[Gray Firion]

Hmm, wasn't going to buy a Xbone to start with, but statements like these... How about some examples?

Here's one. I was a Sony fan, from PS1 to PS3. Bought my PS3 early, one of those that had Backwards Compatibility, so I gave my PS2 away to a family member. Then it broke, and the replacement didn't have BC because, despite the warranty, Sony no longer had any with BC. So I stopped being a Sony fan because they didn't fulfill their own contract with me, the costumer.

Now the PS4 is coming, and while I think it's a good console, I'm not impressed nor will I buy it. Why? You guessed it. No BC.

I have FF XII, Resident Evil 4, Kingdom Hearts, Devil May Cry 3 and 1, Tekken 5, and more games I like that I can't play because I don't have the console that plays them. I'd much rather replace my PS2 or buy a high end PC for emulation and future gaming than buy one of these consoles.

I'm backwards for wanting Backwards Compatibility? Well, gee, I'm sorry. But guess what? I'm very sure the past generations have better stories and games than your current and next console ever will. I can tell, I was there. Get off your high horse and stop downright INSULTING your costumers. Maybe your fall wont be as high then.

 

[saintdane05]

Q: Is Xbox One backward compatible?

A: #DealWithIt

Q: What about used games?

A: #SuckItUp

Q: I don't have reliable Internet

A: Move

 

[Evil Smurf]

*sigh*

Is being a dick a requirement of an executive?

 

[Orekoya]

You can of course try them yourself; risk getting viruses or other malware and find out that they don't work the hard way.

Okay! *pokes and prods the internet right up until he realizes he wasn't a console gamer since he opted to build a gaming pc this generation thus has no ps3/360 games to even test this with* Crap. Well, to be fair and not sound like a troll, the only promising emulator I saw was still in alpha so I concede: third party developers trying to emulate this console generation is in its infancy and certainly do have a ways to go. But that would bring me to the next point:

You'll find out that I'm not the only one saying that we're a good decade away of having the power necessary to emulate those consoles. There still will be the problem of actually programming them (no small task) and potentially getting sued by Sony/MS.

When discussing the hurdles of emulating a previous console on the next console, it would be prudent to note that Sony/MS would be the ones developing it, not outsiders trying to jury rig it, and would have the resources to do this in the most effective manner while limiting the intensive processing requirements. They just don't seem to want to even try - not that I can blame them. The general attitude I've read here and other places: even those that want it thinks that if they can't get it 100% right the first attempt then they shouldn't even try and frankly how could they possibly be able to test emulating their entire library for launch.

 

[badgersprite]

I estimate that 100% of Microsoft Execs regularly pull statistics out of their asses.

Let's be real, the whole reason the XBone isn't backwards compatible is because they want you to use the online store to pay for Xbox 360 games as digital downloads instead of using the dics you already bought. There's your answer.

 

[Strazdas]

"Wait to buy it again" is what you really said there. And what happens if your old consoles stops working? What happens if you need to trade it in because you are on a budget and just can't quite afford the new one without it?

really? thats your argument? i cant afford it so they must make it work cheaper? how about you cant afford then dont buy it? are they forcing you to buy it with a gun to your head or something? if you cant afford it, your not the person they care about to begin with. why is that so hard to grasp for 90% of people here?

Considering a large chunk of gamers are in their 20s and either starting their lives or in college, yes. As a company their goal is trying to please their consumers (well apparently not, but it's supposed to be) and that includes knowing that a big chunk of your consumers has a budget. Good for you that you're well enough off that it isn't an issue, but hey we aren't all so lucky.

P.S. to both you sorry if you get multiple notifications I had a double post and things got funky

the average age of a gamer is 30 [http://www.geekquality.com/average-gamer-myth/], dropped from 37 when a new generation got into gaming widely. If by 30 (or 37 by older data) you are still in college without any tangible income then the problem lies with you.
ALL consumers has a budget, does not mean i msut make it cheaper because somone cannot afford something. I am doing my masters degree in university, and i also work fulltime. over 50% of my earnings go to unviersity fees. the amount of moeny i get to spend after al lexpenses are around 100 dollars a month. and im not complaining, because i know that this console wont be worth buying at launch anyway. noone forces me to buy it so i wont. the only issue is the one you create yourself by thiknig that you must buy it. you dont.

 

[deadish]

Is it me or are MS executives hell bend on driving away their potential customers by insulting them?

 

[EstrogenicMuscle]

Oh come on, I know that x86 is the the way to go and PowerPC hasn't been viable in years. Technology moves forward and all that, sometimes backwards compatibility has to be sacrificed for innovation. AMD gave a deal that IBM-Motorola would never be able to match.

But for goodness sake this is the worst logic and the worst statement ever. Backwards compatibility is super nice and super important. And least PCs attempt backwards compatibility. A pretty huge portion of Windows XP games are playable on Windows 7. And Windows 8, too, I think. I can certainly play Final Fantasy XI on any modern PC.

Loads of people play old games. And I understand why we need to move to x86. There's only two games in town, x86 and ARM. Even the 3DS is using ARM technology. The same applies to big systems like the PlayStation. But for goodness sakes. This is just insulting to everyone who likes their XBOX 360 games.

Microsoft are just destroying themselves right now. And with as good as Windows 8 is, someone should just buy out DirectX from Microsoft, steam some of their talent and hire them for an Ubuntu development team. Maybe Valve and Google could work together on some new Chrome OS that is a mixture between Ubuntu and Android. Together, Valve and and Google could work on a PC operating system that would give Microsoft a run for their money.

Steam Chrome Ubuntu with DirectX and perfected Wine that does everything Windows does. I'd buy it. Microsoft is doing terrible right now. And if I didn't have so much invested into their architecture I'd jump ship. Linux is getting better and better all the time.

 

[Dale Ware]

Thats just dumb... Backwards compatibility enhances your launch line-up, hell, it enhances your line up till you get half way thru the console life cycle... i don't see why its not more prevalent on all consoles, the Wii did it right, as did any gameboy up to i think the advance? or did that one run original gameboy games?