Maybe there's some statistical evidence to back up his statement.
Doesn't make the guy any less of a **** though.
Doesn't make the guy any less of a **** though.
Microsoft Exec: "If You're Backwards Compatible, You're Really Backwards"
- Thread starter The Wooster
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Their numbers are running off of last generation's console, which if memory serves, did not constantly break down, shit themselves, or explode, like the PS3 and 360-mostly the 360-often do. Unlike my PS2, I know I cannot count on the 360 to stick around for years upon years to come, and therefore, yes, I would definitely play last generation's games on a backwards compatible console, because chances are the console I play them on currently will cease to function properly in the following few years, and then all of my current 360 gaming library will be worth nothing to me but taking up space on my shelf.Grey Carter said:Microsoft Exec: "If You're Backwards Compatible, You're Really Backwards"
Microsoft's Don Mattrick reckons only five percent of customers play games from previous generations on their new consoles.
The Xbox One, or "Xbone" as it has now been dubbed by the public, won't be natively backwards compatible with 360 games, disc-based or otherwise. This is a great disappointment to some, especially given that yesterday's announcement event was light on anything even resembling an actual game, but Microsoft's Head of Interactive Entertainment Business, Don Mattrick (whose ruggedly handsome countenance can be seen to the right), isn't bothered.
"If you're backwards compatible, you're really backwards," he told the Wall Street Journal.
After dropping that incendiary comment, Mattrick got into the numbers. According to him, only five percent of customers play previous-generation games on new gaming systems. Since the Xbone uses a CPU fundamentally different from the one in the 360, backwards compatibility would require either software emulation (as with the later PS3 models), or a separate set of last-gen hardware in the Xbone box (as with the earlier PS3 models). Given that price is likely to be a huge factor in the coming race, it's easy to see why Microsoft elected to drop backwards compatibility. It's worth noting that Sony has apparently done the same with the upcoming PS4.
So, is backwards compatibility such a huge deal? From a raw, money-driven perspective, it doesn't seem to be. Social media research firm, Fizziology, claims its surveys of potential Xbone customers indicates only 12% would be put off by a lack of backwards compatibility. A greater concern is whether or not we'll be able to play current-gen games a decade or two down the line. The consoles of the 8-bit and 16-bit eras have survived to date mostly because they're solid slabs of circuitry. At consoles get more and more complex, their failure rates have gone up exponentially. The original 360 model is certainly proof of that.
Source: Wall Street Journal [http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/05/22/microsoft-and-sony-diverge-on-gaming-cloud/]
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Hats off to Microsoft for trying to pretend their systems don't have a track record of dying an early death due to faulty craftsmanship.
If he's talking about original Xbox games being downloadable from the Arcade, that's just lunacy. You cannot base numbers of downloads for old games if, like me, people don't want to fork over money to re-buy an old game they already own. I wouldn't download a PS2 game on the Playstation Network just to play it on the PS3 because I have two working PS2's and already have a physical, working copy of the game. If my PS2's both suddenly died, I might buy the PS3 download of it...
...Wait a minute.
Oh, shit, that's Microsoft's plan. They're going to wait awhile, then throw up Platinum Xbox360 Hits on Xbone Live when everyone's 360's finally break down. You sly bastards.
Alright from the top of the list:Orks da best said:
Shut off instantly? No. But slowly servers will go down, support will go down, and games will stop being released for it.
Seeing as you are talking about a 360 it is pretty bold to claim it will be perfectly fine unless you treat it like crap
"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?
From a hardware perspective it is NOT that difficult. Well not as much as they are claiming anyway. The whole "the technology is too different" is just an excuse, as they can emulate it. Computers have been doing it for quite a few years. The PS2 had full compatibility. The Wii U does it. The 3DS does it. Computers even emulate pretty much every last gen system and earlier.
And lastly why am I playing older games on a new console? Because believe it or not there's some really good games out. Not every game gets a sequel on the new console, and not every sequel is better. I own Shogun 2 and still like to launch up Rome, Medieval 2, and Empire. So am I backwards for enjoying the differences in them? Or am I backwards for playing the new ones since I enjoy the old ones? Maybe I'm backwards because I think a game console should focus on games, and not my freaking T.V. I already have a cable box.
But the WiiU DOES have backwards compatibility. The problem for them is that people don't even realize that it's a whole new console!rofltehcat said:
I don't really care if the next one is backwards compatible because they would probably fuck it up worse than they did with the Xbox 360 which made a lot of my games incompatible. In any case that is a catastrophically stupid thing for someone to say.
this is bolshizm when the ps3 cam out i only played ps2 and 1 games on it for about a year and a half because there were very few good games on launch and i was still waiting for my bank account to catch up to the price of the new generations games.
additionally. there is nothing wrong with the old games whats wrong is this idea that we need to upgrade to somehting different every five years. a PC is still a PC ten years down the line you can make it better but you dont need a new product.
this allong with the HDTV being nessisary means i'll skip this noise
additionally. there is nothing wrong with the old games whats wrong is this idea that we need to upgrade to somehting different every five years. a PC is still a PC ten years down the line you can make it better but you dont need a new product.
this allong with the HDTV being nessisary means i'll skip this noise
Like, seriously, I could be a better spokes person for games companies than what people at Nintendo, MS and Sony hire. I'm in the wrong job.
Honestly, why would you think of saying that without knowing full well it's not going to go down well with the public?
Honestly, why would you think of saying that without knowing full well it's not going to go down well with the public?
On a console it doesn't bother me, since I can buy an old gen console on the cheap. But someone out there has very limited space for multiple consoles, & it will give him a limp Xboner. (I know...I shouldn't have...but I couldn't resist).
However, the backwards compatibility of the Nintendo 3DS was a serious boon for me. Think about it...You have backwards compatibility, you can continue to sell & make profit off of old games.
However, the backwards compatibility of the Nintendo 3DS was a serious boon for me. Think about it...You have backwards compatibility, you can continue to sell & make profit off of old games.
I mean how much of dumb-a** can some one be??Tank207 said:
Congratulations Mr. Mattrick, you just kicked up a hornet's nest.
This should be an interesting show.
"If you're backwards compatible, you're really backwards."
Not pictured: Don Mattrick high-fiving himself.
Not pictured: Don Mattrick high-fiving himself.
These guys seem to think that their customers actually work for them...like employees. That whatever bullshit they want to drizzle down our collective throats, we have to take...because...um...because! After all, what are you going to do? *Not* get it?
Yeah, no one plays old games. That must be why GOG.com went out of business and Nintendo never developed that whole Virtual Console idea and Sega hasn't made any money on those collections of old Genesis games.
As long as we're indulging in inflammatory spin to try to make people feel insecure for wanting things the product you're selling doesn't have, Mattrick, howzabout this: The console you're selling will be a piece of outdated crap in five years when you and yours try to sell us another one. Assuming there's no red-ring-of-death equivalent to make that lifespan overly optimistic.
So, hey, why bother? Let's just wait for XBox 2, when they'll try even harder to convince you you're hopelessly out of touch for wanting features they don't offer and insecure and entitled for being angry that it wants to be sure your DNA matches before turning on.
Short form:
HEY! PR PEOPLE! YOU ARE NOT DOING YOUR JOBS WHEN YOUR COMPANIES' EXECUTIVES MANAGE TO RELEASE STATEMENTS THAT MAKE SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OF YOUR CUSTOMERS SCREAM '#%$@ YOU' AT THEIR SCREENS! GET ON THAT, WILL YOU?
As long as we're indulging in inflammatory spin to try to make people feel insecure for wanting things the product you're selling doesn't have, Mattrick, howzabout this: The console you're selling will be a piece of outdated crap in five years when you and yours try to sell us another one. Assuming there's no red-ring-of-death equivalent to make that lifespan overly optimistic.
So, hey, why bother? Let's just wait for XBox 2, when they'll try even harder to convince you you're hopelessly out of touch for wanting features they don't offer and insecure and entitled for being angry that it wants to be sure your DNA matches before turning on.
Short form:
HEY! PR PEOPLE! YOU ARE NOT DOING YOUR JOBS WHEN YOUR COMPANIES' EXECUTIVES MANAGE TO RELEASE STATEMENTS THAT MAKE SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OF YOUR CUSTOMERS SCREAM '#%$@ YOU' AT THEIR SCREENS! GET ON THAT, WILL YOU?
I can't understand why oh why an MS executive would ever come up with an approach like this? It isn't even a matter of whether or not the console is backwards compatable. But please treat your customers like adults, or at the very least intelligent people.
When faced with the same exact question, SONY put forth a perfectly valid answer. They politely explained that while they would have liked to be able to do that, the change in core architecture made emulation problematic. They explained why Cell Processor games would have issues on the x86 console. We might not have liked the fact that we could not play our PS3 games on the PS4, but SONY at least treated us respectfully. They told us exactly why in an intelligent adult manner. We can respect that.
But this? Dear gods? Why not try simply urinating on your customers? MS basically called us all backwards losers. It's not hip to want to play your old games once your 360 RROD's for the last time. Come give us more money. No don't ask that question! Only 5% of LOSERS ask that question.
Is SONY actually paying these MS execs under the table? I mean they can't actually be this stupid could they? someone has to be bribing them?
When faced with the same exact question, SONY put forth a perfectly valid answer. They politely explained that while they would have liked to be able to do that, the change in core architecture made emulation problematic. They explained why Cell Processor games would have issues on the x86 console. We might not have liked the fact that we could not play our PS3 games on the PS4, but SONY at least treated us respectfully. They told us exactly why in an intelligent adult manner. We can respect that.
But this? Dear gods? Why not try simply urinating on your customers? MS basically called us all backwards losers. It's not hip to want to play your old games once your 360 RROD's for the last time. Come give us more money. No don't ask that question! Only 5% of LOSERS ask that question.
Is SONY actually paying these MS execs under the table? I mean they can't actually be this stupid could they? someone has to be bribing them?
Yeah guys, if you want to play our prior (and huge) library of VIDEO GAMES on this VIDEO GAME CONSOLE, you must be really backwards!
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Now, see how you can play TV on your xbox now!!!! TV!! ...COLOR TV!!! CABLE TV!!!!
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Now, see how you can play TV on your xbox now!!!! TV!! ...COLOR TV!!! CABLE TV!!!!
Microsoft has some of the most intellectual staff i have ever seen,i bet if they wrote a philosophy book it would be deeper than the final level of Dig Dug
I think Microsoft just made me change my views on life,now,instead of playing the Ds Castlevanias on my 3ds,i'm going to get the newer Castlevania that has quicktime events and no jump kicks,and instead of using my Vita almost exclusively to play the psp version of Guilty Gear XX^C+,i'm going to download the vita version that has a smaller screen and no net play!
Was the full version of Mirror of Fate good?,i tried out the demo and didn't like it
I think Microsoft just made me change my views on life,now,instead of playing the Ds Castlevanias on my 3ds,i'm going to get the newer Castlevania that has quicktime events and no jump kicks,and instead of using my Vita almost exclusively to play the psp version of Guilty Gear XX^C+,i'm going to download the vita version that has a smaller screen and no net play!
Was the full version of Mirror of Fate good?,i tried out the demo and didn't like it
Man, this has been a problem that hardware manufacturers simply cannot and will not accepts since 1982 and the Atari 5200. Not having backwards compatibility is like saying to your customers, "Know that library of games you bought for the previous Xbox because you are a loyal Microsoft customer? Well, fuck you. Maybe if you're good we'll release them as a download so you can buy that game again."
They can make all the pretty speeches and arguments and excuses they want. This is what it feels like on the receiving end. If they don't at least acknowledge this, they don't deserve anymore customers.
They can make all the pretty speeches and arguments and excuses they want. This is what it feels like on the receiving end. If they don't at least acknowledge this, they don't deserve anymore customers.
We're also eight years INTO this console generation.
I don't play games from 2004 often, because I have more recent games. And those old ones? I have a PC for that.
I don't play games from 2004 often, because I have more recent games. And those old ones? I have a PC for that.