McClaud said:
I can tell you why console game makers are moving away from backwards compatability:
To make you buy all your old games over again
While it's not entirely Nintendo's fault (since cartridge games are obsolete and trying to make one Nintendo system accept all their old games would be impossible), it sort of starts there. One of the selling points of the Wii was you were going to be able to d/l all the old Nintendo games from an online store and play them on the Wii. Live was starting to understand the concept of what a huge money-maker that could be, so they jumped on that bandwagon (why make a patch for Fable when you can just get the owner to buy a version that works flawlessly - in theory - on the 360?). Sony totally realized the potential to make mad money that way, so they were able to completely validate their taking b/c out of their PS3.
Be prepared to see future consoles have absolutely no backwards compatability. This way, the system can force you to buy all your games again for the new one (if you are that hooked on old games, that is). PlayStation Network is already prepping to sell you all the oldies for the PS2, and it aggravates me that due to my company's business, I have made it possible.
This is what I fear too, and it's my main gripe with the Playstation Network allowing me to rebuy games I already own. Now, I can understand charging for what Capcom has done with SFII and MvsCII in making them high def and online capable (if not a few other features). That I can see being a feature worth charging a nominal fee for. But basically copy/pasting the disk onto a download network and saying "buy it again because we're not giving you the ability to do this with your own games" Well, that's where I take issue. Companies should be doing one of three things:
1. Do what Capcom is doing and released updated versions of old games. I would pay money to have the old Armored Cores released in the new engine (or as downloadable addons to the existing games).
2. Release a tool to let you upload your own catalogue to your harddrive. This is iffy, but really, it's not like they will lose money by doing this. Plus it's not like people can go completely crazy and upload all of their games and their friends' games and Blockbusters' games too...not enough harddrive space and all that.
3. Release the old games as free downloads or as packages with new games. Promote your franchises/series/company.
Of all of them, 1 is my optimum choice, as having the games updated for the current gen makes sense, and makes a lot of games playable. Companies now are looking to rip off the consumer rather than working with them for a Better Gaming Tomorrow(TM). If that keeps going, we could look at another video game crash. I wish I could say that companies were smarter than that, but no one looks to the future, only immediate cash in hand, and that's where this failure is.
