
Earlier this month, we learnt via internal Microsoft emails that Xbox has recently set up a new team dedicated entirely to game preservation - building on its "strong history of delivering backwards compatibility" to players on its platform.
While the leaked memo doesn't contain much minute detail, we're very glad to hear about more of this sort of thing going on at Xbox HQ - the back compat team worked wonders with Xbox Series X and S! But, is there anything specific you'd like to see the team look at this time around?
It sounds like Xbox's new efforts are a much more all-encompassing thing this time out - looking more broadly at game preservation in the industry and how that's shaping up moving forward. Still, the compatibility team has delivered on some great initiatives this generation — like FPS Boost and Xbox Series S enhancements — so we're quite excited about more of those initiatives coming along with the next Xbox console.
One thing we'd love to see is a blanket enhancement for previous-gen games - sort of like how all backwards compatible OG Xbox games have bumped resolution figures on modern consoles. It'd be amazing if, say, every Xbox One game ran at 4K or something on the next Xbox console! It's always good to see our existing libraries get better and better as more powerful hardware arrives.
So, where do you fall on this? Do you simply want more Xbox classics to become backwards compatible in the future, or do programs like FPS Boost and similar initiatives excite you more?
Talk about what you'd like to see from Xbox's new 'game preservation' team down below.
Comments 61
I'd love to see even more titles become backwards compatible.
Just know that whatever game I buy digitally will be playable on whatever gaming options there are. I can't see them 'preserving' physical media as that is 'locked' to a physical box - I just want the 'best' version to be playable on any platform if I bought it...
If I recall, somewhere around 60 OG Xbox games are playable on the One and Series X and S, and a couple of 360 games are not backwards compatible, so hopefully they can get across some legal hurdles and have a couple older games join the backwards compatible library!
I absolutely love playing retro/old games, so I am very glad they are making a comeback to game preservation and backwards compatibility after what they said a few years ago. I wish a couple more studios and companies did the same too!
1. Implement local multiplayer on older titles where it may not have been possible at the time of their release, but is certainly possible with modern hardware.
2. Port older titles in Microsoft's back-catalogue and their subsidiaries' back-catalogue to Xbox consoles (with full gamepad support) that may not have been released for any Xbox console originally, eg: The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, Quake III Arena, etc.
3. Maintain existing (and expanded) backwards-compatability with all future iterations of the Xbox console.
More backwards compatible games please please please. More OG XBox games like Dino Crisis, Sudeki, Jet Set Radio Future...
I also wouldn't say no to more 360 classics like Stranglehold or Sonic 2006.
Hopefully when the Xbox One is abandoned they can start adding new backwards compatible titles that work on X/S but wouldn't on the One.
I don't care about FPS, I just want more backward compatible games.
Love to see older games upscaled to 4k 60fps. Hoping the next gen Xbox has those type of upscaling features that can do it on the fly without lengthly development costs to remaster.
Everything lol. More backwards compatible titles, more games utilizing fps boost, higher resolutions, auto HDR… bring it all!!!
I always enjoying to play old xbox games on newer xbox consoles with higher resolution and with smoother frame-rates.
I also appreciate the effort, when I am playing these preserved games.
Much appreciated...
Digital library on pc app!!! Also on cloud streaming. Steam doesn't have the "play anywhere" slogan but does it much better than Xbox does.
I think this team is more about future proofing the games and not something that the consumers will really notice. Like ensuring the currently available games run on the rumored switch to arm chipsets. I really doubt they formed a team to bring older games that aren't currently available to xbox, they already went down that path and did what they legally could. (Maybe 1 or 2 abk games come but not something that requires a whole new team)
Isn’t there something to do with the licensing ?
That is the biggest problem in bringing games to the BC program.
Music license , brands , characters ….. now , all of that is licensed for a set amount of time or is console specific or something. To preserve those games they will need to work out a way that these licenses are ongoing , for as long as that game is playable , on what generation of consoles that may be.
More BC games when possible. There are still a number of games that are locked old systems.
1. cast iron forwards compatibility for all my digital purchases...
2. PGR4 playable, haha! well, I can dream...
I think that all games should be able to get all achievements even if the multiplayer mode has been removed. Also older titles that are only available on the x360 should be played on the x1 or better. At the very least digital titles should be available on newer consoles. Even if games aren't 100% compatible I wouldn't see a problem.
Like others have said: more backwards compatible games! For instance, Spacemarine would be nice since the sequel is coming out soon.
Just more of what Xbox has been doing since the BC program started. It’s the best BC console on the market and I love that they take that aspect of a console seriously. I play older games all the time. So add more games to the BC program, even if that means working out new licensing contracts for things like music. Keep upgrading older games using things like fps boost and resolution improvements. And on and on and on.
Basically, do what you have been doing just take it to the next level. It’s one of my favorite aspects of Xbox these days.
More games backwards compatible is the big one. Would also love to see attemps to bring back delisted games like Spec Ops, Enchanted Arms, etc. The biggest one though is some kind of guarantee that digital games will always be redownloadable and can't be taken away.
That last one would be tough to implement with 3rd party games but even that with just first party titles would be a good start.
Jade Empire in widescreen is all I want.
Stick with a disc drive, get the old games out of the Activision basement, make them forwards compatible so a new console can read the discs.
Better game preservation going forward primarily
1. Making sure games continue to run on future Xbox / PC hardware as long as possible. Consider a future Xbox handheld for example.
2. Progressive enhancement for older games on newer hardware like higher resolutions (X-enhanced), higher frame rates (FPS Boost) and other enhancements similar to auto-HDR.
3. Possibly more older games being backwards compatible - currently only a small percentage of OG Xbox and X360 games are backwards compatible - but honestly I think this ship sailed.
Kind of niche, but I want to be able to upload my old games and original save files to digital.
I would totally jump back into fable 1 if I could pick up from my original save file.
Resolution priority fps secondary but both should really be achieved with the hardware available for 360 at least 4k 60fps series s/x
More backwoods compatibility. A bunch of my old 360 games still aren't playable on modern systems. I would like to play them as time goes on. I've had a bunch of system disc drives fail, I can't keep buying older system to play games I love.
1.Not call it game preservation because we know licenses limit things so stop lying to us.
Widescreen would be nice. The few games I've seen with widescreen like PS2 Legend of Spyro New Beginning surprised me (used to own the Xbox version not anymore and it's not BC so I could never pick it up when I did see OG Xbox copies as don't own an OG Xbox yet). However many games on OG Xbox that have already widescreen, better widescreen than fake/not well implemented widescreen. But those that never did would be nice. I don't mind 4:3 but sometimes 16:9 or 16:10 look nice with some HUDs/games view.
Also 2025 360 clock can they patch that or something or does it just tick over to 2026 but it doesn't actually matter like the 2000/2038 Y2K it's just something else. If PS2 has 2100 or 2099 why wouldn't I question the 360's clock/date options.
Also besides the 360 eshop going what about the 360 OG Xbox list being apparently 63 out of 998 even though the other source on Wikipedia says (obviously salt taken than believeable) being 462 of 988 which I swear in a video I saw it was 1001 so whatever the accuracy actually is right now and also not a typo of 988 than 998.
That's internet based too and with updates. I want Xbox to answer me THAT. But no one seems to ask that question yet they know how the current BC works. I mean maybe they don't think about it/care for OG Xbox games but I mean as if the 51 or so OG Xbox games list on current gen is actually good compared to half the library on BC for 360.
Or the 633 of 2155 according to Wikipedia (however much of the service actually it has and not removed since) or not as much of 360 games even if some digital Indies on a disk are safe and usable on One/Series BC like Limbo, Trial HD, Splosion Man, or the Xbox Live arcade disk with Pacman Championship Edition, Boom Boom Rocket an EA classic and others but not UNO you need the 8th gen version of that not the 7th gen version. XD
I mean not everything is just Kinect, licensed sports/racing/music games there is many games that are one or two offs with no backwards compatibility at all. Why else would I buy up many dead PS3/360/Wii left behind shooters. They aren't all great but still. Those or many other genres games are left behind forever. Wii ones will always hence why not on many 3rd party publisher streaming services but even still. Some they just don't offer the 360/PC version for them. Because other IPs have more focus instead. Source code sure but reverse engineer it. We will wait for them like any other games reverse engineered by official devs to get them on modern platforms because they had no choice besides well the many remakes and tools overlaid on the originals say the Spyro Reignited trilogy way.
If that goes well there goes my PGR 1 & 2 or other games access then. Might as well besides getting a OG Xbox which I will eventually stick to PS3/Wii BC as it's hardware based not internet based/eshop based releases (Vita for PS1/PSP like Virtual Console).
If at it why don't they let us not need the disk for the digital. I can put it in but why can't I boot without the disk oh right licensing. I still have it sure but first time makes sense, EVERY TIME is just annoying. I get it for security/licensing/a hold over from customers/hackers and what not but even still. A bunch of reasons why they won't/can't.
Not everyone is distributing them we just want to play it after we have our disks. Some disks break I can't always have the license on the disk visible that's just insanely unfair if the disk breaks, I can't have the installed game be detected. If that happens I'm not buying digital I'm just giving up or finding a PS3 copy.
I did with Bodycount for a 360 a non-backwards compatibility shooter left behind like 100s then the few that got re-releases on 8th gen. So my copy was rough, I got sick of trying to get it to work and I couldn't install it to the hard drive (some games I just can't so I have to play the game with a noise disk tray because I can't install it if the disk is a bit damaged in such areas).
So I bought a PS3 copy. I paid more for it but at least it was less scratched. Is it a good game, it's passable but at the same time I'm collecting these old PS3/360/Wii era shooters to see what they are like. Same as racing and platformers from 5-7th gen as well with some exciting ideas in them which is why I'm researching them rather than Indie platformers being so generic, popular game only inspired, clone/fan game disappointing.
2.Make some games perform better. Maybe it's just my Xbox One X at times but playing Pure and going to apps the game struggles upon switching back as if the app switching and BC just doesn't work and while it loads the game again it just doesn't make the game playable/menus playable. Only has happened with that game so far.
3.Framerate/resolution sure. HDR don't care for. Pseudo ray tracing either/real ray tracing pass too no need for it.
4.Activision, Blizzard, King licenses. ACTUALLY USE THEM. Reverse engineer the games if you have to if no source code.
Otherwise why should I bother with backwards compatibility or game preservation the Xbox way I might as well continue to buy on the second hand market and not put them in my Xbox.
I don't archive my games I could just haven't yet. But with many people having done that and if they have the 360 store only games especially while I'm a physical collector so not my area.
It's hard to care about a service if they don't really offer much and I'm sticking with finding the games myself (people wanting digital then seeking the disk to put in) and play them on the OG Xbox/360 instead or 360 OG Xbox list there differs from the Xbox One/Series list and then again if I find a PS2/GameCube/Wii/PS3/Wii U/PS4/3DS/Vita/DS/PSP or any other platforms even if they flopped and get a copy I'll pick those up eventually instead.
Has anyone mentioned those games about to be not preserved when the 360 store closes?
@SuntannedDuck2
Learn what game preservation is all about. What MS has done to date absolutely 100% falls under the term game preservation. The fact that many games have licenses doesn’t change that one single bit. And I suspect this new team will continue on doing things that fall under the proper use of the term game preservation so there is nothing wrong or misleading about MS naming this new team the Game Preservation Team.
As for your disc complaints, as long as you handle them properly, you shouldn’t have any issues. I have been gaming, listening to music, and watching movies/tv shows on various forms of discs since they were first introduced and I have never broken a single disc to date. And the very very few that got scratched were easily resurfaced. It’s not MS’s responsibility to look after your physical media, nor any other company for that matter. If you take care of your physical media properly, they will last a lot longer than you will…
As for your desire to no longer need a disc after using it 1 time, that’s ridiculous. You could just go and sell it, or pass it on to friends. If you buy physical, you need the physical disc each time you use it. If you don’t like that aspect of physical, buy digital. If you honestly don’t understand the reasoning behind why they do that, then I don’t know what to tell you. It’s just pure common sense on why they do it. If they did it how you wanted them to do it, I could go buy a brand new 70 dollar game, install it on my Xbox, then turn around and take it right back to a resale shop like Game Stop and sell it, all the while still being able to play it. Cmon…
More games (especially from OG Xbox), and FPS Boost to bring as much of the library up to 60fps as is possible!
Not just so I can carry my physical discs over, either: I'm interested in buying some of these if they're made available!
@RIghteousNixon Video game museums have done a better job then Microsoft has. But Microsoft can only do so much so I'm not blaming Microsoft here. It's more third party publishers that complicate things and their wants, those aren't up to Microsoft they can't force their games to be preserved only those they have. But at the same time they aren't just focusing on Xbox only and that makes sense let alone what other publishers think and don't care about game preservation.
Besides if like Windows some applications/8, 16, 32 bit apps don't work due to particular code. Say same thing with Voodoo Vince hence the remaster that's understandable not everything can be. Sometimes they just have to make a translation layer or work around it other times in a game's case remaster it because it's not the same as an application. There is usually plenty of modern ones it's more the data stored in the apps used, what differences in coding language/encryption. Why else would it be hard to get a Kobalt programmer or anyone that understand the IBM 5100 and store things that way then the most recent solutions.
I'm glad Microsoft does don't get me wrong, but digital only goes so far and what we can do with the digital files, heck we can't even sell them, where is the Robot Cache or other services on console they aren't there they are on PC, licensing, source code, other factors that limit possibilities of game preservation on many levels.
They have differences and scale they can preserve. Besides it's up to other publishers if they don't want to that's on them. If Ubisoft doesn't want us to, but Microsoft does the games they can offer that's great. But other companies don't have that same want to do so.
Microsoft is doing what they can but there is limits to what they can do to preserve, to even get access to the games they can preserve in the first place, due to licenses, source code, effort if they WANT to reverse engineer things which takes a lot of time of course and things out of their control. I understand that.
It was broken when I bought it I actually take care of my disks actually. Second hand market you don't know what your going to get. I am prepared for that. Even my PS2 while I've had some games not work I have no fixed them and they still work it's just the console or the disk reading laser messes up. I've not had to replace anything in it. Sometimes weird anomalies happen. I could 'try' and sell them/return them to get my money back and sometimes I have. Sometimes toothpaste method works.
Everything I have owned PS1 to nowadays still works. I see the scratched on them and all I've done is put them in the disk tray, play them a few times and that's it. I actually do keep them in typical use condition. Everything second hand is actually worse condition then my own games because all my oldest games ever purchase still work. Disks wear.
I have too, any movies, tv shows, music and more. I care about physical media/always take care with my stuff. Second hand market you just end up with awkward results leftovers that end up in states that they do/keep looking for not broken/scratched ones.
Not all resurfacing works. Sometimes if the code in a certain sector is gone it's gone. No way is filling in the gaps going to save it it can't magically resurface the code back onto that sector of the disk. Depends on the depth of the scratches/dents of course but still. Unless it's reprinted some sectors are just not being saved with a resurface.
Sure while you can get a temp file/deleted file to return and saved and not removed forever. After a while it will disappear too if not trying to return it via methods to do so.
I don't expect Microsoft to. I'm not blame a company 100% mindset I know what they can or can't do. Or what they choose to do as well.
Digital isn't bad at all. Neither is cloud it depends on how they handle the business models that matters more than using the technology, them using it is perfectly fine, more solutions to play games, the adaptive controller. I'm fine with them being a thing. It's always about HOW they go about it not OH it's bad. They never were bad.
They could have made Xbox One DRM as bad as PC with 1 user only and non-resellable disks. I know they made it more about used copies or similar but different extent. But that was more 3rd party publishers I think. They were the ones I think enforcing it more than Microsoft. Sure they have changed since then. But with different people or different companies you get differences in what they want to do to the products/how they treat their customers. If Ubisoft wants to AC2 on PC onwards offer awkward means of don't get comfortable owning your games that's on them. If Microsoft wants to I'm all for it.
I don't' care so much about ownership I don't own the disk, I purchased it, sure it's not the same as a digital rental as long as it isn't removed (or renting in the typical rent a movie sense) it's just accessibility.
They can be old or not as long as playable. The fact many do or don't have older titles or care for older titles on their PC launchers is on them. Source code sure, actual care for them because they would rather push other IPs that's their own priorities. They are the ones making the cut off after all. They focus on what IPs they think will sell. They can use them in other mediums. But if they don't want to offer other ones that's on them.
Do you think I should be forced to update to access an eshop. For security sure updates matter no doubt but no it's they want to keep people up to date on purpose. If it's to add more to the eshop then sure but then again not everything requires a restart. It depends on the level of software/hardware. The more software and business models make sense for WHY companies do what they do the more clear it is.
@SuntannedDuck2
Just because other places, like museums, have done a better job at game preservation doesn’t for a second mean that what MS has done, and continues to do, isn’t game preservation as well. It absolutely and without question is. This isn’t a subjective topic. It’s an objective fact that what MS has done with its BC program falls under the proper use of the term game preservation. So there is absolutely nothing wrong with MS naming their new team the Game Preservation Team, as long as they continue to do the kinds of things they have done in the past.
If you bought a game and the disc is broken, that is between you and the seller of the game. That is not MS’s responsibility. Nothing you can say on this topic will change the simple fact that you are the one responsible for your physical games, not MS. If you bought one that is scratched or broken, take it back or send it back and buy another. And it’s very easy to get scratched discs resurfaced. Many gaming stores have resurfacing machines in house. And if it’s an older pre Blu Ray disc, there are tricks like using certain brands of toothpaste to sand down the plastic that winds up being a problem from a scratch.
And again, what you’re wanting in regards to not having to use your physical discs once you install them on your console is just never gonna happen. The possibility for abuse is WAY too high and WAY too easy. Again, I could go buy a 70 dollar game, install it, and then just sell it immediately if it was no longer required that I actually use the disc. If you want access to a game that doesn’t require you to use a disc each time, buy digital.
@RIghteousNixon Ok term wise I see what you mean I just needed to think about it more. Objectively yes I won't deny that yes. Dictionary definition or execution of it yes.
I'm for them offering the games the way they are. Cloud/digital does offer more than just the hardware method and they can't always offer a hardware way to do it either.
As far as I understand with code. If I'm completely unaware and there is a possibility of it by all means you are correct. But to my understanding it isn't possible. I'm not an exprrt programmer or disk printing expert. Which yes is obvious.
i know it never will. It's a wish/what if scenario of course. XD I am used to it doesn't mean it doesn't come to mind of course. I don't expect what ifs/wishes to happen.
You made good points I just needed to re-read them a bunch.
Then again got an awkward PS5 disk drive eats the outer rims of disks if it's left there in rest mode (easy to avoid but that's new titles, maybe just the firmware, maybe the supplier/factory printed in, the disk drive arms just playing up/misaligned even though it's horizontal not vertical at least no PS2 slim disk reading issue situation) and got a external hard drive that cuts out if on the PS4 menu (PS4 base model) but not if an app/game is loaded. Go figure. Anomalies happen. I don't use rest mode just know of someone that had it happen to their PS5. I always re-seat the games in the case/some safe place.
Not going for an argument (sorry if it came off that way as not always clear by text that and due to how little particular symbols/punctuation I use when people convey that) you have made excellent points.
Simpsons hit and run one of my favorite childhood games and also forza motorsport 4
Do something with the massive activision back catalog they’re sitting on, including infocom and sierra online classics, among a great many others.
More back compat games would be nice. Plus get as much Activision and Microsoft back catalogue as you can on the store. I get there are licensing issues but why were OG Fable, Halo and others not included.
Make more games available to purchase too, It would be nice to get a digital purchase of Ridge Racer and try and add titles back on the store such as Halo. Why was Halo removed with next too no notice.
Finally, promote and advertise the back compat and put money in to getting older titles available. Pay Sega, Ubisoft etc to let you add titles as would live to play the old school Rainbow six and Ghost Recon again.
More games! I know there are some massive hurdles to overcome but I really just want more stuff to play.
Big Phil is always talking about the gaming industry working together. Why not look into building a shared multi format BC platform.
Would love to play Black & White on Xbox/PC.
@SuntannedDuck2 I think what you were trying to say was it isn't true "backwards compatibility" on Xbox, which it isn't. You aren't quite playing the original game from the disc you are playing an emulated version of the game you have to download using the disc as a license key of sorts. Some of which have unique quirks.
But as @RIghteousNixon rightly said that 100% IS still game preservation, which is simply preserving games to play in any form going forward. Things like Sony's paid PS+ cloud streaming or Antstream Arcade are also other forms of game preservation, albeit less consumer friendly solutions. But they all count and are all important pieces to the game preservation puzzle.
Obviously true backwards compatibility - playing older games natively on your new systems - is seen as the gold standard to aim for, but across multiple generations this just isn't feasible without making systems prohibitively expensive (see launch model PS3) and is why Xbox have chosen such an innovative solution.
But you are right that only a small fraction of OG Xbox and X360 games are "backwards compatible". My numbers may be out by a few but at my last count it was only 63 of 996 OG xbox games (6.3%) and 633 of 2154 X360 games (29.4%).
But even this doesn't tell the whole story as many of those same games have been HD remastered or remade anyway. The backwards compatible version are now often the inferior versions in many ways lacking things like HD resolutions, higher framerates, widescreen support, QoL features etc. It's still good these original versions are playable even if only emulated, choice is always good after all, but in reality most would rather play the HD remasters, so these numbers don't tell the whole story alone.
More can always be done, but each step is a worthy one.
I love returning to older games I've not played in years. I'm currently playing Assassins Creed 2 and really enjoying it. So more games for me to return to would be amazing. I don't mind playing them how they were originally released, but if they manage to improve FPS and resolution, then that's a bonus.
I’d like there to be no need to own an Xbox 360. Every OG Xbox and 360 title playable on modern Xbox consoles. Enhancements are secondary.
I never believed that nonsense that they reached the end of what was feasible for backwards compatible titles.
You're seriously telling me that they couldn't get the rest of the Sonic games on Series X despite people touting how wonderful SEGA and Microsoft get along?
As much as I'd like to hear talking about old games I'm more interested in preservation of current and future games.
I'd like to know what measures are going to be taken to preserve games that rely on online services and downloads going forward; so if I buy a game now how are they going to ensure that I can enjoy it in 20-30 years time.
I'd hope that this team will be working with publishers as well to help ensure thought is given to preservation and continuity during development. Perhaps have a set of guidelines publishers have to follow before they can release a game on Xbox? It's much easier to preserve games when you keep that in mind from the start.
Would like to see the 360 BC list expanded and please give me Eternal Sonata playable on my series x!
@Spaggerz already exists bud, its called steam deck 🤞
Look. Emulators are legal and source code, I believe, is free right?
Emulation even up to 360 and PS3 is pretty damned good.
And thus is about game preservation right?
So, take a look at retrobat.
Microsoft designs something similar, and they and Sony and Nintendo get together.
You make the front end available on all consoles and PC.
The you link the front end to a digital storefront where each company can sell legal copies of their ROMS.
Kills piracy over night.
Of course it won’t happen.
But it should.
@Enigk
Didn't realise that was a thing?
Here's hoping for more backward compatible games in the future for series owners and beyond.
This seems like a trick question. It's a game preservation team. Are you expecting new controller colors or something from them?
Their first task needs to be to make sure that any game I can buy in my digital library today, remains playable on current hardware more or less indefinitely as-is.
Their second task needs to be increasing the number of games that can be played from the back catalogue that aren't currently supported, however as the initiative is likely to be digital only that becomes divisive as there's a cutoff on that, and most of those older games don't have licenses to sell or distribute them digitally. Going FORWARD this can be built into their licensing terms so there's no challenges doing so, but for old games where that wasn't part of their licensing with 3rd parties, that may be an impossible hill to climb. Publishers aren't very willing to license back catalog games they haven't already licensed. This will be less of a problem in the future as games from last gen forward don't need the "remaster" treatment, and never will again, like old games do.
And their third task should be initiatives like FPS boost to enhance games on future, better hardware, without developers needing to spend resources on doing so, so that buying new hardware can improve even your existing library, much the way emulators do for old games. That's a big advantage to sell for entering their ecosystem is that your games improve with each generation rather than disappearing or getting worse.
This remains my main reason for being in the XB ecosystem. I want to build a library that goes with me, like Steam, not just run the latest games and then forget about them.
@SuntannedDuck2 @RIghteousNixon For physical preservers there's the issue of disc rot, too. Many, many PS1, PS2 games have succumbed do disc rot or delamination. Something about the adhesives and laminates they were using at the time made it really prone to this. Especially those black discs, awesome as they were. Ironically, digital games on PC from that period were a better bet for ownership.
@Nic-Noc20th-C I'm just assuming that the backwards compatability program is being held back by the older hardware.
Maybe they can add others to a cloud only service if they don't work on X/S. Better that than nothing at all but I would prefer it to run without that.
Back Compat games. FPS Boost and resolution enhancements are great, but as long as they don't take away from efforts of bringing the maximal number of titles onto the Xbox One and newer.
Notable additions would be Army of Two: The 40th Day and its sequel, Condemned 2, Jet Set Radio Future, Mechwarrior, Tenchu Return from Darkness, Armored Core 4 and 5 and many more...
Basically do what they did to make original Xbox games work on the 360 but for both original Xbox and 360 games working on newer hardware. You didn't have to worry at all about stuff like Project Gotham Racing licensing running out affecting backwards compatibility, you just stuck your Xbox disc in your 360 and it ran.
Clearly that isn't their strategy though given all that "adorably all digital" nonsense.
Pretty simple for me.
Never abandon physical media. Ever.
Now Xbox own ActiBlizz, I'd love it if they could add & update/fix the licenced titles like Blood Stone, TMNT Mutants in Manhatten, Transformers War/Fall of Cybertron to name a few. ActiBlizz had soo many licenced games, it's ridiculous.
Xbox also need to dig out Cool Spot & No one Lives Forever too.
And Wet. Jeez that needs a remaster, or at least try to get it working on newer hardware. Bethesda needs to work that out and deliver.
Still haven't given up hope that Condemned 2 and the rest of the Army of Two trilogy will be added to the BC library. It may be futile at this point but I'd still love to see it. The handful of other non-BC games I own on disc aren't as important to me.
I’d love to see them take an interest in obtaining licenses for games that are owned by companies that aren’t active any longer. There are many NES, SNES, and games from other platforms that are just floating out in history that would be great to see available easily.
Rare games like Little Sampson would be awesome.
I’m up for about anything! Way retro to not so old. In a perfect world it would all still be playable.
@themightyant Exactly. I agree with a lot of what your saying and fine with another look at both sides even if yes RighteousNixon had many points I had to rethink more on then went yeah they are right on that.
I could look on Wikipedia or other sources but some videos/title searching doesn't help. Especially for racing I want to see modes, I don't always see menus. Just brief gameplay. So sometimes I have to buy them. Sometimes I come across them not long after like I did The Club from Raycevick not from the internet, I found a copy not long after. Great timing. I probably would have still been interested. I would have seen the Bizzare Creations logo besides Sega and gone yes please or the back description as it's a pretty simple box art on the front.
Many browsing, many retro game shop trips for some easily $5, others vary. My and US or other currencies vary of course.
Sometimes got to o browse the web, other times a random video other times in person.
Like I bought Prototype 2 just encase they offer it for ABK BC. If not I have a 360 to play it. I'd like to see the other games I mentioned in my other post way higher up but I have other means to play them on PS2 or PS3 or 360 on the original hardware. I just thought those IPs deserve more support for people that haven't played them.
I'm playing many on other platforms instead that are on the Xbox One/Series BC list or 360 for OG Xbox games list because they are just the version I got. In some cases grew up with them, others I just got lucky with at the time, I always check with the console besides just the list as sometimes just adding it to my OG Xbox/360 groups on the console is just satisfying to check if it's compatible. The games are great of course or else I wouldn't have considered buying them unless I wanted to blindly surprise myself I do do that and enjoy them. Others are the PS2 version because of no OG Xbox support even though an OG Xbox version was in reach when browsing retro game stores.
In a way finding niche games has been nice though. Or some exclusives. Kingdom Under Fire Circle of Doom is different then the OG Xbox games but I learnt about the series from this game. I like moments like that finding what I don't expect.
I could look on Wikipedia or other sites b
Sometimes I have to install them but my disk tray belt isn't great either. But it does still vary per games still. I am fine installing and removing when I feel like it on 360.
Down to a master, down to bitrate on movies/TV shows. Games no idea maybe it still applies.
Disk rot for sure. However deep the scratches are as well/broken. Gladly don't own broken just deep to thin scratches. Some work better than others.
A Wolfenstein 2009 PS3 disk I had didn't work. Mario Kart Double Dash.
In many cases Final Fantasy 13 on PS3 is the full game. While ma y disk's is nothing new apparently it's worse? I don't have the PS3 version I own th 360 version. But I myself didn't notice the difference in resolution or other details.
If side by side probably I could. The blur, stepping look, or depth of colours or other details.is the digital version better I mean 1 disk and a download is nice but I don't know for sure I'd have to check the back compat version.
Digital for them is great for those that prefer that/easier access to them (then a hunt for them physical/whatever prices, even if Xbox prices aren't as higher as others) and it also gives money to Microsoft and whoever if they are still alive companies that have the license/source code. I don't expect it to be messaging saying revive this or in some cases some games are BC and re-releases so like it really matters. But hey while I could get a PAL Borderlands 1 copy I have an NTSC one. I can't use the PAL DLC disk I have and apply it but I mean it's not like copies of it digitally or physically remastered/re-releases aren't impossible to find. There is plenty of ways to play that game.
That or games like Spec Ops The Line getting delisted. At least physical exists or if people already own it prior to that delisting. They don't last forever for various reasons. I don't expect them too. Same with servers upkeep/shut down for fair reasons as well of prices to keep them alive we don't see. Especially as we don't see many bots/split-screen multiplayer as much only in certain games. So some multiplayers are just dead, some live services are dead, some are patched for offline like 1.69 GT Sport but that's rare and some fan step in like with Lawbreakers. But not everyone will revive a game/patch them to be capable offline either or have fan unofficial private servers that need a DNS change or a modded console either.
Like digital via 360 or Xbox One/Series internet/cloud based (or just cloud saves, hey at least you don't have to pay for cloud like you do Sony/Nintendo's offerings, Microsoft even gives away like Google a free portion of storage that's generous of them) is not a bad thing.
It is emulation. Emulation isn't a bad thing, we see it happen with older Genesis or other collections all the time. Some systems aren't worth doing native remasters for sometimes. That's totally fine.
I won't say the whole Nintendo thing of oh a game you got with Switch or any other system and the fan emulation (you did or didn't rip it or download it from a ROM/archive source) thing. I won't go into that. How much is that accurate I don't know.
Microsoft excels in software. PS3/Wii were hardware based. Now PSP/Vita for PS1/PSP or 3DS/Wii U/Switch they are eshop/virtual console or cloud or internet based. That's not a bad thing. They see no reason in native offering them.
I don't deny Antstream for sure (never used but heard of it/seen what it's like). I can't remember if it was that or a different service (I saw in another video) how they handled it and Nintendo went nope you can't do that even though it was a per user access or something. I thought that was pretty cool it's not misusing them badly. It's doing it in a really interesting way and was checked for legal use case.
PS+ offers a lot but at the same time the access is slower (well PS Now was but then again I don't know if OnLive it was originally before Sony bought their assets was slow either it was probably reasonable before it shut down).
I'm not saying Microsoft has to achieve full backwards compatibility that is impossible. Microsoft even cancelling the program prior I was totally ok with. They knew as far as they could go with the licenses/source code/reverse engineering, whether they wanted to even do the program anymore.
Whether the effort was even worth it if people were even playing the games/buying them digital enough (more than a oh I remember this, barely plays it, moves on or buys the remaster instead) to begin with or the digital purchases which suits them better over the physical where they don't get the money of used/pre-owned in the first place. All very valid things a company would consider.
Like I don't expect them to do Kinect. I'd be nice but I have a 360 Kinect finally so I'm open to jumping at those like I did Playlink for the first time as never owned a 360 Kinect that and I never owned a Slim 360 so that also plays into it.
That or we just went from Eye Toy/Singstar and the Wii but didn't go for Move, Kinect or more until PSVR so we skipped a lot of official or even third party gimmicks because I mean not all of them are worth it either but that's on me researching them too what is out there, never saw one but had the Xbox One Kinect with my launch model.
I don't expect that. I'm totally fine getting licensed sports/racing games or just left behind games on older systems but I won't deny my OG Xbox options are limited, I'm totally fine with what they have achieved already. I don't expect 100% or a absolute result. I am fine with what they offer already then nothing or the fewer they could have offered being probably more sad but still something. Every bit counts.
I mean there is also the GBA on PS1 using the Serial port that's very suspicious. XD Or the NES/Genesis/GB on SNES I think. Because third parties do that. Console makers or more responsible companies don't do that unless it's Atari 2600 with Colecovision and Intellivision of course. Because that happened.
That it just means I have to sometimes get the PS2 or other versions if I come across them and I have in some cases, not a bad thing I don't limit myself to one console, one era, always expecting BC to happen, I understand how much BC suits a certain audience and how often it doesn't make it's way to some systems and how much that actually effects anything other than those that take gaming more seriously do, not others (like Legend of Spyro new beginning for PS2 then the OG Xbox version I saw, same with COD Big Red One or Finest Hour got both on PS2 instead, but I can't play Mech Warrior or Voodoo Vince (unless the digital Remaster) I'm not afraid to use other consoles or miss out that's totally fine)
because I don't own one but I do a 360 Elite (the HDMI added but old looking model that had I think 250GB but I have a 120GB drive in it and used a USB once that drive failed that's the only red ring I've ever had unlike the overheating playing Mass Effect 3 BC PS3 that as PAL regions only got the software emulation PS2 support well like PAL regions had hardware BC at all like the US got), 360 E (the Xbox One looking model) and Xbox One VCR, One X/Series X.
Yeah the wikipedia numbers versus whatever other numbers are out there and whatever archive/ROM sites say of games backed up that aren't modded ROMs either to confuse numbers with.
Yes agreed many have been remastered/re-releases if not ported so that also changes things so in those cases those games did have a change where others did have any BC or remaster at all. Not all games are great either but at the same time what makes a game good depends on the person some of the worst games ever (shovelware or worst in a series) are still liked by people.
Some of the most niche are as well of course.
I guess. Depends on how they do the BC. If the enhancements were done well. I won't deny maybe the audio sounds different, the speed is off or the lack of widescreen or other possibilities. They could be nothing more than just a 'way to play them' rather than enhancements most of the time people would think.
Not all blu-ray re-releases are better but not everyone is going to get a Laser Disc or other older version/machine for them either. Some are worse modern versions and sometimes fans step in to improve them. Some are not altered and could be seen as bad but it's better than them touching them up to make them worse.
I wasn't disappointed I have a re-releases with no touch ups but I was happy it wasn't stretched from it's original resolution or new dub or anything else for the tv anime I have that is the case there. It could be seen as lazy but I'm not disappointed by it. Blurry or not, it's still the same content untouched.
Compared to say old films with worse improvements and fans need to fix colours or other things from the film negatives. Like the Star Wars re-release situation that happened.
Or in some ports cases if a licensed soundtrack or advertising or something like a Crazy Taxi that changed a lot between Dreamcast and other platforms.
But yes you are correct not all remasters, back compat or others are the best, they don't reflect all numbers but people would need to make/find an updated 'these are remasters/ports' list if they ever get added or people just leave it as a table column than than a new table/article.
Very good points made. Some like the remasters I think I missed and the imperfect versions of BC too. Very much appreciate that angle covered.
More 360 games and more FPS boosted games.
Until we actually see what they do, I have no expectations or desires, because the entire Series Gen so far that's only led to disappointment with Microsoft.
More X360 and especially original Xbox games. I'd like to see more niche stuff like DoA Xtreme Beach Volleyball and Sudeki on there. The most-wanted bc game on my list, however, is the original Xbox release of The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay. Phenomenal game, I know licensing is an issue but hope maybe MS could work something out one day.
All of the Tony Hawk underground games backward compatible
@Nintendo4Sonic Is Dino Crisis 3 any good? I heard it sucked so I didn't get it. Now it is expensive for some reason.
Backwards compatibility with hardware. Xbox 360 kinect games like nike+ and dance game but also guitar hero with Xbox 360 guitar. That is the reason for me to keep xbox 360 (and why I bought several devices on bargain price just in case they would break).
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