AfterDawn: News

A word about Xbox 360 backward compatibility

One question that has been asked by most Xbox gamers about the upcoming Xbox 360 console, is whether or not it will be "backward compatible" to allow the gamers to play their Xbox 1 games on the new console. At their press conference at E3, all that Microsoft said about backward compatibility is that the console will be "backward compatible with top-selling Xbox games." When you first hear it, you would immediately think that Microsoft are planning to pick exactly what Xbox games will work with the Xbox 360.

However it is also likely that Microsoft is just being safe with that comment, just in case it turns out that some games for the Xbox console don't work with the Xbox 360 (as was the case with PS1 games on PS2). Microsoft also announced at the conference that Square Enix will be bringing Final Fantasy XI to the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live; marking the Square Enix for a Microsoft console. About 25-40 Xbox 360 games are expected to be available for the consoles launch.



Along with the first games, over 160 games are also in development for the console. Electronic Arts plans to release a lot of games for Xbox 360 console aswell, including Madden NFL 06, Need for Speed Most Wanted and The Godfather.

Source:
Gamespot

Written by: James Delahunty @ 19 May 2005 2:29

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• 6 comments

• Pop_Smith

  From the article:
  
  Along with the first games, over 160 games are also in development for the console. Electronic Arts plans to release a lot of games for Xbox 260 console aswell, including Madden NFL 06, Need for Speed Most Wanted and The Godfather.
  
  
  lol, 260? typo mate? :P

  19.5.2005 05:05 #1

• jimmyjojo

  Wait wait wait, I'm confused. What does that mean, "some games won't work"?
  
  a) Microsoft will "rerelease" some games to be compatible with xbox 360 (in 360 format)?
  
  b) Some TITLES (like EA) will be 360 compatible?
  
  c) Some DISCS will be 360 compatible (ex. My copy of Halo 2 will work in 360, but my friend's copy for some reason won't)?
  
  What exactly does this mean?
  

  19.5.2005 07:37 #2

• Dela

  jimmyjojo, bnasically we have no idea what microsoft are tryingto say :-) all they said about backwards compatibility was the console will be "backward compatible with top-selling Xbox games."
  
  it has nothing to do with EA, i only added the part about new EA games to the news because they announced it at the same conference

  19.5.2005 08:27 #3

• novicebb

  Well isnt Xbox using a different graphic this time around then the the ATI in the first Xbox? Maybe that is the issue. I am starting to think that it will be pretty easy to download your Xbox games on to the new Xbox 360 after reading the specs. Harddrives that are removable and upgradeable. USB 2.0 ports, can rip music to harddrive like the original. With USB ports you can stream media from music portable, digital cameras and windows PC's. The only thing that worries is that since Microsoft is using a IBM POWERPC based processor instead of the intel, maybe the powerpc will have built in features that will make it extermely difficult to mod the new XBOX. But I also have an additional question. Since both the Nintendo and Xbox 360 uses a IBM proc chip do you think it will be easier to play ripped Revolution games on the Xbox 360 system?

  19.5.2005 10:33 #4

• Pop_Smith

  @novicebb, well it is true that Nvidia did make the XBox graphics chip, with ATI onboard the 360 (sense it is a newer generation) it is no dought more powerful then the XBox. But, on the backwards compatablilty note, think of it this way.
  
  A computer game that is made for Nvidia may work better on an Nvidia card but, it also works on an ATI Card, although maybe not they way the said game would work on a Nvidia and visa versa.
  
  The 360 should be the same way, if it is semi-backwards compatible then the ATI chip can run the XBox games even though the Xbox has a Nvidia chip inside.

  19.5.2005 13:11 #5

• E_Pizza

  actually what i think is that maybe only recently released xbox games may work as the specs or direction of the 360 probably changed during the xbox revolution so to speak. What i mean to say is microsoft may have not know about the drastic changes to the console until about a year ago and as such maybe only games released after then may be compatible but theres no reason why it couldnt run all of them anyway because im sure it could easily emulate an old xbox enviroment rather efficirntly what with the hardware specs.

  19.5.2005 13:54 #6