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[Eclipse]

[Halo 2] [OT]Xbox 2 petition for backwards compatibility

[Eclipse]

Just my thoughts on this topic.

I'd be hard pressed to buy another game console if I couldn't play my old games on it. To invest as much as I have invested in my original xbox into another system is a big deal. I think that Microsoft would be making a huge mistake to not allow old xbox games to be played on the second console and they would ultimately give Sony the upper hand.

Pass this petition on to other game boards if you support it. Let's get the word out to Microsoft that we love the xbox and want to continue to love it.

Just my 2 cents.
~JP

[farva]

I like the idea of backwards compatability because it's nice to pay down some of the cost of the new system by selling the old system. However, if processing power and other tech things are limited due to including backwards compatability (as has been rumored) I'll just hang onto my old system, thanks.

[DreamOfTheRood]

My decisions will be made according to the answer to this question: will the system's controller be the size of a Hummer?

[Ranger D]

Ok let me easy your qualms right here.

There once was a software prodcut called Virtual PC made by Connectix. It was for the Mac OS, and let you emulate the x86 architecture on a Macintosh. This allowed you to run any version of Windows, Linux, whatever, in it's own little window. This was because because it was emulating the x86 processor.

About 9-12 months ago Microsoft puchased Connectix (either in part or in whole, I can't remember). The point is that Microsoft now own the code to Virtual PC. I recall that version 7 was supposed to be released around May, but development was delayed. That was becuase they wanted to make VPC optimized for the G5 processor (IBM PowerPC 970). And guess what team they gave that project to? The xbox 2 team. VPC was delayed about two months, but now Microsoft owns software that is optimized for the G5 processor to emulate x86 architecture. Check it out here.

Quote from VPC's Hot Features page:

[Eclipse]

Bah, Nintendo has gone downhill a lot. I like some of the games for N64 and the original nintendo is the I've never played on a Gamecube because I don't feel like it was marketed very well towards my taste of games. It feels like a little kids console.

That's good to hear about Microsoft. Something I did not know(obviously). Thanks for passing it on RangerD.

~JP

[DreamOfTheRood]

I agree with you whole-heartedly about Nintendo. It's definitely a kiddie console with the added bonus of not having games suitable for kids that actually have a taste for video games. Where are the cool RPGs and fantasy games that a 12-15 year old would like? On the X-box, that's where. I used to be Nintendo's biggest defender, but no more.

[Rendon]

I agree about nintendo, but backward compatability? I would rather hold on to my xbox 1, and have them spend the time and effort making the new stuff even better. As oxm said, justly, the only reason to have Backward Compatability is if the day one games are too few or too suck.

I read somewhere that xbox 2 was using 3 3.5ghz power pc chips, and thats faster than my computer (3.2), definitly faster than my xbox.

[OmegaX]

[GWing_02]

Sorry, but it's just not going to happen. Unless Microsoft shells out big bucks to contract IBM to R&D the x86 emulation layer themselves, and we know Microsoft won't do that, it's not going to happen. The sad news is that these chip companies hate each others' guts.

edit: As for Microsoft owning VPC, I don't think it'll make a difference. VPC is highly optimized for a specific emulation host SW/HW and target SW/HW, namely running x86 NT 2000 kernels on a PPC G4/5 chip with OS X and its technologies. It wouldn't be well suited to run in a bare bones environment emulating the stripped down 2000 kernel.

[thebruce]

Plus, it was PS2 that, essentially, introduced backwards compatibility to the console world, and basically spoiled the world which now expects it... everyone got along fine before it. Although now with times changing, some people might legitimately want or require BC. But, I can't respect people's decisions not to buy X2 just because of the lack of backwards compatibility. If they have a good reason, sure, but to judge the entire console just because you can't play old games on it... well...

[archon]

Even though I bought a PS2, I've played it far less than the Xbox and GC. There's just more games I like on the other systems, period. It has nothing to do with backwards compatability. I recently tried getting back into playing some of my old PSX games that I remembered loving before, and even with the texture filter (or whatever it's called in the PS2), the games just look like poop now. I bought the PS2 under the assumption that the quality of titles would be the same as the PSX, but in my eyes they weren't. I will not be buying another PlayStation.

Granted, I'm not the majority, but maybe there are others who feel the same as I? I think that only part of the success of the PS2 can be attributed to the backwards compatability... a small part. The hype revolving around the PS2 was so great that even the Sega Dreamcast (which had far better games than I've played on the PS2) died from it. The PS2 lives because the PSX did so well that word of mouth passed on about the new one.

What's different now is that there are many people who have had a lot of fun with the Xbox due to LANs and Xbox Live, both of which were really rare before the Xbox came around. That core audience will more than likely transition over to the new Xbox regardless of whether or not there is backwards compatability.

[johnny5]

My view is this:
During the transition to next gen hardware, backwards compatibility is great. You can continue playing your old games without shelling out for new "last-gen" hardware.

That said, Sony put it in because they were using the PS1 chips anyway, so it was essentially "free".
In the end it's a marketing, ROI, cost/benefit analysis and no amount of petitioning will do any good because the main stream doesn't care.

[BeeNetter]

That's really weird because when the Xbox was first announced, one of the "selling points" was that it was based on Windows and DirectX (Albeit highly stripped down), so theoretically it would be easy to maintain backward-compatibility of future consoles.

But if they're using a non-x86 CPU in Xbox2, that throws backward compatibility right out the window. I didn't know that. =(

[Eclipse]

I wish I had photoshop so that I could make a picture of what our entertainment stands will look like in a few years. I can see it now, taking up a 12 foot wall full of all sorts of electronic gadgets, from xbox to surround sound, tv, vhs, dvd, cd burner, ps2, ps3, xbox2, stereo receiver, tivo, movies, games..omg it will be crazy. I guess I can remove my couches and sit on the floor

My main problem is lack of space. Money comes in second(as I do not have a lot of it and it would be nice to sell my old xbox for use towards xbox2). I see the hardware issues with not being able to make it backwards compatible.

It's still early though. When they start advertising for it I may just pee myself because it is the most amazing thing I have ever seen. Who knows...

~JP