US 360 backward-compatibility list shrinks
by Dan Choi 
{ Dec 1st 2005 at 3:45PM }
One of our intrepid readers compared the current U.S.
backward-compatibility games list for the Xbox 360 with an older
version saved locally, and came up with a few missing titles that had been included before.
After comparing the current list with the one transferred to an Excel spreadsheet a while back, he concluded that the
following games had been excised from the master list (in its current form)—Catwoman, Codename: Kids Next
Door, Curse: The Eye of Isis, NBA LIVE 2003, Sid Meier's Pirates, and Star Wars:
The Clone Wars. [UPDATE: dvdguy found a few more removed
earlier—Blinx 2, FIFA World Cup 2002, Grabbed by the Ghoulies, Legends of
Wrestling, Rugby 2005, and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2. Check out this
early IGN copy of
this list to run a comparison.]
Considering the plan to keep adding games to the BC list as time goes on, it's a little discouraging to see titles
removed from the list. If the BC team found severe bugs while running the games on the 360, however, it makes sense to
take them off the master list until they can be fixed. Props to Excel aficionados everywhere, but Catwoman
most likely won't be missed.
[Thanks, Tom]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
dvdguy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
That'll make the second instance of titles being removed. I printed out the list within minutes of when it was first published. About a week later I noticed these games had been removed as well:
* Blinx 2: Masters of Time & Space
* FIFA World Cup 2002
* Grabbed by the Ghoulies
* Legends of Wrestling
* Rugby 2005
* Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2
scampy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
too bad. i liked Pirates!
88m8 @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
lol
Jago @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
*hear that?* Thats the sound of MS shooting themselves in the foot...
They shoulda done a better job with the whole backwards compatibility thing...
Ryun @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
Pirates works fine on my 360. There are tiny graphical glitches every once and awhile, but nothing serious.
CorrectingTheStupid @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
This was obviously going to happen. Do you honestly think part of the testing includes playing the whole game from beginning to end and covering 100% of the non-mandatory game?
I can honestly say im dissapointed with the list because it is missing games that i like, but its not the end of the world and they will likely be added eventualy.
I also understand that people may buy an Xbox game to play on the X360 and get pissed because it was dropped off the list.
All of the above were things I was expecting and its not going to ruin anything for me.
Christopher Coulter @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
Wow...and I own CKND (got for nephew), Pirates (nice, still lost that ole school feel), and The Clone Wars. Just when I think this 360 trainwreck can't get any worse, it does. Heh. ;)
Mike Daniels @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
I don't get the big deal over whether the 360 is BC.
As I've seen it hypothetically asked in many gaming magazines, does your old X-Box get jealous and run away or quit working out of spite when you bring home a 360?
I understand that TV's only have so many A/V outlets but it just doesn't take that much effort to unplug one and plug in another.
Just my take on the whole BC matter.
CorrectingTheStupid @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
Jago is exadurating. Don't get all excited over this, its hardly an issue in the big picture and i can't believe you're surprised by this.
William @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
Wow, this console just gets more and more unappealling!
Here's hoping that the PS3 is indeed announced at CES, first week of January. And that it's not a lame incremental improvement over current-gen systems...
Tim @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
Knights of the Old Republic II isn't working either, despite being on the list. I tried it last night, to no avail.
CorrectingTheStupid @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
Tim,
In case you didn't know (I'm trying to help, not trying to be rude); you need to take an update for the game to work, be connected on live before you play the game and it will detect it and download the fix.
Jago @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
"I understand that TV's only have so many A/V outlets but it just doesn't take that much effort to unplug one and plug in another."
It is a big deal if your setup doesn't allow you that luxury. Now if the the 2 systems shared the same type of connector for the video/audio cables then might not be as much of a big deal.
Personally I think they shot themselves in the foot with this whole BC thing b/c in order to get backwards compatibility you have to either buy a $100 (over priced) accessory or buy the $400 system...plus...even then you aren't guaranteed to have all your old Xbox games work on it. Sure it might not be a big deal to all the hardcore loyalist b/c they will buy anything but it will turn away some of the average consumers or they will "wait-and-see."
Oop @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
I think the average gamer is already turned off by the fact that the 360 costs a bundle and offers them nothing but a handful of games that basically look and play just like Xbox games.
Jago @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
...bingo...
Bloo @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
"I think the average gamer is already turned off by the fact that the 360 costs a bundle and offers them nothing but a handful of games that basically look and play just like Xbox games."
Yes, they are turned off by the price lol. That's why they are STILL going for $800 on ebay. I don't know what 360 games you are talking about that look and play just like the XBOX games because all 4 games I bought look exponentially better. The 720p trailers I have downloaded look amazing as well. Everyone who has come to my house to see the 360 wants one badly now. So how do we differ? I actually own a 360 and you don't. I actually own 3 HDTVs whereas you have 0. I actually am telling the truth whereas you are a fanboy without the money to upgrade. Sad.
17tx @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
Yeah, to the hardcore gamer there are some differences in the 360 games, but most people couldn't point these out. And they most certainly won't pay premium $$$ for these little differences.
Dan Choi @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
Bloo, as provoked as you might feel, try to avoid the put-downs (whether of people or set-ups) as much as you can. Calling someone a fanboy is simply asking for a flame war. 'Dat cool with you? =)
Oop @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
Bloo:
lol, you are the hardcore gamer that "17tx" is talking about:
"Yeah, to the hardcore gamer there are some differences in the 360 games, but most people couldn't point these out. And they most certainly won't pay premium $$$ for these little differences."
You spent lots of money on the 360 and the low-end HDTVs that are on the market now (even if you bought the high end.. it'll be low end in a year, trust me).
Of course you're impressed with your investment (although the way you defend it makes me wonder if you're a little uneasy about it).
But the average guy who doesn't reading gaming blogs, and who makes up the vast majority of the gaming market, doesn't care to live on the bleeding edge like you do.
Jago @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
The average consumer doesn't have 3 HDTV's...hell I doubt the majority AVERAGE CONSUMERS even have a HDTV. You seem to be missing the point...
"Wanting" one and actually having the money to "BUY" one are two entirely different things. If you were to tell the AVERAGE CONSUMER that in order to fully experience the 360, they would need to spend the following:
- $400+ on the system plus accessories
- $600+ for a HDTV ($1000+ for a flat screen HDTV)
- $300+ for a (good) 5.1 (or more) surround sound system
- $50-60 for games
...AND there might be a chance that your old Xbox games may not work right out of the box (if ever.)
That is of course assuming the person doesn't have all that stuff already. Considering how cheap you can get a 5.1 channel system, I'm sure more people have those then a HD-ready TV.
Princess Zelda @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
I was thinking about buying either a 360 or a original Xbox. There were a lot of original Xbox games I wanted to play. I waited until the BC list came out and was not satified by the list or the way the BC happens.
I was able to get a Xbox 2005 holliday pack for $179 CDN ($40 off regular price). As a posed to $500 for a primium pack, no games and I don't have an HDTV to take advantage of the 360. I'm glad I did, I don't want to be dealling with problems when playing old games. Plus I liked the holiday bundle, Forza motorsports, a party game and 2 months of live.
The Shizzlenit @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
QUOTE:
"...in order to fully experience the 360, they would need to spend the following:
- $400+ on the system plus accessories
- $600+ for a HDTV ($1000+ for a flat screen HDTV)
- $300+ for a (good) 5.1 (or more) surround sound system
- $50-60 for games"
-------------------------------------------wow... I smell fanboy
What about the PS3? Are all the games on it magically going to look and sound better on SDTV's and 2 speakers than the 360 looks and sounds on a HDTV and surround sound? No. The PS3 will not provide "the full experience" without these things as well. If you think otherwise, you are kiding yourself BIGTIME and are probably a very ignorant person.
That's just the way that the next-gen will be. A lot of the details that will make a game look next-gen will be smaller details that may not be seen on a SDTV, such as ice spray in NHL2K6, for example. You don't have to upgrade to an HDTV for next-gen, but it'll help a good amount, and surround sound won't hurt either.
I bet that people will be saying close to the same thing about the PS3 when they finally show what it can do in gameplay, which hasn't been shown yet. (MGS4 was realtime, but not gameplay, there is a difference)
As for the backwards-compatibility, I'm disappointed so far about how this is going, but the system has only been out for a week. If the BC situation doesn't get any better by January (no patches or new BC games), then I'll think that MS has dropped the ball big time on this.
Jago @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
So b/c I listed all those things it makes me a fanboy right? You have some pretty f*cked up logic then.
"MGS4 was realtime, but not gameplay, there is a difference"
The video shown at TGS 05 might not have been real gameplay but it was running on the in-game engine...so the only real difference will be maybe be some HUDs. Everytime a new MGS game has been shown it has been shown running on the actual in-game engine.
You are probably right (maybe) that the PS3 MIGHT need the same setup to fully experience...hell...the Revolution might need something similar. But to say that about the Revo and PS3 is PURE speculation and won't be tested until the system are ready to ship.
Luke @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
I got my Xbox 360 and I think it's great. I will be getting an hd tv sometime the first half of 06.
Joey Geraci @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
As excited as I am about the xbox 360, I have to say I am disappointed in the way Microsoft has handled the entire issue of backwards compatibility. Far more titles should be compatible with the console, and they certainly shouldn't be removing titles. Get it together, Microsoft!
Richard @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
This is probably a long shot but its interesting to think about.
Does anyone else remember when Microsoft stated that all Microsoft games would be backwards compatible?
I can name at leaste one Microsoft game that's not on that list: MechAssault
The three games that have known exploits are: Splinter cell, 007 agent under fire, and...MechAssault.....
Coincidence? Probably. Is it worth investigating the games that have just been pulled for exploits? Well its something to think about.
Clint @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
People complained because 1 or 2 games wouldn't work on the PS2 and now Microsoft's backward's compatability is so poor that they only have a list of the games that WILL work! lol. The list of games that won't work is so long that it's easier to name the ones that WILL work. What a sham. If you own an XBox and more than 2 or 3 games you are being screwed. I can't believe you [fan... er, people --Ed.] would let them do this to you. If Sony does this, there is no way I'm buying their console. I hope they know better. Microsoft is so greedy! They want you to have to buy all new games.
Todd Rabanus @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
People, people why are you even discussing this? microsoft had nothing to do with the whole backwards compatability thing. the xbox had an nvidia gpu, the xbox 360 has as ati gpu. two companies that use different device drivers with different computer languages. thats right languages that original xbox games understand and xbox 360 games need a file to translate the language to one it understands. end of story
Jago @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
So MS had nothing to do with it even though they were the ones who designed the system and ultimately had the choice to either use Ati or nVidia.
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight...might re-think that logic buddy.
mofo @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
The backwards compatability issue isn't because of the gpu, it's the cpu which is now a completely different design, and the code of the game has to be modified to run on a multithreaded cpu. Original Xbox has a single core cpu, as where xbox 360 has multiple cores, and unless you want to lose performance, you have to use the rest of the cores.
jago @ Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM
The GPU was also apart of the problem...there was a small legal battle over what they could do with the Xbox games and how they were going to try and make them backwards compatible.
Jim Todd @ Dec 22nd 2005 8:19PM
Even better, folks..I can now confirm that many of the allegedly 'backwards compatible' games are only backwards compatible in a subset of modes. In particular, it appears that their flagship Forza, and a few of the Clancy games work, but System Link does NOT...so they did all that work on the emulator, but it won't talk to other Xboxes of the old generation.
I'm not sure if I would define that as 'compatible.'