Nontransferable save game data (Xbox 360 annoyance #013)
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Feb 6th 2006 at 2:45PM }
With the girlfriend out of town, an old friend-we'll call him, "K BROOKS" (gamertag)-came to visit this past weekend, and while there might have been intentions to explore the great cultural experiences that New York has to offer, our time together quickly devolved into several days of nonstop gaming. Over the past month, we'd been steadily making our way through PDZ's co-op campaign (online) and we were hoping to finish off the final boss first thing Saturday. Since K BROOKS was unsure about packing his 360 for the train ride, I suggested he just bring the detachable HDD-he doesn't have a Memory Unit. I could transfer my profile & PDZ data from my HDD to my Memory Unit, plug his HDD into my console along with my Memory Unit, and then we could continue the campaign old school splitscreen styles. Wrong. PDZ data cannot be transferred between devices.
So while we were able to play splitscreen co-op using both of our profiles, none of my PDZ data was on hand, meaning that I headed into the final battle with a P9P and came out with "0" (how ironic) gamer points. The frustrating solution was to transfer K BROOKS's profile onto the Memory Unit, reattach my HDD, and beat the game again, so that we both received the points. Unfortunately, the gamer points problem persisted when we entered the "Combat Arena."
No big deal if you're not a sucker for gamer points, but this could pose a problem if you ever need to move the data to a different memory device. Let's hope Rare takes notice and issues a patch, and that other developers follow suit. [Note: we have not experienced nontransferable game data with any other 360 titles. Have you?]
Other Xbox 360 annoyances: 001, 002, 003, 004, 005, 006, 007, 008, 009, 010, 011, 012
Xbox 360 delights: 001, 002, 003, 004, 005, 006, 007
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Spence @ Feb 6th 2006 2:51PM
I want to live in NYC one day, not for too long.. just seems like a really nice experience.
I sound like such a tourist whore.. but it does seem to be one of the best places in the world.
Paul @ Feb 6th 2006 2:54PM
Lots of Gamecube games have the exact same problem. No way to transfer F-Zero date, and almost any first party Nintendo game for instance.
So when a new Bigger Memory card comes out, I can't just transfer everything and toss my old one.
Cyberclaws @ Feb 6th 2006 2:58PM
I see 13 annoyances (negative feedbacks) and only 7 delights (positive feedbacks) on the Xbox 360 thus far. I'm not a die-hard MS fanboy, but I would even have to conclude with them numbers that Joystiq does not really like MS that much.
I have my Xbox360 and love all it has to offer so far and I also can't wait to get a Nintendo Rev at lauch as well. Sony can kiss my... never mind. Bottom line is, all them MS fanboys have a point about the anti-MS sentiment that makes its way on this blog all the time.
MaNiAk21 @ Feb 6th 2006 3:01PM
"So while we were able to play splitscreen co-op using both of our profiles, none of my PDZ data was on hand, meaning that I headed into the final battle with a PSP and came out with "0" (how ironic) gamer points."
Sorry to nit-pick, but I had this argument with friends at launch, it's actually the P9P.. I went so far as to open up the game manual to look.;
GunForHire @ Feb 6th 2006 3:02PM
Plenty of original Xbox games were the same. Pro Evolution Soccer 5 for example, is a good example of this.
Steven @ Feb 6th 2006 3:03PM
TimeSplitters Future Perfect (PS2) won't let you copy from memory card to memory card.
I was wanting to transfer my data onto a bigger memory card, but it said it was locked.
Montana @ Feb 6th 2006 3:07PM
Actually if you do it through the actual game's menu (start the game disk) there is a way - I had a similar problem when I tried with my 360 (thought it IS a pain that you can't just go to memory management and do it from there).
Jelly @ Feb 6th 2006 3:10PM
I'm sure i transfered my f-zero save :S
The only save i couldn't transfer was my phantasy star online one... I had 3 memory cards, a main one (1024 blocks), a backup one for my important saves (108 blocks) and a 54 block on for phantasy star, simply because i had that memory card in when i got the game, and it was stuck there...
adam @ Feb 6th 2006 3:13PM
#1 Have you tried using the "memory card manager"? It is really easy to move files from one card to another
Jelly @ Feb 6th 2006 3:14PM
Also, i worked around this, may not work with you guys, but i had a memory card with my core system, then i bought a hard drive. I wanted my pd0 save on the hard drive.
So all i did was open the save on the memory card with the hard drive in, then take out the memory card, complete a mission, and voila, it was saved to the hard drive.
May not work with your situation, but it's pretty close...
m3mnoch @ Feb 6th 2006 3:15PM
aaaargh! don't even get me started on the crazy, messy irritation that is the 'transferable saves and gamer profile' issue with the 360.
microsoft, if you can maintain a persistent presence with messenger, why can't you do that with live? (i've got messenger on 4 different computers that i bounce around) why can't we just have an option to push our saved games up to the server? give gold members (ha! i said goldmember!) 64 megs of storage on the server!
why is it so very hard?
m3mnoch.
Daniel D @ Feb 6th 2006 3:27PM
DUDE I THINK YOU MEAN A P9P not a PSP LOLOL good job though
nojok3 @ Feb 6th 2006 3:31PM
I have the 360 and everyday I wish I still had my xbox1. The 360 titles are nice to look at but hardlymake you want more after a game. With dismal BC updates, it just gets more depressing. I miss CSX for xbox1
Daveoc64 @ Feb 6th 2006 3:43PM
It is possible to move your PDZ gamesave. Go into the options of the game and select "Save Location". It will let you move your profile.
The idea of the system is to prevent people using things like Action Replay to cheat or to pass save games around and get achievements.
SuicideNinja @ Feb 6th 2006 3:52PM
I was a little mad that I couldn't transfer my Ninja Gaiden save from my friend's Xbox to mine when I got it.
Necrophiliac @ Feb 6th 2006 4:00PM
"I see 13 annoyances (negative feedbacks) and only 7 delights (positive feedbacks) on the Xbox 360 thus far. I'm not a die-hard MS fanboy, but I would even have to conclude with them numbers that Joystiq does not really like MS that much."
A more valid conclusion might be that there are a number of things that Microsoft simply could have done better. I own all current gen consoles and intend on owning all next gen consoles as well. Simply pointing out areas that could be improved doesn't make one a fan boy of another system, just observent.
Wonderflex @ Feb 6th 2006 4:13PM
#2 - it isn't anti-MS sentiment if they actually don't like the product. Keep in mind that this is a blog, ran by humans, and thus so they can write whatever they want. It's something that newspapers and magazines don't really have the advantage of. Rather I personally like the 360 or not doesn't matter, but I think it's refreshing when media with a larger reader base than 5 gets to say what they truly feel. If the machine annoys them, then let it annoy them. If they like it, let them like it.
Nobody seems to care that Engaget is basically setting out a war to ensure the Gizmondo will be crushed into thousands of little pieces, and I say let Joystiq start the same campaign if they like. I'd rather writters be given full creative control rather than be forced into writting soft reviews, or having to walk on glass just to ensure they keep their jobs.
I don't know, maybe it's the whole freedom of the press thing that gets to you, or maybe that you just don't think people should be allowed to have opinions, but I say let them speak.
ill trooper @ Feb 6th 2006 4:13PM
Cyberclaws: I think Joystiq is listing 'annoyances' as things that could be better, and make our experiences with the 360 even better.
I don't see it as Microsoft/Xbox bashing at all. If you don't like the way something works or doesn't work, it's OK to bring it up - it's how these companies know what to change and improve.
fidgetwidget @ Feb 6th 2006 4:18PM
Umm, you CAN transfer data even in PDZ, just not in the system menue (a minor anoyance). And your GamerScore issue is because you were copying gamerprofile data the wrong way. If you want to persist your gamerscore, you should bring down your gamer tag through xbox live. This way you will keep your gamerscore. (bring it down to the new system. and then bring it down when you get back to your own system).
Spencer @ Feb 6th 2006 4:20PM
#1: Gamecube savegames are easily copied. Go to the BIOS menu (Hold A at startup, or start without a game disc) and either copy or move it, depending on which you prefer.
jax sedrin @ Feb 6th 2006 4:26PM
I HATE THIS SOOOO MUCH!!!!! if all you do is play single player or play online, its fine... but if you ever have "video game" parties, it TOTALLY sucks because only one person gets to have the achievements and save game progress.
also, how your save games are (or at least were, before the update) tied to your xbox live account really sucks. if your account gets corrupted or if someone gets a hold of your passport password and does an account recovery.. guess what! you lose all your save games!!!!
and its not just PDZ... DOA4 won't let you move it either, and if you try to move things that will actually let you (like NFS:MW), it will disable the achievements for that game - so you won't be able to unlock any new achievements.
of all the things that annoy me about the 360, this is definitely number 1.
Paul @ Feb 6th 2006 4:49PM
#16, an outrageous number of games(Mostly the ones published by Nintendo) are NOT copy-able or transferable. If you try to copy via the Bios it will tell you that it cannot copy the file.
I'm sure you can find a good list of which games do this. I know F-Zero doesn't let you copy(as I've tried that myself), nor does Animal Crossing Data, and several other first party games.
Cyberclaws @ Feb 6th 2006 4:59PM
Alright, I agree with you all about the freedom to do whatever and keeping honest and what not, I was just pointing out that I can see how MS fanboys can come to the conclusion of anti-MS sentiment. I wasn't saying it was bad or good, just an observation. Seeing both sides of the story type of thing. I never meant to come across as it being my own personal opinion, just stating an observation as to how I could see this being Anti-MS. No dis intended.
I would like to see something like this about the other systems too is all. If they are going to write about the good and bad of one system, why not include the good and bad of PS2 or NGC or something. Not just the 360. Again, I was just simply stating how I can see and relate to how an MS fanboy could or do perceive this as anti-MS.
Stranger @ Feb 6th 2006 6:21PM
I LOVE my 360, but I completely agree on this issue-
In addition, it frustrates the heck outta me that more than one player per console cannot participate in xbox live games. Now I understand the technical limitations of doing this in games like PDZ and Call of Duty- but why the hell can't two profiles be loaded and tracked on one console for a game like DOA 4 online? You're taking turns anyway!!!!
killedaway @ Feb 6th 2006 6:41PM
yeah, DOA4 does this, and it makes me a little sick inside whenever i think about it.
7 @ Feb 6th 2006 6:53PM
#16, an outrageous number of games(Mostly the ones published by Nintendo) are NOT copy-able or transferable. If you try to copy via the Bios it will tell you that it cannot copy the file.
out of:
Baten Kaitos
Skies of Arcadia
MarioKart:DoubleDash
Tony Hawks Underground
Metriod Prime
Metriod Prime 2
Fire Emblem:PoR
Super Mario Sunshine
RE4
RE0
RE1
Killer 7
P.N.03
SW:Rogue Squadron 2
Mario Party 6
Viewtiful Joe 1
Viewtiful Joe 2
Need for Speed Underground 2
LoZ:Windwaker
Mega Man Aniversery Collection
Mega Man X Collection
Super SMash Bros Melee
Tales of Symphonia
Eternal Darkness
Final Fantasy:CC
XII
LoZ:Collecters
and Fzero
The only game i encoutered this problem with was Fzero .. could move the garage data but not the game data.
I dont know where your getting the "outrageous number of games" from. Note that out of those titles 12 are published by nintendo. Also, I could see why they wouldnt want you to move the Animal Crossing data. If I owned that game I would likely have the file on its own memory card anyways considering the file is freaking huge.
Pixelantes Anonymous @ Feb 6th 2006 6:57PM
#3, my annoyances on Foo are as follows:
1. I don't like Foo's color, I think it's bleh
2. I don't like the packaging Foo came in, it's undestructible and I broke my nail opening it. Waaah
3. I don't like Foo, cause my bestest buddy don't have one.
...and my delights are:
1. Foo completely r0xxxxorsszzzz, I've spent every waking hour since I got it tinkering with it
I have 3 annoyances, and 1 delight. Going by your logic, Foo is crap.
Gotta read the context, dude. From what I've read, Joystiq editors quite like their 360s, it's just that there are some room for improvement.
K_G @ Feb 6th 2006 6:58PM
"Why not include the good and the bad of the PS2 or NGC or something."
Are you 12 years old, cyberclaws? or should I say 'R u like 12'
The point here is 360 is a new product that many of us (due to supply or cash issues) don't have access to and many of us would like to hear the good and bad of it by those who access to one. Many of us already have current gen units (or why would we be reading a site like joystick) and know the pros and the cons of the various current gen systems (yeah, we really need to know that turning your PS1 upside down will fix the overheating problem so all six people still playing Tekken 1 can do so with interruption) . I have no doubt there will be many "this feature sucks/this feature rocks" pieces when the PS3 and Revolution come out. It's called critical judgment. Wait about 7 months and you'll start seeing a bunch of "where is feature X that Sony talked up in 2004?" or "the revolution controller is good at X but not so good at Y". The 360 is getting all the love/all the heat because it is the only next gen game in town at the moment.
Adam @ Feb 6th 2006 7:13PM
Even Phantasy Star Online data for the Xbox 1 wasn't transferable between the HD and the memory unit.
Well, it's fine.. this just continues Joystiq's trolling the 360. I am eager to see the day they troll the PS3 whenever that comes out
cap-n-crunch @ Feb 7th 2006 1:06AM
I had my first xbox a little over 3 years and in that time leveled up my Marrowind character pretty high. When my xbox started to die I learned I couldnt tranasfer my marrowind save data to a memory card. I kept the hard drive, but Im not a hacker and dont want to risk butchering a 140 dollar used xbox. In retrospec,I wish I would have quit fooling around on that game and complete the main quest.
Mullan @ Feb 7th 2006 4:27AM
Yet another reason to mod your consoles. With the original xbox i had this problem but i could simply ftp the saves out and put them onto a memory card from my computer.
James @ Feb 7th 2006 10:41AM
"I would like to see something like this about the other systems too is all. If they are going to write about the good and bad of one system, why not include the good and bad of PS2 or NGC or something. Not just the 360. Again, I was just simply stating how I can see and relate to how an MS fanboy could or do perceive this as anti-MS."
Cyberclaws, the delight/annoyance posts are something we started doing with the Xbox 360 and will extend to the PS3 & Revolution upon their releases.
Jellodyne @ Feb 7th 2006 12:15PM
If only there were some sort of XBox related online service we could subscribe to -- why then we could just upload our saves to that and we wouldn't even have to lug around memory cards! Maybe we could even use such a service to transfer our saves from our old console to our new one. Why that sort of functionality would seem to be trivial to add to a service like that, and wouldn't really require much disk space on the server end.
Aw, I'm just dreaming here, who would create a subscription based online service just for a console?
R.Kneyber @ Feb 7th 2006 3:14PM
Also, you would have not gotten any gamerpoints at all either way..
I played through co-op PDZ with my wife, she got ZERO gamerpoints for it, because she was not the main profile.. if she would want the gamerpoints for playing through co-op we'd have to play through it again!
Isn't co-op about playing with two players? Shouldn't they both get gamerpoints for playing through.. major annoyance 14#
James @ Feb 7th 2006 9:03PM
How can this be a Xbox 360 annoyance? This should've been a PDZ annoyance only. How can you associate a specific software's inability to transfer save data to the hardware while other games have absolutely no problems?
The writer of this annoyance needs to be discipline for being a total idiot!