360 BC update "in the next few weeks"
Thanks to the folks at the Gamerscore Blog, we've learned that the next Xbox back compat update "should be out in the next few weeks."
In his earlier blast against BC, Peter Moore proclaimed that nobody is concerned about it anymore, but thankfully the gentler Gamerscore peeps have set the record straight, stating: "We know for a fact that there are lots of people who continue to care about backwards compatibility, including the 'Emulation Ninjas' who are working full time on the updates. And those of us posting on this blog. And, of course, many of you."
We suppose quarterly updates to the BC list aren't TOO bad (hey, they sure beat semiannual dashboard updates), but getting more than a dozen titles to work each time would definitely help a lot more for those with original Xbox favorites they'd prefer to play on their new machines. Personally, this blogger would like to see the following titles added to the list: Dead or Alive Ultimate, Doom 3, Capcom vs. SNK 2, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Project Gotham Racing 2, LEGO Star Wars, Street Fighter Anniversary Collection, Soul Calibur II, and Capcom Classics Collection. It may not be realistic to expect Street Fighter support when Hyper Fighting is set to hit Live Arcade sometime in the near future, but one can (vainly) hope.
[Via Major Nelson's blog]
See also:
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
RD @ Jun 3rd 2006 12:31PM
All I need is Lego Star Wars.
Lenbot @ Jun 3rd 2006 12:33PM
Ya exactly, I am waiting till I can play those titles on my 360 before I will go out and by a new system. Least so I have some games to play when I buy it. Here is one vote cast asking for more backwards combatability.
Tooley @ Jun 3rd 2006 12:39PM
I wish psychonauts was back-compat.
hohoho @ Jun 3rd 2006 12:40PM
well, nothing new... the honcho went on ballistics, the drones all out to damage control.
Lenbot @ Jun 3rd 2006 12:55PM
actually the truth is Microsoft said they would deliver BC to the consumers I think we should get a little something back. I know quite a few people bought a 360 only for the fact of the eventual BC. Most of them had there xbox die and bought the 360 instead of another xbox just so because there entire collection would be waste. Sure they could trade em in but what gamer likes to do that. I think they said they would deliver BC then they should we shouldn't stand for having them back down on what they said they would deliver
logikil @ Jun 3rd 2006 12:56PM
Psychonauts
Chronicles Of Riddick
Panzer Dragoon Orta
Mechassault (1 or 2)
Jet Set Radio Future
Psi Ops
Breakdown
Hunter the Reckoning
There are others, but this will do for the time being :).
RD @ Jun 3rd 2006 1:06PM
logikil, you forgot Lego Star Wars. J/K
No really, I'm not kidding. All I want is that game. Please?
1up_clock @ Jun 3rd 2006 1:10PM
All I see is Microsoft trying to give people to buy/not sell an XBox. I mean, c'mon. No Psychonauts on the 360 IS a tad unforgivable.
Miharu @ Jun 3rd 2006 1:18PM
Panzer Dragoon Orta please. Now.
Kazi @ Jun 3rd 2006 1:50PM
They really need to add every Live game on the XBox to the BC before anything else. Once you go 360 with live you can't go back to the box. So that really seems like the most important thing. (GGXX#R most importantly)
Revadarth @ Jun 3rd 2006 1:55PM
Maybe we'll finally get Morrowind.
Turo @ Jun 3rd 2006 2:00PM
Doom 3...need to shoot demons and hear dr. pertruger's evil laughter once again lol. plasma rifle pwns. i miss it =( (and i never got to play resurrection of evil)
Alfred @ Jun 3rd 2006 2:02PM
I couldnt agree more with that list. THATS the games that i want to see too
carlos @ Jun 3rd 2006 2:19PM
i want metal gear solid 2 substance plz plz plz plz
massimiliano @ Jun 3rd 2006 2:29PM
Getting fed up with info on 360 updates that are not here "right about now"
I don't care to hear about the delayed updates which we don't have, all I want to know is to be told when it is actually available to download.
The videos, info, blogs about the "coming" spring update are putting me off checking my favourite blogs (including Major Nelson).
If whatever they are working on is not working or properly bug tested I don't want to know, it is their job/problem.
Project managers get paid to hear this stuff and deal with the issues and disappointments with deadlines not being met. I am the customer and should not even be bothered to know all the mistakes that are being made, it only makes the company and product look bad.
J. McNair @ Jun 3rd 2006 2:37PM
Yeah, I'd easily forgive not giving us 100% compatibility if we got 80% of the total library and ALL of the BEST titles. We just don't have all of them yet. If we continue to get quarterly updates, we should be pretty good sometime in late 2007. Conveniently enough, whenever they get a good title working they seem to be able to drag along a couple of crap titles as well, so by the time the best is all working, they may accidentally stumble upon 95% backwards compatibility.
Dan Choi seems to like the fighting games; I'm surprised that Guilty Gear XX #Reload isn't on his list.
--JM
Ian @ Jun 3rd 2006 2:51PM
Advent Rising >:(
sigloiv @ Jun 3rd 2006 2:52PM
The thing about BC is that all of it right now is being done via emulation. They're not intentionally aiming to make certain games work (although, I'm sure they did with Halo), but rather to just make certain features* of the Xbox work on the 360.
This is the reason Barbie Horse Adventures works while a lot of other games don't. They didn't do it on purpose. It just worked because they implemented all the features of the game (while trying to implement features of another game).
*When I say features, I really mean some other word that I can't think of right now. It's like "API-crap", or "CPU-something-or-other". It's in the back of mind, but I'm just going to use the word features to get rid of the risk of sounding like a complete idiot.
OTAM @ Jun 3rd 2006 3:33PM
I am PISSED OFF about the lack of BC. I have bought 4 games within the past few months because there hasnt been really any 360 games that I wanted and have been able to play ONE of them (and poorly at that). I bought DoomIII,Panzer Dragoon Orta,Conker Live & Reloaded and Half-Life 2. How the HELL is DoomIII not backwards compatible?!!? It just blows my mind.
Trying to play Half-Life 2 is a joke though. The framerate is SO POOR the game is almost unplayable. I went out and bought the game thinking that the 2nd update for HL2 would have fixed all the issues,but I was horribly,horribly wrong.
Fucking disgraceful.
bassbeast @ Jun 3rd 2006 5:53PM
Before backwards compatibility is addressed, whatever happened to that major update that was to give us background downloading, camera support and all that stuff? I was really happy with the 360, but MS is starting to "underpromise and overdeliver"... erm, I mean OVERpromise and UNDERdeliver. Isn't that what you meant, Peter?
jon @ Jun 3rd 2006 6:16PM
I really don't care about B/C. I didn't buy the 360 to play old games. This Christmas with all the new titles to keep everyone busy We will all forget about B/C again. Moore was right...we had all forgoten about it, but then he had to go open his mouth and remind everyone didn't he.
Sadly I'm so addicted to getting more Gamer Points that I would rather play any 360 Title just for the points.
EdZ @ Jun 3rd 2006 7:08PM
Before they add more games, they need to fix the damn PAL50 issue with the VGA cable on games that are aleady 'compatable'.
Fedaykin98 @ Jun 3rd 2006 7:27PM
For the love of GOD, the most needed backwards compatibility titles are MERCENARIES and BURNOUT 3! ;)
swoosh bnd @ Jun 3rd 2006 9:08PM
I sure hope Star Wars: Battlefront (1) is included in this update. That's one of the most wanted for me.
Windy @ Jun 3rd 2006 9:36PM
Well as I am new to console games with my 360 and Oblivion (and as I switched to the Mac before Morowind came out) Morowind is the game I most want to see ported... I have about 300 hours on Oblivion and enjoy it as much now as when I first started it (less than 10 hours total time on the 360 not playing Oblivion and most of that is downloading trailes and demos) so the chance to see what Morowind is like is very attractive to me
nate @ Jun 4th 2006 12:41AM
All I need is Rallisport Challenge 2...IMO..best racer on xbox, oh that and either Timesplitters and DOA:U
Dan Choi @ Jun 4th 2006 2:54AM
"Dan Choi seems to like the fighting games; I'm surprised that Guilty Gear XX #Reload isn't on his list."
You're right about that, JM -- I do like me fighting games, especially high-res 2D ones like GGXX#Reload (whose beautiful graphics should really provoke Capcom to redraw their old sprites in higher resolutions as well). GG's actually sitting on my shelf right now; I simply forgot to mention it in my post during the Capcom flood. =)
It's true that earning Gamer Points for 360 games is a lot of fun, jon; I just miss the backwards compatibility for some of the better last-gen titles out there. I actually purchased a number of cross-platform titles for the PS2 instead of the Xbox because there was a better chance of them working on the PS3 rather than the 360. (Examples: Psychonauts, Burnout 3, LEGO Star Wars, Beyond Good & Evil, etc., etc.) As you might have guessed, the lack of BC support for SF Anniversary Collection saddened me the most, which is why I'm waiting for Hyper Fighting so eagerly -- while vainly trying to keep low expectations for it. At least there'll be those Points to earn...
sabre @ Jun 4th 2006 4:18AM
So finally caved today and bought a 360 with a couple of games and I JUST now found out that freakin' Panzer Dragoon Orta doesn't work. WTH?
I swear...I was lovin' the 360 and how easy it was to do stuff but this gives it a strike in my book for the time being. Panzer Dragoon Orta is one of THE most beautiful Xbox games...period...and the damn thing doesn't work on the 360.
cringer8 @ Jun 4th 2006 4:25AM
Okay, I'm probably part of a minority here, but I don't care about backwards compatibility. I used to think I did, until last week (hear me out).
I was trying to figure out how to upgrade to the DS Lite without spending a red cent. I found out that next week I will be able to get $70 for my old DS. "That's a good start," I thought. So, my next logical step was to figure out which console titles I could part with.
Here's what happened; as I scrolled through my titles I kept telling myself, "this game is too good to part with." Title after title, the same conclusion. By the time I was done, I only had two games I didn't like. That wouldn't be enough store credit.
So, I decided on a new way of looking at these games; after finishing the title in question, how many times did I revisit it? With that new criteria in mind, I soon realized that I don't play my old games at all. They are merely there as an homage to my gaming past (perhaps to impress others on my taste in games).
Well, I have to tell you, it feels REALLY good to come to terms with this. I am trading in every game I own. None shall be spared. I am moving on. With all the extra store credit, I should be able to start a NEW collection of great games (which I will trade in again and again).
Suggestion: Stop looking at your game library as a "collection."
Start viewing those games as money in the bank towards new, better games.
A little "spring cleaning" is a refreshing experience. Hell, I might even trade in my Gamecube. DS Lite is my new console of choice (until the Wii).
sabre @ Jun 4th 2006 4:54AM
"Suggestion: Stop looking at your game library as a "collection."
Start viewing those games as money in the bank towards new, better games."
(Me personally) I stopped looking at my games that way once I started making enough money to have extra for entertainment after bills and stuff. I want my kids to experience what I grew up with so they aren't like some kids now and actually appreciate older games.
Dan Choi @ Jun 4th 2006 8:51AM
"I am trading in every game I own. None shall be spared. I am moving on. With all the extra store credit, I should be able to start a NEW collection of great games (which I will trade in again and again)."
There is certainly something very liberating about not feeling beholden to one's things, cringer8. If you're not regularly revisiting a game, it's perfect fodder for trade-in credit, correct? Well... I've heard too many stories of people who've regretted traded in their old game collections to completely accept your proposal. It seems great at first -- new DS Lite... hey, that's not a bad thing -- but then you begin to investigate how much it would take to buy a used copy of whatever rare games you unloaded when you became "practical." Trade-in value for hard-to-find games is usually such a fraction of what you'd have to pay to buy that same software back that I'd strongly advise that you carefully consider all the ramifications of this transaction before selling your most treasured games/memories. Even nostalgia can have some value.
craig @ Jun 4th 2006 1:00PM
MS should try to make 99% of games compatible, I mean I'm condsidering getting a 360 but it's the price of the games which is putting me off. You can pick up used XBOX games for next to nothing these days.
cringer8 @ Jun 4th 2006 3:19PM
@Dan
I hear what you're saying, and you're absolutely correct. That is the main reason I still have some of the games I have. I love my memories and I know that if I ever wanted to play these games again, it would cost way too much to rebuy them.
But, I'm getting old. I don't have much time for games anymore. What precious time I get during the week to play, I spend on the new titles I'm still trying to complete.
[Censored by the management]
l0tus @ Jun 4th 2006 7:22PM
im all about BC, and i think the list of current BC games is decidedly lacking. i understand the hurdles one must address when trying to emulate one console on another, but seriously, throw some of those MS dollars at it and get it DONE.
Conn @ Jun 4th 2006 8:38PM
I want to see Microsoft work on their exclusive Xbox games first, then their console exclusives (games that are PC/Xbox only) then lastly, multiplatform titles.
Because I mean, most of the titles people want are exclusives- and if they aren't exclusive, then you could just play it on another system.
Still, though, I'm just happy there's updates at all.
KilgoreTrout XL @ Jun 4th 2006 11:34PM
It'll never happen, but I would like to see the following make the list:
Beyond Good and Evil
Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes (one of Xbox's most underrated games)
Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders
eric @ Jun 5th 2006 12:52AM
COUNTER-STRIKE OH MY GOD WOULD MICROSOFT WAKE UP AND MAKE THIS GAME BC ALREADY~!!?!?!?!?!!
Dan Choi @ Jun 5th 2006 1:58AM
"@Dan
I hear what you're saying, and you're absolutely correct. That is the main reason I still have some of the games I have. I love my memories and I know that if I ever wanted to play these games again, it would cost way too much to rebuy them."
It was the whole trading-in-every-game-you-own (that is, your nothing-shall-be-spared) comment that caused me to reply the way I did. If you are holding a few treasured possessions back, I'd feel a lot better about this whole situation.
"But, I'm getting old. I don't have much time for games anymore. What precious time I get during the week to play, I spend on the new titles I'm still trying to complete."
Totally understandable. We're all getting older after all -- I mean, none of us are getting any younger, right? -- so games can't (always) take top priority in our lives. I hope we can all enjoy the time we do get, however.
"[Censored by the management]"
I had to do a bit of moderation here, cringer8, as you made an uncalled for assumption about another poster (and commented accordingly). I'm not one to give out negative stars or take (positive) stars away lightly, however, so I'm just removing all the flame-like comments and responses for now. Let's be careful not to jump to conclusions regarding other posters here, okay? Respect is the foundation for a thriving community (online or off), so let's do our best to be quick to listen, slow to become angry, and (when necessary) slow to speak. Hopefully then we can keep misunderstandings to a minimum.
sabre @ Jun 5th 2006 3:07AM
I word...
pwned :-P
cringer8 @ Jun 5th 2006 4:52AM
Here's another bit of rhetoric:
Can playing an old title actually tarnish your memory of the game?
I know I have had this experience a handful of times (Mike Tyson's Punch Out, Metal Gear Solid, Goldeneye, etc). When I played these games again, I found myself thinking, "I don't remember these graphics sucking so hard or the game being so easy."
Maybe I should have left things the way they were in my brain.
Dan Choi @ Jun 5th 2006 10:31AM
"Here's another bit of rhetoric:"
"I word...
pwned :-P"
As long as the rhetoric doesn't inflame other users unreasonably, I think I can live with it (in the sense of "using language effectively and persuasively"). Just be careful what you type, all right? =)
"Can playing an old title actually tarnish your memory of the game?"
Oh yeah, sure. They say you can never go home again, and that can be quite true for the games of our youth (though games from the 32/64-bit generation are certainly not exempt). For instance, I just played some old Coleco games via a 2-player plug-in set for the TV this past weekend. While I don't remember these games on the Colecovision so much (I mean, I can't actually remember whether I played them back in the day or not), they must have seemed pretty interesting at the time. In fact, after trying some of the titles for more than a few minutes, there were gameplay elements that were actually well thought-out and, more importantly, fun. I still wouldn't want to go and play the Atari 2600 games I do have some memories of, however; it would just be too painful. ;) What I'm trying to say is that old games can be fun, but "spoilage" certainly can occur.
Forza fan... @ Jun 5th 2006 12:27PM
Forza is listed as compatible. And yet, when you enter the esses at Road Atlanta, the frame rate drops to under 6fps.
I checked again yesterday to see if perhaps this was fixed. It isn't.
MS BC is a joke. It's a scam. You simply cannot use a 360 as a replacement Xbox unless you only play GTA games and Halo 1/2.
The Raz @ Jun 5th 2006 2:22PM
Here's my take on BC that I haven't really seen addressed.
When I played my old PS1 games on the PS2, all I had to do was take my old memory card and stick it into the PS2. Voila! It's as if nothing had changed. I could never say the same about the Nintendo console transitions since each cartridge/disc was different.
So the big question I have is, even though I might one day be able to play all the wonderful XBox games I have on the 360, what would happen to my saved games? Many times I will go back and play a saved game. For example, I put in over 70 hours with Morrowind. Now that I'm practically a god in the game, I enjoy flying around the world and stopping by in towns and talking to adoring fans every once in a while. You're telling me that I would have to essentially start over on the 360??? On EVERY DAMN ONE OF MY GAMES? Knights of the Old Republic 1 & 2? Fable? GTA? That's just crazy. And that is the BIGGEST reason that I have not purchased a 360 yet. Even if the game is BC, which is not bloody likely, I would have to start from scratch.
When you spend hours on a game, especially an RPG, you don't want to have to go back and do the whole thing again. It just doesn't make sense. Now games like Halo and Halo 2, yeah, I have NO problems playing them over again. But seriously...it's just not fair.
And for those who say keep both attached to your TV - I have only limited connections on my widescreen TV (1 HDMI for cable, 1 composite for XBox at the moment - I know, it sucks but I have to live with it). So I don't want to have to keep switching things around back there. I also would like less hardware in my living room, as would my wife.
VampireHunter Z @ Jun 5th 2006 3:19PM
I forgot Marvel vs Capcom 2 was released on the original xbox without online support (I had it for Dreamcast). I would rather they re-release it on the 360 with Live support, spectator mode and all that good stuff. Because I'm sure I'm one of the best in the world ^^.
Sabre @ Jun 5th 2006 3:42PM
"And for those who say keep both attached to your TV - I have only limited connections on my widescreen TV (1 HDMI for cable, 1 composite for XBox at the moment - I know, it sucks but I have to live with it). So I don't want to have to keep switching things around back there. I also would like less hardware in my living room, as would my wife."
2 words:
Switch box
The Raz @ Jun 5th 2006 5:06PM
Sabre, I don't think you read my post the whole way.
"I would like less hardware in my living room"
Plus this is irrelevant to my main point.
Sabre @ Jun 5th 2006 7:06PM
I read what you said but I'm just saying that a small switch box is one way to get around having a limited number of inputs on a TV/receiver.
sabre @ Jun 6th 2006 1:01AM
"I'm not one to give out negative stars or take (positive) stars away lightly, however, so I'm just removing all the flame-like comments and responses for now."
I forgot to add...
I wish you guys would all be consistant b/c had it been the other way around (which I would never attack someone like he did) and another mod had delt with the situation...I would received negative stars.
Dan Choi @ Jun 6th 2006 1:46AM
"I wish you guys would all be consistant b/c had it been the other way around (which I would never attack someone like he did) and another mod had delt with the situation...I would received negative stars."
It's certainly possible that different bloggers will apply a different hand to similar moderating circumstances. But, again, tread with respect and reason, and there shouldn't be a problem with any moderator.
sabre @ Jun 6th 2006 3:03AM
So are you guys just "average joe" bloggers or somewhat more professional "editors" then?
Oh well...