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No BC is MS biggest mistake with the Xbone.

M

MrNyarlathotep

Banned
No, it wasn't DRM, it wasn't the TVTVTVNFL announcement conference, it isn't lack of power vs the PS4, and it wasn't even forcing everyone to buy a Kinect.

By not providing backwards compatibility, MS hit the reset button on this generation and allowed people out of their walled garden ecosystem.
And like all walled garden ecosystems, once you've let people go outside of it, its no longer a measure preventing people from leaving, its a reason to never go back.

How many of you own(ed) substantial investments of time + money on the 360?
All those XBLA games you bought, all that DLC, maybe even some movies and TV shows, or music and XBLIG titles. Maybe even some Xbox classics.

How much easier is it to go PS4 knowing that all of that library is useless, than having all of those purchases waiting for you when you unbox an Xbone?
How would it have felt if those "Ultimate Remaster Editions" were a DLC upgrade rather than a full retail repurchase?
How would those long game droughts feel if you could go pick up some 360 classics you missed out on?
How much nicer would it be if those Games With Gold freebies all worked on your Xbone?

Thoughts?

EDIT:
As requested:
Nzyme32 said:
This is much easier to follow that how you wrote it in the OP, you should probably add it up there.
Click to expand...

TL;DR for people reading title not OP:

- last gen was the first where console digital libraries are possible
- people built up digital libraries
- PS4 and Xbone abandoned those libraries (although PS4 is likely to provide at least some of it back eventually)
- Loss of digital library = easier to switch allegiance to something else
 
B

baconcow

Member
I agree. It keeps me away from buying their system as I have tons of Xbox 360 games, many unfinished and I don't feel like keeping an Xbox 360 and Xbox One hooked up at the same time. I also believe Sony made this mistake, too, with the PS4. I have no interest in renting games from PSnow, but I have no problem buying older digital games. It would be nice to also play my many unfinished PS3 discs in my PS4, but not today.
 
L

liquidtmd

Banned
Would have been nice. MAY have eased the inital backlash but probably not. MAY have tempted a few 360 owners not to defect but multiple factors at play.

No dealbreaker and unlikely to have changed MS's current position. With Sonys PS Now the PS4 still wouldnt have followed suit.
 
S

Super Nothing

Member
I can't agree with this. I would've gone with an XBone this generation even without backwards compatibility. But then they tried to screw over the gaming market, and now I won't even consider buying their console.
 
G

GavinGT

Banned
If you care about the stuff you already bought, then keep your 360 plugged in. It's really not that big of a deal.
 
H

HeartlessNobody213

Member
Doesn't bother me personally. I have an decent sized backlog on my PS3 and while it would be nice to be able to play through them on a PS4, it's not a big deal since I still have my PS3.
 
abracadaver

abracadaver

Member
Totally agree

and by using their crappy edram again they probably wont have BC in the next xbox either while it should be no problem for PS5 to play PS4 games.
 
S

StoOgE

First tragedy, then farce.
Right, because the early PS3 BC trounced the 360 out of the gates because of that built in PS2 fanbase.

And the WiiU came screaming out of the gates because all of my Wii games worked in it!
 
legacyzero

legacyzero

Banned
Why give you BC when you can buy HD re-releases, and/or pay for cloud gaming solutions?

I'm part of the problem, though. I happily bought TLOU Remastered just for the higher res, and higher framrate. And GOD, is it awesome.

And lack of BC is/was the LAST of Xbox Ones problems. The announcement, the weaker hardware, the mixed message, "CLOUD!", etc, really put me off. Now that they have addressed most of that, the biggest thing stopping me from getting one is the weaker hardware. I just dont like getting headaches from playing sub 1080 games.
 
J

joeyjoejoe

Neo Member
I want to play new games. Most casual consumers will want to play new games. If i missed a game on my backlog, it's gone forever.

I don't care about backwards compatibility on my Gaming PC, I don't care about it on my WiiU, and i certainly don't care about it on my XB1/PS4.
 
S

Seik

Banned
Impeccable said:
Backwards compatibility is the single most over rated feature people always clamour for.
Click to expand...

Nope, I'm sure it basically makes a huge difference, especially during the launch period.

A lot of people will keep their old consoles and wait for more next-gen games before pulling the trigger, while if next-gen had BC, more people would tend to sell their older consoles to gain money for the newest one in an attempt to consolidate both platforms into one. Because, you know, it's not everyone that have the monetary power to buy a brand new 500$ box on a whim, concessions have to be made even, most of the times.

But that's just my theory...

StoOgE said:
Right, because the early PS3 BC trounced the 360 out of the gates.
Click to expand...

The price for the thing didn't really help either.
 
M

MrAndySchneider

Banned
MrNyarlathotep said:
Thoughts?
Click to expand...

I don't get it. Buying a Xbox One doesn't render your 360 obsolete, doesn't it? You still have your old console, games, DLC and whatnot. Is playing old games with the same graphics with a new controller really a killer feature? Does anybody go "Wow, I bought my new Xbox One and now I can play my Haloz on it, like on the console that's STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO THE NEW BOX"?

Maybe I missed your point, though... but this just isn't for me.
 
R

RalchAC

Member
Impeccable said:
Backwards compatibility is the single most over rated feature people always clamour for.
Click to expand...

Obviously the average bro, which has 10-12 games won't care that much about it. But people here in GAF has a lot more games than 10-12 on their old consoles, so they value a lot backwards compatibility.

It's one of many cases where GAF =/= the world
 
muzzymate

muzzymate

Member
Agreed, this was the biggest mistake for the regulars (someone who doesn't browse NeoGAF). Having to start over their gaming collection means there is no reason to stick with the Xbox ecosystem other than their friends list (maybe). I certainly would love to see and would buy an Xbox 360 hardware add-on for the Xbox One if it ever would exist (it won't).
 
U

USC-fan

Banned
Nope lack of power was the biggest.

People would have paid more for more powerful console. BUt just killed it being less powerful and more expensive.

Really should have been x360 v2 not xbone. Just make an awesome gaming console. The snap stuff is just pointless. Xbone seem design before everyone had a second screen with them all the time and people cutting the cord with cable.
 
S

sense

Member
even if xbone came out with the perfect system without any of those drm or bc or w.e stuff I think PS4 would still have been ahead maybe by not as much but still ahead.

i personally think the only reason xbox 360 won last gen in US atleast was because it came out a year ahead and cheaper as well when ps3 launched. same time launch and price parity would have been a different story. xbox 360 still would have done good but because it had a good online ecosystem last gen

all sony had to do was correct its mistakes rather than worry about w.e MS came out with to win this gen.
 
Leyasu

Leyasu

Banned
As others have said, BC is overrated!!

The power difference and people following their early adopter friends are the final nails in the coffin.

The rest of the damage was done before and during the reveal.

Xbone only owner speaking here
 
M

MrNyarlathotep

Banned
TL;DR for people reading title not OP:

- last gen was the first where console digital libraries are possible
- people built up digital libraries
- PS4 and Xbone abandoned those libraries (although PS4 is likely to provide at least some of it back eventually)
- Loss of digital library = easier to switch allegiance to something else
 
M

M°°nblade

Banned
Most people don't mind manufacturers hitting the reset button for games they finished years ago and are very unlikely to replay them in their vanilla form.

Those that are most likely to get replayed by fans are 'remastered' anyway.
 
G

gatti-man

Member
Screw BC its lack of power. My xb1 barely gets turned on these days. Its not because i cant play halo reach its because it runs slower and is less impressive graphically than ps4.

Most people do not csre that much about their digital games. They really dont. Not on consoles not yet. Maybe by the end of this gen, maybe.
 
J

jimi_dini

Member
StoOgE said:
Right, because the early PS3 BC trounced the 360 out of the gates.
Click to expand...

360 had "backward compatibility". And PS3 had "backward compatibility" (Europe).


btw. why add actual proper backward compatibility (see Wii U) when your customers
- don't give a shit
- and buy the same games again for full price on the new generation
- and are willing to rent the same games from your brand new streaming service
 
O

Odah

Banned
So for you a missing feature is a bigger fuck up than trying to screw over your entire installment base and enforce them some anti-consumer decisions.


But okay, I know how opinions work. I disagree with you



edit: wofe
 
K

KingErich

Banned
I would have paid more for a PS4 with BC. Could have boxed up my old consoles and saved room on my entertainment center.

BC was probably squashed on both because they can resell you the same games you already own via HD remakes and streaming play. Which is a bunch of crap.
 
A

Archaix

Drunky McMurder
Impeccable said:
Backwards compatibility is the single most over rated feature people always clamour for.
Click to expand...


I disagree and think it's competitive multiplayer modes. Weird how opinions work like that.

The fact that my PS3 library doesn't carry over to the PS4 is the biggest reason that I still don't own a PS4 and don't really see myself getting one soon.

That said, Microsoft could have unlocked every360 XBLA game ever released for every Xbox owner to play on every future console, and I still wouldn't have bought an Xbox this gen after everything else they've done.
 
MMaRsu

MMaRsu

Banned
No a weaker system and bad pr are their bifgest mistakes

Archaix you are drunk, forgot about Bloodborne?
 
O

Omni

Member
Impeccable said:
Backwards compatibility is the single most over rated feature people always clamour for.
Click to expand...
I'd honestly have to agree.

I mean, look at the 360. How many people bothered playing original Xbox games on that console after Halo 3 replaced Halo 2? I'd argue the percentage was terribly low. Most people move on.
 
E

EatinOlives

Member
Biggest mistake? Sure, if you completely ignore the always-online debacle and the forced inclusion of Kinect that forced Microsoft to gimp the horsepower of the console itself to remain competitive in price, effectively gimping the console's ability to compete graphically for the entire lifetime of the system. But being able to play games for a system you already own is definitely their biggest mistake I'm sure...
 
F

freddy

Banned
Nah I don't think a lot of people care about BC. People cared that they were treated like dirt by Microsoft and they cared that they felt the competition had a better product. That's the bottom line here.
 
M

malfcn

Member
What % of users took advantage of BC?

It's a nice thing to have, but a lot of 360s are in the wild and don't need to go anywhere.
PS3 and 360 dropped native BC. Both supported BC in their stores (I feel like PS3 did a way better job).
 
BennyBlanco

BennyBlanco

aka IMurRIVAL69
This is a good point. I had a 360 last gen and still have games for it and XBLA games tied to the account. I don't have either new system but if I were gonna buy one ps4 would be the easy choice because it's stronger hardware at the same price and MS gave me no incentive to stick with them.
 
Heavy's Sandvich

Heavy's Sandvich

Member
Impeccable said:
Backwards compatibility is the single most over rated feature people always clamour for.
Click to expand...

I think initially it helps, certainly gets people into the ecosystem.

Also, perceived appreciation of adopters as well.

And "added" value by offering something the other competitor couldn't.

I think it's a worthy feature for at least the first year.
 
M

MightyHedgehog

Member
The size and number of threads and the level of shitstorm surrounding the DRM disagrees with you. No BC always sucks, though, especially if you want to simplify your setup.
 
B

BruiserBear

Banned
I think it only matters for the first year.

Although I definitely think if the XB1 had full BC it would have greatly helped it appeal to people during that first year. If it had that edge over the PS4 it certainly would have helped.
 
Freeman

Freeman

Banned
How would they do it? I don't think this consoles have what it takes to emulate last gen consoles and adding including additional hardware would make the Xbox One fail even harder.

Remasters of the most successful games makes much more sense.
 
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