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How important is backwards compability?
- Thread starter zMiiChy-
- Start date
On the sales evidence I think (at least up to this point) it's fair to say:
It doesn't particularly drive new console adoption. Certainly consoles without it can easily trounce those with it. I see two factors driving this. New gen means new games and majority of mass market skews to these vs older titles. Publishers and developers are always pushing latest version of a franchise or their new IP.
It is nonetheless used if present and although not a primary decision criteria as above if it's present it will be used. Big older titles pushed at low prices will even make charts (as recently seen)
If MS and Sony really push BC harder for foreseeable future this may change but currently this is what actual sales data shows.
So it's worth having to generate additional software sales but it seems fairly low impact when choosing a console.
It doesn't particularly drive new console adoption. Certainly consoles without it can easily trounce those with it. I see two factors driving this. New gen means new games and majority of mass market skews to these vs older titles. Publishers and developers are always pushing latest version of a franchise or their new IP.
It is nonetheless used if present and although not a primary decision criteria as above if it's present it will be used. Big older titles pushed at low prices will even make charts (as recently seen)
If MS and Sony really push BC harder for foreseeable future this may change but currently this is what actual sales data shows.
So it's worth having to generate additional software sales but it seems fairly low impact when choosing a console.
blame space
Banned
Microsoft gets huge props for doing it this gen, even when nobody assumed it was coming or even possible. A bigger library of great games on a system is always a good thing.
WaterAstro
Member
Not important. I'd rather they spend all their effort, time, and money on new releases.
PSNOW brings a massive amount of great games to PS4. It's marred by a high price tag, input lag due to it being streaming, and poor image quality.
Ps2 on PS4 brings some games people already own digitally that they have to rebuy.
I don't see either of these as good things.
We talk about about protecting the consumer and consumer rights a lot in this forum. Hell, the whole DRM fiasco was build around the protection of consumer rights.
Whether you enjoy BC or "didn't buy a new system for old games", BC benefits the consumer. ESPECIALLY when when a game you already own in the past can be brought forward to a new system without some fucking company nickle and diming you in order to allow you to play it.
I think BC is imperative moving forward into new iterations. Whether you want it or not, BC is better for everyone. I see no negative issues with it at all.
Whether you enjoy BC or "didn't buy a new system for old games", BC benefits the consumer. ESPECIALLY when when a game you already own in the past can be brought forward to a new system without some fucking company nickle and diming you in order to allow you to play it.
I think BC is imperative moving forward into new iterations. Whether you want it or not, BC is better for everyone. I see no negative issues with it at all.
pr0cs
Member
I don't think I would have bought a ps4 if the xbone supported bc from the start.
Because Microsoft chose to have an even playing field (no bc) I had no reason to stay loyal to them at the start of this gen.
BC is the best thing ms did this gen and earned a lot of goodwill back from me. Orphaning my digital purchases is unacceptable and why I haven't bought much on PSN this gen
Because Microsoft chose to have an even playing field (no bc) I had no reason to stay loyal to them at the start of this gen.
BC is the best thing ms did this gen and earned a lot of goodwill back from me. Orphaning my digital purchases is unacceptable and why I haven't bought much on PSN this gen
Dee Dah Dave
Member
I think it's should be mandatory going forward, particularly with the rise of digital sales and 'ecosystems'. But I imagine most people treat games as consumable content, moving onto the next latest and greatest and never returning to most the old stuff. But it should still be there nevertheless.
it is NOT the highlight of the console but its one great feature that is so rare these days that you gotta get excited for it.
I play way more Xbox One games than I do BC games but im always to excited to have the oppurtunity catch up on a series when the sequel drops. For example, I never played any mass effect games before and was interested in buying Andromeda. The entire trilogy is on Xbox one through BC, so I gotta chance to catch up and find out if Andromeda is for me or not.
to be honest, BC will probably one of the most important features I look for in my next console. So i can save money by selling the old one while continuing to clear my backlog. Especially since year one is usually a wasteland for new consoles.
Agent X
Member
Oh, don't get me wrong, I largely agree with many of the points you've raised in the thread--although I disagree with your sentiment that "PS Now is a joke", as I do enjoy that service, and believe it serves a useful purpose.
That brings me to another point: PS Now is not a "solution" or a substitute for backward compatibility. Simply put, it's a subscription service that provides instant access to a vast catalog of games. Those games just happen to be PS3 games right now, although PS4 games will be added soon.
I think PS Now should continue to exist and grow, regardless of whether backward compatibility ever becomes a thing on future Sony systems. Ideally, both abilities should coexist--PS Now for quick game rentals for a fee, and backward compatibility to play previously purchased games without a fee.
As you said, it's about convenience and confidence. I think Microsoft has made great strides in the last two years, where Sony and Nintendo had previously done well but have since faltered. It would be nice to see Sony and Nintendo pick up the ball again, and renew customers' confidence in carrying their game purchases over to new systems.
SmokedMeat
Gamer™
It's extremely important.
Let me say that on my phatty PS3 I barely used the feature. But regardless of whether I used it or not it's something I'd prefer to have, because there's absolutely going to be games you'll want to return to in your life. Look at Xbox One; it's fucking awesome that Blops 2 saw a resurgence on the platform. Meanwhile on PlayStation you have nothing of the sort. On Switch there's nothing. I wish I could play even my digital Wii U games or my VC games on Switch. I wish I could play my digital PSone/PS2/PS3 games on PS4.
Being able to return to old games is a beautiful thing and it's part of the reason I'm loving the PC platform more then anything else. I play a mix of everything; old, new, indie, whatever... I enjoy it all.
So yes, it's absolutely important whether you think it is or not. The person who claims they don't buy new systems to play old games is most likely playing on a system that doesn't offer them the option.
Let me say that on my phatty PS3 I barely used the feature. But regardless of whether I used it or not it's something I'd prefer to have, because there's absolutely going to be games you'll want to return to in your life. Look at Xbox One; it's fucking awesome that Blops 2 saw a resurgence on the platform. Meanwhile on PlayStation you have nothing of the sort. On Switch there's nothing. I wish I could play even my digital Wii U games or my VC games on Switch. I wish I could play my digital PSone/PS2/PS3 games on PS4.
Being able to return to old games is a beautiful thing and it's part of the reason I'm loving the PC platform more then anything else. I play a mix of everything; old, new, indie, whatever... I enjoy it all.
So yes, it's absolutely important whether you think it is or not. The person who claims they don't buy new systems to play old games is most likely playing on a system that doesn't offer them the option.
MS surely would have had a stronger output with the XB1 had BC been shipped at console launch off the back of the 360 and the death of DRM. It would have helped immensely.
But going forward when buying digital (which is already 40-50% of sales) who doesn't want to keep their library going forward. If the PS5 comes out and you have to build your library yet again, and Xbox is carrying over 600-700 games. Man, it looks seriously bad.
I get in the past we had hard copies of games and people didn't keep them or resold them. But things are obviously changing this generation and if you can't keep your eco-system in tact, you'll fall behind. I'm not saying it's massively important compared to new games, but once you have it and it works as well as Xbox does, there's really no going back.
I mean it's nice as hell paying 5 bucks for a game you never played.
NipplesAndToes23
Member
Y'all don't replay games anyway, so I guess I see why y'all don't care.
zenspider
Member
In the past I didn't really care because I don't sell off or trade-in my old systems and I never felt the desire to play SD games on HD setups, but over the past few Sony gens it's been disheartening to lose PSN games from PSP, PS3, PSone and PS2 Classics, etc.
I think it wil be more important going forward - I have 200+ digital games on PS4 and they'll have a hard time getting me to jump to PS5 if those games aren't in tow, at least in the first couple of years.
I think it wil be more important going forward - I have 200+ digital games on PS4 and they'll have a hard time getting me to jump to PS5 if those games aren't in tow, at least in the first couple of years.
Well... there is if you want to play the majority of the 360 library, which Xbox One can't play of course.
FinalStageBoss
Banned
I couldn't care less about it tbh
VanCityGamer
Member
I'm sorry, but your post is pretty ridiculous. It's "absolutely important whether you think it is or not"? I mean...no. In terms of selling systems, it clearly is not important. And then if you think it's crucial to you personally, then that's your opinion.
Lol nope, I can confidently say that people DO NOT buy systems to play old games. That can be taken at face value. Backwards compatibility is a nice perk and that's about it.
Fox Mulder
Member
I have 90 Xbox 360 games on my xb1. Many were completely free as I already bought them on the 360 years ago. That's fucking great and keeps me invested in an ecosystem.
NinjamicWZ
Banned
Not what I got my PS4 for and I have enough common sense to understand that the PS3 architecture is bonkers af to emulate and expensive to try cramming into a competitive, small console... but c'mon... I would be happy af if I could buy PS1, 2 and 3 discs for my PS4.
I'd get a lot of old stuff back, most notably all the stuff that nobody's ever going to remaster, remake or even bother to put on PSN. I spent an entire generation waiting for Einhander, Brave Fencer, Skullmonkeys and Heart of Darkness on PS1 in NA, but noooo.
I also want my digital PS1, PS2 and PSP stuff to work. There's no excuse for this, and whether it's the rights holders, Sony, or both, they get no pass.
I do prefer remasters at 1080p and 4K/HDR wherever possible, though and am willing to pay for it. Not every title has the prestige for that, obviously. No reason we shouldn't have gotten word of Demon's Souls and Dark Souls 1 yet.
I'd get a lot of old stuff back, most notably all the stuff that nobody's ever going to remaster, remake or even bother to put on PSN. I spent an entire generation waiting for Einhander, Brave Fencer, Skullmonkeys and Heart of Darkness on PS1 in NA, but noooo.
I also want my digital PS1, PS2 and PSP stuff to work. There's no excuse for this, and whether it's the rights holders, Sony, or both, they get no pass.
I do prefer remasters at 1080p and 4K/HDR wherever possible, though and am willing to pay for it. Not every title has the prestige for that, obviously. No reason we shouldn't have gotten word of Demon's Souls and Dark Souls 1 yet.
VanCityGamer
Member
Just because people don't think it's "very important" doesn't mean they think it is a bad thing. Also, come on with the console war stuff. I have both systems. I think it's a neat feature, but not a crucial one.
I don't get the flips flops in this forum sometimes. I have seen threads where we destroy the hell out of companies for their anti-consumer practices or not listen to their customers to implement things. Yet I continually hear when it comes to some subjects (Like EA Access and BC), is that "they're selling systems", "they're in the lead", "they don't have to because they're ahead". Saying things like this is such a counter-intuitive argument especially when you can play some of your old library, at times at no cost, and sometimes with the benefit of better performance.
If you can't find games to play in over 300 BC (and growing) then I don't know what to tell ya!
yet.
At their current rate, by the end of tthis year half the entire 360 library (excluding Kinect games) should be BC
its only a matter of time.
I don't care, I didn't quote you.
My post was because of several posts in this thread, the Black Ops 2 one, the E3 one when it was first revealed, the numerous threads about it, etc.
The "I guess BC is important if you don't have games/first party/ look at the PS4, they don't have BC/etc" comments are console war stuff.
Celcius
°Temp. member
Meh, it used to be important to me but nowadays it's not important at all.
For the most part I like playing the newest and latest games, which would mean games from the current generation. For older games I'll either play them on my ps3 if possible or else otherwise wait for a remaster / remake and enjoy benefits like higher resolutions and the like.
For the most part I like playing the newest and latest games, which would mean games from the current generation. For older games I'll either play them on my ps3 if possible or else otherwise wait for a remaster / remake and enjoy benefits like higher resolutions and the like.
respawnIN10
Banned
It's absolutely critical since parents make up the majority of console sales. Knowing that I don't have to buy all new games right out of the gate for my kids is the best selling point, far beyond graphics or framerates.
WooHooAlex
Member
It becomes increasingly important as we approach an all-digital future. For now... eh, I think it's a little overrated.
GlassAwful
Member
It adds value to the hardware that supports it, it adds value to the actual games that are BC and it adds value to the hardware vendor's ecosystem. This is the one thing MS seems to be starting to understand while Sony and Nintendo continue to blunder.
When the next round of consoles come around despite MS likely being quite a bit behind Sony in sales and mindshare and probably continuing to fail at first party content, if they announce that all the 360 and Xbone games will continue forward onto the Xbox Two while the PS5 will reset to zero, it might raise a few eyebrows.
Maybe you won't play all these old games that often or even much at all once new content comes around, but when you buy an Xbox game and know it will be playable as long as there is an Xbox machine that makes the purchases have more worth, versus Destiny 2 PS4 pro edition being forever tied to your PS4 only as long as it's still functioning and hooked up to your TV.
When the next round of consoles come around despite MS likely being quite a bit behind Sony in sales and mindshare and probably continuing to fail at first party content, if they announce that all the 360 and Xbone games will continue forward onto the Xbox Two while the PS5 will reset to zero, it might raise a few eyebrows.
Maybe you won't play all these old games that often or even much at all once new content comes around, but when you buy an Xbox game and know it will be playable as long as there is an Xbox machine that makes the purchases have more worth, versus Destiny 2 PS4 pro edition being forever tied to your PS4 only as long as it's still functioning and hooked up to your TV.
TangoAlphaLima
Member
If Microsoft had backwards compatibility at launch of the Xbox One, I think it could have helped them a pretty decent amount. Probably still would be losing this gen by a good margin, but wouldn't be as bad.
But by the time they actually announced and rolled out the feature? It was too late at that point, and merely provides a cherry on top.
But by the time they actually announced and rolled out the feature? It was too late at that point, and merely provides a cherry on top.
VanCityGamer
Member
The answer is that we're all individuals. Someone might create a thread and rip into anti consumer policies, while someone else might start a thread about how PS4 doesn't need BC or EA Access.
That said, I think they're both great features. I don't use EA Access personally, but I do use Backwards Compatibility. It would be neat if it came to PS4. Though it isn't crucial.
The comment you made is still an assumption that people are saying BC isn't crucial simply because their system of choice doesn't have it. Sure, some people are...but you always get outliers like that on every topic. Lots of people just don't think it's crucially important and just see it as more of a nice perk.
I love singularity too. I am considering getting it for steam since my PS3 isn't plugged in.
Zvonimir Boban
Banned
What he said.
Being able to play classics like Bad Company 2, Vegas 2 T-Hunt and Doritos Crash Course was brilliant.
I hadn't played Spelunky until it went up on Games with Gold last year, if it wasn't for backwards compatibility I would never have played it.
Backwards Compatibility is fantastic.
SlipperyFishes
Banned
I'm confused. Your OP says that you don't get why people are talking about BLOPS2, that it's not vital to have BC
But you then say Sony must bring BC PS1 classics back to PS4.
So it's a good thing or not?
But you then say Sony must bring BC PS1 classics back to PS4.
So it's a good thing or not?
The individual thought thing is funny considering most people here only hopped on the EA Access is bad train because bish used to argue it in some threads. People here only started using anticonsumer because they saw it around the XB1 reveal and still don't know what it means. The same thing happened with manufactured hype and TF.
NeoGAF isn't a hive mind but it's definitely no surprise why people think it is.
It was just a broad comment in general. Based on what I've seen. It's why the XB1 BC thread is named what it is.
There is literally no reason why any gamer on a gaming enthusiast site should not want BC. It's ridiculous.
It's super important to me.
A. I'm currently playing a bunch of N64 and Wii games on my Wii u I missed out on, and am having a blast with those, there are crucial multiplayer titles that haven't been matched on newer systems that people come over and play together. There's also some really surprising single player experiences that I would have never discovered.
B. I'm starting to have more consoles than I have space for, and don't want to have to hook it up each time I feel like playing.
I can deal with not having BC, but it's a huge treat and with the heavy investment gaming can be, it pays it back to the players 10 fold.
I liked the idea of the digital games available on the store, but the limited options because of licensing issues was kinda a pain. Still, would ratherosclerosis have it and not need it then the opposite which I encounter frequently.
A. I'm currently playing a bunch of N64 and Wii games on my Wii u I missed out on, and am having a blast with those, there are crucial multiplayer titles that haven't been matched on newer systems that people come over and play together. There's also some really surprising single player experiences that I would have never discovered.
B. I'm starting to have more consoles than I have space for, and don't want to have to hook it up each time I feel like playing.
I can deal with not having BC, but it's a huge treat and with the heavy investment gaming can be, it pays it back to the players 10 fold.
I liked the idea of the digital games available on the store, but the limited options because of licensing issues was kinda a pain. Still, would ratherosclerosis have it and not need it then the opposite which I encounter frequently.
Plus it's an argument that works both ways. I mean, does that also mean everyone overstating this feature's importance is only doing so because their console of choice does have it?
Either way would seem like truly dumb system warrior-tier generalisations to be making tbh.
Knuckle Sandwich
Member
Very. It's cool as fuck to be able to play all these old games I have without having to dig out a 360 or buy some overpriced remaster.
TemplaerDude
Member
It does not influence my purchasing decisions one iota.
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