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Xbox asks for backward compatibility suggestions

Silent Hill: Downpour is already on the BC list, I own it.

They just de-listed the game from all stores. If you can find a physical copy, you're good.
Anything delisted does not really count. I have no interest in repairing a failing optical disc reader or replacing discs in poor condition in the future.
 
After buying the 8BitDo Arcade Stick to play a bunch of shmups on the Switch and retro consoles via adapters, I had to realize that not a single one of my Cave shooters from the 360 works on the Xbox Series. It would be great if Microsoft took care of that... but hey, we all know that this genre certainly isn't a priority for them.
 
Appy, have you traded that PS3 into GameStop yet? It would get you some valuable credit towards your Helix purchase.

No, unless Sony gets its shit together for BC, that modded PS3 is far more valuable than the $50 Gamestop will offer me.
 
Outrun 2.
Outrun Coast 2 Coast.
Arx Fatalis.
Thief: Deadly Shadows
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic.
Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes.
Silent Hill 2.
Silent Hill 4.
 
voted

cobqhz.jpg
 
MSR wasn't even an xbox game lol

honestly... Dreamcast Back Compat!
DO IT!

the prophecy shall finally come true! a once canned feature finally realised 25 years later!

they could probably easily firmware flash their disc drive to read GDs, since they are just a slightly modified CD based format.
 
or... MAKE A FUCKING EMULATOR!
it would solve all that licensing nonsense in an instance!

relying on recompiling games and repackaging them as native apps is not necessary anymore on current hardware
I think people are mixing together three completely different things:
  1. emulation
  2. redistribution
  3. official platform support
A full software emulator absolutely could reduce the need for Microsoft's current per game compatibility packaging approach. On Series X hardware, brute force emulation is way more viable now than it was on Xbox One.

But it does not magically erase licensing issues.

The second Microsoft officially enables and supports a title on modern Xbox hardware, they are still commercially facilitating access to that software through their ecosystem. Rights holders can still get involved over:
music
cars
actor likenesses
sports unions
middleware
branding
expired contracts
regional rights

An emulator solves technical translation. It does not automatically solve legal ownership or distribution rights.

Also, Microsoft's BC program was never literally recompiling every game into native Series X apps. Most Xbox 360 and OG Xbox BC titles are still fundamentally running through emulation layers and compatibility wrappers already. The difference is Microsoft curated, tested, patched, and certified them individually instead of shipping a universal "run anything" solution.

And honestly, current hardware probably could handle a much broader emulator now. Xenia running on Series X already proves that. The real question is whether Microsoft wants the support burden of officially shipping a retail universal emulator where random games might:
crash
have broken effects
desync online
corrupt saves
break achievements
or stop working after firmware updates

Hobbyist emulators can live with "mostly playable."

Platform holders usually cannot.
 
I think people are mixing together three completely different things:
  1. emulation
  2. redistribution
  3. official platform support
A full software emulator absolutely could reduce the need for Microsoft's current per game compatibility packaging approach. On Series X hardware, brute force emulation is way more viable now than it was on Xbox One.

But it does not magically erase licensing issues.

The second Microsoft officially enables and supports a title on modern Xbox hardware, they are still commercially facilitating access to that software through their ecosystem. Rights holders can still get involved over:
music
cars
actor likenesses
sports unions
middleware
branding
expired contracts
regional rights

An emulator solves technical translation. It does not automatically solve legal ownership or distribution rights.

literally none of this is relevant with an emulator that reads standard Xbox and Xbox 360 DVDs and runs the games straight off of them.

no publisher has any right to stop this. there's a reason Sony was able to do this on PS3 with PS1 games, and partially with PS2 games on first gen PAL PS3s.

noone is distributing anything, it's no different from releasing an FPGA console like the Analogue 3D, SuperStation One, or Analogue Pocket. as they do the same thing. they provide an emulator that runs authentic retail games from uninvolved publishers and on fact platforms the creators don't own... still fully legal.



Also, Microsoft's BC program was never literally recompiling every game into native Series X apps. Most Xbox 360 and OG Xbox BC titles are still fundamentally running through emulation layers and compatibility wrappers already. The difference is Microsoft curated, tested, patched, and certified them individually instead of shipping a universal "run anything" solution.

yes they do. every Xbox 360 game is recompiled as an x86 app. the GPU is emulated, the CPU is not.

they also run it in an emulated Xbox 360 dashboard as to not break games expecting certain OS features like the keyboard or save select.


And honestly, current hardware probably could handle a much broader emulator now. Xenia running on Series X already proves that. The real question is whether Microsoft wants the support burden of officially shipping a retail universal emulator where random games might:
crash
have broken effects
desync online
corrupt saves
break achievements
or stop working after firmware updates

Hobbyist emulators can live with "mostly playable."

Platform holders usually cannot.

have you ever played an og Xbox game on a 360?
"mostly playable" was once MORE than good enough for Microsoft. getting Xbox games running on 360 was honestly impressive, but they almost all ran with issues, some games with absolutely glaring issues... yet, it was an officially distributed emulator by Microsoft that read original discs.

they could easily get away with it by just whitelisting games, and flashing a warning on non-whitelisted games that it might not work properly.
then improve it over time, adding more and more tested titles to the whitelist.
 
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honestly... Dreamcast Back Compat!
DO IT!

the prophecy shall finally come true! a once canned feature finally realised 25 years later!

they could probably easily firmware flash their disc drive to read GDs, since they are just a slightly modified CD based format.
This guy knows
 
literally none of this is relevant with an emulator that reads standard Xbox and Xbox 360 DVDs and runs the games straight off of them.

no publisher has any right to stop this. there's a reason Sony was able to do this on PS3 with PS1 games, and partially with PS2 games on first gen PAL PS3s.

noone is distributing anything, it's no different from releasing an FPGA console like the Analogue 3D, SuperStation One, or Analogue Pocket. as they do the same thing. they provide an emulator that runs authentic retail games from uninvolved publishers and on fact platforms the creators don't own... still fully legal.





yes they do. every Xbox 360 game is recompiled as an x86 app. the GPU is emulated, the CPU is not.

they also run it in an emulated Xbox 360 dashboard as to not break games expecting certain OS features like the keyboard or save select.




have you ever played an og Xbox game on a 360?
"mostly playable" was once MORE than good enough for Microsoft. getting Xbox games running on 360 was honestly impressive, but they almost all ran with issues, some games with absolutely glaring issues... yet, it was an officially distributed emulator by Microsoft that read original discs.

they could easily get away with it by just whitelisting games, and flashing a warning on non-whitelisted games that it might not work properly.
then improve it over time, adding more and more tested titles to the whitelist.
You're actually making a much stronger argument once you narrow it specifically to a disc based emulator instead of digital redistribution.

If Microsoft shipped a pure "insert your original disc and emulate it" solution, then a lot of the licensing arguments become way weaker. They would not be reselling the game, republishing assets, or redistributing downloads through the store. It becomes much closer to what Sony did with PS1 on PS3 or what FPGA consoles already do.

And honestly, people forget Microsoft already accepted rough compatibility standards before. OG Xbox BC on Xbox 360 was absolutely full of:
visual bugs
audio issues
missing effects
performance problems
and game specific glitches

Yet they still shipped it because back then "mostly playable" was considered acceptable.

The modern BC program is far more curated and certification driven.

At this point I do not think hardware is the real barrier anymore. Series X is clearly powerful enough to brute force a much broader OG Xbox and 360 emulator. Xenia already running on Series X kind of proves that.

The real difference now is platform expectations and corporate philosophy.

Back in the 360 era:
boots and mostly works = acceptable

Now Microsoft wants:
Quick Resume
stable achievements
cloud saves
capture support
HDR compatibility
suspend/resume stability
consistent online behavior
and support level reliability

Your whitelist idea honestly makes the most sense:
official emulator
unsupported mode for untested games
warning prompt for compatibility issues
community testing over time
gradually expanding whitelist

That would probably satisfy preservation people while still letting Microsoft officially certify games they fully validate.

That said, it also kind of defeats the business purpose for Microsoft if they cannot really monetize it. The current curated BC model still lets them resell digital copies, drive Game Pass value, negotiate rereleases with publishers, and maintain a controlled ecosystem. A universal disc based emulator mostly benefits existing collectors and preservation enthusiasts, which is great for consumers, but probably a lot less attractive from a corporate revenue standpoint.
 
Serious Sam 2
Bullet Witch
Otomedius G
Mushihimesama Futari
Azurik
Nightcaster
NNN 1 & 2
MK Shaolin Monks
Golden Axe Beast Rider
Kingdom under Fire

come to mind.
 
You're actually making a much stronger argument once you narrow it specifically to a disc based emulator instead of digital redistribution.

If Microsoft shipped a pure "insert your original disc and emulate it" solution, then a lot of the licensing arguments become way weaker. They would not be reselling the game, republishing assets, or redistributing downloads through the store. It becomes much closer to what Sony did with PS1 on PS3 or what FPGA consoles already do.

And honestly, people forget Microsoft already accepted rough compatibility standards before. OG Xbox BC on Xbox 360 was absolutely full of:
visual bugs
audio issues
missing effects
performance problems
and game specific glitches

Yet they still shipped it because back then "mostly playable" was considered acceptable.

The modern BC program is far more curated and certification driven.

At this point I do not think hardware is the real barrier anymore. Series X is clearly powerful enough to brute force a much broader OG Xbox and 360 emulator. Xenia already running on Series X kind of proves that.

The real difference now is platform expectations and corporate philosophy.

Back in the 360 era:
boots and mostly works = acceptable

Now Microsoft wants:
Quick Resume
stable achievements
cloud saves
capture support
HDR compatibility
suspend/resume stability
consistent online behavior
and support level reliability

Your whitelist idea honestly makes the most sense:
official emulator
unsupported mode for untested games
warning prompt for compatibility issues
community testing over time
gradually expanding whitelist

That would probably satisfy preservation people while still letting Microsoft officially certify games they fully validate.

That said, it also kind of defeats the business purpose for Microsoft if they cannot really monetize it. The current curated BC model still lets them resell digital copies, drive Game Pass value, negotiate rereleases with publishers, and maintain a controlled ecosystem. A universal disc based emulator mostly benefits existing collectors and preservation enthusiasts, which is great for consumers, but probably a lot less attractive from a corporate revenue standpoint.

HOLY ChatGPT batman...
 
A universal disc based emulator mostly benefits existing collectors and preservation enthusiasts, which is great for consumers, but probably a lot less attractive from a corporate revenue standpoint.
It's also a lot less attractive for those consumers who don't have the original disks, but would like to play these old games (like myself).
 
Damn son... where to begin?

Aggressive Inline
Batman Begins
Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller
Driv3r
Def Jam: Fight For NY
Fable: The Lost Chapters
Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick
Gun
Harry Potter 1,2,3, & 5
James Bond 007: From Russia with Love
Jet Set Radio Future

Jet Set Radio
The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age
Mortal Kombat 5-9
The Matrix: Path of Neo
ObsCure
Peter Jackson's King Kong
Scarface: The World Is Yours
Silent Hill: Downpour
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing
Soulcalibur II
Spider-Man: The Movie, 2, and Shattered Dimensions
The Simpsons Arcade Game
Test Drive Unlimited 2
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2x
Tony Hawk's Underground 2
True Crime: Streets of LA
Way of the Samurai 3
Wolfenstein (2009)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine

P.S. The sad part is that nothing on that list will make it to market. :cry:
No disagreements here, especially with that sexy little Crazy Taxi 3 rec.

Can I toss Spawn in there? The Xbox port was the best of the bunch for that game, and I wouldn't mind having it back, as for some reason I have issues emulating that specific game.

Also, Hulk Ultimate Destruction please.

Also, I can't remember if it was on there but Sonic Heroes would be nice to have on a modern platform.

Oh, and again, can't remember if it was on Xbox or not, but I loved Ultimate Spider-Man, wouldn't mind having that back too.
 
It's also a lot less attractive for those consumers who don't have the original disks, but would like to play these old games (like myself).

having disc based emulation doesn't mean they can't make deals with publishers on top of that to sell them digitally as well.

the Xbox 360 had disc based back compat, and later sold og Xbox games on the store. same with the FAT PS3 with PS2 games, and all PS3s with PS1 games.
 
Thief Deadly Shadows please.
I believe you could play it on 360 but it was botched.
Also JSRF.
Ooh, Splatterhouse would be nice 🤞
Yeah Thief 3 was so good, but had a bug with the lights source (torches) being visible behind walls on 360, immerson breaking.

My list :

Tenchu : Return From Darkness
Tenchu Z
Ninja Blade
Thief 3 (but it's better played on PC nowadays so...)
Castlevania Curse of Darkness

Tenchu Z is still unplayable on emulator to this day !
 
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