The Death of Backwards Compatibility?
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"old school gamers" are clearly not numerous enough for older games to be valued above what they are. There's just not enough market interest there. From a console maker's perspective, there's just no reason to spend money for a feature that isn't in demand.Shaun Kennedy said:
Sadly, worrying about 2100 doesn't pay the bills today. Until "Games history" is something that people are willing to pay for, we'll continue to see no attention paid to preserving old games.Shaun Kennedy said:
If the new consoles rewrote the code and OS so much that having backwards compatability would cost more or be detrimental to the system then great, get rid of it.
However if a WiiU console was made 100$ more expensive and ran all old nintendo games from classic to Wii I would buy it day one. Even though I currently have no intention of ever buying a WiiU.
However if a WiiU console was made 100$ more expensive and ran all old nintendo games from classic to Wii I would buy it day one. Even though I currently have no intention of ever buying a WiiU.
Well, yeah, emulating a PS3 enviroment on a PS4 is almost certainly beyond the PS4's resources (emulation is a resource pig). The only way to put in BC for a PS3 into the PS4 would be to basically build a stripped down PS3 into the case. That wouldn't be cost effective. On the other hand, given the resources of the PS4, putting in software based emulation for PS1 and PS2 games would be fairly easy... but it then becomes a question of whether it's better to stick that in or churn out HD remakes of classics. Most companies would rather sell you a remake than make it possible for you to use your original games.Souplex said:
What could be interesting is, if/when the PS4 gets hacked, the possibility of the PS1 and PS2 emulators kicking around for the PC migrating over one day.
I'll be honest, other than PC which is hit and miss on which games work correctly even within DOSBOX, I never cared about backwards compatibility. I have almost every generation of systems and until PSX/PS2 era, I really didn't have much issue with the older systems not working correctly. I had to replace the reader on my NES but thats cuz I broke it by accident whilst cleaning it.
I would rather a system focus on delivering quality game experiences than giving me the ability to play last generations games. Thats why I still own a PS3, wii and 360, and will continue to own one of each. Of course thats just me, the rest of you can hate on me for it. H8ers gotta hate ya know.
I would rather a system focus on delivering quality game experiences than giving me the ability to play last generations games. Thats why I still own a PS3, wii and 360, and will continue to own one of each. Of course thats just me, the rest of you can hate on me for it. H8ers gotta hate ya know.
- Feb 7, 2011
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wombat_of_war said:thats what gog.com is forDirty Hipsters said:to me its worth the $5 or so to update a game to work on newer systems
So what you're saying is that even though I already have the game, I should rebuy it on Gog.com so that I can get a working version? So...how's that any different than buying a rerelease of a PS2 game on the PS3?KarmaTheAlligator said:Same with Steam, although I prefer GoG for their DRM-free games.wombat_of_war said:thats what gog.com is forDirty Hipsters said:
Backwards compatibility is a nice thing to have, but it isn't easy to implement. One way is to emulate the older hardware with the software, but that is very hard and you often need significantly stronger hardware than the original had to make it work properly. Another way is to put the necessary hardware inside the console, that increases the cost. So it's understandable that it isn't a big priority for the developers.
On the other hand it would certainly help the initial sales when a new console is released, if it can play it's predecessors library.
Overall it's a little sad that the old games are dismissed so casually.
Luckily the backwards compatibility isn't that much of a problem on the pc. Even if a game doesn't work on a current OS, it's possible there is someone who found a way to fix it with specific games. And even if there isn't a fix, it's incredible simple to set up a virtual system with an older OS to play older games.
On the other hand it would certainly help the initial sales when a new console is released, if it can play it's predecessors library.
Overall it's a little sad that the old games are dismissed so casually.
Luckily the backwards compatibility isn't that much of a problem on the pc. Even if a game doesn't work on a current OS, it's possible there is someone who found a way to fix it with specific games. And even if there isn't a fix, it's incredible simple to set up a virtual system with an older OS to play older games.
Backwards compatibility is actually really expensive based on the system. The ps1 is easier to emulate than the ps2.
Backwards compatibility is also a rare thing even in the days of the PS2. The SNES couldn't play NES games. The N64 didn't play SNES games.
the best we'd had was cross-compatibility through peripherals.
Backwards compatibility was never truly here.
Backwards compatibility is also a rare thing even in the days of the PS2. The SNES couldn't play NES games. The N64 didn't play SNES games.
the best we'd had was cross-compatibility through peripherals.
Backwards compatibility was never truly here.
Really, with x86 being a standardization of hardware we should start seeing more of an opportunity for backwards compatiblity. The ps3 was such a proprietary hardware system that backwards compatibility simply wasn't possible. Now that it's x86, there will be no excuse for anyone and seeing as being anti-consumer will give companies a black eye, they may not risk not including it if they have no good reason for it going forward.
Not many had BC to begin with.
Besides, you should give all of your money to GOG, and threaten to kill their founded if they do not port it to consoles and/or calculators.
That, and it's not really an issue; most online stores sell well-ported digital copies. PSN does this a lot.
Besides, you should give all of your money to GOG, and threaten to kill their founded if they do not port it to consoles and/or calculators.
That, and it's not really an issue; most online stores sell well-ported digital copies. PSN does this a lot.
Backwards compatibility was never a thing in the first place, yet people talk about like it has been around forever.
Interesting question.
For me backwards compatibility was also a big selling point and was a reason to get the wife a PS2 (our PSX discs would work). I bought the master gear converter for my Genesis and the Gameboy players for both the SNES and the GameCube..... need I go on?
These days it isn't as big a pull for me so I won't miss it so much now. Emulator writers have gotten so damned good that anything I own for previous gens I simply emulate via my PC and my last gen console (in this case my X360) is staying at my TV until all my games are done.
Let's put it this way: Lack of backwards compatibility isn't going to stop me going next gen. There are other niggles for that
For me backwards compatibility was also a big selling point and was a reason to get the wife a PS2 (our PSX discs would work). I bought the master gear converter for my Genesis and the Gameboy players for both the SNES and the GameCube..... need I go on?
These days it isn't as big a pull for me so I won't miss it so much now. Emulator writers have gotten so damned good that anything I own for previous gens I simply emulate via my PC and my last gen console (in this case my X360) is staying at my TV until all my games are done.
Let's put it this way: Lack of backwards compatibility isn't going to stop me going next gen. There are other niggles for that
Not sure why you'd think that. Mechanisms for backwards compatibility have existed across most console generations in one form or another and certainly have shaped some peoples buying habits. My earliest run-in with backwards compatibility was back in the Commodore 64 era (see my earlier post for some other examples).WaltherFeng said:
It certainly was 'a thing' for the Sony generation - PS2 and PS3 both traded using that feature as a big selling point.
Every time you give GoG money it's like punching Gabe Newell in his big, fat face.Dirty Hipsters said:
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Okay, I got nothing.
Although, if you're one of the lucky ones, you don't need GoG to play old games. It's a crapshoot for a lot of people when it comes to PCs and BC.