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New Xbox Titles Through 2007

Posted by Zonk on from the quite-a-commitment dept.

Despite the fact that the next generation of the Xbox console is expected out before the end of the year, via Evil Avatar a story stating that Microsoft is committed to the original Xbox through 2007. From the article: "A Microsoft spokeswoman told Reuters that 2007 is not a hard stop, but rather a guideline for the last releases of new games developed for the Xbox. Microsoft has not said whether its next console will be compatible with the current Xbox."

10 of 59 comments (clear)

  1. I think this is a sign of... by keeleysam · · Score: 5, Interesting

    No backward comptibilty in the Xbox (2/Next), as this seems kind of early to state this, makes me think that high profile titles for Xbox may even come out after Xbox NExt comes out.

    Maybe they will even cross release games?

    --
    Nothing for you to see here, Please move along.
    1. Re:I think this is a sign of... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Rumours are that a large team is working on a cross compiler to recompile the top XBox titles. Updates will be available via broadband if you insert an original XBox title into the XBox2. Download can be stored on the memory cards of the XBox2. As they are based on SD Cards 1GB is less than $50 when its being released.

  2. Also notable in xbox news by Jicksta · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This was just posted on Xbox-Scene.com too: Xbox 360 rumors.

  3. Backwards-compatibility: more likely than not by gxw · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Consider: Nintendo announced at the Game Developer's Conference in SF last month that the Nintendo Revolution (codename) will be backwards compatible with the GameCube...

    Consider: It has been previously confirmed that the PS3 will be backwards compatible: http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=03/09/02/ 1517232...

    Consider: development of XBOX software through at least 2007 provides opportunity for gateway games (like the new Zelda game that is coming out for the GameCube shortly before Revolution comes out; those that see the new Zelda on friend's GameCube may run out and purchase a Revolution to play it)...

    Consider: all of the hard drives in the original XBOXes will eventually fail, in a few short years -- guaranteed (moving parts and all). Which is easier to imagine: backwards compatibility, or repairing millions of old XBOXes?

    Imagine: the marketing nightmare that lack of XBOX backwards compatibility would generate, in face of the competition...

    The lack of a hard-drive is not a significant problem for backwards compatibility, but the lack of the white/black buttons on the new controller may be. While few games use them well, some games depend on them, including Bioware's Knights of the Old Republic. Perhaps backwards compatibility will require software updates/patches for the games?

    1. Re:Backwards-compatibility: more likely than not by gxw · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Obviously the x86 can be emulated in software, just as VirtualPC does for Mac OS X and the PS2 does to support PSone games...

      Remember also, the XBOX uses a version of DirectX, which is a layer above hardware specifics inside the ATI or Nvidia chipsets.

      Creating an environment that will allow XBOX games to play on the Xenon will be a challege for Microsoft, but certainly not as hard as getting DirectX to work on all of the different video cards and proessors it has to run on for PCs...

    2. Re:Backwards-compatibility: more likely than not by Golias · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Rubbish.

      Everybody talks about backwards compatibility like it will save (or kill) the second X-Box.

      If playing our old games on the new system was a priority, nobody would ever change platforms.

      Repeat: If playing our old games on the new system was a priority, nobody would ever change platforms.

      How many Sega owners looked at the PS2 and said, "hmmm... Grand Theft Auto 3 looks very cool, but the PS2 can't play my old Soul Calibur disk, so forget it"?

      Microsoft's success or failure with the new X-Box comes down to one thing and one thing only:

      If the flagship games they line up for it are good enough to be worth buying the console, people will buy the console. If not, they won't.

      The ability to play an old X-Box copy of Splinter Cell on it will make zero difference to anybody, apart from a few screaming know-it-alls on Internet chat forums.

      --

      Information wants to be anthropomorphized.

    3. Re:Backwards-compatibility: more likely than not by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      If playing our old games on the new system was a priority, nobody would ever change platforms.

      Repeat: If playing our old games on the new system was a priority, nobody would ever change platforms.

      Saying a thing twice does not make it true.

      What is true is this: if playing our old games on the new system was the only priority, nobody would ever change platforms.

      That does not mean that playing old games on the new system is never a priority.

      Look at it this way. Sony went to some lengths to make sure the PS2 could play PS1 games. Nintendo went to some lengths to make sure the GBA could play GB games and the DS could play GBA games. If playing old games was never a priority, why the hell did they bother? If it was completely irrelevant to the prospects of their new consoles, why the fuck did they spend valuable money advertising the backwards-compatiblity, when they could have been hyping their launch titles instead?

      How many Sega owners looked at the PS2 and said, "hmmm... Grand Theft Auto 3 looks very cool, but the PS2 can't play my old Soul Calibur disk, so forget it"?

      Irrelevant. The real question is, how many PS1 owners looked at the PS2 and said, "hmmm, Final Fantasy 10 and it'll make Final Fantasy 9 look even better? Deal!"

      Microsoft's success or failure with the new X-Box comes down to one thing and one thing only: If the flagship games they line up for it are good enough to be worth buying the console, people will buy the console. If not, they won't.

      Bollocks. What will determine the success or failure of the next X-Box is neither the quality of their flagship launch titles nor the presence or absence of backwards compatibility: it will be the quality of their advertising campaign.

      Their advertising campaign will be stronger if they have good games lined up, yes. But backwards-compatibility would be another bullet point on the feature list - and one less thing Sony can say they haven't got.

  4. This is not a new tactic. by Dash'n'SlashDot · · Score: 5, Interesting

    On December 10, 1994, most kids were playing second and third generation SNES games, but also on this day, the final NES game was released: Wario's Woods and Nintendo finally retired the system, several years AFTER the SNES took center stage. More recently, third-party developers developed games for the PS1, albeit for a younger audience. Microsoft is just getting this information out in the open before release trying to keep the sales of the Xbox going even though a newer system is nigh.

    1. Re:This is not a new tactic. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Are you even trying to make sense? In every single one of the cases you cite, Microsoft actually continued to support the system after they had claimed they would abandon support for it! And you're trying to make out this means they will stop supporting XBox earlier than they said they would?

      Either you're a very smart troll, or a blithering idiot. My money's on the latter.

  5. No big deal... by Taulin · · Score: 3, Interesting

    PS1 titles were still coming out several years or more after PS2 came out. Why all the fuss? I bet MS even gives a royaly break for those developing Xbox1 titles after XBox2's release.