Don Mattrick: 'If you're backwards compatible, you're really backwards

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The Xbox One won't play Xbox 360 discs or XBLA games, and that doesn't really bother Microsoft Head of Interactive Entertainment Business Don Mattrick.

"If you're backwards compatible, you're really backwards," he told the Wall Street Journal.

Mattrick said only 5 percent of customers play games from previous generations on new consoles, so spending time to make that possible isn't worth it. Sony's PlayStation 4 isn't backward compatible from a hardware standpoint, but with cloud service Gaikai, it should offer a way to play games from the PS3 and older consoles.

It's been eight years since the previous generation transition, meaning players have had longer than ever to build up their libraries. That's a lot to lose – and even more so with the onset of downloadable games in the middle of this generation.

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Related Forum: Xbox Forum

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/22/don-mattrick-if-youre-backwards-compatible-youre-really-bac/

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"Don Mattrick: 'If you're backwards compatible, you're really backwards" :: Login/Create an Account :: 46 comments

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KartPosted:

For all you idiots saying you can just go play that game on the 360 if you want to play it...
What about like an XBLA game like Minecraft, the most successful arcade game for the xbox.
No doubt it will come out for the xbox one. Yet with the millions of people who have already purchased it, they will need to buy it again because the xbox one wont play the old one? Im sorry but thats absolute garbage in my opinion. I understand not being able to play old disc games, but with a game that is constantly expanding and is increasingly popular and isnt dying anytime soon, there is no reason we should have to repurchase the game

AlbericiPosted:

stfu don if you can play 360 games on the new xbox its high tech if you cant well it lacks a good feature

YinPosted:

Rhymes Realistically, how many of you still play games from your orignial xbox? Now compare that with the number of people obsessing over the new call of duty games. If your really that into your old games then just play them on the console it was meant to be played on. It's like a VCR player and a DVD player. If you love to watch your VCRs then watch them in a VCR player..


You do realize how long ago the original Xbox came out? For a good amount of time, people did play them. They even offered some on Demand for those that didn't have backward compatible updates. Also, the DVD/VCR analogy kind of collapses on itself once you realize they actually made some DVD players with a VCR built in as well.

VicePosted:

This still really irritates me.... Blah!

CougarPosted:

I hope they come out with some way to transfer games. This really sucks.

RhymesPosted:

Realistically, how many of you still play games from your orignial xbox? Now compare that with the number of people obsessing over the new call of duty games. If your really that into your old games then just play them on the console it was meant to be played on. It's like a VCR player and a DVD player. If you love to watch your VCRs then watch them in a VCR player..

MPAAPosted:

Vampiric
MPAA
More stupid remarks, why would I need to open a XBox One? software emulation is done in the same way as its predecessor, the only barrier? Money, No not that it costs them much, but they'd rather charge you extra on the marketplace, think Xbox originals at 1200Msp instead of simply using your old disc.

Some people just do not think.


Who cares?!
If you want to play 360 games, play them on your 360!
If you want to play Xbox games, play them on your Xbox!

I do not see the need and fascination that people have with backwards compatibility, it is utterly pointless. If you loved those games so much you'd already have them, and the console needed to play them.


So when they cut the Xbox 360 service off in like 3 years time, and when we are forced to buy this newer console we cannot continue playing our 'outdated' games yeah I see the problem is startlingly obvious but you don't care, as long as you have the next shiny toy it seems.

It's no different to discovering that your Blu-Ray player wouldn't accept DVDs and you no longer can buy said DVD players. Yeah exactly.

slapshot101Posted:

Yeah. 8 years later people aren't going to be playing their old Xbox games. But with this new Xbox you are only going to have about a 10 games at the release when you have thousands of old Xbox games just laying there.

VampiricPosted:

MP5K This is pretty ridiculous, people have spent hundreds of dollars on 360 games, hell, even thousands, and you won't be able to play on the xbox one. That's a shame.


Yeah, that's why those people have 360's.
To play their 360 games.
Don't see how it's wasted money when they can still play them.

Playing them on an Xbox One wouldn't make them any better.

VampiricPosted:

MPAA
SCO
Frank
MPAA More stupid remarks from a stupid company. If they had ANY sense, they would emulate the previous generation in hardware like the 360 does for the original xbox, it isn't hard, but i fear that Microsoft Game Studios has grown too lazy and just want to rake it in.


It isn't hard?


MPAA If it isnt hard then why dont you buy the xbox one then open it up and do it yourself...


More stupid remarks, why would I need to open a XBox One? software emulation is done in the same way as its predecessor, the only barrier? Money, No not that it costs them much, but they'd rather charge you extra on the marketplace, think Xbox originals at 1200Msp instead of simply using your old disc.

Some people just do not think.


Who cares?!
If you want to play 360 games, play them on your 360!
If you want to play Xbox games, play them on your Xbox!

I do not see the need and fascination that people have with backwards compatibility, it is utterly pointless. If you loved those games so much you'd already have them, and the console needed to play them.


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