View Full Version : Is this the Xbox2 backwards compatability answer?
Scottola
26-04-2005, 05:42
I had to fill in a Microsoft Xbox questionairre online and the following section pretty much confirmed for me that the new Xbox360 will play original Xbox games, read on and see what you think.
Next we'd like to tell you more about Xbox Live.
Xbox Live is an online gaming service through your Xbox console system. Xbox Live allows you to meet and compete against others worldwide anytime of day. Use your headset to strategize with friends or talk trash to competitors, set up a buddy list so you can see who is online no matter what game they are playing, send them a game invite or put them on your friends list to set up a game for later. It is easy to get into games quickly with the Quickmatch feature and easy to find an opponent at your skill level with the Optimatch feature. You can also download new items for specific games such as new weapons, levels and maps.
As you may know, Xbox will soon come out with a next generation of video game system (dubbed Xbox 2) that will be far superior in look and feel to anything else on the market.
If you are already an Xbox Live subscriber through the original Xbox system, you can continue to play against gamers who are on Live through Xbox 2 -- as long as they are playing a current generation Xbox game.
Xbox Live is an online gaming service that works across both the current Xbox system and the future Xbox 2. You will be able to play online and compete against others across both consoles. If you are playing an Xbox game on Live you will be able to compete against people playing that same game on Xbox 2.
If they are playing an Xbox 2 game on the Live service, you must own Xbox 2.
Now, that seems pretty clear to me that it's going to be backwards compatible, I don't think it can be read any other way.
It seems the rumour is that only the more expensive Xbox 360 with the HD will be Backwards-Compatible
Dean[SAS]
26-04-2005, 06:55
As you may know, Xbox will soon come out with
Thats quite a poor sentance.... how can 'Xbox' come out with anything.... it's a thing, not a entity.
Tom Whitaker
26-04-2005, 09:30
Or couldn't you read it that there'll be high-res versions of the same games released for Xbox 360 and you can play Xbox vs Xbox 360, but the latter will get better graphics on top of the same engine?
jmdomain
26-04-2005, 10:53
Or couldn't you read it that there'll be high-res versions of the same games released for Xbox 360 and you can play Xbox vs Xbox 360, but the latter will get better graphics on top of the same engine?
That's what's on the cards.
Scottola
26-04-2005, 17:29
Or couldn't you read it that there'll be high-res versions of the same games released for Xbox 360 and you can play Xbox vs Xbox 360, but the latter will get better graphics on top of the same engine?
Not really, because that last line says "If they are playing an Xbox 2 game on the Live service, you must own Xbox 2.
Unclegrump
27-04-2005, 15:26
what it means is that you could play say, Burnout4 on XBox against people playing Burnout4 on 360. There will be compatibility with same titles on Live, but no backwards compatability on the consoles as far as I am aware.
The whole issue of the switch to a PowerPC architecture would tend to rule it out, never mind the alleged licensing issues that would prevent it.
what it means is that you could play say, Burnout4 on XBox against people playing Burnout4 on 360. There will be compatibility with same titles on Live, but no backwards compatability on the consoles as far as I am aware.
The whole issue of the switch to a PowerPC architecture would tend to rule it out, never mind the alleged licensing issues that would prevent it.
You will only be able to play Burnout 4 (for example) with each other on different consoles if both people bought Burnout 4 for the original Xbox. Burnout 4 Xbox version is NOT compatible online with Burnout 4 Xbox 360 version.
Taken from a certain "teams" website:
We've spent today doing a little more digging. It seems the Xbox 360 will use AES Encryption (XeCryptAesCbc), executable files are XEX and not XBE (xshell.xex) and after studying the kernel there is everything in place for backwards compatibility.
It can all change of course but interesting all the same.
No idea how much truth in that, no real reason for them to make up rumors etc..
:shrug:
Unclegrump
27-04-2005, 20:21
You will only be able to play Burnout 4 (for example) with each other on different consoles if both people bought Burnout 4 for the original Xbox. Burnout 4 Xbox version is NOT compatible online with Burnout 4 Xbox 360 version.
you are losing me. Your statement means that the consoles will be backwards compatible and all the information I have says that they wont be (or nobody could work out how it would be possible with alpha hardware). Beta hardware is due pretty soon so we should all know for a fact sooner rather than later.
When PS2 came along, developers know about its backwards compatability quite early as Sony changed the PS1 TRC's so that we couldn't get away with 'hacks' that may stop compatability with PS2. We have heard nothing like that regarding XBox.
I hope to be proven wrong, but all indications at the moment are that there will be no backwards compatability out of the box (although maybe the addon's may add this).
There is no reason why the same game could not be Live! enabled across all versions of the console. It is possible to get a network game of PS2, XBox and PC all running at the same time but the platform licensors wont let us do that :(
you are losing me. Your statement means that the consoles will be backwards compatible and all the information I have says that they wont be (or nobody could work out how it would be possible with alpha hardware). Beta hardware is due pretty soon so we should all know for a fact sooner rather than later.
Why is it not possible with alpha hardware? Is the CPU too slow to emulate an x86?
Samuel Downey
28-04-2005, 02:56
I heard that Halo 2.5 comes loaded on the hard drive when purchased, which would lead to the belief that this is an updated version of the original X-Box version, partly due to the fact that it cannot play older X-Box games. Though that is just speculation, I guess we'll find out in a short while!
I heard that Halo 2.5 comes loaded on the hard drive when purchased, which would lead to the belief that this is an updated version of the original X-Box version, partly due to the fact that it cannot play older X-Box games. Though that is just speculation, I guess we'll find out in a short while!
But haven't there been a few downloadable patches/updates for Halo 2 since it was released. The msot recent one changing quite a bit in terms of weapons balancing. If you add these updates to the new maps (and possibly other updates and maps before the XBOX 360's launch) couldn't that constitute a Halo 2.5 as well.
DVDF-Xbox Clan (http://www.getfreeforum.com/forums/index.php?mforum=DVDFClan&showtopic=322)
Have a look here for details
Unclegrump
28-04-2005, 10:22
Why is it not possible with alpha hardware? Is the CPU too slow to emulate an x86?
Bear in mind the architecture is now PowerPC and also bear in mind a G5 isn't the best at running VirtualPC anyway (and G5 also lost the little endian mode that G4 had).
I'm gonna shut up now because I can see that NDA starting to descend on me :)
Scottola
17-05-2005, 22:50
It was nice to see that it turned out to be true :)
I've started saving already!
Bear in mind the architecture is now PowerPC and also bear in mind a G5 isn't the best at running VirtualPC anyway (and G5 also lost the little endian mode that G4 had).
I'm gonna shut up now because I can see that NDA starting to descend on me :)
I know its G5 but I thought it would be easier going that was since PPC is originally RISC based (I haven't looked at stuff like register counts and other stuff on processors since comparisons in lectures though).
Didn't realise the G5 didn't have little endian.
Being under NDA I don't know if you can talk about it but I was thinking they would use a less direct approach than running a virtual pc equivilent. Something more like Wine (but for the x-box APIs) with a processor emulation underneath like the Darwine project.
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