New Xbox: Microsoft Speaks Out

[DrSpike]

Well I'm no console expert myself, but they usually stick around for a while. I had a NES (old evidence but still applicable I hope) well into the SNES era, and SNES well into the next era (I was poorer then ). My sister had a Megadrive I played on well into the Saturn days. They all had games, new ones or a thriving second hand market in older games.

Playstation 1 survived for a while after Playstation 2 right? Someone like yourself that thrives on hunting for bargain basement games should be glad about the X-Box2. Think about all the X-Box games you can buy second hand for next to no money.

[Tassadar500]

I still play my NES now.

[Verto]

Originally posted by child of Thor


Progress must be in the eye of the beholder, well the prospective microsoft customer anyway

I've played live(at a friends), and frankly i wasn't impressed. Mostly it has to do with the games i like to play(strat/rpg mostly). So for me mp as it stands just doesn't hold much interest.

True; RPGs and stategy-type games do not have a major presence in the console game market. Xbox is working to increase this with such releases as Jade Empire; Xbox2 will continue pushing into that market, as well as the MMORPG.

All i'm saying is that if xbox2 is aiming at MP/on-line only, then i'm not interested as a gamer, as currently the types of games this often favours is not my cup of tea.

I don't think they plan on killing off the single-player aspect, only pushing the online multiplayer abilities further. Up until recently, PCs were always superior when it came to MP - I could get in a game of anywhere from 2-36 players online in a matter of minutes. Console MP meant a couple friends coming over for some split-screen action, or meeting up for a Halo party. Now, console multiplayer(at least for the Xbox) is just as good as the PC - Black Hawk Down is expected to handle up to ~50 players in a game. Not to mention that now console players will be able to download patches, new maps and levels and other content via Live, leveling the playing field with the PC even more.

[child of Thor]

Originally posted by DrSpike
edit.....

Someone like yourself that thrives on hunting for bargain basement games should be glad about the X-Box2. Think about all the X-Box games you can buy second hand for next to no money.

Well the only reason i've been forced into becoming a bargin-bin hunter, is because imho i've seen a marked fall in the enjoyment in the gaming experience over the years. So i've had to trawl around to find all those great games that are mostly oldies.
I'd gladly spend more money(like i used too) on games, but its getting harder to do! I dont want to buy rubbish games!

(Disclaimer)Still this is my own personal viewpoint and experience of being a gamer since the 80's.

Unless xbox2 doesn't sell very well, then i dont expect we will see the same previous console pattern of longevity that we got with the old generation of consoles, not having backwards compatability wont help much either. I'm just getting the vibe that all the xbox2 hype and not being backcompatible, will lead to a pretty quick xbox demise, unless many people stick with their xbox over xbox2?

And Verto, yes MP is an important part of all gaming - i just hope xbox2 isn't a step to try to push us all into signing up for microsoft monthly on-line deals, just so we can play the occasional decent games.

i'm pretty synical of the current games industry aren't i -

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by child of Thor

Unless xbox2 doesn't sell very well, then i dont expect we will see the same previous console pattern of longevity that we got with the old generation of consoles, not having backwards compatability wont help much either. I'm just getting the vibe that all the xbox2 hype and not being backcompatible, will lead to a pretty quick xbox demise, unless many people stick with their xbox over xbox2?

That's maybe true, maybe not. But given that you are assuming the previous experiences are somehow not valid with X-Box2 you need more to your argument (few consoles had backwards compatibility), or it's just going to look silly.

[Tassadar500]

Has there been an official statement that there won't be backwards compatibility?

[child of Thor]

yes there had been(some leaked tech report if i remember), and many current xbox users were pretty puzzled by it. The problem being that both Xbox2 and the new PS are such a leap in techology over the models before, that there isn't a way to keep a good backwards compatible mode.

Still this was being talked about months ago, so maybe microsoft has worked out a way for xbox2 to play xbox titles.

@Dr.Spike - me? looking silly? nah you got me confused with some other child of thor surely

here's a link with some info:

http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/microsoft-xbox/594331p1.html

hmm something on backwards compatibility here:

http://www.ensight.org/archives/2005/03/09/first-xbox-2-details-released/

at the end of the article a little snippet that if true will completely change my attitude to xbox2 and if i'll get one or not

[DrSpike]

I really think you are blowing the backwards compatibility issue out of proportion.

[child of Thor]

Maybe. After all, out of the 30+ xbox games i've bought and played, only about 3-4 of them are games i still like to revisit and play often.

Still those are 3-4 great games, that are rareities in the console market, and i've no idea if these will appear on the next gen consoles. So it would be nice if i could play these games on the new xbox.

infact if i take a count on the two consoles i own(xbox+cube), and all the games i've bought over the last few years(around 60 titles) - there are only maybe 8 titles that both myself and my girlfriend play often.

So for me i see that ratio getting worse in the near-mid future, if things carry on in the current trend. To get the xbox2, i want to be able to get rid of the old xbox(to save space) but still play those xbox titles i really like.

anyway it looks like they are indeed working on backwards compatibility, so fingers crossed from my point of view.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by child of Thor
Maybe. After all, out of the 30+ xbox games i've bought and played, only about 3-4 of them are games i still like to revisit and play often.

Maybe you are too grown up for consoles.

[Kuciwalker]

I believe Xbox2 IS going to be backwards-compatible...

[Verto]

Originally posted by DrSpike


Maybe you are too grown up for consoles.

You are revolting. And not in the good communist way either.

Consoles are the way of the future!

[child of Thor]

@ Dr.Spike

you kidding? gaming is a huge part of my life - not something i can grow out off, i'll be here at 60 for sure

I'm just concerned many people will never get to experience just how amazing games can be - how much they take out of you, but your happy to stick in another 14hr session to get to the next bit/stage(your lucky to get that as the full game these days!), and at the end of it all you feel like you've been in something special, something that a movie or even a book can't hold a candle to.

Those are rare experiences, getting rarer sadly imho.

but if xbox2 does do a backwards compatible mode i'll get it

@kuci - they are trying to do it, check that link above i found, just no official word yet.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by child of Thor
@ Dr.Spike

you kidding? gaming is a huge part of my life - not something i can grow out off, i'll be here at 60 for sure

I most definitely did not say you were too old for gaming.

[Nostromo]

but if xbox2 does do a backwards compatible mode i'll get it

Even if the Xbox 2 isn't backwards compatible, you can always keep your old Xbox.