Ask X3F: Backwards Incompatibility

It's a short Ask X3F this week. Why? Because we have next to zero questions to answer. Sometimes, that's just how it happens. As such, it won't take you very long to read it this week. We know, it makes us sad too. But look at it this way, with the time you save on reading Ask X3F, you can get other things done. Important things ... like chores! Or, failing that, you could always play some video games. We understand that's a pretty popular activity these days.

Fun fact: this is the second time we've featured Chronicles of Riddick as the headline image for Ask X3F. See if you can find the other one. It will be fun, we promise!

Got a question for Ask X3F? Maybe you have a story or some information you'd like to share? Send it all to ask [at] xbox360fanboy [dawt] com.

Hey guys.

As a college gamer with very limited space, I can only bring a few consoles with me when I move into my dorm. This presents a problem for me, however. I've begun recently picking up a number of original Xbox titles that I either missed, didn't know about, or couldn't afford at the time they came out. The thing is, however, that not all of them are backwards compatible, or some, like Mercenaries, don't run very well at all. Since I won't have room to bring my original Xbox with me, I've been wondering if you, or anyone else, can get an update on the backwards compatability list -- more specifically, if they're still working to make more games backwards compatible, and if so, when we might expect an update, since it'll have been an entire year since the last update come November. This way, I can know whether or not to bother bringing any of them along, in the hope that an update will come soon making them playable.

In all the glitz of the recent titles being released, has Microsoft just slowly and silently killed the backwards compatability program, phased it out in favor of the Xbox Originals downloads, or has it just gotten lost in the mix, but is still alive and kicking?

Thanks for anything you can find out.

Cheers!

-- Kinuki

The short answer is that the likelihood of another Back Compat update is super, super slim. Frankly, we were all surprised that we got one last November. Back in January, Microsoft's Albert Penello said, "I don't know if we have plans to do any more [backwards compatibility] releases" further noting that he believed that Microsoft had "hit the point of diminishing returns" in regards to backwards compatibility. It seems that whatever titles are left would require individual attention, which sounds very costly and time consuming, especially when Microsoft has current generation titles to sell. While it's certainly possible that another update is in the works, we'd say backwards compatibility is done.

Sorry.

Hey guys,

I was wondering if a none celebrity guest for the fancast could work. like a none celebrity... celebrity
guest that is a loyal fancast listener and reader of the X3F goodness. thanks! =]

JC
GT: AAJAK

And whom might you suggest we invite? Hmmmm? You? Would you like that? Would you like to spend some quality time with your idols? It's okay, we can totally understand that. The answer to your question is that it could work. In fact, we've even considered such things in the past. Unfortunately, we typically record the Fancast when most people should be at work. That and, you know, the whole idea just smacks of effort. But who knows, anything can happen.

That's it for this week, folks. Keep sending your questions to: ask [at] xbox360fanboy [dawt] com.