backwards-compatibility
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Huzzah! Psychonauts on 360, Soul Calibur, Conker too
We won't be satisfied until every Xbox title is compatible on 360, but today's backwards compatibility update is a major step in that direction. Sure, we knew the patch was coming, but it's a relief that it's here, Pyschonauts now playable -- as are Shenmue II, Indigo Prophecy, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Dead or Alive Ultimate, Buffy, Destroy All Humans, and others. The update's final list of games also features some additional surprises (unrevealed during the premature posting on Xbox.com), most notably Soul Calibur 2 (North America only) and Conker: Live and Reloaded. Still, each of these bc updates is bitter sweet, inevitably lacking games we've been longing for. It's been a year, and still no Panzer Dragoon Orta?
Back compat update: Conker, Psychonauts!
The backwards compatibility update we reported about yesterday has now come to fruition, Psychonauts intact. There are some other notable games on the list including Conker (lots of you were looking for that one yesterday), Soul Calibur II, Shenmue II, and Indigo Prophecy/Fahrenheit. We're curious to test out Soul Calibur II, as it supported 720p even on the original Xbox. See the complete list after the break.
Let's discuss -- backwards compatibility downgrades?
This is becoming ridiculously controversial and we simply can't ignore a chance to let the 360 fanboys who inexplicably come here day after day vent their frustrations on our system. We do that because we love you too, even if you don't love us, oh alpha male gamers. Assert your superiority by stepping on us, go ahead! Anyway, all sarcasm aside, there has been a lot of cinematography and screenshottery depicting insanely bad resolution/graphical issues with a wide number of PS2 games played on the PS3. The video is on YouTube -- the "oh, wow" moment for me came about two minutes and twenty seconds in -- when the screen is split on Tidus' face (from Final Fantasy X).Some say that the first batch o' PS3's are the ones with this issue, some say it's completely random, some say it's all PS3's and still others claim that it's the TV's being played on. It's apparently not the TV, or the cables, or the games themselves. It's the system. But is it all the systems? We're handing out our junior detective badges to all our super-sleuth readers to check your systems with the games mentioned on the original thread or the games on the video.Are you ready? Let's begin the investigation... and if it's a truly unanimous issue, Sony, we know you don't read this site, but by golly, this can be fixed with a firmware update. Please?[thanks MiKE and/or Slurrey!]
PS2, PS1 480i games hampered by crazy jaggies on the PS3
When we heard the PS3 was going to feature a whole PS2 chipset for the sake of backwards compatibility, we didn't think it would suck so much. Beyond the games that are straight-up freezing or glitching out on the new box -- for which Sony is promising a patch -- the PS3 seems to be having heaps of trouble with 480i games in particular. In a sort of "double your jaggies" scenario, that's sure to leave fans of classic PlayStation titles delighted, the PS3's upscaling method for the low-res titles introduces all sorts of "jaggies" and artifacts into the image, as can be seen above in a splitscreen comparison between the PS3 and PS2 in Final Fantasy X. Some speculate that the PS3 lacks the necessary upscaling hardware, making a firmware update impossible for now, but we're hoping that somewhere in that heap of PS3 horsepower, Sony can find a way restore that beautiful shimmer to Tidus' hair. Peep a comparison video after the break.[Via Joystiq]
Back compat update tomfoolery, Psychonauts
Working in close, yet uncomfortable collusion with Joystiq last night, we unearthed a newly updated backwards compatibility list on Xbox.com. The list has subsequently been zapped back into the nether realm, where it will undergo further transmogrifications. For the brief and precious moment that the new list was alive, we had the presence of mind to both copy and paste the entire list. Of course, the big question with every back compat update is, "is Psychonauts on there?" The answer is was "yes." Other notable titles on the list included Shenmue II, Indigo Prophesy, DOA Ultimate, and Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. Don't jump for joy just yet, though. When contacted by Joystiq, Microsoft told them that the list is not final and may yet change. That won't stop us from poring over the list and dreaming, though. Take a gander at the list after the break.
Pre-huzzah: Psychonauts spotted on back-compat list
For a brief moment in time, an updated version of the Xbox 360's backwards compatibility list was exposed for all the internet to see. Though it was yanked in a matter of minutes, one new entry stood out like an atomic mushroom cloud in a serene, children's playground. Not to imply that Psychonauts is capable of melting children or flooding large masses of land with deadly radiation, but its presence was rather devastating to the psyche. In case you weren't aware (and clearly you aren't much of the time), Tim Schafer and his team at Double Fine did extraordinary things with Psychonauts, managing to take the seemingly incompatible platformer and adventure genres and mash them together like two pieces of clay. That's before they twisted the whole mess into a variety of amusing shapes.Oh, there's a whole bunch of other new games too. However, when asked about the exact release date of this December update, Microsoft warned us that the list is not final. "We'll have more news soon -- as I'm sure you're aware with any software development, things can change at any time so we want to make an announcement when we're sure we've got the final, solid list."View the non-final, slightly wobbly list of additions after the break.[Thanks Nick! Thanks to Richard from Xbox 360 Fanboy for remembering to take a screenshot.]
The PS3 backwards compatibility list
Sony's PlayStation site now features a handy little Javascript program that lets you check on any compatibility issues the PS3 might have with the PlayStation catalogue. Instead of a list, however, you have to type in the games about which you are curious into the search box to find out all the glitches.We understand not making a list of every PSOne and PS2 title that has compatibility issues, but at the same time we are not sure to what extent BC problems are prevalent. We are impressed with how detailed every glitch has been chronicled, so that you know exactly how the game will screw up (major or minor) while being played on the PS3. We decided to run of a few searches ourselves: Psychonauts, unlike its Xbox counterpart, "has no major problems" with the PS3. Huzzah! The Ratchet series works fine. The Jak series is okay, except for a handful of issues with Jak X: Combat Racing. Almost surprisingly, every Madden title works well. Only Madden NFL 2007 has some issues with static IP / DHCP and online gaming. Every SOCOM title has at least one or two issues. The Final Fantasy series is a mixed bag. X, XII, and Tactics work, but Anthology, Chronicles, Origins, VIII, and IX have issues. FF VII has one graphical anomaly during one of the first battles in the game. Final Fantasy XI has problems using the PS3's HDD, but a future software update promises to fix that. Mess around the search box and let us know what else you find. Don't throw out your PS2 until you check your favorite titles first.[Via CVG]
Sony comments on that pesky backwards-compatibility
Hot on the heels of our prior post about issues the PS3 is having with some PS2 titles, Sony has given an unofficial response and then a more official response, with no official solution set in stone as of yet. Japan's Cnet.com has compiled a list of about 196 PS2 titles that have some glaring problems (this does, however, count multiple versions of the same game -- greatest hits, special edition, etc) ranging from sound issues to games freezing up. IGN contacted Sony and here's what went down.First off, let's go over what Sony's PR department said. Let it be known that this person was probably, or should be, fired. Even though Sony generally says stuff this arrogant. Anyway. The PR rep said that Sony expected from the get-go to be less than 100% with backwards compatibility. What is there right now is good enough, said the rep, and some people can put up with playing games that lack sound. Should be fired. Rude. Now for Sony's semi-official response. Sony says they will begin fixing the issues with system updates, perhaps even resorting to patches for individual titles that are particularly difficult. No date yet on these updates. Expect them soon enough.
Sony admits 200 PS2 games not working on PS3
Sony has confirmed reports that several -- like 200* -- PlayStation 2 games are not functioning properly on PlayStation 3. The company claims most of the backwards compatibility inconsistencies relate to audio glitches, but admits that some games do not run at all. SCE spokesperson Satoshi Fukuoka said the issues would be fixed through future patches (likely built into firmware upgrades) distributed online.Microsoft drew a lot of flak when Xbox 360 debuted with a paltry list of compatible Xbox titles (which shrank before it grew), but at least there was an effort to be honest to the consumer. That's not to say Sony was being overtly dishonest by advertising 100% backwards compatibility; if we had to guess, a team wasn't budgeted to test all of PS2's 8,000+ titles. Sure, you could bitch that Sony did a disservice; but let's be real, anyone lucky enough to score a PS3 during launch probably owns PS2 -- problem solved.*200 titles account for less than 2.5% of the PS2 software catalogue.See also: A HUGE backwards compatibility checklist for the PS3[Thanks Marc]
A HUGE backwards compatibility checklist for the PS3
This list, found on the NeoGAF forums (#24), is in fact so huge that we're not even going to try to recycle it onto here. Our job isn't to spam you with some familiar titles and a ton of Japanese titles, rather to let you know that there is apparently an issue or two with the backwards compatibility feature of the PS3. What kind of issue? Pretty much the same thing that plagued certain PSX games when used in the PS2. If the game's 2-D, you might get a little box surrounding your character. One of note is Valkyrie Profile which sports some audio errors, but it had them with the PS2. So it's nothing new. Any troubles with major titles will probably get fixed in firmware updates, so take this with a grain of salt -- it's not a big deal. The one big deal many might complain about is the fact that PS2 HDD games (read: Final Fantasy XI) aren't yet supported. That'll probably change, too. Updates, updates, updates. We'll probably see a lot of them regarding backwards compatibility in the coming months/years. But then again, do you really care if a piece of music doesn't playback instantly/properly sometimes in a game that isn't necessarily a symphony to your ears? It shouldn't have to be an issue, but it's something that could be easy to live with, should updates fail to address the issue. Just keep a spare PS2 in case you really can't stand a problem that may arise.
Back compat update: finally, Aquaman!
Thank God. See, I gave my old Xbox to my brother and I was just about to fall into a deep, deep depression because I couldn't play Aquaman on my 360. Lucky for me, the fine folks in Redmond decided it was about time for a new backwards compatibility update. I thought to myself, "could it be?" My eyes furiously scanned the page and my heart leapt at the sight: Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis is finally BC.But seriously, folks, the update adds quite a few titles to the 360 roster, including one of my favorites, Fatal Frame II (still no Psychonauts, though). See the full list of new or updated games after the break. And a special thanks to Scott, the tipster who made the first of many Aquaman jokes.
Calling all skeptics: Wii leaked info [Update 1]
Could everything we need to know about the Wii (sans release date) really have been leaked by some dude known only as "TheGuy" to Max Console? They insist the specs are on the level, and they seem realistic enough, but we can't help but suspect that TheGuy may be on some crazy revenge tear because someone peed on his rug. Max Console broke the news on Sunday and have since posted an update they insist comes from TheGuy boggling at fans crying foul over the feasible fakery of this fortuitous news flash. Max Console claims TheGuy is an "anonymous developer," and we all know how reliable those guys are. The announcement is peppered with details we already knew, which is part of why it seems so real. The Wii will play GameCube games, but boast a faster, more powerful system? Check. Supports GameCube controllers? Check. More peripherals planned? Check. Here's a taste of the rest: Opitcal [sic] Disc Drive (ODD) supports single and dual layer Wii disks, discs eject with software or button and the maximum read speed is the equivalent of DVDx6 ... Inserting a disc will start the Wii console, even if it was already in an off state. Pressing the eject button will change the console to an on state to take out the disc also. Internal non-removable 512MB flash memory used to storage game save data and downloadable content thus eliminating the need for a memory card. The following interfaces are included with the Wii; SD card slot, Wireless controller, two USB 2.0 ports, wireless LAN, 4x GC controller ports, 2x GC memory card slots and an AV multi output jack (only an analog jack). (Regarding the CPU): Operating speed: 729 MHz ... Bus to main memory: 243 MHz, 64 bits (maximum bandwidth: 1.9 gigabytes/sec) .... The information about the CPU and GPU were the later additions. Apparently, when it comes to being called a fake, TheGuy minds. TheGuy minds and this will not stand, man.[Update: Fixed mysteriously missing link to Max Console. Hmm. Further proof?]
Mortal Kompat: Petition
Several Mortal Kombat fansites have banded together and started a petition to get Mortal Kombat: Deception and Mortal Kombat: Armageddon added (or in MK:D's case, re-added) to the ever-growing library of backwards compatible games. I'm pretty cynical about online petitions, but Microsoft actually responds to earnest pleading when it comes to their back compat efforts. By all means sign it if you want to see some fatalities down the road.[Thanks Patrick]
The Incredibles is back compat in Japan only
Some strange news about backwards compatibility today. Apparently The Incredibles (or Mr. Incredible as it's known in Japan) was added to Japan's backwards compatibility in the recent update. Yet for some reason The Incredibles is not on America's list. Is backwards compatible Incredibles goodness only available to the Japanese? For that matter, does anybody even care? What about Psychonauts? Please? [Via Siliconera]
27% of top 300 Xbox games are back-compatible
Cheap Ass Gamer (and Joystiq's good buddy) CheapyD put on his thinking cap to figure out just what percentage of the top-rated Xbox games work on the 360. With notable classics like Psychonauts still unplayable (did you send out your e-mail?), how far along is the MS team in their ongoing struggle to getting "darn close to that stated goal of every title" backwards compatible?CheapyD culled the titles from aggregate review-site Metacritic, cross-checked them against Microsoft's list, then threw it all into a chart for those of us who can't read are visual learners. The key points: 80% of the top-10 reviewed titles are backwards compatible. The two missing all-stars: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and Burnout 3. Only 27% of the top-300 reviewed titles are backward compatible. Even 300 titles is a far cry from the 800 or so titles currently available for the original Xbox. Wait, Far Cry? Nope, not available.
Moore backs off back compat comments
A suddenly compatible Peter Moore issued what you might call a major mea culpa on Major Nelson's latest podcast, wisely backing away from his poorly worded remark that "Nobody is concerned anymore about backwards compatibility. We under-promised and over-delivered on that." Sounding a bit like a prison convert, Moore apologized for the "trauma" his dismissive comments caused gamers and offered this rosy revision:"Boy, do we care about backward compat[ibility]."..."We're going to get darn close to that stated goal of every title done."Fortunately, the Xbox boss had some facts to back up his newfound enthusiasm: 20 new back compat titles in the next update, instead of the previously announced 12, including Doom 3 and Lego Star Wars.[Thanks TxdoHawk]
Acer Aspire 9510 and 9110 HD-DVD-sporting laptops
Along with the 15.4-inch 5670 and 20.1-inch 9800 notebooks that we'd already known about, Acer formally unveiled at Computex two other HD-DVD- and Centrino Duo-toting models from the Aspire line that we hadn't seen before: the 17-inch 9510 and 15.4-inch 9110 (pictured). All four models are being billed as all-in-one multimedia centers, and with all but the 5670 sporting 1,920 x 1,080 resolutions, S/PDIF and HDCP-capable HDMI outputs, optional analog and DVB-T tuners, and of course those high-def, backwards-compatible optical drives (still waiting on those Blu-ray models, though), it sure sounds like Acer knows what it's talking about. Both of the new-new notebooks also offer up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM and nVidia graphics cards, but the 9510 rocks the GeForce Go 7900 GS with 512MB of RAM and up to 240GB of hard drive space, while the 9110 has to settle for the GeForce Go 7600 with 256MB of RAM and a HDD that maxes out at 120GB. Unfortunately, Acer was so busy selling us on the benefits of all these new machines that they forgot a few important details, so both pricing and release dates for each and every one remain a big fat mystery for now.[Via Notebook Review]
PS3 may include PS2 hardware inside
Quick: how do you ensure that the PS3 is backwards compatible with PlayStation 2 games? It's easy: you just put a PS2 inside of it.According to a Japanese periodical this is exactly what Sony has in mind for their back-compat strategy. Given that software emulation isn't an option (at least not yet), the PlayStation 3 is rumored to include the necessary hardware which is also used in the slim PS2. This would give one more reason as to why it looks so big.Of course sticking that kind of power straight into the next-gen system would guarantee a big number of supported titles right out of the box. However, it also runs up the cost and bloats the overall system. We'll have to wait and see what happens with this one as we get closer to launch.[Via Joystiq]
Reason #437 for all that bulk: PS3 has a PS2 inside
According to a a report from Japan's Ultra One magazine, the PS3 will contain a whole PlayStation 2 chipset inside its massive hulk in order to ensure backwards compatibility. Word is that while Sony has claimed the PS3 is powerful enough to handle full PS2 emulation, the actual software isn't ready yet, so they'll use PS2 chips as a stopgap while they finish up. Obviously, the pricey hardware will mean even more losses to Sony at launch, but supposedly once they figure out emulation they'll pull the chips to lower their costs. If this all turns out to be true, it wouldn't be the hugest surprise, since Sony did the very same thing with the PS2 to gain compatibility with the original PlayStation. The Ultra One article had a few other tidbits of note, including a quote from Sony's Izumi Kawanishi stating that the PS3, as it was announced, is "nothing more than just the basic system." Sony apparently has plenty of upgrades in store for the console, which could make PS3 one of the most diversified (and probably expensive) pieces of "standard" hardware going in the gaming world. They did say that they won't be breaking compatibility, and even if it happens by accident, the console can accept updates over the Internet. Also, the magazine states the console has a "large amount of flash memory," so that no matter what hard drive you end up with, you'll always have the system software running from the included flash.
Xbox BC not a priority, says Moore
In a 180-degree turn from statements made over the past year, it would appear Microsoft is starting to back away from their previous commitment to make "every Xbox game work on the 360." According to Xbox chief Peter Moore, "Nobody is concerned anymore about backwards compatibility. We under promised and over delivered on that." While Moore acknowledges there are still more Xbox compatibility updates on the way, he went on to say he was "stunned" that his team has been able to make hundreds of Xbox titles compatible with the Xbox 360. At last check, fan favorites Panzer Dragoon Orta, Soul Calibur 2, and the Kingdom Under Fire series were still absent from the official list, but you can still play Drake of the 99 Dragons!If original Xbox games are to be made available over the Xbox Live service, how many of you would be willing to buy them (again)?See also: The Engadget & Joystiq E3 Interview: Peter Moore