James Delahunty
14 Nov 2005 18:16
Microsoft has finally given details on the "backward-compatibility" issue in question by many gamers who will be buying an Xbox 360 gaming console. It appears that Microsoft has chosen a "software" approach to allowing old Xbox games to be played on the 360. The bad point for many to-be Xbox 360 owners, is that you need to have a hard drive to play the old games (bad news for those who chose the cheaper package that doesn't contain the 20GB HDD). Microsoft will offer emulation software to Xbox live subscribers, through xbox.com as a CD image to burn or direct from the company on a CD.
Presumably the software is then installed on the hard drive (though Microsoft did not clarify on "installation"). It converts Intel x86 processor instructions from the original Xbox into their PowerPC equivalents. Microsoft has released a list of 212 games that will be backward compatible with the Xbox 360. You can read that list here. According to Todd Holmdahl, Corporate VP of the Microsoft's Xbox Product Group, the software will be updated as more Xbox games become certified as 360 compatible.
It is yet to be seen how gamers will take this approach to backward compatibility or if it will have any visible effects on sales. One of the major selling points of the PS2 when it was launched, was the backward-compatibility with old PlayStation games.
Sources:
The Register
Xbox.com (Game List)