-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
Gamespy's "We Got Next" Part 3 - More RAM? BC?
- Thread starter Redbeard
- Start date
Question: Will Xenon have backwards compatibility?
Answer: This is, by far, the most common question that you guys have been asking. The short answer is that it's still being determined.
From what I've heard (and what several outlets have been reporting already), the original plans were for the system not to have backwards compatibility. From a numbers standpoint, it makes sense. More than a few publishers have told me that the feature isn't nearly as important as enthusiasts think; publishers feel that it's vital for the first year of the console's lifespan at best and only if the launch lineup is weak.
Sources tell me that Microsoft is now considering a backwards compatibility solution, mostly because of the marketing hit the system would take for not having it. It's almost not worth the trouble to omit the feature.
Answer: This is, by far, the most common question that you guys have been asking. The short answer is that it's still being determined.
From what I've heard (and what several outlets have been reporting already), the original plans were for the system not to have backwards compatibility. From a numbers standpoint, it makes sense. More than a few publishers have told me that the feature isn't nearly as important as enthusiasts think; publishers feel that it's vital for the first year of the console's lifespan at best and only if the launch lineup is weak.
Sources tell me that Microsoft is now considering a backwards compatibility solution, mostly because of the marketing hit the system would take for not having it. It's almost not worth the trouble to omit the feature.
Pedigree Chum
Banned
Hopefully it does make it into Xenon. You know, one of the reasons I buy PS2 versions of games over the XBox version is because I keep hearing rumors of no BC. I don't want to have a huge library of current gen games if I can't play them next gen as well (Dont plan on keeping old consoles laying around next gen). If this news it confirmed I'll go out and buy more games for the XBox 1 cause I know that I'll be able to play them still on Xenon. And unlike the jump from PSX-PS2, I won't really have a problem with Xbox1's graphics next gen, they're still quite nice in my fav Xbox games...Halo 2 and Riddick being prime examples.
512 MB's of Ram would be very very nice.. and they have been right on with some of their other stuff, so lets hope they are right.
As for BC? I would really like it if only for a handfull of games... and yeah, I may never play them beyond the first year, but I would still like that option.
As for BC? I would really like it if only for a handfull of games... and yeah, I may never play them beyond the first year, but I would still like that option.
Here's hoping BC makes it in.
1. We FINALLY have online fighters coming out...BC would be great to ensure that even 3-4 years from now I'll be able to arrange a game with friends in SFAC.
2. Improvements to existing games. Games like Morrowind and Pirates of the carribean which were flawed due to hardware incompatability potentially run better on emulated tech. Plus possible options such as 4XAA in various games, smoothed framerates (mot improved just less slowdown from weak hardware), reduced load times, etc.
3. It would really be nice to remove something from the Hate groups checklist. Hope they can up the memory as well. Spare us the damn headaches post E3.
1. We FINALLY have online fighters coming out...BC would be great to ensure that even 3-4 years from now I'll be able to arrange a game with friends in SFAC.
2. Improvements to existing games. Games like Morrowind and Pirates of the carribean which were flawed due to hardware incompatability potentially run better on emulated tech. Plus possible options such as 4XAA in various games, smoothed framerates (mot improved just less slowdown from weak hardware), reduced load times, etc.
3. It would really be nice to remove something from the Hate groups checklist. Hope they can up the memory as well. Spare us the damn headaches post E3.
shpankey
not an idiot
If they don't do more RAM they are gonna get owned. RAM is a huge deal. I guarantee you, the reason for more RAM is that they think that the other systems will have that much RAM. If PS3 and Revolution have 512megs of RAM and they are stuck with 256megs, they would be fucked. You can't overcome having half as much RAM. It would stick out like a sore thumb.
shpankey said:
I agree to an extent. They would be fucked if PS3 ends up with 512MB of RAM. Not right away. But two-three years down the road. And if Sony taught us anything with the PSP release is that they don't mind upping the RAM content at the last moment.
Sure, you can say Xbox has nearly double the RAM of the PS2 and this is true. But the difference of 28 MB and 256 MB is a big deal.
Panajev2001a
GAF's Pleasant Genius
It would be good if both Xenon and PlayStation 3 both had 512 MB of RAM, I do not want crippled UE3 games running on either platform.
If one of the two has 256 MB of RAM while the other has 512 MB of RAM... it would be a problem... especially if Playstataion 3 is the one coming with a main RAM disadvantage because Xbox 2 will have been out for several months and have had developers ioptimizing and targeting their games for 512 MB of RAM and will have one less incenive to move their work over to PlayStation 3. It would not be as bad for Xbox 2 if the situation between the two consoles was reversed in terms of what console had the 2x main RAM advantage.
I think both Microsoft and Sony/SCE are aware of this though.
If one of the two has 256 MB of RAM while the other has 512 MB of RAM... it would be a problem... especially if Playstataion 3 is the one coming with a main RAM disadvantage because Xbox 2 will have been out for several months and have had developers ioptimizing and targeting their games for 512 MB of RAM and will have one less incenive to move their work over to PlayStation 3. It would not be as bad for Xbox 2 if the situation between the two consoles was reversed in terms of what console had the 2x main RAM advantage.
I think both Microsoft and Sony/SCE are aware of this though.
Panajev2001a
GAF's Pleasant Genius
Amir0x said:
I give a lot of importance to Backward-Compatibility too.
shpankey
not an idiot
I heard that MSFT has hired one of the top emulation developers in the world to help with BC. I forget his name, but supposedly he had made a Dreamcast emulator and Playstation emulator and was heavily into the scene and was thought of as one of the premier emulation developers out there. So, if that is true, sounds like MSFT is pretty serious now about BC.
I could care less about it myself. That and the camera shit can go to hell as far as I'm concerned. I would rather that money be spent on a Hard Drive or more RAM or whatever.
I could care less about it myself. That and the camera shit can go to hell as far as I'm concerned. I would rather that money be spent on a Hard Drive or more RAM or whatever.
The RAM upgrade has gone from 10% likelihood to 50/50 in the last few weeks. But they still seem to be waiting to see if Sony tips its hat this month before making a decision.
Personal opinion: It would be a damn shame if they skimped on memory -- which will constrain the types of games that we will see for the entire generation -- in order to pay off nVidia to appease the BC nags.
Personal opinion: It would be a damn shame if they skimped on memory -- which will constrain the types of games that we will see for the entire generation -- in order to pay off nVidia to appease the BC nags.
even 512 MB of RAM next-gen is only just barely going to be acceptable. having only 256 MB is almost insane. even 512 MB will be limiting, so, I hope that that 512 MB is very highbandwidth 50 GB/s or better and very low latency (1T-SRAM in GC was very very nice) to make up for the relatively modest quantity.