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[Teddman]

From the Reader Mail column in this month's issue of Tips & Tricks (August 2005):

360 Degrees of Compatibility
I read in your July issue that the new Xbox 360 will be backward-compatible with the original Xbox games. But then I saw on some Web sites that only the "best-selling" Xbox games will play on the Xbox 360. So which is it?
Francis Eliopolous
Virginia Beach, VA

-It seems that the Xbox 360 does not have enough of the native hardware of the original Xbox to promise 100% compatibility with standard Xbox titles. Therefore, some of the functions of the older machine may be emulated by software running on the new hardware. When that happens, the only way to guarantee that every Xbox game will play correctly is to actually play them all, all the way through, on the Xbox 360. It'll take time to go through all of the existing Xbox games and get them running properly, so Microsoft plans to start with the games that you're most likely to want to play, like Halo and Halo 2.

If a particular game doesn't work perfectly on the new system, it may require a software patch or driver to be installed on the Xbox 360. Some of these "fixes" may even be built into the hardware at launch, for the games that have been fully tested for compatibility; others may require a small file to be downloaded from Xbox Live. So it is possible that the Xbox 360 will eventually be compatible with all of the original Xbox titles, but it might take a while before you can bust out the more obscure stuff like Sneakers or Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus.

 

[Suikoguy]

how is this new?

 

[Blimblim]

Well I'll be damned !

 

[Wario64]

it isnt new

 

[Teddman]

how is this new?

Issue just came out.

I haven't heard the process described quite this way before.

 

[littlewig]

I bet they'll charge us for the download. :lol

 

[Suerte]

Issue just came out.

I haven't heard the process described quite this way before.

It must be awesome living in that cave.

 

[Fuzzy]

So non-broadband users are shit out of luck for some titles?

 

[Roland Hood]

Issue just came out.

I haven't heard the process described quite this way before.

Teddman you're awesome but that's EXACTLY how it's been explained before.

 

[IJoel]

So non-broadband users are shit out of luck for some titles?

MS will send thousands of customer service representatives all over the world to personally update your system.

Spoiler

OXM. COMMON SENSE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!

 

[DopeyFish]

3 words

XboxLive Silver

if you dont have broadband but want game updates and stuff, just sign up to silver!

It's free =s

 

[Teddman]

This is one of the lines that raised my eyebrows: "... the only way to guarantee that every Xbox game will play correctly is to actually play them all, all the way through, on the Xbox 360."

You're telling me they're basically going to do full QA again on the entire Xbox library? Wouldn't they need an army of testers?

 

[sangreal]

If I recall correctly (and I do), the software profiles won't be required for most games.

 

[Firest0rm]

but it might take a while before you can bust out the more obscure stuff like Sneakers or Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus.

:lol AKA We're gonna try and forget about that trash.

 

[Fuzzy]

3 words

XboxLive Silver

if you dont have broadband but want game updates and stuff, just sign up to silver!

It's free =s

So you're saying that Live Silver works with 56K? Since when?

 

[DopeyFish]

So you're saying that Live Silver works with 56K? Since when?

Why not?

You're not playing games online are you?

You could always try to connect Xbox with 56k, but it still has to be networked. Though 99/100 times your experience will be awful. Now with silver it's just messaging, voice/video. demos, trailers, small minor games, DLC and game patches... (etc)

 

[raYne]

So you're saying that Live Silver works with 56K? Since when?

Since he went crazy.

You're telling me they're basically going to do full QA again on the entire Xbox library? Wouldn't they need an army of testers?

Yeah well, what're you gonna do...

 

[Fuzzy]

Why not?

You're not playing games online are you?

You could always try to connect Xbox with 56k, but it still has to be networked. Though 99/100 times your experience will be awful. Now with silver it's just messaging, voice/video. demos, trailers, small minor games, DLC and game patches... (etc)

And free Live play ON THE WEEKENDS.

 

[raYne]

And free Live play ON THE WEEKENDS.

On certain predetermined weekends. But as I said... "since he went crazy"

 

[sangreal]

And free Live play ON PROMOTIONAL WEEKENDS.

fixed

 

[DopeyFish]

i never said it was designed with 56kers in mind

I'm just implying it's a lot better for 56kers overall.

At least there's thing to do on the service instead of possibly playing 1 or 2 games max

 

[Ponn]

Windows Update for Xbox 360

:lol

 

[joaomgcd]

Since he went crazy.

It's perfectly possible to connect to live with any kind of internet connection.

 

[Ponn]

It's perfectly possible to connect to live with any kind of internet connection.

By harnassing the power of a human..

 

[joaomgcd]

that... or by simple internet sharing

 

[Rain]

So you're saying that Live Silver works with 56K? Since when?

Well.. technically, if you have a network card on your pc, and that pc connects to the internet, and you're not a total dumbass.... you can make live work over a 56k line... hell you can do it today.. but your ping will suck major..