Digital Foundry vs Xbox One backwards compatibility

[NathObeaN]

BMaker11 said:

NathObeaN said:

How are GOTY releases anything like remasters? If I purchase a game and all the DLC and then a GOTY edition comes out, what's the point in buying it? Whereas with a decent remaster, I might wait 5-10 years to reply a classic game that has been rebuilt with new visuals etc and has additonal content. 2 completely different things. For example, I played Halo 1 as a kid but never played it with anyone because the coop and MP was local only and I never got the chance when I was younger. When the anniversary edition came out it enabled me to play it online cooperatively and play the MP maps with people. Those kind of benifits are nothing like a 'GOTY' edition.

I have a PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One, so no, BC is not a big deal for me personally. However, I know quite a few people that have an Xbox 360 and want to upgrade to this gen but don't want to trade in their old console and buy a new one knowing they can never touch their game library again (many people can't afford to buy a new console outright). This feature allows them to do just that.

As for the whole 'but it's limited' and 'but the performance dip'... It's only JUST been announced. It is still under the preview program and isn't coming out for another 6 months. At launch it will have over 100 games and even then, more games will be added over time.

My main point about it being 'free' is that people are criticising it and trying to poke holes it in, when it's free. What is there to complain about? Even if the performance was 50% and you could only play 50 games, it's free, there isn't anything to moan about? No one is being asked to pay a dime for this feature yet people still rant on the internet about it, bonkers if you ask me.

EDIT: I will also add, as an existing Xbox 360 owner, it just adds convenience. Occasionally I do want to play a 360 game, this feature means I don't have to turn on my old console, I just pop the disc in. It also means I can use the new controller, stay in touch with friends on XBL, take screenshots/videos if I want and hopefully in the future enjoy better performance (DF already noted 100% VSync).

I think you misinterpreted "remaster" with "remake". Remasters, like Borderlands: Handsome Collection, Gears Ultimate Edition, TLOU:R, Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition. Games that got visually tweaked, performance enhanced, and all the DLC for it, all in one package. These are games where you're "charged again for the same game", just like a GOTY version of a game. 

I know the BC is in beta right now, but you know as well as everyone else that it won't be "true" BC, and because of that, there will be hiccups in games. And even with hundred of games being supposedly added (MS said the same thing about OG Xbox games being added to the 360 but that just never happened), my point would still stand that you have to actually buy those games to play them, so it's not "free" to play them. So everyone needs to stop saying "you won't have pay to play games you own, because this is free". If you don't own the game, then you have to pay to own it. Do you own a copy of say, Halo 4? No? Then how will it be "free" to play on XBOne when you have to go purchase the game? That's the issue I take with "paying to play what you own" (this is a shot at PSNow). It makes the assumption that you own the entire library, but you don't, so you have to pay for a game, just like you would if you went to Gamestop to buy a game. 

Knowing that there will performance issues and games "will be added" (as in, they aren't there yet. They'll come later), if you have a 360 now, would it make any sense to sell it? If I still want to play Prototype, I wouldn't sell my 360 because "I don't need it anymore, since XBOne has BC"....and Prototype ain't even BC compatible, yet, and will probably play worse than on 360. 

I don't understand what you're trying to say though (sorry if I am misunderstanding)? Of course, if you don't own a game then you have to buy it? If you already own a 360 game (Halo 4 for your example) and you want an Xbox One but can't afford it unless you trade in your 360, this feature allows you to upgrade to next gen whilst maintaining your existing library. You don't have to pay any extra money in order to keep playing those games on your new console (other than the new console itself).

PS Now that you refer to requires that you purchase the game on that service even if you own the disc already?

As for re-masters, no, a decent re-master is not the same as paying for the same content again. Anyway, GOTY editions are normally designed for those that want the game and all the content in one bundle and have waited for the price to drop.

Yes, some re-masters are just there to milk money and they suck, not all are like that though. My example given is paying for: better visuals/sound/animations, extra features (online coop and online multiplayer), new videos/cinematics and other bonus in-game content. Hell, it even came with voice commands (admittedly a gimmick, but new features nonetheless).

A re-master should offer significant content to warrant the purchase (such as visual/sound/animation upgrades and new features and content. If a re-master is simply 1080p, then yes, I would say that is a money grab. Maybe if you already owned the game and you could pay $5 to ‘unlock’ 1080p then maybe that would be better. I don’t think it is worth charging consumers the full price again though.

Then again, isn’t that what Blu-Ray is!? Ah well, argument is invalid lol