Xbox 360 Backwards Compatibility updates might stop soon. To be replaced with Xbox Originals re-releases (Burnout 3 on January 14th)
In an interview at CES 2008 this week Albert Penello, group marketing manager for the Xbox 360, was asked if there would be any future Xbox 360 backwards compatibility updates coming from Microsoft. His reply indicated the November 2007 Xbox 360 backwards compatibility update might have been the last one.
To quote: “I don’t know if we have plans to do any more releases. It feels like we kind of hit the point of diminishing returns there. I know with the Xbox Originals, there are still things happening there, but in terms of a lot of engineering work around bringing out new titles, I think they’re winding that down.”
Microsoft’s original promise for backwards compatibility updates was to focus on the “top selling” original Xbox titles. This, Mr. Penello said, from a corporate standpoint, was delivered upon. To quote: “For the most part, we’ve crossed off games that people want to play. There’s always going to be a notable exception here or there. — At this point the stuff that’s left is work per title, every title now is almost a one-off. Right now we have to think, are we really going to do 300 one-off titles? I know it’s not exactly the answer everyone wants to hear, but I feel like it’s time.”
He then told Kotaku that, outside of Halo 2, internal data points to low numbers of backward compatible games being played on Live, with BC updates “not being downloaded that much anymore.” — Here’s an idea Microsoft, how about doing the top 5 or top 10 most requested Xbox games that are left? Problem solved.
Xbox Originals are already starting to be added to with next Monday, January 14th, seeing the addition of Burnout 3: Takedown to the list of Xbox Originals. Good move in light of Burnout Paradise being released the week after on January 22nd. Burnout 3 will be release worldwide, except for Japan, at a price of 1400 Microsoft Points (that’s US$17.50 / €16.80 / £11.90 / CAN$21.70 / AU$23.10). It’s not yet clear if the by EA-supported servers online functionality (that went offline long ago) will be revived for this re-release.
4 March 2009 21:20Jack
You know what sucks? They don’t even let you play burnout 3 online with the original disc.
