As part of a backwards compatibility deep dive on Xbox Wire earlier today, Director of Program Management for Xbox Series X Jason Ronald spoke a little about the possibility of adding more original Xbox and Xbox 360 games to the backwards compatible program.
At the end of the article, Ronald revealed that the team is continuing to listen to fans about the games they'd like to see, but noted the "complex mix of technical and licensing challenges" often involved:
"The team also continues to listen to feedback from the community on additional titles you would like to see added to the compatibility program. Resurrecting titles from history often presents a complex mix of technical and licensing challenges, but the team is committed to doing everything we can to continue to preserve our collective gaming legacy."
While his comments don't exactly guarantee any future Xbox and Xbox 360 additions to the backwards compatibility library, it's nice to see Microsoft hasn't ruled it out entirely. There are still plenty of classics we're holding out hope for, so fingers crossed they make their way to the Xbox Series X!
What games would you still like to see added to the program? Let us know in the comments.
[source news.xbox.com]
Comments 43
Project Zero/Fatal Frame, please!
It’s my understanding they only paused the program to make sure the current back cat works on Series X.
That said I’m hopefully for more Series X enhancements like what happened with FFXIII with the X hardware :3
I'd hope more come. MS did a great job, and our of my 400 or so digital xbox 360 titles, some around 325 are on Xbone. And even if those, plenty have an Xbone version (LA Noire, Resident Evil. Etc).
That said, I was disappointed when they took the break for the XBSX. I felt like there were just more titles that for one reason or another, needed the BC treatment.
I never doubted that they stopped. I honestly believe it's because they were working hard to ensure compatibility with Xbox SeX (sorry if they mention this in the original article).
But I'm still hoping for Silent Hill 2 (original XBox version), Nier (Xbox 360) and Resonance of Fate and Bullet Witch (I heard this one isn't that great, but I'm curious).
@BlueOcean
and heck yeah!! Fatal Frame!!
@BlueOcean What’s the licensing for that series now? I know Nintendo are involved with all current and future releases, but does that affect the games prior to their involvement?
Okay, Microsoft, how about Dead Man's Hand, Headhunter Redemption, Stubbs the Zombie, Azurik, Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter, Midway Arcade Treasures 3, Advent Rising, Sudeki, Zathura and Outrun 2006 Coast 2 Coast from the original Xbox?
As for the Xbox 360, seeing as I still have my original X360, I'm largely good, but I would like to minimize disc swapping, so seeing games like the simply brilliant RPG/action adventure Rise of the Argonauts (which is simply a must have if you're a fan of Greek mythology or of highly entertaining action adventure games) would be much, much appreciated...
EDIT:I forgot all about the Lost Planet games. Those are also among my personal favorites on Xbox 360, so I'd welcome all of those as well.Never mind, I stand corrected, because these are actually already on the BC list...
@FragRed That's a good question. Nintendo only helped in the fourth game production, Mask of the Lunar Eclipse. Nintendo published the Wii, 3DS and Wii U games but we know that publishing rights are not definitive. The franchise hasn't been purchased by Nintendo. I am quite sure that Koei Tecmo could publish all games on any platform eventually but the only ones that are available on Xbox (console) are the first and the second games (with extras). If only they could remaster 1, 2 (Wii Edition), 3 and 4. The last game still looks great but it's on Wii U only. Kind of sad that this franchise is stuck when it's so good. I would love Koei Tecmo to be the Japanese studio that Microsoft wants to acquire.
@ThePrettySenshi Silent Hill 2 will be welcome too, the "HD" version of 2 and 3 are not great. Later games have a Windows version, they could be ported easily.
Every game should be added! Just let us rip the disc to our Xbox and slap it in the emulator. Then these enhancements/downloads can be made by the Devs/publishers who chose to do so
@BlueOcean Nintendo usually has a real strong grip on the games they publish that are developed by third party studios. I also think I saw an art, might have been on Nintendo Life, where one of the people at Koei Tecmo wants to make another game in the series but it was up to Nintendo. I’ll have to try and see if I can find it. It may well be that it’s something like how Bayonetta is, Nintendo seems to have either rights to all future games or first dibs. I know with Fatal Frame there’s a lot of confusion around ownership as I’ve seen a number claim Nintendo co owns the IP but I haven’t seen any confirmation on that.
Would love to see that happen. The list is extensive, but the more, the merrier.
@FragRed Yes, I read that, my understanding is that they were asking for Nintendo's funds for production or publishing of a new game.
@ThePrettySenshi Hi there. Resonance of Fate is quite good, but really challenging and Bullet Witch is..... Okay I guess. It had a lot of potential though. Cheers and happy gaming to us all
Yes please, bring us Dead or Alive 3! And more, and more! The Otogi games, every Sega games, every shooter, everything!!! I'm gonna buy everything please lol
"While his comments don't exactly guarantee any future Xbox and Xbox 360 additions to the backwards compatibility library,..."
Uhm...it kind of does, Fraser.
More SEGA games please.
@BlueOcean So does that mean Nintendo is needed for the series to continue if they are being asked for funding?
Imagine if we lived in a world where the XSX can run almost the entire if not the entire library of Xbox games. It would be GLORIOUS!
@ThanosReXXX the Lost Planet games are already backwards compatible dude.
Give me Jet Set Radio Future you cowards!
@FragRed No, I think that Koei Tecmo assumes that only Nintendo will fund production and publishing of a new Project Zero game because Nintendo published the last three games and partially funded production of the Mask of the Lunar Eclipse which is ironic because they didn't want to pay for testing and fixing the bugs.
@ChopperCampbell Really? Oh, never mind, then.
Okay, where do we go to offer such feedback? Any chance that some of those Microsoft employees happen to lurk here, for instance?
That said, here are some of my personal Wish List of additions for the BC program:
1) TimeSplitters 2 (Xbox)
2) TimeSplitters 3: Future Perfect (Xbox)
3) Namco Museum Remixed (Xbox 360)
4) Daisenryaku: Modern Military Tactics (Xbox)
5) OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast (XBox)
6) Kung Fu Chaos (XBox)
Kung Fu Chaos!
@ThanosReXXX I think you'll be out of luck with Outrun as that has been removed from digital stores for a while as Sega's licence with Ferrari has expired
I would live to see more games but licensing is an issue for so many of them, however in a perfect world I'd love to see every Sega game, Outrun coast to coast can't happen but imagine that in 4K HDR, also Jet Set Radio, Phantasy Star Online, Sonic Heores, Super Monkey Ball, Crazy Taxi and Headhunter, outside of them the likes of Burnout and GTA3, Vice City and San Andreas
@carlos82 is there any hope Microsoft help Sega to acquire Ferrari license again? Man, I just hope!!!!
@StrangeBit it's been about 10 years since they had it but I suppose the best chance is anything related to their 60th anniversary next week.
@StrangeBit @carlos82 They could just do a port of the game and alter the look of the car. I assume that's what M2 did with the original Outrun when porting it to the Switch.
@FragRed the original isn't licensed, it just looks a lot like it and I guess Ferrari just didn't care back then. I think car licensing only started really happening when cars were 3D and when they realised they could make easy money. I think the best case scenario is either Sega getting the license back which frees up a few games or they make a new one with no licensed cars in it
Anyone has a link where we can wish for games for BC ?
@carlos82 I know, but the question was "what would you like to see", so...
Besides, I've still got the original, both on Xbox 360 (on which it luckily still IS backwards compatible) and PC, so I'll still be able to play it whenever I want to, regardless of any licensing issues they'd have nowadays...
@Murray There used to be a voting system on the official Xbox forums (https://xboxideas.uservoice.com/), but it has been removed a year or two ago, probably due to the development trajectory of the new console and any internal discussions on whether or not they were going to continue to add to the backwards compatibility library.
Now that they have more or less said that they're going to continue after all, we might also see that specific forum page return.
@ThanosReXXX I hope so, I'm going to write, like, 100 games I want to buy right now XD
@ThanosReXXX I'd love to see it in 4K HDR, luckily I bought Outrun Online Arcade on PS3 when it was still available. I wonder if there could be a way round it, surely they could have it simply install from the disc itself
Do you think that Tecmo will release the old Dead or Alive games on BC?
I just hope so, I'm so excited for the possibilities!
@carlos82 Well, that would be an option, if they would offer some kind of all-in-one emulator for both OG Xbox and Xbox 360, but so far, ALL backwards compatible games have come with their very own, customized/optimized version of an emulator, in a complete bundle, so it's kind of like a self-contained, virtual system.
I don't know if they changed that for this upcoming generation, but that is how it works on Xbox One, in order to make sure that the games work as perfectly as possible.
@StrangeBit That would definitely be a great addition. I've always found it strange at first, when games that were already backwards compatible on the Xbox 360 weren't simply also available on the Xbox One, but as mentioned above to the other user, that's unfortunately not as simple, because of how it works.
On the Xbox 360, it actually was just a single OG Xbox emulator for all backwards compatible games, but it did have its downsides here and there, because not all games worked perfectly, and ever since they moved on to Xbox One, they've simply chosen to go for more precise emulation, which requires custom tweaking for each individual game.
But having said that, I do happen to own all of the Dead or Alive games myself, so I'd definitely also like those to be added to the list, at some point in the not too distant future...
I knew they weren’t done adding games to backwards compatibility. But it’s great to hear them make it official.
Licensing issues will cause some games to be impossible to bring back, but I think they have gone an amazing job so far.
I know it is probably not possible due to licensing problems, but I would like to see the Chronicles of Riddick.
It would be great if we have:
Timesplitters futur perfect
Soulcalibur 4
SSX On Tour
Jet Set Radio Future.
All with patch 4K60fps.
Bring back Timesplitters 2 & Future Perfect for Xbox Series X 👌
Timesplitters 2 !!!!
timesplitters 2 !!!!!!
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