Last year, it was said that Xbox had set up a new team dedicated to game preservation and forward compatibility, and now we can see the proof for ourselves in the form of a Principal Software Engineer job advert that went live yesterday.
The ad, which you can read on the Microsoft website, mentions that the job will involve building "the next evolution in Xbox Game Compatibility", using the chosen candidate's experience to "secure the future of Game Preservation".
"Your work will help identify and outline the specific requirements and security boundaries for protecting game content, build scalable emulation solutions, and ensure a safe and fun gameplay experience for all players. Our technology solutions are a critical part of enabling the Xbox goal of allowing players to experience their games on any device."
"As a Principal Software Engineer in Xbox, you will coordinate across teams to define and implement the Xbox backward compatibility game security system to protect game assets while improving the experience for our customers. You will work with other experienced emulation engineers to deliver high quality solutions that not only protect game content but also improve the experience of installing compatible games. You will be a key contributor to the technology solutions developed to emulate legacy games on modern platforms."
There's been some speculation recently that the next Xbox console might require a different approach to backwards compatibility, and therefore it'd make sense if Microsoft is already working on making sure it all goes smoothly.
Perhaps an even bigger focus is the whole "This is an Xbox" campaign that's being extended to PCs, mobiles and beyond these days though, and there's definitely hope from some fans that native Xbox console games will be playable on the likes of the Xbox handheld in the future. Perhaps this is a big focus of the game preservation team as well.
Anyway, this is amazing news! Xbox is clearly dedicated towards game preservation and backwards compatibility as we head into the future, and that should mean your purchases (digital, at least) will be protected for many years to come. Hopefully it also means Xbox isn't entirely finished with adding original Xbox and Xbox 360 games to its backwards compatibility program - but we'll have to wait and see if anything happens with that.