Take-Two CEO: Lack of Backwards Compatibility Doesn't Affect Consumers at All

"The company can easily port games to the PS4 and Xbox One, so not playing older games on new consoles isn't a problem."

[Neonridr]

speak for yourself Mr. Zelnick. I missed out on a huge library of PS3 games seeing as the PS4 is my first Playstation console. I would have loved backwards compatibility, but understand that in order to keep costs down, it was a feature that was cut.

Sure, if you want to make a PS4 version of GTA V, then maybe I will buy it. Otherwise my hopes lie in Gaikai living up to its potential.

[xHeavYx]

Hopefully Gaikai will be available at little to no cost.
I do think that, even though it would be hard to do, if companies port PS3 games to the PS4, there should be some kind of discount for people who already bought the game.

[Stick89]

I wouldn't be shocked if they combine it with PS+ and then have a seperate cheaper sub (say a couple dollars a month) for those that don't have plus.

As for those that already own PS3 games, I'd also imagine that the PS4 is capable of reading a PS3 disc enough to know what it is, and you would just insert that and Gaikai would fire up the appropriate game. As for those that you bought digitally, well that would be even easier since it's all saved on their servers.

This is how it would work in the perfect little world I have in my head haha.

[Pandamobile]

Gaikai is sort of a cop out for backwards compatibility. It's obvious why they did it, but it'll be interesting to see how console gamers react to streaming games.

[Joe913]

@Stick89 I think you are right about PS4 being able to read a ps3 disk to find out which game it is because of Sony's upgrade policy right now I believe the way it works is when you get your ps4 you have to put in your ps3 disc to activate and if you got the game via digital download the ps4 already know you have the game on ps3 so it will already be at the 9.99 price so if you have a ps3 disc you should be able to pop in ps4 it will activate in gaikai and if you have DD then you should be able to go right into gaikai and play the game. I also hope if they charge they just add a tier to ps+ they should do this anyway with their movie and music unlimited would be nice to pay 100 a year and get game streaming music and movies.

[yesmynameissumo]

Hasn't affected me.

[2pacalypsenow]

buy a ps3 dude lol

[otherZinc]

Mr. Zelnick, I bought hundreds of games, now you want me to buy some of them again? No!

How about this: The next new Take Two game released, I'll buy it used. How about that.

And, this is from a guy that Never buy used games.

It won't "affect" me, if I buy it used Mr. Zelnick. But it will "affect" said developer.

[aquamala]

"The company can easily port games to the PS4 and Xbox One"

they are happy to sell you the same games again

[TheoreticalParticle]

Exactly. It doesn't affect you at all. If you want to play the game again, just pay for it again. Absolutely no effect!

[BattleTorn]

Haha!!!! that's definitely the way he views it

[Lord_Sloth]

Except that not all of us get rid of our older systems just because we get a new 1. I still have a working PS1, PS2, PS3, and now a PS4, not to mention my Nintendo and MS systems.

If you want to play an older game just don't ditch the system just because a new 1 has launched and if you never had it then buy it since it's cheaper and the price will just keep lowering.

[Kyosuke_Sanada]

I would have to disagree, Playstation 4 would have gotten a bit more sales due to people trading in their predecessors to get one.

[SoulSercher620]

The PS4 also would've been just as expensive as the PS3 when it launched maybe even more.

[2pacalypsenow]

Only Reason the Ps3 was so expensive (not really only $100 more than xbox 1) was cuz the Blu ray drive

[BattleTorn]

When 'no backwards compatibility' means that you'll port and re-sell GTA V on nextgen systems, to people that have already bought your game....

..yea, it does Mr.CEO

[BattleTorn]

I can see it now...

// NEXTGEN GTAV: *Now with Heists*!!!!!!!! //

[Rzep]

----------Breaking News---------

CEO of Take-Two reafirms the common belief that he is an Asshat and is as in tune with the consumer as a Schizoprenic banana.

Quoting an industry insider talking with a reporter of NSSN:

"If I could I would wear Mr Zelnick as a hat. A hat for my ass."

More on this story as it develops.

Reporting for No Shit Sherlock News, this was Rzep.

[fattyuk]

Disagreed just for trying too hard to be funny.

[Rzep]

Good thing I don't give a single fuck then eh?

[GDDR6_2014]

So glad I don't need to keep 5 PCs to play all my PC games. And never have to rebuy games I already own

[fattyuk]

Didn't take long for a PC elitist to comment on a console

[Pandamobile]

At least it's a valid point.

[GDDR6_2014]

Backward compatibility is such an elitist feature

[Moncole]

Its true. I feel bad for people who buy the PS4 and X1 because they won't be able to play older generation games on their system. I got then first Tomb Raieer game on Steam and will always be able to play it. While you can download it and play it on PS3 but not PS4.

[Imalwaysright]

I don't like people telling me what I need or not.

[hollabox]

Backward compatibility is only important for the first two years. By 2008 I was completely done playing the previous generation titles. This happened the generation before, and the generation before that. But games like GTA 5 would have been nice just to pop in my PS4 and get to it.

Truth be told, this generation would probably struggle emulating PS3 and X360 CPUs without using the GPU. PS4 and XB1 CPU GFLOPS performance is only around 75-82 with 2 cores disabled, compared to PS3 200 GFLOPs and X360 75-115 GFLOPS (depending on source). GPUs emulation shouldn't be a problem since both newer consoles outclassed the previous by 3-6 times the performance depending on measurement.

[mydyingparadiselost]

Of course no one wants to play old games on their new systems! That's why Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, ZOE, SH 2&3, Metal Gear, FFX & X-2, Muramasa, God of War, Kingdom Hearts, every PS1 and 2 game on psn, Star Fox 64, Mario, Wii VC catalog, Halo, FF IV, FFV, Chrono Trigger, Shining Force, Castlevania, Sonic, Deus Ex HR, Ninja Gaiden, Street Fighter, Dragon Quest, Breath of Fire and MANY others have never been repurposed and sold again on anything outside of their original consoles!
Stupid consumers, all you need to do is give more money and you can have all the old games all over again and again and again. Seriously though, game releases are like movies now, just retooled for the next format and sold again, over and over add nauseum... and microtransactions...