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Xbox One users largely ignore backward-compatible Xbox 360 games

Aggregate sample shows newer console buyers don't want to play older games much.

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arstechnica.com
2942d ago Replies(3)
Nyxus2942d ago

1.5% actually use BC, interesting.

Brave_Losers_Unite2942d ago ShowReplies(2)
Death2942d ago

I think it would be more interesting if Ryan told us how many subscribers he has for PSNow. If what he is saying is true, the service must be a massive failure and complete waste of $380 million. It's funny how he isn't mentioning the numbers he actually knows.

Liqu1d2942d ago Show
Death2942d ago

I think it's a valid question. Sony spent a lot to make these same games playable on current gen systems. For them to say no one wants free b/c is pretty misleading since they invested so much to create a business model around it. Are you saying no one wants to play "old" games unless they have to pay? I guess that's possible and I'm over estimating people.

Why do you think Ryan is talking so much about free b/c on Xbox and not mentioning stats about PSNow? He's literally saying he knows free b/c is the most requested feature, he just doesn't think the people asking for it will use it. At the same time he's offering these same games to Playstation fans for a fee. You seem intelligent, what he's saying and what he's doing are completely different. Want to educate me on what that actually means? That sounds more like damage control to me.

uptownsoul2942d ago (Edited 2942d ago )

@Death "I think it would be more interesting if Ryan told us how many subscribers he has for PSNow. If what he is saying is true, the service must be a massive failure and complete waste of $380 million. It's funny how he isn't mentioning the numbers he actually knows."

It very well may be interesting, but none of that changes the facts of this article & study. Back Compat, while better to have than not have, is still a diminishing asset. And the study seems to show that it is a bit overhyped.

Christopher2942d ago

I agree with Death here. If people aren't interested in BC and yet you have a specific service for playing old games, you're either wasting money or ignoring certain stats to sell the lack of BC. To be honest, just be freaking honest. BC of PS3 games isn't possible and there is no way for you to allow cd playing and recognition on the PS4.

bouzebbal2942d ago

Lol all fanboys screaming game changer..
This is a great feature, nobody denies it. But only nice to have and not an important one

ShadowWolf7122942d ago

The difference is PS Now isn't a BC service. It allows older games to be played on OTHER PLATFORMS. It's designed to use the PS library to entice people to either buy a PS system or simply continue their subscription and wait.

bluefox7552942d ago (Edited 2942d ago )

@Christopher Saying that people aren't interested in old games isn't the same as saying people aren't interested in BC. For instance, there are a bunch of games from the PS1 and PS2 era that I would love to play again, but not enough to go through the hassle of hunting down old copies on ebay. Not enough to play them streaming either, mind you, but I think you're over-simplifying it. I'm not really a fan of PSNow, but I'm pretty sure the intended appeal is the convenience. Saying PSNow doesn't make sense if BC usage is low is like saying: "Netflix doesn't make sense because the DVD market has nosedived".

G20WLY2942d ago

Except you don't even need a PlayStation to use PSNow, so it isn't being touted as a main selling feature or a killer app, is it?

It's a separate service that can be used on your PC, laptop or TV, perhaps as an option for someone with no interest in owning a console, but who fancies seeing what the fuss is/was about for a few of the past gems.

This is what makes the 'hype' part entirely different and why BC on Xbox is, as we can now demonstrate, unimportant to the vast majority of Xbox users.

Death2942d ago

@G2,

Sony recently removed PSNow from Sony and Samsung HDTV's along with Blu-ray players. You need to own a PS4 or PC in order to use it. PSNow launched summer of 2014 on PS4, PC was added 2 years later. Clearly the service was created with the PS4 in mind. It's not b/c, it's making the PS3 library of games accessible on PS4 for a subscription fee.

The "hype" surrounding Xbox 360 games on Xbox One is the free access to games you own via b/c, you can also buy the games you missed as digital downloads so you don't have to hunt down used copies and you also have access to many 360 games as part of the GamePass subscription. I'm really hoping these games are moved to Windows 10 as well when E3 hits later this week. That would make it 3 great choices and more ways to access them.

2942d ago
Kingcorey132942d ago

playstation now was not only about ps4 bc tho.. it was about bringing old and new games to smart tvs and devices without needing to buy a console.. it was for people who wanted to play some ps classics and not have to go out a buy a playstation.. its pretty smart to invest in now because in 15 years its a good chance that a large % of games will be played that way.

Christopher2942d ago (Edited 2942d ago )

***Saying that people aren't interested in old games isn't the same as saying people aren't interested in BC.***

From The point of a business that has a model built to charge more for access to old games, I completely disagree. I one hundred percent support what psnow is even if I personally see no use for it. It's an option for those who want it. But it makes them money. To turn around and then say that most people aren't interested in BC is complete BS, imho, though. If people are interested enough to play old games and pay for it, then they would absolutely be interested in BC. I don't know a single person who wouldn't look at the option of playing old games they already own, even if digital, on the latest hardware as a bad thing.

It's all value added. Even if only 5 percent use it, that's something you can never claim that you don't provide. And that's why it's one of the smartest PR moves Xbox has made in their time in the console business. It costs then very little to do, it increases digital software sales, it adds to their GWG offerings, and it has tremendous support from third parties who realize that people playing their old games will only encourage them to buy their new games.

For Sony to say that only a small percentage are interested it only shines a light on the waste of money, or focus on making more money, they put into supporting old games via ports and streaming services rather than spending a lot less and allowing BC in some way, even if just for digital purchases.

I don't have an issue with how Sony has chosen to handle bringing old games to new hardware, but when they say stupid stuff about how only a small number of people are interested in it, then your business model around that is either wasteful spending or you're not being completely honest.

BiggerBoss2942d ago Show
Christopher2942d ago (Edited 2942d ago )

***playstation now was not only about ps4 bc tho.. it was about bringing old and new games to smart tvs and devices without needing to buy a console.. it was for people who wanted to play some ps classics and not have to go out a buy a playstation.***

Which is no longer the case. It's now either PC or Playstation gaming device only. Vita I can see, but the others either already have access to the majority of the games or would benefit from just having BC (PS4 on this one).

But, my issue isn't their decision, it's their response to those who don't want to pay money for access on current generation hardware. That's still at least two million people, and more than that would utilize it over time. I just think they deserve a better response than what was given.

Skull5212942d ago

It's really about the games. I don't use it at all but if you throw out the games I want and voted for (Ninja Gaiden series and GRAW/2) I would definitely use it.

Another crappy thing though is there was no reasonable assumption we would get it so I sold all my 360 games and it was enough to pay for a PS4 so I did it. Big mistake because I'd rather have all my 360 games back...

NotSoMad2942d ago (Edited 2942d ago )

Pretty sure Sony released numbers last last week saying it was at 26m I think. Also, are you the same guy on twitter talking to the author. If so you might want to realize that the the data doesn't lie.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Pl...

badz1492942d ago Show
Aenea2942d ago (Edited 2942d ago )

"I'm not sure if 3% of the install base represents the population well. When you factor the poll was made during the holidays when we see a lot of new releases makes this pointless as well."

So a poll done this way is not representative? Alright, then we can throw out that survey that was conducted for MS that said XBL is 'better' too huh?

Can't have one and not the other....

It also completely correlates with MS their own words, at one point they mentioned the total amount of hours users had played BC games, which sounded impressive, but when you divided it by the number of Xboxes sold it came to a really low number per user....

------------------

As for PS Now, this is about BC, not a streaming service which was never meant to be for BC in the first place....

Death2942d ago

@Badz,

Jim Ryan is using this data to justify not having backwards compatibility on PS4. According to him this proves no one wants to play "old" games. I would like to see Mr. Ryan provide the data Sony uses to justify selling the ability to play "old" games as a service if he believes it's not worth doing for free. I'm personally thrilled with b/c and the way Microsoft is adding value to the Xbox and the existing library as well. It's a very pro-gamer way to address the issue.

I'm surprised you think it's ok for Sony to say the back catalog of PS3 games is worth reselling to PS4 gamers, but not worth the time to allow gamers to use their existing game library free. It seems pretty contradictory. Maybe you should ask Jim to pick.

To answer your pseudo question, I think Sony is making a lot off of gamers through PSNow which is why I find it borderline offensive they are now saying it's a waste of time and not worth the investment. My logic believes if you knew how much Sony was making off of it's loyal fanbase with PSNow it would be harder for them to tell you that you don't want it. Take a step back and look at all the people defending the right to not have a choice. It's very strange to see.

rocketpanda2942d ago

Because he was talking about BC and this article is also about BC. But thanks for trying to deviate and deflect from the narrative.

And no, it isn't funny how he didn't mention it because what Exec will come out and say, "yes, our service or product is a complete and utter failure!"?

They won't offer BC anytime soon because they invested so heavily in the Now service.

Overload2942d ago

The sequence of the news is astonishing. It doesn't get any better. It's EXACTLY what I thought.

MrFisher212942d ago

PS Now came with a patent that made the money well worth it. Look it up.

G20WLY2942d ago

Or, you know, just play the games you've already bought on the PS3 or 360 you already own...

rainslacker2941d ago (Edited 2941d ago )

PSNow isn't BC. It's a service open to more than just PS owners. While it would be an interesting number to know, I fail to see how it's relevant to the topic at hand.

I'm also pretty sure Sony had good numbers for how many people used BC on the PS3, and could extrapolate from that just how used the feature was likely to be used in the future, how it would affect sales to have it one way or the other, and if the price of inclusion(assuming it was the same as the past) was worth the chance to not be able to be as competitive.

Sony wasn't saying that no one used it, just that not many people used it. If PSNow is going as bad as you imply, then that just supports his argument.

Lets look at the discussion about PSNow around here as a gauge. Very few PS owners say they use or even want the service. They're either indifferent to it, or they think it sucks. This also supports the argument that Ryan is making. It's not Sony fans who are making PSNow into a big thing....or a thing that is a BC solution. There was some speculation about that being possible a while ago, but now, most just don't think about or use it.

IGiveHugs2NakedWomen2941d ago (Edited 2941d ago )

PS Now is mostly for users who are on the move or for people who don't have the time or inclination to amass a digital or physical library of PlayStation games . This service was never intended to replace backwards compatibility, especially since this service is also available on some smart TV's and PC.

I repeat, PlayStation Now is not backwards compatibility. It is a video game streaming service.

DashArrivals2941d ago

They got the tech to future-proof themselves. The tech is amazing. Gaming is evolving. The tech will evolve. It was a very wise purchase that will hold them in good stead.

If you think they bought it just for PS NOW then you're bloody stupid. It can stream games anywhere.

jwillj2k42941d ago

Ps now is available on Samsung and Sony tvs, bluray players In addition to ps devices. Its solving a completely different ask. In order to use bc you have to first buy an xbox one which 1) no one wants to do. 2) doesn't make ms much if anything which is why they have a new subscription service. 3) isn't a requirement for ps so there's no reason to compare them.

Mr_Writer852941d ago (Edited 2941d ago )

@death

What has PSNow got to do with BC? Have Sony ever claimed it to be BC?

Lol

Lying on the Internet.

"For them to say no one wants free b/c is pretty misleading "

Fanboy lies.

yeahright22941d ago

@ Christopher, I disagree with your premise. PS Now was not designed to specifically play old games (by which I believe you mean as an answer to backward compatibility). PS Now was supposed to be a new platform almost. One where you didn't need a physical playstation to play its games. Now they bungled this utterly and completely, but they did come out and say it wasn't their version of BC.
I also don't get why you're calling on playstation to be honest about why BC isn't possible on PS4. They've been saying that, and for the same reasons you point out, since launch.

yeahright22941d ago

"Which is no longer the case. It's now either PC or Playstation gaming device only."
that's a moot point. they've had to adjust what PS Now is because of how much they bungled it. But the fact remains, it was never intended to be an answer to BC. Sure chewing gum happens to be sticky, but that doesn't mean it was intended to be a replacement for scotch tape. Now that they've converted their factory to make a very crappy form of tape does that mean they were secretly trying to compete with scotch tape all along?

BIGBOSS082941d ago

You want to talk numbers? Where are the xbox one sales numbers? I think it's a valid question.

+ Show (28) more repliesLast reply 2941d ago
AngelicIceDiamond2942d ago

Interesting considering Black Ops I and II, RDR, MW2, Reach and Elder Scrolls was the most requested games ppl wanted for BC.

http://www.express.co.uk/en...
"
Black Ops has over 110,000 votes, Bioshock Infinite over 60,000, Bioshock 39,000, Skate 3 31,000 and Bioshock 2 with 28,000."

Not saying this info is wrong but BC seems to be pretty vocal plus its just an option, a feature the X1 has if you decide to use it or not doesn't hurt MS any.

XanderZane2942d ago

It's funny that CoD: Black Ops 2 sales ended up on the NPD Top 10 list in April. lol!! Yeah sure, no one wants to play these old B/C games. Then they hit the game consoles and sales on popular games skyrocket. At least on the XB1 they did. RDR sale surged when the B/C was released on XB1.

RosweeSon2942d ago

Black ops has over 110,000 votes... that's votes meanwhile a re release of Mario Kart 8 and a fraction of the install base has already cleared 1 million in actual sales. People are always gonna request actual classics but still the numbers we're talking are a fraction of what your average developer would want to sell of their game.

BillytheBarbarian2942d ago

Also Gamestop price gouges old games that are now playable on the Xone. I couldn't believe Call of Duty 2 was $20! The game is from 2005 and now because it works on Xone it's jacked up? That game was $3 before that.

uptownsoul2942d ago

@AngelicIceDiamond

BC can be very popular to have and not be that popular to use. The two things are not mutually exclusive.

IGiveHugs2NakedWomen2941d ago (Edited 2941d ago )

For those of you touting the NPD appearance of Black Ops 2, a Xbox 360 game, as proof, you should also remember that there hasn't really been a large and varied selection of games released on the Xbox One since the beginning of the year. This also opens the door to and leads to another point. Microsoft implemented BC because it gives them the opportunity to re-sell old games DIGITALLY. No overhead. 100% profit.

Mr_Writer852941d ago

But really 110,000 of what 20m+ userbase isn't really a lot.

spoonard2941d ago

That's not even 300,000 people. Literally less than 0.5% of Xbox and PS4 owners. Soooooo...not very many people want or care about BC.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 2941d ago
2942d ago
kevnb2942d ago (Edited 2942d ago )

thats not what this chart is showing, and even if it was this sort of survey and the way they are presenting it seems like they are purposely trying to mislead.

XanderZane2942d ago

I must be part of that 1.5%, because I do play some of my BC games on the XB1. Most gamers probably still have their XBox 360 and are using that system instead of playing them on the XB1. My daughter love Just Dance and Bomberman on XBox 360. She plays those for hours.

I'd like to see the % of PS4 gamers who are using PSNow to play their PS3 games on the PS4. Maybe they can do that analysis next. If it's less then 1.5% then Sony is wasting their time with PSNow. I actually use my PS4/PS3 for Netflix, YouTube, Amazon and other movie/tv app more then I do on the XBox.

Death2942d ago

There are free b/c 360 games given out every month. I would think gamers are playing them. Not many people pass up on free stuff. I don't think 360 games will represent a large percentage of Xbox One use, but that isn't to say people will enjoy it. I have a very large library of games I haven't had time to play, but that doesn't mean I won't. Having more access to my library across more devices will go a long way towards using them. I really hope that is the direction Microsoft is heading towards.

Bobafret2942d ago

I recently played through Mass Effect again so I guess I am part of that group as well.

yeahright22941d ago

@death, I'd guarantee you they download/redeem them. but actually play them? I'd more assume they get added to the back log.

81BX2942d ago

Of 930k sampled between Sep 2016 to feb 2017. So take it how you wanna

bluefox7552942d ago

Like Sony has been saying all along.

thexmanone2942d ago

1.5% based on 930k Xbox users,

Article is a joke

SpaceRanger2942d ago

Do you not know how surveys and proper data analysis works??

This is a 'Sample'. This Sample was chosen, based on proper analysis as stated in the article, to show a representation of the whole Xbox user base. It's more of a joke that people don't know this.

uptownsoul2942d ago

@thexmanone - "1.5% based on 930k Xbox users"

You'll have a very hard time finding many analytical surveys with more than 1M participants

Liqu1d2942d ago

@SpaceRanger He knows, he just doesn't like the results.

Godmars2902942d ago

Reason why BC should be there at the beginning, to help the transition from one console to another, rather than "later" with no indication beforehand as a PR move.

The number's low because people sold their old games along with their old systems.

raggy-rocket2942d ago

that's an absolute lie, it states in big bold letters it's about share of time spent on BC, not number of people who use it. Stop making stuff up just because anti-Xbox stuff gets mega upvoted

annoyedgamer2942d ago

Seems misleading, Black Ops 2 is loaded with players and sold quite a few copies.

2942d ago
Bigpappy2942d ago (Edited 2942d ago )

What percentage bought Horizon Zero Dawn on PS4? What percentage bought Nioh? What percentage bought UC4? Then give your analysis. That would be just as interesting or may be, more so.

tyasia02941d ago

Well lets compare apples to apples then, what percent bought Quantum Break or Halo Wars 2?

yeahright22941d ago

horizon alone vs all X1 BC titles?

JaninatorXd2942d ago

how about you learn to read. it does not say 1,5 users use bc. its how much time of their total time they spend on bc. and even if its not that much on average, at least they can ;) it shows that MS trys their best and does not abandon something just because its not that much of a "main feature" for many apparantly.

EatCrow2942d ago (Edited 2942d ago )

Isn't that time spent....
I may have misunderstood it. But yes. Obviously Xbox one users spend more time playing new games contrary to many other peoples comments.

Doesn't mean it's suddenly useless... BC and forward compatibility is good for all gamers.

MagUk2941d ago (Edited 2941d ago )

@ Brave_Losers_unite this is only an estimate based on 930k Xbox one users.

IGiveHugs2NakedWomen2941d ago

That's not a surprising statistic. I was thinking more along the lines of five to ten percent.

JasonKCK2941d ago

"Scraping some data off servers gives an inaccurate view of what people do." Mike Ybarra

https://twitter.com/XboxQwi...

tyasia02941d ago

Then let him provide more accurate data.

And to be honest i don't see why it would be inaccurate it's showing exactly what people are doing. That's a perfectly valid sample, he just doesn't like the results.

mark_parch2941d ago

what's interesting is a) this is estimated b) it's only based on 930,000 which is less than 5% of xbox users and c) even if it's accurate that's still not far off 1 million people using a service which is a free option which is great. It's very worrying to me that people are down playing back compat, I looks like ps5 will not be back compat with ps4 viewing by peoples opinions and I will be gutted if that's the case I really want to carry my digital library across all future consoles

+ Show (18) more repliesLast reply 2941d ago
SegaGamer2942d ago (Edited 2942d ago )

I don't need to use BC, i still use my 360 to play 360 games.

XanderZane2942d ago

I still use my PS3 60GB to play PS3, PS2 and PS1 games. lol!! Why would I waste money on PSNow? I own 100's of PS3, PS2 and PS1 games.

moegooner882942d ago

Who said anything about getting PSNow ? Calm down

G20WLY2942d ago

Maybe if you didn't have a PlayStation and wanted to play their awesome classics on laptop, PC or TV?

Just a thought..

Liqu1d2942d ago

Always bringing up PS Now, no one cares about PS Now.

@G20WLY There are no classics on PS Now.

KingPin2941d ago

@Xander
i guess you could always get PSLater.

XanderZane2941d ago

@moegooner88
No different then XBox comparisons being mentioned in PS articles. PSNow is Sony's form of B/C. Obviously Sony seems to care about PSNow. B/C for the XB1 is Microsoft ecosystem plan for future XBox systems. Like the PC, they want all their games to be B/C for the newest systems. Whether you will use it or not, it will still be a nice option going forward. You won't need to keep all the older game consoles.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 2941d ago
conanlifts2942d ago

You should give it a try as it works very well.

DarXyde2941d ago (Edited 2941d ago )

Same. My old consoles are in my room and I still play them every now and again.

Then again, I also still play Contra and have once a month get togethers with friends and roommates to play Goldeneye and the N64 era wrestling games. .

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 2941d ago
StormLegend2942d ago

Never seen any reason to have BC, the main games you want get remastered with improved everything, so why bother caring about the other old games?

HaikusfromBuddha2942d ago (Edited 2942d ago )

Well seeing as how that CoD game sold extremely well it seems some people aren't ready to let go of some BC games. Personally I enjoy when BC games go on sale. I've gotten Catherine, Portal 2, KoF 2002, and more for under 20 dollars.

If BS were really worthless then Sony would give up on bringing PS2 games back. Yet we still see them coming onboard.

Why o why2942d ago

I wouldn't say worthless at all. An option more time is better than no option but BC is definitely overrated. MS used it to slyly paper over the cracks in their output. I've seen some members list bc games in their list vs sonys current games. I'm sure more than 1.5% of xbox owners use it but its nowhere near as important as some would try to have us believe.

Guess all that's left now is spin

Robbiedont2941d ago

With bc people play their favorite once or twice than they do not touch it again. I know that from personal experience

yeahright22941d ago

Money? If I can just pop in my old copy, why bother buying it again. Despite how little it's used, BC is very consumer friendly move. especially for someone like me who doesn't care too much about prettier pictures.
Besides, it's not a paid service, you can use it for free, so it hurts no one except people wanting to buy a used copy of an old game that is now backwards compatible, well they might suffer from some price inflation.

paulomoreira2942d ago

so its not good to have the option to play the games u invested ur money on for free if u decide to play them , this is kind of a fanboy talk at least its there if u want to use it .

Nyxus2942d ago

This is not about it being good or not good. It's about how much it's actually used, which is very little.

uptownsoul2942d ago

Right...I think the option is good to have. But this study proves that back compat is over hyped

Liqu1d2942d ago (Edited 2942d ago )

"at least it's there if u want to use it"

Right, but the article is saying that not many people do use it. They aren't saying the option is bad.

paulomoreira2942d ago

my answer was to the ps fanboys who are happy for listen that as an excuse that they dont have it for a good reason and that they were right all the time and thats not true

XanderZane2942d ago

The same thing could be said for PSNow then as well. So why is Sony wasting millions on it? Who is actually rebuying PS3 games to play on the PS4?

Why o why2942d ago (Edited 2942d ago )

paulomoreira

lol....I think the ps fanboys are miffed as to why xbox fanboys laud bc over actual current gen games. Priorities

I also remember most ps guys saying the feature, although good, wasn't used much last gen. Consistency

Liqu1d2942d ago

@Xander I don't care about PS Now and I can see very few reasons why anyone else would care.

IGiveHugs2NakedWomen2941d ago (Edited 2941d ago )

@Liquid
You already know those who are touting backwards compatibility as a popular, must have feature, that most gamers want will continue to ignore the fact that the feature is barely used and that is the point that Jim Ryan and others have been trying to make. Instead of debating that one point, fans of other platforms choose to deflect by mentioning PS Now and the "old games" statement which was taken completely out of context.

Those who want backwards compatibility barely use it. Why?

gangsta_red2941d ago

'but the article is saying that not many people do use it"

You guys realize that the article isnt showing that xbox users dont use, its how much time is spent using it, right?

@igive
"Those who want backwards compatibility barely use it. Why?"

So you actually know the people who want it and now barely use it? You took your own poll on this?

I love how a great feature and option is now being slammed off of an article by a third party who took data less than the percentage of the total users.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 2941d ago
Christopher2942d ago

This article doesn't state that at all. I'm assuming you're saying that to certain users here, which is a waste of your time, to be honest. I see no need to defend my use of BC because I have it and that's what matters.

gangsta_red2941d ago

So is there a reason the article has a pic of RRoD? Or is that part of the bc survey?

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