Just Backwards

Photo: Sam Sabri / WP Central

I've been pretty outspoken since the debut of Microsoft's next-gen Xbox One gaming system but I guess I'm in the minority opinion. Well at least according to Xbox head Don Mattrick.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal Mattrick explained the decision to not focus on backwards compatibility. According to Mattrick, only 5 percent of customers actually play older games on a new console, making it a "low priority." 

On a technical level the Xbox One will not be able to play older titles because of its newly structured processing system. I'm no tech guru but with all the other things the One can do - watching TV using voice recognition and Skyping others while playing seemed to be of particular focus - there's no way developers couldn't make it backwards compatible as well.  

Microsoft said it'll continue to sell the current Xbox 360 system and will continue to produce games for it. But, over time, we all know these games will become less and less exciting for consumers, indirectly forcing them to make the switch to the newer system and its games.

One thing's for sure, I will not be buying the Xbox One. I'm not spending another $400-$500 for a new system when the one I have now works just fine. I just got the newly-redesigned 360 this past Christmas and it still has that "fresh out of the box" smell. No need to let it go to waste. 

I've spent hundreds, most likely, thousands of dollars on games for my 360. I did the same for my original, first-gen Xbox system and now those games are worthless because they've never been playable on the 360. Every time a new gaming system comes out the older, perfectly fine, systems are worthless no matter what the big wigs say.

Mattrick said in his interview, "If you're backwards compatible, you're really backwards." Well, Xbox I think you're just backwards. Period.