I agree emulation can help solve this issue, but it is never 100% accurate. I have a ton of money invested in modded consoles, Framemeister, cabling, etc because I want to play on my original hardware using my games.
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Will PS4 and Xbox One games even be playable in the future?
- Thread starter Redneckerz
- Start date
I agree emulation can help solve this issue, but it is never 100% accurate. I have a ton of money invested in modded consoles, Framemeister, cabling, etc because I want to play on my original hardware using my games.
Games with mandatory Day 1 patches won't be playable after the patch-servers are shut down. Also you will always have the "launch"-version of a game when servers are shut down and that might result in an unplayable buggy messes.
If you really, really care about being able to play your games in 20+ years go PC wherever you can and buy DRM-free stuff. PC communities are really good with preserving patches and updates and even reactivating "dead" multiplayer-modes. Or patching broken games into a playable state. Or even restoring lost content like in KotOR 2.
If you really, really care about being able to play your games in 20+ years go PC wherever you can and buy DRM-free stuff. PC communities are really good with preserving patches and updates and even reactivating "dead" multiplayer-modes. Or patching broken games into a playable state. Or even restoring lost content like in KotOR 2.
I'm concerned with things from a hardware perspective.
I went through a few 360s due to the red ring and my current one can't read discs and sounds like it's going to explode so I can't even play my 360 collection. My ps3s Blu-ray reader stopped work just after a year and fixing it would cost me 150+ dollars when at this point I could probably just buy a new PS3 for less. I probably should actually to play some Demons Souls before the servers go down
I went through a few 360s due to the red ring and my current one can't read discs and sounds like it's going to explode so I can't even play my 360 collection. My ps3s Blu-ray reader stopped work just after a year and fixing it would cost me 150+ dollars when at this point I could probably just buy a new PS3 for less. I probably should actually to play some Demons Souls before the servers go down
This, this is why emulation and more importantly homebrew will continue to exist. We've been proven time and time again that video game preservation isn't fully at the top of anyone's lists. The number of games with Day 1 patches would have to be played without them if the services ever stop and with that homebrew for XB1 and PS4 need to exist. Homebrew patchers for the original xbox exist which has resulted in a wonderful preservation for anyone who wishes to revisit that console and I expect the same to eventually happen again one day for the current consoles.
Sony is a greedy and arrogant company that is not at all concerned with their past, legacy, or respecting their consumer's purchases. After all, "why would anyone play these ancient games!?". They only care about $$$. This is hopefully why BC is assured with PS5.
Consoles have moved to x86 architecture, meaning BC should be easier to assure than before. Additionally, Sony's primary competitor has now committed to offering BC, and building a digital ecosystem for future platforms. While this is of no concern now with PS4 well in the lead, it will be crucial for Sony next-gen if they want to lock in their users to their ecosystem, and maintain the massive lead they had this generation. If they don't, they'll have a system that only play PS5 games competing against a system that plays four (!) generations worth of Xbox games, which would be a bad look for them.
Hopefully, Sony's greed will compel them to offer BC next-gen, so they can maintain their lead. If it doesn't, I'll never purchase another PlayStation system again. There's another option now, a platform that respects it's consumer's purchases, and that's where I'll go next-gen. There wasn't a choice at the start of this gen, but there is now, so Sony had better wise up. Hopefully, the $$$ at risk will compel them to do so.
Consoles have moved to x86 architecture, meaning BC should be easier to assure than before. Additionally, Sony's primary competitor has now committed to offering BC, and building a digital ecosystem for future platforms. While this is of no concern now with PS4 well in the lead, it will be crucial for Sony next-gen if they want to lock in their users to their ecosystem, and maintain the massive lead they had this generation. If they don't, they'll have a system that only play PS5 games competing against a system that plays four (!) generations worth of Xbox games, which would be a bad look for them.
Hopefully, Sony's greed will compel them to offer BC next-gen, so they can maintain their lead. If it doesn't, I'll never purchase another PlayStation system again. There's another option now, a platform that respects it's consumer's purchases, and that's where I'll go next-gen. There wasn't a choice at the start of this gen, but there is now, so Sony had better wise up. Hopefully, the $$$ at risk will compel them to do so.
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Yes. x86 helps this tremendously
PS3 BC doesn't exist because it's not monetarily worth it to them to brute force a CELL emulator. No matter what people tell you about "greed".
PS3 BC doesn't exist because it's not monetarily worth it to them to brute force a CELL emulator. No matter what people tell you about "greed".
Are there still updated disc print runs like in the pre online era? At least GOTY editions and such are usually updated (but not always :().
Don't be so sure about that. It's tough to find new PS3s in stores anymore.
Don't be so sure about that. It's tough to find new PS3s in stores anymore.
I believe my point is x86 <> confirmed b/c.
Sony couldn't even get PS3 games up in PSN for the PS3. Even if there are b/c, i can imagine this would be the likely scenario:
Nintendo eShop/Sony PS2 drip feed release + fees to access it
I really don't see your point but there are tons of games on both 360 and PS3 that are not available digitally. It was a different time where games were mainly phyiscal. It's different now where every game is available digitally day and date.
But there are.
Here are a few examples.
Assassin's Creed Unity - playable, but completely broken without patching.
CoD WW2 - unplayable from the disc.
LA Noire for PS4 and XBO - 3 GB of 17 GB on the disc. It's unplayable without patching.
And then there's a bunch of Switch games. NBA2K18, LA Noire, Resident Evil...
WiiU can play Gamecube games on the WiiU side. Nintendo just didn't turn it on. Homebrew allows it.
Most of the lesser known games will likely disappear/be stuck broken until someone gets a good emulator/BC via PSNow or something similar comes along. As long as the patch is on a server- either PSN or XBl or whatever, it'll be accessible no matter what
Because Microsoft are going to and Sony aren't oblivious to that, I'd hope.
Way, way too much lucrative content on PSN that they can keep selling to PS5 gamers.
Arguably, they would make a lot more money by having games like GTA V, Red Dead Redemption II, Spider-Man, The Last of Us Part II and the rest of the PS4 storefront available to purchase, download and play on day one, rather than intentionally cutting off compatibility so that they can sell you a select few remasters of last-gen games over a 3 year period.
More crucial though, is the PSVR library - Sony would immediately be cutting off all existing PSVR games to PS5 players, and reset their early efforts to zero, which would put them at a significant disadvantage. Less VR games to sell PS5 gamers on. Bad times.
You saw a lack of BC this gen because backwards compatibility of PS3 games is uniquely non-feasible. Also, Microsoft gained plenty of good will from adding BC roughly halfway through a generation, so starting out fresh with a next-gen Xbox that is tenaciously backwards compatible, against a PS5 that has none of that... it's gonna be a terrible look and will be a bigger deal than it is currently. Especially so, when launch and first-year lineups are what they are.
To make things clear, 50% of the decision that went towards Microsoft's current heavy support of backwards compatibility games, is so that they could sell a lot more games to current-gen gamers. If you have the disc lying around, you get it for free (that's cool), but if you don't there's a chance you'll be tempted by the right games, or a good sale.
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Why leave the Wii out of it? Some games supposed to require a 15GB day1 patch to even function, right?
And Nintendo kills services and online games long before MS and Sony.
Plus Zelda needed a few patches to operate without too much frame drops.
Pirates will save us though; they will find a way to download everything. I am repurposing my PS3 with a half-functioning BD-drive to rip my games to it's hard drive. I will then download all patches. After which I will clone the drive. And buy 1 or 2 extra PS3s, bringing the total to at least 4.
I will do the same with PS4 in 5 or 10 years.
And Nintendo kills services and online games long before MS and Sony.
Plus Zelda needed a few patches to operate without too much frame drops.
Pirates will save us though; they will find a way to download everything. I am repurposing my PS3 with a half-functioning BD-drive to rip my games to it's hard drive. I will then download all patches. After which I will clone the drive. And buy 1 or 2 extra PS3s, bringing the total to at least 4.
I will do the same with PS4 in 5 or 10 years.
Going from PS1 to 2, having BC, then the 3 having all 3 for a time, then losing BC, and the 4 having no physical BC, makes me worry, too.
Since the 4 essentially uses off the shelf parts, if the 5 doesn't have it, it'll feel very cheap of them, almost like if a PC game didn't work from Win8 to Win10.
How could it not unless they architecturally do something like going from Cell to x86??