Backward Compatibility on the Xbox 360 has been a hot topic among gamers ever since the 360 was announced. Microsoft eventually promised that the new console would be able to play some Xbox games, and launched with a backward compatible list that included more than 200 titles.

The Xbox 360's ATI GPU and IBM CPU were vastly different from its predecessor's, which housed a Nvidia GPU and Intel CPU, forcing Microsoft's engineers to rely on emulators. This technological hurdle yields a list of backward compatible games that includes Barbie Horse Adventures, but doesn't include critical darlings Psychonauts and Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay. In addition, some games that were once on the list have now jumped off, such as Freedom Fighters, Sid Meier's Pirates!, and Mortal Kombat: Deception.

GameSpot News talked with Albert Penello, Microsoft's director of global platform marketing for Xbox, to find out the ins and outs of backward compatibility, and why some games make the list and others don't.

GameSpot: First of all, can you give us a quick overview of what goes into making an Xbox game playable on the Xbox 360? Is each game a case-by-case basis, or do new emulators work for multiple games?

Albert Penello: In the early days of the project, we spent a great deal of engineering time trying to make a general-purpose Xbox emulator capable of playing as many different games as possible. That basic platform has become more capable in the past months, and we're now able to address individual games one at a time. Our typical process involves several weeks of active development on a set of desired titles, followed by at least an equal amount of test time validating the work and checking on the status of other games that might use similar technology.

GS: How important do you think backward compatibility (BC) is to the gaming community? It seems the resources spent adding a dozen games at a time, some of which aren't too popular, might not be worth it from a business point of view.

AP: Backward compatibility is a big issue for some in the gaming community, and it's a big issue for the Back Compat team, most of whom are Xbox gamers themselves. We get considerable feedback from consumers and we try to give their opinions weight. That includes supporting specific games requested by the community, but it also includes getting a breadth of games up and running.

The reason you're seeing certain games become available that aren't necessarily the most popular titles is because they share common features with other games we're working on. When we solve emulation issues for a game, it can unlock similar issues for other games. To give one popular example, Barbie Horse Adventures runs on the Xbox 360 because it uses technology similar to that of the [Grand Theft Auto] series. When we see a game start to work "for free," we release it. It's not our place to withhold titles that work simply because they weren't best-sellers.

GS: What decisions and factors go into deciding which games make the list and which don't?

AP: As we've said before, we prioritized the top-selling titles and games with a large Xbox Live following, along with gamers' feedback, and we're going deeper into the portfolio every day.

GS: How long does it take, on average, to make a game backward compatible?

AP: Anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks. Sometimes one of our developers will noodle over a completely broken game and miraculously make it work in an afternoon. Other times, games appear to work perfectly at the outset, but actually have a number of insidious problems discovered in test. Unfortunately, we've seen no relationship between the desirability of a game and its technical challenge.

GS: Is there a conscious decision to pass over series that have already made the leap to the Xbox 360? Xbox games from franchises such as Tiger Woods PGA Tour and Madden NFL (both of which are available in Xbox 360 form) aren't on the list. Being as big as they are, and with millions of copies already out there, it would seem they would be high priority for the BC team.

AP: There are no plans not to focus on certain franchises. As an example of franchises that are supported, consider [Dead or Alive] and Ghost Recon. Both exist on Xbox 360, yet previous Xbox versions are supported. Backward compatibility is all about preserving and respecting the investment made by original Xbox owners.

GS: What sort of pressure from developers and publishers do you face?

AP: We are working hand-in-hand with our third-party developers and publishers to expand the library of backward compatibility titles.

GS: Can you tell us about the prospects of the following games becoming BC? Psychonauts, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath, Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones, Chronicles of Riddick, Links 2004?

AP: While we can't confirm which titles we're currently working on, we can tell you that customer feedback is both read and considered. Bear in mind that there are plenty of other people out there with their ...

With the Nintendo DS Internet browser scheduled to go on sale later this month in Japan, Famitsu.com readers were asked to give their opinions regarding the product. The results of the poll were published in the July 21 issue of Weekly Famitsu.

Of those who answered, 55.3 percent said they were interested in Web browsing on the DS, citing the convenience of being able to check Web-based e-mail, the touch-pen support for text entry, and the ability to browse the Web using Wi-Fi stations in stores or at free wireless hot spots.

In contrast, 27.7 percent stated they were not interested in the browser, and 17 percent answered that they were unsure about it.

Among the reasons people cited for not being excited about the DS browser were that they already use other devices to access the Web, a lack of support for Flash or other multimedia formats, and lack of access to a wireless LAN.

via Gamespot ...

After the 1996 release of Super Mario 64, magazines for years mentioned Super Mario 128 - a game that would feature both Mario & Luigi for release on the N64 or its 64DD add-on. Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto lays the game to rest as one of his lost projects. From the article: 'Super Mario 128 was just one of many experimental games we had. Suddenly, everybody started talking about it. I'm in the all-too easy habit of starting a project only to later on not do much of it. There is a great deal of unfinished work on my desk. I worked on a prototype for the Nintendo 64 game with Mario and Luigi in it for some time." As it turns out elements of Super Mario 128 live on in Super Mario Galaxy on Wii ...

Gamespot revisits a rumour that was floating around last month, which claims Assassin's Creed won't be a PS3 exclusive. From the article:
"Further doubt of PS3 exclusivity was thrown into the mix this week when Web sites began reporting that Ubisoft confirmed at the Interactive Digital Entertainment Festival last week that the game would be coming to the Xbox 360 and PC. Which Web sites? It's not quite clear yet, though the rumor appears to have spawned on European-based Web sites. For those of you who predicted that Ubisoft would deny any other platforms for Assassin's Creed, pat yourself on the back. A rep told GameSpot News: 'Assassin's Creed is coming to the PS3. No other announcements have been made.'"
Given the costs of next-gen game development, I don't think we're going to be seeing very many exclusives this time around. ...

Next Generation has an article looking at games that could save the Xbox 360 in Japan. Despite Microsoft's best efforts, the console is still puttering along with lackluster sales. Even with the country's diminished interest in the PS3, the 360 needs some big-name titles to get it back into the minds of Japanese consumers. From the article:
"Blue Dragon is set up to be another stick of dynamite with Toriyama's name written on it, though how willing casual fans will be to pick it up depends entirely on its advertising campaign. In America, it's becoming a simple enough strategy to put a demo of something on Xbox Live and let it spread through word of mouth. This is not so possible in Japan, mostly because most people here don't have an Xbox 360. Polls for months have indicated that the majority of casual gamers would reserve their judgment of the 360 for when they could play Sakaguchi's games." ...

We're not sure this'll manage to get all the rumor mongers to pack up their bags and go home for a couple of months, but Nintendo responded to the rampant speculation on Wii price and launch date by stating today that they'll announce both of those little details in September. This makes a September launch increasingly unlikely, but doesn't say much more than that. After the announcement a McNealy analyst stated: "Our position remains that the Wii could retail as low as $199 instead of $249, and October is a reasonable timeframe." So, really, we're still stuck with a fairly large launch window within which we're sure to hear a few more "sure thing" dates rumored, but really, would we have it any other way? ...

Via Captains Log

At first look, it looks like a GameBoy Micro, but it's not. It's called the One Station. A video game store in SM North EDSA's CyberZone has been selling these knock-offs at P1,999 each. The handheld is actually a portable Famicom/NES and uses a cartridge specially made for the game system. It's powered by 3 AAA batteries and can be plugged into a TV set, for a bigger game screen.

Screenshot via Comments ...

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Divineo China posted that the new HyperX Xbox Modchip is now for sale:

Heres more info about the chip:



The Hyper X is a High quality, low cost solution for XBOX 1.0-1.6's. The installation is completely solderless and everything needed to install it is included.

The producer uses the highest quality branded parts and each and every unit is tested on a real console before shipping! ...