13th November 2007, 9:02 AM
http://kotaku.com/gaming/fall-update/fal...321940.php
Seems so. Apparently there's going to be an update to the 360 store adding downloadable original XBox games, such as Halo for example, for about $15 a pop. Better get that 120GB hard disk :D.
You know, there's some good news here. Depending on how popular this store is and how much MS finds themselves expanding it (to non-MS published titles for example), it could really push them to get back to updating the BC support of the 360 again. Seriously that last update only "kinda" added support for Marvel vs Capcom 2, for example. The 3D backgrounds are fine but the main character's 2D sprites? That's levels of sprite corruption not even god has ever seen! Half the time the projectiles aren't even visible, and the other half they resemble TV static. MVC2 is a pretty popular game... among fighting game enthusiasts anyway, so you can bet some people will be wanting to buy it off that store. That, and Prince of Persia Warrior Within or Two Thrones, or maybe Lord of the Rings The Third Age. Basically I'm saying this store will sort of necessitate expanding BC support.
The thing is, I think Sony was originally planning on adding PS2 games to it's existing PS1 game lineup in their own online store. With the emotion engine chip taken out of the high end models (requiring emulation profiles like the 360 just to get old games running, meaning severely limited PS2 support compaired to before), and their new low end model taking out the OTHER major PS2 chip out (yes, that would mean a totally new emulator, except Sony said "screw it" and so this model has NO BC for PS2 games at all, though it still has PS1 game support), their store is affected. Essentially, the games on their store will only be available to their "premium" customers, Colbert Platinum, those who bought the one that still has software emulation and one of the PS2 chips. Further, they will be adding games perhaps more slowly than if it had the full compatibility, and at the very least they will only add games that also work in the PS2 emulator. That's on top of the fact that they have to basically code the system's firmware for 3 different hardware revisions at this point, which might not be that big a task considering the differences aren't too big, but still.
Also, there's this to consider. With those old chips in the system, it opened up coding possibilities for programmers to shunt smaller graphical tasks to the emotion engine to get some performance gains. They can't do that now of course, and Sony never really supported that in their development kit anyway, namely because not all systems would support such tricky coding. Come to think of it, they could have done similar multiprocessor tricks with the GBA, but I think that GBC processor is physically locked out unless that switch in the cartridge port is hit so they probably couldn't do that there either (plus, there's the micro and DS which has no GBC chip).
So yeah, I'm basically saying that sure Sony needed to save money, but after including full BC with those chips in the PS3, the biggest mistake they could make was taking it out. I mean sure there's the cost of those chips but couldn't that be majorly offset by the profits from selling, say, Ico and God of War on the PS network?
And while I know there's flack to be "gotten", Sony also needs to catch up to MS in terms of their online gaming network. They are a lot closer than Nintendo, but there are a few things missing, chief amongst those is friends list access in-game via that home menu of their's. Things like popping into it to recieve/send invites to your other friends and see who's online, small things like that that actually end up pretty big once you get addicted to them.
I guess I'm looking like an MS fanatic at this point. Let me kill those notions by just pointing out I have issues with all three companies (mainly Sony) at this point.
The 360's issues just don't lie in the interface (aside from a little lag in popping up the in-game home menu). Really, they have that pretty much nailed, aside from one thing. Their issues? Well it starts with the BC, which hasn't had an update in several months I'll note (again, this new addition could change that by forcing their hand). They may not have needed to emulate at all though had they put the old XBox GPU in there. That would have been at cost of course, but that COULD have been the selling point of their "Elite" model. The problem is, they can't even put it in their more expensive models as a bonus because it turns out MS didn't think ahead enough to buy the rights to the hardware designs of the original XBox. Had they done that, we might see the "Core" hard driveless model, their premium with a hard disk, and an Elite that actually is elite due to full on BC with XBox games.
More BC issues with them stem namely from the lack of save file tranfer support between the old and the new. There's a 3rd party kit but that only works with save files that can be put on the old XBox's memory card. Many games had files that were above 8 MB for one, and for two other games did the inexplicable action of "restricting" save files that WERE small enough so that they couldn't be copied/moved at all (think the occasional GC game that did the same thing). I can't think of any sort of reason they'd do that with anything other than purchasable downloadable content, but they did it with normal game save files. Another way to get those save files moved over is using a modded XBox and special software plus digging into the 360's hard drive to hook it up via SATA connection to one's PC (I think it's SATA anyway, I just know there's a standard hard disk in that odd looking lump you stick on the side of the 360). However, while I hacked my PSP to bejeesus and back, that was only using software exploits. I stop short of physical modification of my hardware, as that isn't so easy, or is sometimes impossible, to reverse, plus it can be detected and get me banned from XBox Live. I also intend on, for the moment anyway, still USING my original XBox since I pretty much have to due to these BC issues.
The problem, aside from the special cases with some files, stems from no support in the new system for the old memory cards. Now the thing is, Sony with the PS2 had new memory cards but their new slots looked like the old ones and were also designed to work with the old memory cards. MS could have done that, but didn't for some reason. Here's a reason I would have bought: their new memory card format is one of the existing standardized cards, say SD or Memory Stick. Hey I'm fully in support of standardized things like that. Rather, no, they instead just went to a new MS propriatary card that in no way is ever going to be used in anything but a 360. Further, it isn't even smaller. It's basically the same "won't fit in your game case" size as before. Heck, they couldn't even make it USB based (adding two more USB slots instead of these two propriatary card slots would not only allow more peripherals to be plugged in using those slots, but more memory cards to be plugged into the existing slots, it is win/win).
There IS a solution if MS cares to engage in it, though their BC support has been slipping lately. They COULD set up a file transfer service via SOFTWARE in the firmware of both the 360 and the original XBox. It would be a simple one time operation that would ignore file restrictions on original XBox files. Basically turn on the original XBox, wait while it detects an update and installs it and restarts, then go to "memory" and select the new "copy to XBox 360" option. The system will say "looking for 360...". Now turn your TV to your 360 however you normally do that, turn it on, update it's firmware, then go to it's memory management and select the new option "recieve files from original XBox" (or something like that) and it'll say "looking for original XBox... found, copying..." and after a while it'll say "complete" as the procedure started on the original will automatically start the second it finds one (to make it easier than switching TV inputs over and over again to confirm stuff). This update doesn't occur over Live, it occurs over the local network, so MS doesn't need to worry about server costs. Further, they can limit the types of data that are copied over. Namely, if they want it won't copy music files over (those can be re-ripped anyway), and if they want it won't copy downloaded content over (that stuff IS specifically marked as such in the file system so the original XBox CAN tell). That too can just be redownloaded in those games online, though purchasable content will need to be bought again due to MS's DRM... So there'll just be save files, and so long as the 360 supports reading and management of original XBox saved data (turns out it does according to that direct copy hack I mentioned above), it should work just fine.
Hey here's more. Expanding on above, MS's proprietary hardware is nuts. Sony and even Nintendo have embrased standardized stuff at this point. Both of them support an existing memory card standard instead of using a propriatary format, and both of them use bluetooth for their wireless controller access instead of some proprietary connection. They also both use USB for everything else but the 360 supports USB too so that's not a problem. I already covered their bizarre use of proprietary memory card tech, but there's also the hard disk. The Wii can stay out of this as it HAS NO HARD DISK SUPPORT, but Sony nailed it with using an existing standard (SATA based "laptop style" hard drives). This means you don't have to wait for Sony to update your storage space. All one need do is buy a new hard drive and replace the existing one in the system themselves, then format it using the PS3's own format tool. However, MS went with the odd need to make a totally exclusionary format of hard disk. The thing is, it isn't even that exclusionary. It's just a standard hard disk locked inside some ugly and less portable shell. Really now, locked? Sony doesn't seem to have any issues as they use their own partition on it, and MS uses a special partition setup too so security shouldn't be the issue. People can open up that thing anyway and mess around with that hard disk. The problem is you can't just replace it with another disk of your choosing due to some sort of hardware check going on. Shame really, as MS could have added another feature to it's feature set.
Oh yes, there's the issue of blue tooth. The 360 has wireless controller support but instead of using an existing standard, they have their own. It doesn't add anything to what bluetooth does, and as it is, it means I can't use my wireless controller with my PC (just my wired one). I have a bluetooth adapter, so I could use both my Wii remote and some PS3 controller with my PC if I wanted, but to use that wireless controller? Well, I have to buy a special piece of hardware now. Pfft, that's just nuts. This also kinda messes up some other things, as things like a special guitar controller have to come in two versions, one in bluetooth and the other in MS's crazy format. Oh, they have some strict liscensing over that wireless tech too, so that's helpful.
As it stands, it won't affect my PC experience too much should I pick up a 3rd controller. The key is I found out the PC bundles are the same price but now include that important wireless add-on. Since the controllers are otherwise totally identical, it is clear the PC package is the one to get. I guess the 360 package is just there to save MS some money from the rubes that don't know any better.
Well so yeah, MS has some issues they need to fix too, though admittedly some of those issues just can't reasonably be fixed. I guess those are just "issues" then.
Seems so. Apparently there's going to be an update to the 360 store adding downloadable original XBox games, such as Halo for example, for about $15 a pop. Better get that 120GB hard disk :D.
You know, there's some good news here. Depending on how popular this store is and how much MS finds themselves expanding it (to non-MS published titles for example), it could really push them to get back to updating the BC support of the 360 again. Seriously that last update only "kinda" added support for Marvel vs Capcom 2, for example. The 3D backgrounds are fine but the main character's 2D sprites? That's levels of sprite corruption not even god has ever seen! Half the time the projectiles aren't even visible, and the other half they resemble TV static. MVC2 is a pretty popular game... among fighting game enthusiasts anyway, so you can bet some people will be wanting to buy it off that store. That, and Prince of Persia Warrior Within or Two Thrones, or maybe Lord of the Rings The Third Age. Basically I'm saying this store will sort of necessitate expanding BC support.
The thing is, I think Sony was originally planning on adding PS2 games to it's existing PS1 game lineup in their own online store. With the emotion engine chip taken out of the high end models (requiring emulation profiles like the 360 just to get old games running, meaning severely limited PS2 support compaired to before), and their new low end model taking out the OTHER major PS2 chip out (yes, that would mean a totally new emulator, except Sony said "screw it" and so this model has NO BC for PS2 games at all, though it still has PS1 game support), their store is affected. Essentially, the games on their store will only be available to their "premium" customers, Colbert Platinum, those who bought the one that still has software emulation and one of the PS2 chips. Further, they will be adding games perhaps more slowly than if it had the full compatibility, and at the very least they will only add games that also work in the PS2 emulator. That's on top of the fact that they have to basically code the system's firmware for 3 different hardware revisions at this point, which might not be that big a task considering the differences aren't too big, but still.
Also, there's this to consider. With those old chips in the system, it opened up coding possibilities for programmers to shunt smaller graphical tasks to the emotion engine to get some performance gains. They can't do that now of course, and Sony never really supported that in their development kit anyway, namely because not all systems would support such tricky coding. Come to think of it, they could have done similar multiprocessor tricks with the GBA, but I think that GBC processor is physically locked out unless that switch in the cartridge port is hit so they probably couldn't do that there either (plus, there's the micro and DS which has no GBC chip).
So yeah, I'm basically saying that sure Sony needed to save money, but after including full BC with those chips in the PS3, the biggest mistake they could make was taking it out. I mean sure there's the cost of those chips but couldn't that be majorly offset by the profits from selling, say, Ico and God of War on the PS network?
And while I know there's flack to be "gotten", Sony also needs to catch up to MS in terms of their online gaming network. They are a lot closer than Nintendo, but there are a few things missing, chief amongst those is friends list access in-game via that home menu of their's. Things like popping into it to recieve/send invites to your other friends and see who's online, small things like that that actually end up pretty big once you get addicted to them.
I guess I'm looking like an MS fanatic at this point. Let me kill those notions by just pointing out I have issues with all three companies (mainly Sony) at this point.
The 360's issues just don't lie in the interface (aside from a little lag in popping up the in-game home menu). Really, they have that pretty much nailed, aside from one thing. Their issues? Well it starts with the BC, which hasn't had an update in several months I'll note (again, this new addition could change that by forcing their hand). They may not have needed to emulate at all though had they put the old XBox GPU in there. That would have been at cost of course, but that COULD have been the selling point of their "Elite" model. The problem is, they can't even put it in their more expensive models as a bonus because it turns out MS didn't think ahead enough to buy the rights to the hardware designs of the original XBox. Had they done that, we might see the "Core" hard driveless model, their premium with a hard disk, and an Elite that actually is elite due to full on BC with XBox games.
More BC issues with them stem namely from the lack of save file tranfer support between the old and the new. There's a 3rd party kit but that only works with save files that can be put on the old XBox's memory card. Many games had files that were above 8 MB for one, and for two other games did the inexplicable action of "restricting" save files that WERE small enough so that they couldn't be copied/moved at all (think the occasional GC game that did the same thing). I can't think of any sort of reason they'd do that with anything other than purchasable downloadable content, but they did it with normal game save files. Another way to get those save files moved over is using a modded XBox and special software plus digging into the 360's hard drive to hook it up via SATA connection to one's PC (I think it's SATA anyway, I just know there's a standard hard disk in that odd looking lump you stick on the side of the 360). However, while I hacked my PSP to bejeesus and back, that was only using software exploits. I stop short of physical modification of my hardware, as that isn't so easy, or is sometimes impossible, to reverse, plus it can be detected and get me banned from XBox Live. I also intend on, for the moment anyway, still USING my original XBox since I pretty much have to due to these BC issues.
The problem, aside from the special cases with some files, stems from no support in the new system for the old memory cards. Now the thing is, Sony with the PS2 had new memory cards but their new slots looked like the old ones and were also designed to work with the old memory cards. MS could have done that, but didn't for some reason. Here's a reason I would have bought: their new memory card format is one of the existing standardized cards, say SD or Memory Stick. Hey I'm fully in support of standardized things like that. Rather, no, they instead just went to a new MS propriatary card that in no way is ever going to be used in anything but a 360. Further, it isn't even smaller. It's basically the same "won't fit in your game case" size as before. Heck, they couldn't even make it USB based (adding two more USB slots instead of these two propriatary card slots would not only allow more peripherals to be plugged in using those slots, but more memory cards to be plugged into the existing slots, it is win/win).
There IS a solution if MS cares to engage in it, though their BC support has been slipping lately. They COULD set up a file transfer service via SOFTWARE in the firmware of both the 360 and the original XBox. It would be a simple one time operation that would ignore file restrictions on original XBox files. Basically turn on the original XBox, wait while it detects an update and installs it and restarts, then go to "memory" and select the new "copy to XBox 360" option. The system will say "looking for 360...". Now turn your TV to your 360 however you normally do that, turn it on, update it's firmware, then go to it's memory management and select the new option "recieve files from original XBox" (or something like that) and it'll say "looking for original XBox... found, copying..." and after a while it'll say "complete" as the procedure started on the original will automatically start the second it finds one (to make it easier than switching TV inputs over and over again to confirm stuff). This update doesn't occur over Live, it occurs over the local network, so MS doesn't need to worry about server costs. Further, they can limit the types of data that are copied over. Namely, if they want it won't copy music files over (those can be re-ripped anyway), and if they want it won't copy downloaded content over (that stuff IS specifically marked as such in the file system so the original XBox CAN tell). That too can just be redownloaded in those games online, though purchasable content will need to be bought again due to MS's DRM... So there'll just be save files, and so long as the 360 supports reading and management of original XBox saved data (turns out it does according to that direct copy hack I mentioned above), it should work just fine.
Hey here's more. Expanding on above, MS's proprietary hardware is nuts. Sony and even Nintendo have embrased standardized stuff at this point. Both of them support an existing memory card standard instead of using a propriatary format, and both of them use bluetooth for their wireless controller access instead of some proprietary connection. They also both use USB for everything else but the 360 supports USB too so that's not a problem. I already covered their bizarre use of proprietary memory card tech, but there's also the hard disk. The Wii can stay out of this as it HAS NO HARD DISK SUPPORT, but Sony nailed it with using an existing standard (SATA based "laptop style" hard drives). This means you don't have to wait for Sony to update your storage space. All one need do is buy a new hard drive and replace the existing one in the system themselves, then format it using the PS3's own format tool. However, MS went with the odd need to make a totally exclusionary format of hard disk. The thing is, it isn't even that exclusionary. It's just a standard hard disk locked inside some ugly and less portable shell. Really now, locked? Sony doesn't seem to have any issues as they use their own partition on it, and MS uses a special partition setup too so security shouldn't be the issue. People can open up that thing anyway and mess around with that hard disk. The problem is you can't just replace it with another disk of your choosing due to some sort of hardware check going on. Shame really, as MS could have added another feature to it's feature set.
Oh yes, there's the issue of blue tooth. The 360 has wireless controller support but instead of using an existing standard, they have their own. It doesn't add anything to what bluetooth does, and as it is, it means I can't use my wireless controller with my PC (just my wired one). I have a bluetooth adapter, so I could use both my Wii remote and some PS3 controller with my PC if I wanted, but to use that wireless controller? Well, I have to buy a special piece of hardware now. Pfft, that's just nuts. This also kinda messes up some other things, as things like a special guitar controller have to come in two versions, one in bluetooth and the other in MS's crazy format. Oh, they have some strict liscensing over that wireless tech too, so that's helpful.
As it stands, it won't affect my PC experience too much should I pick up a 3rd controller. The key is I found out the PC bundles are the same price but now include that important wireless add-on. Since the controllers are otherwise totally identical, it is clear the PC package is the one to get. I guess the 360 package is just there to save MS some money from the rubes that don't know any better.
Well so yeah, MS has some issues they need to fix too, though admittedly some of those issues just can't reasonably be fixed. I guess those are just "issues" then.