Weekend Gamer: Xbox Backward Compatibility
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■ XboxXbox is a video gaming brand that consists of four main home video game console lines, as well as applications (video games), the streaming service Xbox Cloud Gaming, and online services such as the Xbox network and Xbox Game Pass. The brand is owned by Microsoft Gaming, a division of Microsoft.
Xbox recently announced their original Xbox games with Backward Compatibility on PC. The first four games to be included on this launch is: BLiNX: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Fuzion Frenzy. These games are available for purchase for $10 each, with Fuzion Frenzy on sale for $2.49. I did own the original Xbox, but I did not own or played any of these four games.
For those who did own these games – what a treat to be able to revisit these original Xbox games on a modern computer, using the Xbox App. I’m assuming these games are using Xbox’s own official Xbox emulator to run these old games. Even though we are only getting four games right now, I’m assuming it’ll be easier for Xbox to mass release these old games using the same Xbox emulator in the future.
The new Xbox Backward Compatibility will feature 4x resolution upscaling, VSync support, Fullscreen and Windowed display modes, anisotropic filtering, enhanced anti-aliasing, stuff that the original Xbox did not, or could not, offer back in 2001.
With rumors that you can put an Xbox Game Disc into your PC or Xbox, and it will grant you a license of ownership to that game – due to each disc containing a unique identification ID number. I think all this is moving in the right direction. The disc-to-digital feature a great way to play your games without the annoyance of finding the right game disc. As long as you don’t sell the game to a used game store or another person, you retain the ownership of that game.
What I’m more interested is the Xbox 360 Backward Compatibility for PC. You see, I was paying for Xbox Gold for a few months, mostly to redeem free Xbox 360 games (you just have to redeem the game and it’s yours permanently). I have looked it over on my account, I have a few Xbox 360 games, which I would love to access those games on my PC. I figure for the then-price of $15 for Xbox Gold, I got to keep Dragon Age II, Saints Row II and Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, that was worth it for me. I already own those games (except Saints Row) on other platforms, like Steam and GOG… but I wouldn’t mind seeing an Xbox Version of the game, available on my PC. Maybe check out those old Xbox achievements, if available.
Yours,
Weekend Gamer
vu@weheartmusic.com
vu@weheartmusic.com
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