Why do people seem to hate Backward Compatibility

Topic. Every time its brought up it seem to be a flood of nut cases who say dumb crap like

"oh you should of keep you old console if you wanted to play those games"

Its kind of annoying and all I can think is these people are young kids, who dont understand that overtime things stop working and just having the option is nice. I really dont get the hate from these people.

The only people that hate this very pro-consumer feature are the people that are not getting backwards compatibility on their system. They don't want to feel that the system that they own is lacking in any good features that the systems that they don't own have, so they hate on it. If they were getting backwards compatibility on their system then they would suddenly stop hating it.

Not sure, to be honest. Currently enjoying a game from the mid-90s on a rig with mostly-new hardware.

Truthfully, I think these are people that are either A.) brainwashed into think wanting to play older games is holding back advancement (i.e. "the next gen"), or B.) jealous their current system can't do it as the above poster said.

There is really no practical reason not to demand that a platform be backwards compatable, at least on whatever medium the current console is using (i.e. optical disk, cartridge, etc). I don't know much about console development, but I'd think it wouldn't be too hard to do.

Honestly they probably just want more money from remasters lol.

Fanboys downplay everything. I can't imagine how anyone can hate backward compatibility, since I play a lot of old games on regular basis.

I really like having it myself. I still keep my old systems but I don't want to have to drag them out every time that I get the urge to revisit an older game from my collection. It also helps save on space. Even when games that I already have are backwards compatible I still like to pick up a remastered version of that game because I like the spruced up visuals and any bonus content.

I seriously doubt anybody "hates" backwards compatibility. How can you hate a bonus feature that only gives you more options if you choose to use it? Instead, I think more commonly people argue it isn't necessary for them to value console A. That's definitely not the same thing as hating it.

because it a big fuking fat lie made to fool people into thinking they can play an old disc in a new system.......it a PR stunt......where the goalpost keeps getting moved.....

"to think you get something for nothing you sir are a fool"

what they should had said was we are bringing back old games on a online service so you get to play your favorites for a fee.

I hope we see GEX.......

the thing here is some people have old game discs that want them to be worth something....if you want that go play an old game in a old system.......real f.....ing simple solution....somewhere out there in someone yardsale is an old atri ,,,3do player,,,xbox,,and a whole list of games waiting to be used.....

only Microsoft would trick players into thinking they be getting something for nothing.......

sony has an online service that you pay a fee and can play lots of old games.....but to think somehow new hardware will all of a sudden surport old hardware and wella play better then an old system is a pure pipe dream........

no one made you sell or throw out your old system.....no one forces you not to use it.....no says you wont be cool if you game on a old system.....no one will waterboard you if you go dumpster diving at yard sales looking for an old working system.....

it not a crime to use an old system to play an old game and put that system right next to your new one..........

you have freedom ......choice.....but to think you somehow get tech welfare well go move to a tech welfare Nordic country for that.....just make sure it not a violent game...lol

@Archangel3371: I blew up my Panasonic real 3do player in asia a couple of years ago ....this is prime example of why you don't game hung over with out reading glasses after someone drops off a power inverter with dual current plugs on the back I thought was a transformer.

it did however make a nice smokeshow for the kids.......the look on there faces was priceless...when I took it apart and it was filled with oil.......

it was sad kinda I did test it before I left for asia and gex looked so cool.....it been over a decade sence I even used it .....and the ps2 disc would not work so i thought it be far more easy to bring the kids the 3do......

I so miss gex........

oh and that Asian porn star in the sci fi movie game....

Do I have Nes ? yes I do

Do I have SNES ? yes I do

Do I have N64 ? yes I do

Do I have GC ? yes I do

Do I have Wii ? yes I do

Do I have Wii U ? not yet

Being able to play pretty much every game ( with the exception of N64 ) in one single system ( Wii ) from all the previous systems -----> AWESOME ! ( unfortunately most N64 games don´t run well in the Wii )

Exactly right.

its great when it doesnt take a whole heap to get it to work and maintaining it is not a nightmare. but its not exactly trivial to implement. itll be easier going forward as long as future consoles dont change their internal architecture drastically and console games become more hardware agnostic...like PC games.

but its costing MS money to get the 360 games running on the X1 and it was also a nightmare getting games from the first xbox running on the 360.

nintendo have gone to extradordinary lengths to ensure BC....the choice of processor in the wiiu was probably effected by this (the wiiu doesnt emulate a wii..it becomes a wii to play wii games). they had to add extra ports to the DS and gamecube controller ports and memory card readers to the wii.

sony had to have the reality synthesiser in the original PS3s to get PS2 BC working (i think the emotion engine was also in there in the *** and US launch models). PS3 BC on the PS4 is simply a non runner. that will only come from a streaming service.

all of this adds to the cost of the hardware and increases the complexity of the OS. this all costs money.

as i say though....going forward it should be easier to do. the console hardware is less crazy (the wiiu being the only oddball left but getting wiiu games running on something like an X1 or PS4 should be relatively straight forward....though if nintendo go the ARM route it could be trickier. sticking the wiiu CPU in there wouldnt be a huge cost though but not an ideal solution.).

Thats how I feel about the people hating on the Xbox PlayAnywhere.

I don't get your rant.

Everyone likes to play games they own on a more current device, everyone!

Even as a PS4 owner. I was pretty ticked when Sony developed a PS2 emulator for PS4. . But didn't want owners using PS2 discs T____T

It became a cash grab, and you'd have to be a fanboi to think otherwise! My 3DS supports DS games with no price, Xbox One is getting more 360 games every month (even if most the emulation is jarring), and though P.C. has various issues playing older games, it's still possible legally. . . Sometimes. . . but come on Sony stop being a con man to your fanbase!

Shouldn't have to buy the first two Disgaea games again. .

Now I don't think it's a deciding factor for a new gaming device, most people want fresh experiences when buying new. However, that doesn't mean we all throw away games we really enjoyed!

@Pedro: I think the hate for that is just a possessive thing. Itso existence weakens the "exclusivity" label and some folks live for being able to count the number of games that are only available on one device

The only downside of backwards compatibility is that it might make newer consoles a little more expensive to produce. Other than that, it's a fantastic feature that I would welcome for every new console.

I was really disappointed to see that the PS4 was not backwards compatible. It forced me to buy a cheap PS3 just to play a few extra games (and which is now almost as unused as my PS4).

I'm a pc gamer. Backwards compatibility isn't something I care about at all because it's a given for PC games. Some older games require some tweaks to get running, but I routinely play games from even the PS1 generation or earlier.

Personally at this point I don't even see the point in buying consoles. PC does everything console does but better and it does a whole lot more besides. Want to play on a couch using wireless controllers? Go for it, and switching games is way quicker and easier when you want to change the game you're playing.

@storm_of_swords: I kinda agree with you but it's also the worry modern trend of consumers licking the boots of major companies as if they have some stake in them. It's like people still supporting Capcom for putting out half arsed games and seeing no problem in spending more money over a broken game.

As an xbox fan I hate backwards compatibility because all the games that are compatible are only irrelevant games. Not the actual games that matter like bo2 or battlefield 3.

"any sufficiently advanced backwards compatibility is indistinguishable from a security vulnerability." a downside, as far as manufacturers are concerned anyway.

two of all the all time greats

No one hates backward compatibility. We simply have psychopathic fanboys who will say any crazy thing to put down the competition. It's a mental disorder and it's tragic.

I don't dislike BC,I just feel that I am done with last generation games,and for myself the older games does not belong on a current gen console.If the rest of the world wants to play yesterday's games on a console made for today,that's fine and dandy.Why the hell would it bother me?I don't hate it,I agree with it for those who want Xbox 360 games on a Xbox One,enjoy it. :)

Good point.

I don't hate. However, it's not a feature that would sway my buying decision--I simply wouldn't have much use for it.

I don't hate it. In fact, I think it's a good thing. The problem is that backwards compatibility is being used to pad out time between actual releases, and companies are using it as a main selling point when it should just come with a system.

For some people however, it would add extra to the purchase; So while not a deciding factor, it is a nice addition.

In order for one system to be backwards compatible with another system, the CPUs need to be similar in some way. If they have similar CPUs (perhaps too similar), then why bother having a successor in the first place? So there has to be some compromise somewhere. Good example of this is PS3 to PS4. The PS3 uses Cell CPU, while PS4 uses x86 CPU. Since they use two completely different CPUs (Cell and x86 are VERY different from eachtoher), this makes it impossible to make PS4 backwards compatible with PS3. Sure, Sony could have designed the PS4 with a Cell CPU to make it backwards compatible with PS3, but they would have to make some sacrifices in overall power, since Cell CPU was not too great and very hard to program for. I am sure most game developers are happy that PS4 does not use Cell, and instead uses x86 just like Xbox One and PC games, making life easier for them.

Who doesn't like backwards compatibility? Is that even a thing?

Idc about BC, only cause I game on PC

I concur.

@watchdogsrules: There are quite a few good games for Xbox's BC. And they add more almost weekly at this point. No matter how you feel about the games they add, there are at least a few people that enjoy playing them.

Like @xantufrog said, I doubt there are many who seriously dislike the idea of BC. It's likely more just a question of priorities. I think if given the option between a fully BC next gen system and a next gen system that costs $100-$150 less, a lot of people don't necessarily love BC -that- much.

-Byshop

I haven't seen that hate, but maybe I haven't looked hard enough.

I honestly can't imagine any sane person suggesting that backwards compatibility is, in any sense, a bad thing. There are really no good arguments to support that, as far as I can tell.