The introduction of the Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4, whatever they may be called, will be more than just a shift to new technology. Improved graphics, artificial intelligence, an emphasis on social networking, digital distribution, and streaming services are the pillars of the next round of big-budget game making. The mystery surrounding these unnamed commercial computers is what they won’t do. What aspects of console design will go the way of the dodo with the next round of machines? According to Electronic Arts, backwards compatibility – the ability to play games from the previous generation of console – is one common feature that will likely disappear.
“An important thing to remember is that next-gen consoles will most likely not be backwards compatible,” Electronic Arts CFO Blake Jorgensen said during a Tuesday question and answer session at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference. For Electronic Arts, the lack of backwards compatibility should help the company cut down costs, particularly on server maintenance. With backwards compatibility taken out of the new Microsoft and Sony consoles, it won’t have to maintain catalogue games’ online multiplayer for as long a time. EA has already increased the frequency of server closures.
The lack of backwards compatibility with Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 discs makes sense for both companies from a variety of business perspectives. In the case of Sony, since Orbis/PlayStation 4 is abandoning the PlayStation 3’s Cell process, backwards compatibility is likely impossible at a hardware level. More than that, though, Sony and Microsoft can resell many recent titles as digital downloads by not supporting physical copies.
According to EA, the decision will impact adoption of the new hardware in both positive and negative ways.
“[If] you [play] multiplayer on a game, you’ll most likely not be able to play with someone on a different generation,” said Jorgensen. “And so if you’re a FIFA player and the soccer season’s starting in August, and all your friends are playing FIFA, you’re going to want to be on the same box that they’re on. So if they all go out and buy a gen-four box [Ed: what EA is referring to is Xbox 720/PlayStation 4] if it comes out at Christmas, then you’ll most likely do it. If they all hold on and continue to play on third-generation, you’ll probably not see that box purchase until after the soccer season’s over. And I think that works for us positively in both ways. It helps us continue to sell gen-three products, and it will help us sell gen-four product as that cycle finally gets into place.”
Most of the games I buy are on Steam these days for exactly this reason.
No wonder the kids are all playing games on STEAM.
EA? Haha right.. They lost the ability to be an industry heavy weight around the same time as Ubisoft.
I’ll stick with my PC if this becomes the case… By the time the next gen consoles compete with my current laptop I’ll have a new one.
I’m not surprised that the manufacturers went this route. It’s extremely hard to couple new technology with either hardware or software backwards compatibility, all while keeping it in a small form-factor.
I also think a lot of people have no problem keeping their old game system hooked up until they migrate fully to the new platform.
Well, from the sounds of things they don’t have a problem with making the game a digital download and charging you for it again. This is all about how they can make the most money for the same software. Downloadable content can easily excede the initial price of many of the most popular games. Follow the money and the answers are clear.
No thanks. Technology is always shrinking. There is no excuse for backwards compatibility in this day and age. As msmithjr50 said, it’s all about making money and how they can squeeze every penny out of you. Why else would they try to put the kibosh on pre-owned/rental sales? It’s all money. They can do it, they just don’t want to. If you believe otherwise, I have a nice car you’d like, with low miles, and full interior/exterior wash.
I agree. If it works for Steam on the PC side, why not on the hardware side. It’s just going to suck to wait 3 hours to download a huge game.
And they wonder why Piracy is so rampant with their systems.
I simply wont do it. Digital downloads that is. I recently purchased a top of the line laptop for gaming, and I have been playing games off of Steam, and Origin (I hate EA’s Origin). Sony has been making some of the dumbest decisions recently. I really hope these are all just rumors.
I like a physical copy of what I buy. Cause you know, hard drives never fail, companies like Sony never get hacked and data centers are never prone to natural disasters. *sigh
yeah, I’m the same way. I like to own physical copies because I don’t want to rely on some company years down the road when who knows what might happen to them. What if I wanted to play a game but Sony is out of the gaming industry? SOL? Sorry, but I don’t like that idea…
Yeah so Yeah like EA tells the truth….. seriously no story here….
EA = The Fox News of the Game Industry.
I’ll believe it when I see it.
Well, looks like more Steam for me. I’ll hop on the PS4 a year or so after it’s relaese – if I end up hopping on the band-wagon at all.
I’d rather not have 2 near identical systems connected right next to each other. Or even worse 2 systems and a controller for each.
Knowing Sony the controllers will look near identical, so hopefully THOSE are compatible. I’d hate to be the person to confuse the controllers, especially when you venture away from home for a LAN party.
The thing I like about Sony controllers is that they have the battery built-in and I am not forced to spend $30 on one.
I think PS3 controllers worked on the PS3 when it came out if I am not mistaken.
I would hope the PS3 controllers worked for the PS3 when it came out! ;) lol
Meh
Ubisoft isn’t excatly such a great figure either Ben… In fact EA and Ubisoft make very similiar mistakes.
EA stock has been losing value for awhile now. Isn’t it ironic that one of the most successful companies in gaming simply can’t prove to be innovative leaders like Ubisoft. Their job is to give an eager consumer audience innovative, intelligently designed games.. wow are there not enough of a workforce to make this happen better? Even Square Enix relies on a handful of titles each year and teeters on the brink of collapse. Why?… http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/30/light-on-revenue-ea-barely-squeaks-out-a-win-for-the-quarter-with-digital-up-thanks-to-battlefield-3/
Too bad Donner didn’t work for EA.
Sorry but EA sucks
So, won’t be buying them then. Until my current machine dies a horrible death by fire.
EA sucks, Microshaft sucks and Sony sucks. Now is a good time for Nintendo to start raking in the big bucks with the Wii U and 3DS, and of course all of the PC gaming will get a nice boost also.
What is implied “No backwards capability”. What was actually said “An important thing to remember is that next-gen consoles will most likely not be backwards compatible” Key word: “Likely”.
If this were to be taken seriously, you could expect massive profit losses on both $ony and M$’s front. But, I don’t suspect this to be all that true, as it’s really only a speculation of a Forgotten publisher.
So Ralph, where does MSN tie in if EA is the Fox News?
I’m a PC gamer and the problem I see with this is consoles are becoming irrelevant, yet the game companies are steering away from PC releases because of copyright infringement and I can’t blame them. I went to GameStop about a month ago to look at upcoming PC releases and the list was a quarter of the size as the console releases. Now I know some people are going to give me crap about my next comment but if I could just hook-up a keyboard and mouse to my PlayStation and PLAY every single game I own using the hardware without any sort of setting up, I would stop buying PC games today.
HaHa Who Will Care?
Other Company’s Are Making Video Game System’s!!!
& There Soooo Much Better! & Cheaper Devices!
& EA? EA Has Revealed Much About Its Plan’s For The Xbox 720 & Playstation 4?… Really!?!?!
EA Work’s On Both The System’s Hardware?
Dun Get It!!!…. ;~ Pretty Lame If True!!!
Not Gonna Buy Than! I Bet Many People Won’t! Total BS!
Who Want’s 100’000 Wire’s & Converter’s In The Back Of Your TV?
So You Can Get To All Your Game’s With Ease!
When You Can Just Have 2 System’s That Load All The Game’s In 1 System!
While You Can Own 1 Xbox & Run Original Xbox Game’s!
Xbox 360 Game’s! & Also Play Any Xbox 360 Arcade Game As Long As You Purchased It On Your 360!
Will Be Able To Re-Download The Game with ease!
& With a PS4? Hopefully It Run’s PS1 (CD), PS2 (DVD) & Of Course PS3 (Blueray) Games! & Also Doesn’t Do This No Used Game Thing!!! That’s Asking WAY too much for a game! 60$ Already Is TOO MUCH!!!
& Most The Time Those 60$ Games Are Beat To Hell By 2 Week’s
& If You Try To Get Your Money back or Trade It In..
You Get Nothing In Return!
So You Have A Mint Condition Game Your Trying To get back at least 85 65% of your funds back to purchase another game!!! Sounds Reasonable To Me!
Nope doesn’t work like that! you get maybe 13% back if it’s new!
If it’s old than you get Nothing! Probably 50 Cent’s for a game you once payed 60$ For! May As Well Keep It! Or Throw It Away Just So You Know There Not Profiting From Those SCAM’s!!!
No Used Game’s?!?
& No backwards Compatibility?
That’s gonna make these system’s junk!!!
They Never Even Released A Bigger HDD For 360!
You Know How easy it is to fill a 320GB Drive???
Spend 1 Hour Downloading The Game’s To The System So You Don’t Have To Stress Out Your DVD Drive!!! & Watch The Space Go PooF!!!
Im A Legit User On The 360! & I’v Already Gone WAY Past 320GB!
& I Can’t Mod It Or Id probably get banned or some wack chit like that!
1TB Or 500GB even Sound’s Nice! But 320GB Is Not Enough For These Super Large Game’s!
If The Want Sale’s In High Number’s! They Should Rethink The No Backwards Compatible Thing! & Make It So ALL PS Games Work! & I Mean ALL Playstation Games Work!!! 1,2,3 & Whatever DLC From The PS3! Would Make A PS4 Sell Like CRAZY!!!
Same With The 360! It Will Make Or Break The System’s Sale’s!
Of Course It’s Possible To Run An Original Xbox Game! But Not Many! Like My Fav Racing Game For The Original Xbox! Rally Sport Challenge 2! Not On The List :(
Whatever Happened To Freedom?
Can’t Walk In This MuCK!
——————————–
Another Sad Fact!
Microsoft’s Xbox 360 DVD Drive’s Blow Out After Time! Say 1 To 2 Year’s You’ll Need A New One!
But Wait…. They Implemented The System Security To The …DVD DRIVE?!?! That Was The Worst Move EVER!!!
People Can’t Just Go… Oh My Drive Is Dead :( .. Than Buy A New One & Plug It Right In! An Obvious SCAM! As It’s Already Plug & Play!
The Only Thing Stopping Them From Switching Drives Is The Fact They Put The Security Key On The MainBoard & DVD Drive! So You Would Need Some Decent Computer Skill’s To Repair A DVD Drive! & Make It Work New Again! Or Get Somebody Or A Service To Help! Which You Shouldn’t Have To Stress About!!
Better Security Can Be Onboard The Mainboard!
Rather Than The DVD Drive? I Just Don’t Understand!!
Or Why Hasn’t Microsoft Released A Tool Like The DVD Drive Transfer Kit? A DVD Drive Transfer Box Legit By Microsoft! For Like 10 15$!
That Box Plug’s Both The Drive’s Into Each other Back To Back & Swap’s Information! Without Even Having To Void Warranty Or Open The Metal Casing!! Just A 5 Way Plug!
Going Like This!
DVD Drive Power X 3 Cables! 2 Cables To Both Drive’s!
& The 3RD 1 In AC For Power!
Sata Data Cable Will Just Be A 2 Way!
& A 3 Light System & Cheap LCD to show if there connected or not!
So it Will Say Ready With A Yellow Light!
Than click the button on the Box & The Drives Will Start To Transfer “Light Turn’s Green” & Flash’s Data back & Forth! Also Making 2 Backup’s Of Each Drive For Safety!
So The New Drive Would Have The Proper Key & You Wouldn’t Get Banned! .. LoL!! For Trying To Fix Your Xbox!
Wow glad I posted my comment before this book.
I agree with you guys about buying the next gen. They could so easily make it where if you have the game you came download something that makes it able to play on the new version console look at windows and the games they use on there. This is the main reason i am done with consoles also and either buying the next steam box or buying gaming pc. People invest to much money into a console just to take it to game-stop and get owned. 40 plus games and a console and controllers for 2 games and a console. I saw that many times. Gears of war Judgement will be my last console game and when i am done with this game i will have a system by then. Bye Microsoft and Sony..