Major Nelson: November 2007 Xbox Backward Compat Update

Microsoft is distributing the latest backwards compatibility update bringing the number of backwards compatible titles to just over 450. Of note there are quite a few of the Sega 2K sports titles new to the list, particularly ESPN NFL 2k5 what some gamers feel to be the best football game ever. Click the read more link for the complete list posted on Major Nelson's blog.

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Games on Demand?

In an interview with gamesindustry.biz, the CEO of Eidos US made an interesting point about digital distribution of today's games. The take home message was that in the US it would take as long as 9 hours to download titles available at retail. The infrastructure just isn't there to support those downloads.

On a related note, another blogger detailed her frustration with downloading movies via Xbox Live Marketplace. Instead of waiting six hours for the film to completely download before viewing, she decide to order it from her cable provider instead.

What would it take for you to make the leap to downloading movies and games to your system of choice? Would it be price, download speed, convenience? Would you miss having the packaging for a retail release?

I'm all set for downloading games from Xbox Live Arcade. My network connection would have to be reset constantly if I were to download movies or games that are gigabytes in size. I think when the day comes where I have download speeds on the order of gigabytes then I'll look at downloading as an alternative to retail.

Xbox Mod Misadventure

Now that the big black box is no longer available, I thought it would be safe to share a story about my attempt to modify a busted Xbox. What I won't do is provide links to the usual places where one could gain specific information on how to mod an Xbox. Even though Microsoft no longer manufactures the hardware, the hardware itself is protected by copyright and modifying that hardware may be a violation of the DMCA, Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Proceed at your own risk.

A couple of years ago, my hard drive failed on my Xbox. Since it was one of the first off the line, manufactured in Nov. 2001, the warranty had long since expired.

Instead of paying to have my Xbox serviced, I wanted to try to fix it myself. I had read that you could replace the hard drive if you modified your Xbox. I figured that for the cost of the chip and hard drive, I could have an Xbox that had a bigger harddrive and did more than play games. So I ordered a chip which was easy enough and set aside a weekend to install it. I ordered a solderless modchip because I thought it would be the easiest way to go.

I thought wrong. Taking apart the Xbox was easy enough, but installing the chip was a disaster. I couldn't get the system to boot up with chip because I had it sitting on the solderless adapter incorrectly. Then I learned that if the adapter doesn't fit just so, the chip won't boot your system either. Then I figured out it didn't matter because I jacked up the motherboard and it wouldn't boot up at all.

So after some swearing at myself for being so klutzy, I broke down and bought a premodded Xbox from the same folks I bought the chip from and I bought a used one on Ebay to play on Xbox Live. It was highly recommended that I did not use a modded Xbox on Xbox Live even if the modchip was inactive. Then I learned that I didn't need a chip to begin with because there are improved softmods for Xboxes. So I paid extra for a premod for nothing.

All in all, I was happy with my premod and glad to get back on Xbox Live again. However all things being equal, I probably should have sucked it up and sent my broken box in for service to begin with.

The moral of my story, think very carefully about modding your box otherwise you could end up with a $150 paperweight. In my case I spent a couple of hundred dollars above the $100 it would have cost to have it repaired by Microsoft. If you're considering it, do lots and lots of reading. You can google a ton of information about mods.

Peter Moore's Last Interview as Xbox head

Gamasutra has an excellent interview with Peter Moore shortly before his announcement that he was leaving Microsoft to join EA.

Of interest, to me anyway, was his response to Sony VP Peter Dille's opinions on the 360 and HD-DVD:

Based on your last console, some people feel that Microsoft isn't in things for the long haul, because the Xbox stopped after about five years. I'm sure you feel differently.

PM: I think those were Peter Dille's comments. They're welcome to their opinions, and having an opinion about something that is still years away is fine and makes good PR fodder, but we're very committed to this platform. I'll just let the numbers speak for themselves so far. I don't have to get into a swinging match with them.

The same gentleman says that HD-DVD will be dead within months. How do you feel about that?

PM: On that one, I look forward to speaking with you at CES next year. I was just looking at HD-DVD numbers over the weekend, and I think Toshiba may have an opinion about that. Of course, the fact that Sony has an economic interest in making sure that it's dead is interesting. I think his comments will be read with interest from the folks at the European Union, who will be looking at the tactics that they've been using to ensure that retailers do things their way. Again, I'll defer comment and look at what happens. I think that's kind of a preposterous statement.

Moore's Law

I was as shocked as the next guy to learn that Peter Moore was moving on to EA.

Obviously, EA made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Plus he's getting back into the business of making the blades instead of selling the razors. Prior to Microsoft, Moore supported Sega through its transition from console manufacturer to third party developer.

Clearly Moore's passion was a great benefit for Microsoft, but I believe that his strengths are toward leading software developers. Moore was first to admit that he didn't have a great understanding of the hardware and perhaps that gap may have been what inspired this move.

Check out this interview with Dan Hsu of Electronic Gaming Monthly, for a look back at Xbox 360's former champion.

With all due respect...

Isn't it funny how people try to be polite before insulting you?

In an interview with Gamasutra, senior VP of Marketing for Sony Playstation Peter Dille was less than professional when offering his take on Microsoft's profitability with the Xbox 360.

I don't have a problem with dissenting opinions. I have a huge problem where people in leadership positions go on the record and bash their competition instead of speaking to their own strengths.

Is the Playstation 3 a victim of the Playstation 2?

I ask the question because while everyone is looking at Sony's competition to understand why it is "struggling" in the next gen console race, I think Sony can look in the mirror to find their answer.

Microsoft took a lot of heat for quietly discontinuing its support of the original Xbox. They seemed to think that supporting two consoles was not beneficial to their business, even though the black box had a lot of life left in it. Looking at the success of the 360 since that decision it is easier to say that they were right.

Nintendo made a similar decision with the Gamecube. Although I think that the overwhelming demand for the Wii, made discontinuing the Gamecube a no-brainer.

Sony is trying to support two systems, the Playstation 2(PS2) and the Playstation 3(PS3). Take a look at these numbers from 2003 taken from a Gamespy report on the gaming market in Japan. Sony has a huge install base for PS2 owners. It is very lucrative for them in the short term to continue support for PS2. Sony is also still strongly supporting the PS2 with titles like God of War 2.

Short term support is where Sony is short sighted. After launching the PS3, the system is still lacking killer software that make the system a must have, Resistance: Fall of Man being the exception. The recent price drop is making the console more attractive to consumers. At this point though, people are basically buying an entry-level blu-ray player and not a game system.

Should Sony have halted the support of the PS2? On one hand, if Sony had titles like God of War for the PS3 at launch people would be more excited about the system. On the other hand, they would be leaving tens of millions of dollars on the table if they completely walked away from supporting the system. If ten percent of their user base purchase a new game at $50, that is roughly 300 million dollars for the company.

What do you think? Is the Playstation 3 a victim of the Playstation 2?

Live Action Halo - from Bungie.net

Whoa!

Marathon on XBox Live!

I stayed up way past my bedtime to peek at Microsoft's E3 press conference. Just wanted to post this tidbit before bed.

In between all the marketing speak I learned that game I loved on the Mac will be coming to Xbox Live.

Marathon was a first person shooter on the Macintosh. While game developers shunned the Mac in the 1990s, a startup called Bungie Software created several games for the computer.

In many ways Marathon was a precursor to Halo, the killer app for Microsoft's console. In fact, quite a few features to be released in Halo 3 have their origins in Marathon. Saving game recordings, for example, was great in Marathon but in Halo 3 it looks phenomenal.

I had better start saving up Microsoft Points!