Sony’s Backwards Compatibility is a Non-Issue

This year’s E3 had some tremendously big announcements.  One of those was the reveal that XBOX One would be embracing the world of backwards compatibility, which sent the world of console wars into an upheaval.  Those who back the XBOX One used this announcement as ammunition against the other console supporters, most notably the PS4.  And I will admit, it is a very nice feature that Microsoft has implemented with the system.  There are times that gamers enjoy getting nostalgic and popping that old disc into the system to see how much they missed old titles.

But let’s get real for a minute.  Backwards compatibility is like tinting your car windows.  It looks cool, the police can’t see inside your car if you are doing extra-curricular activities, and it probably adds about 100 dollars of resale value to your automobile.  But in pure function, it really does not change much.  There is a reason that this is called the NEXT generation of video game consoles.  Game publishing companies are now focusing on how to maximize the hardware of new systems.  The graphics of the future will hopefully give us video gamers those “wow” moments that sometimes lack.  Now that Microsoft and Sony are beginning to pump out some really good content (Witcher, Bloodborne for example), there is plenty of content to engage yourself in.  Is it really necessary to go back and play a game from five years ago?

Another reason that this move by Microsoft is being heralded as a great decision is because people will sell their old consoles when they decide to buy a new console.  Now, I’m not coming on here to say I make a ton of money, because I don’t.  But how much are you truly getting for your old consoles and games??  I can go on eBay and find myself a PS3 console for around 100 bucks.  If playing these old titles is that important to you, just hang on to your old consoles.  You can still get some use from them here and there.

We as humans tend to get very nostalgic about things.  I use the expression “when I was a kid” all the time.  There are things that I will admit were better back in the day, such as the simplicity of life and the way people communicated with each other.  People used to be a lot more active, baseball fields were filled after school with kids throwing the ball around, and you really don’t see that much anymore.  But going back and playing old video games is not one of those things.  Some of my all time favorites such as FFIV, FFVII, Mario 64, Goldeneye, etc… are damn near impossible to play today.  As much as I want to lie to myself, I can’t; graphics ARE important in today’s gaming industry.  I remember trying to run Goldeneye a few years back, and it was a really tough play.  The game felt very choppy and blocky.  At the time, Goldeneye was probably the most popular game among everyone I knew.  It wasn’t just about how amazing the multiplayer was.  The graphics wowed us.

Microsoft deserves a golf clap for the backwards compatibility they have implemented on the XBOX One.  It is a nice little feature that gamers can use, but beyond that, it’s just a small rock in a giant ocean.