“Even as Microsoft took the wraps off its new Xbox 360 video-game console last night, the company left a major question unanswered: Will the new Xbox play games made for the old?
The issue, known as backward compatibility, is a key one for game developers and console owners hoping to bring their existing libraries of games along with them to the next generation. One of the reasons commonly credited for the success of Sony’s dominant PlayStation 2 is its ability to play games that were originally made for its predecessor.
But as recently as last week, a Microsoft executive said the Redmond company hadn’t yet determined whether the new Xbox 360, set for release this year, would be backward compatible.”
Microsoft has basically unveiled complete specifications of their Xbox 360 last week, but as to why they will not answer this question baffles us. Our guess is that they are still finalizing the gaming system and trying to get backwards compatibility to work. Sony has unofficially said their new Playstation 3 (PS3) will be backwards compatible with the older PS2 games.
