The first line-up of backwards compatible Xbox One games has been revealed, but the included titles suggest Microsoft has misunderstood why fans were so excited about the feature.
Key Findings
- 104 backwards compatible Xbox 360 games which can run on Xbox One available at launch
- 28% are “Boxed Copy” games
- 72% are Live Arcade downloadable games
- 36% of the Live Arcade Games are remakes from previous generations
When gamers refer to their pile of shame, they’re not talking about the megabytes of data accumulated on their hard drive from various downloadable games. They’re referring to the big ticket copy blockbusters and cult classics they dropped serious money on, and then never got the time to play. Titles that released in the same week as another long-anticipated game and just fell out of favour as a result. A pre-ordered sequel to a favourite series that arrived at an inopportune time. A quirky classic with strong word-of-mouth that friends demanded “you just have to play!”
This is what’s in a pile of shame.
When Microsoft revealed the backwards compatibility feature for Xbox One, which allows selected Xbox 360 titles to be played on the newer console, many imagined it would be an opportunity to revisit that pile of shame — or at least dust off a classic and enjoy it a second time. Yet of the 104 titles revealed as part of Microsoft’s launch of the backwards compatibility feature, there are only 29 that even came in “box copy” form – that’s just 28%! And while subjective, it’s fair to say not all of those are of a quality that can see them supersede a newly released title.
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Microsoft has arguably missed the point on backwards compatibility. Rather than wowing us with a list of games filled with classic pile of shame entrants or hall of famers worthy of a replay, 72% of the catalogue is comprised of downloadable throwaways. And of those, 27 games (36% of the launch group) are actually re-releases of games from even older generations.
To be fair to Microsoft, there may well be be sound technical reasons for taking this approach. Perhaps stability or quality concerns meant the company didn’t want to bite off more than it could chew in the initial weeks and months? Perhaps emulating and testing a smaller downloadable titles is just a lot easier and more will be passed fit for sale in time? Perhaps the bigger publishers were too focused on their pre-Christmas rosters to expend resources on a backwards compatible game?
All of these could and should be considered in this debate, but on face value, it’s hard not feel a little flat about the first announcement after all the hoopla leading in – especially when most of the key big budget titles (Gears of War series, Rainbow Six Vegas series, Fallout 3, Dirt 3, Just Cause 2) were already announced.
We recently ran this analysis to show which games were displayed on the marketing material for Backwards Compatibility, but not announced as part of the initial 104 games. Hopefully we will start to see some of them emerge sooner rather than later.
Here is a breakdown of the currently announced titles for you;
| A Kingdom for Keflings | Download | New |
| A World of Keflings | Download | New |
| Alien Hominid HD | Download | Remake |
| Assassin’s Creed II | Box Copy | New |
| Asteroids Deluxe | Download | Remake |
| Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts | Download | New |
| Banjo-Kazooie | Download | Remake |
| Banjo-Tooie | Download | Remake |
| BattleBlock Theater | Download | New |
| Bejeweled 2 | Download | New |
| Bellator: MMA Onslaught | Download | New |
| Beyond Good & Evil HD | Download | Remake |
| Blood of the Werewolf | Download | New |
| BloodRayne: Betrayal | Download | New |
| Borderlands | Box Copy | New |
| Call of Juarez Gunslinger | Box Copy | New |
| Castle Crashers | Download | New |
| CastleStorm | Download | New |
| Centipede & Millipede | Download | Remake |
| Condemned: Criminal Origins | Box Copy | New |
| Crazy Taxi | Download | Remake |
| Deadliest Warrior: Legends | Download | New |
| Defense Grid: The Awakening | Download | New |
| DiRT 3 | Box Copy | New |
| DiRT Showdown | Box Copy | New |
| Discs of Tron | Download | New |
| Doom | Download | Remake |
| Doom II | Download | Remake |
| Dungeon Siege III | Box Copy | New |
| Earthworm Jim HD | Download | Remake |
| Fable II | Box Copy | New |
| Fallout 3 | Box Copy | New |
| Feeding Frenzy | Download | New |
| Feeding Frenzy 2: Shipwreck Showdown | Download | New |
| Gears of War | Box Copy | New |
| Gears of War 2 | Box Copy | New |
| Gears of War 3 | Box Copy | New |
| Gears of War: Judgment | Box Copy | New |
| Golden Axe | Download | Remake |
| Halo: Spartan Assault | Download | New |
| Hardwood Backgammon | Download | New |
| Hardwood Hearts | Download | New |
| Hardwood Spades | Download | New |
| Heavy Weapon | Download | New |
| Hexic HD | Download | Remake |
| Ikaruga Toy Soldiers: Cold War | Download | New |
| Jetpac Refuelled | Download | New |
| Joy Ride Turbo | Download | New |
| Just Cause 2 | Box Copy | New |
| Kameo: Elements of Power | Box Copy | New |
| LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game | Box Copy | New |
| LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga | Box Copy | New |
| Lode Runner | Download | New |
| LUMINES LIVE! | Download | New |
| Mass Effect | Box Copy | New |
| Metal Slug 3 | Download | Remake |
| Metal Slug XX | Download | New |
| Might & Magic Clash of Heroes | Download | New |
| Mirror’s Edge | Box Copy | New |
| Missile Command | Download | Remake |
| Monday Night Combat | Download | New |
| Monkey Island 2: Special Edition | Download | Remake |
| Monkey Island: Special Edition | Download | Remake |
| Ms. Splosion Man | Download | New |
| Mutant Blobs Attack!!! | Download | New |
| N+ | Download | New |
| NBA JAM: On Fire Edition | Box Copy | New |
| NiGHTS into dreams | Download | Remake |
| Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising | Box Copy | New |
| Pac-Man: Championship Edition | Download | New |
| Pac-Man: Championship Edition DX+ | Download | New |
| Perfect Dark | Download | Remake |
| Perfect Dark Zero | Box Copy | New |
| Phantom Breaker:Battle Grounds | Download | New |
| Pinball FX | Download | New |
| Plants vs. Zombies | Download | New |
| Prince of Persia | Box Copy | New |
| Putty Squad | Download | New |
| Rayman 3 HD | Download | Remake |
| R-Type Dimensions | Download | New |
| Sacred Citadel | Download | New |
| Sega Vintage Collection: Alex Kidd & Co. | Download | Remake |
| Sega Vintage Collection: Golden Axe | Download | Remake |
| Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World | Download | Remake |
| Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage | Download | Remake |
| Shadow Complex | Download | New |
| Sonic CD | Download | Remake |
| Sonic The Hedgehog | Download | Remake |
| Sonic The Hedgehog 2 | Download | Remake |
| Sonic The Hedgehog 3 | Download | Remake |
| South Park: The Stick of Truth | Box Copy | New |
| Super Meat Boy | Download | New |
| Supreme Commander 2 | Download | New |
| Tom Clancy’s RainbowSix Vegas | Box Copy | New |
| Tom Clancy’s RainbowSix Vegas 2 | Box Copy | New |
| Torchlight | Download | New |
| Toy Soldiers | Download | New |
| Toy Soldiers: Cold War | Download | New |
| Tron: Evolution | Box Copy | New |
| Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon | Download | New |
| Viva Piñata | Box Copy | New |
| Viva Piñata: Trouble In Paradise | Box Copy | New |
| Wolfenstein 3D | Download | Remake |
| Zuma | Download | New |
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