Microsoft/Xbox Pushing Backwards Compatibility Hard, With Specific Nods Towards Game Preservation

from the a-start dept

If it seems like the topic of preserving antiquated video games as art keeps coming up, that's because it's very much starting to become a popular topic in the gaming industry and among the gaming public. The headwinds facing the proper preservation of this ever-growing subsect of culture are fairly clear. The very tools that have been used by fans to keep these older games alive and playable have too often been viewed as a threat to some gaming companies. As with all things in life, copyright is also getting in the way, as are some industry groups coming out against vile threats like museums and curation groups looking to keep old games alive for the public. Even preserving old game manuals is a prospect that only survives because of fair use.

One recent suggestion we discussed was to make it part of the the game development culture to publish the source code for any PC game publicly. If this sounds like a bonkers idea that would risk a game developer all of its income, well, Doom did this, so no you're wrong. But, as we also discussed recently when Sony officially announced it was ceasing support of the PlayStation Store for PSP, Vita, and PS3 owners, this suggested cure does zero for console games.

Well, I can't say for sure that whoever is crafting PR and messaging for Microsoft's Xbox is a Techdirt reader, but you sure might think so if you see how they're crafting the messaging around their big backwards-compatibility push.

Backward compatibility has been a key feature of Microsoft’s Xbox Series X/S marketing efforts, with the company promoting the consoles’ ability to play a wide range of original Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One games.  And on Tuesday, Microsoft brought backward compatible titles to Xbox cloud gaming for the first time by making a number of classic games from Rare, Bethesda and others available to Android users with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.

“As time goes on, it becomes more important than ever that we ensure gaming icons and classics are preserved for new and old players alike,” the official Xbox Twitter account posted on Wednesday.  “Whether your first time playing Morrowind is from 2002 on your Xbox or 2021 on your phone, we’re excited to share these experiences with you!”

Two immediate thoughts leap to mind reading this. First, to be completely realistic, this isn't a full solution to the problem of console game preservation, either. One console keeping older games from a handful of developers available by continuing to sell them on modern hardware and platforms is not in any way the same thing as making sure that curators or museums that focus on the art of video games can do the work they should be doing. But it is also certainly a step in the right direction and shows a path where developers and publishers, if they elect to put forth the effort, can work with other platforms and providers to keep aging games available and playable. It's a baby step, but it's a step.

But the more important aspect of this is that the chatter about game preservation is clearly building into the lexicon of the industry. When you get the Xbox Twitter account talking about it, well, it means some people within the industry are paying attention to it. And it wasn't just one Xbox Twitter account getting this message out there.

In an Xbox Wire interview this week, Rare studio head Craig Duncan said backward compatibility is playing an “essential” role in preserving video game history.

“There are just a bunch of inherent complexities when generations and platforms change and being able to relive games you played previously and fondly remember is important,” he said. "Those games contain memories and moments you can share with others and being able to do that quickly by just selecting the game in Xbox Game Pass is easy and just works with no fuss. The alternative is firing up an older console, finding all the cables, and preserving the discs so they still work (which some collectors do as a passionate hobby),” Duncan continued. “Making the history of games available to everyone and making your game library a click away is awesome.”

Right on message, almost as though this were part of a messaging campaign at the worst, or the output of a philosophy from Microsoft at best. Either would be a step in the right direction.

Again, is this Microsoft committing to help preserve games in the museum sense? Not at all. But keeping older games available and playable is the primary goal here and any help the company wants to be to make sure this culture and art aren't lost to time is welcome.

Filed Under: backwards compatibility, game preservation, video games, xbox
Companies: microsoft

Sony Ends Support For Playstation Store For PSP, PS3, and Vita

from the preservation-mode dept

A few days ago, we discussed the problem of video game preservation as a matter of art when developers, publishers, or platforms shut down certain services. The point of the post was fairly wide-reaching, with the focus being on the idea that game developers in the PC space should embrace the habit of releasing their source codes for games and let the gamer ecosystem take over. While that's an idea I find extremely interesting, it doesn't really apply to the console gaming space. And it was rumors of the shutdown of certain Sony PlayStation stores that kickstarted the whole conversation.

Well, that rumored shutdown is now reality. And it's roughly half as bad for the purposes of game preservation as was expected.

Today, Sony updated the important notice section of its official site with information about the upcoming shutdowns. While the stores will be closed later in the year, Sony explained that players will still be able to redownload content that they own after the shutdown date. Folks will also still be able to redeem PS Plus and game vouchers, though wallet vouchers will no longer work on these stores after they close.

So, that's the top line summary of what's changing, with the headline being that people will still be able to re-download games that they had previously purchased. That's obviously a good thing. But where we dive right back into the preservation question is here.

You will no longer be able to purchase PS3, PS Vita, and PSP digital content, including games and video content.

You will no longer be able to make in-game purchases through games on PS3, PS Vita, and PSP.

So new purchases are not available for games. Whether said games will be made available anywhere else is an open question. As is the question of in-app purchases or DLC. Given that those are going away, the next question is what is being done to preserve the games and their source codes? No answers currently exist. And, if you believe that video games are a form of art and culture, that's very much a problem.

Put yourself in the shoes of a preservationist or museum for video games. What in the world happens to this culture from here? Where does the DLC go, given that it's very much a part of the art of the game? Where does the source code go? How will someone 25 years from now be able to experience this art in the same way you can walk into an art museum and see an exhibit.

As of today, the answer to most of those questions most of the time is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. But that can't be the answer and it's probably time that either the industry or, if the industry fails to take this seriously, the government take a good long look at carving out some exceptions or requirements to make sure all this culture doesn't end up memory-holed.

Filed Under: compatibility, game preservation, preservation, ps vita, ps3, psp, video games
Companies: sony