It seems the team over at Microsoft is positioning itself for the competition that will soon hit the next-gen gaming market. The company has recently declared its dedication to backward compatibility (something it earlier balked at) and its desire to have the Xbox 360 known as a gaming machine.
On the backward compatibility front, Peter Moore made it clear Microsoft wants to stick as close to its original goal of having most Xbox games compatible with the new system. Xbox has been having some issues with making backward compatibility work, but it seems the dedication to succeed is still there.
From Xbox Circle:
I want to be clear that my comments were not about nobody cares - of course we care, and we're going to continue to try and get as close as we can to our stated target of every Xbox game being backcompat to the 360, and I'm hopeful we get there."
Moore also went on to announce two new titles that would be backwards compatible later this week:
"I can tell you two titles... Doom 3 and Lego Star Wars. Those will both be part of the list and there's a lot more than that."
The backpedaling is good. Ensuring that Xbox titles work on the Xbox 360 console will lead to sales of the new console. If they’re not, gamers with hundreds and even thousands of dollars invested in old-gen titles will not be willing to switch gaming machines. And, really, why would they?
Speaking of “gaming machines,” Microsoft’s senior regional director Neil Thompson is touting the 360 as just that. With Sony’s recent statements that the PlayStation 3 is a computer and a Blu-Ray DVD player, it looks like Microsoft wants to make it clear the 360 is about games first.
Thompson from Game Shout:
The PlayStation 3 is obviously a significant factor in terms of what is going to happen in the market. But the interesting thing about this week is that they have really positioned themselves as a Blu-ray player. And I think they've missed the ball, in that it's not really a next-generation games player - it's a next-generation DVD player. For us, that's great news, because we think we make the next-generation games console."
Both moves are pretty smart on the PR front. Microsoft needs to keep the Xbox 360 in the forefront of consumers’ minds as the release dates for the PS3 and Nintendo’s Wii draw closer. By insisting the 360 will stick to its backward compatibility plan and is dedicated to gaming, Xbox is planting the seed that its console will be the gamers' machine.
And for gamers who think their PC is the ultimate machine, don't forget to try your hand at winning a free copy of the T-rated version of Oblivion by clicking here.
Related:
PS2 Outselling Xbox 360
Xbox 360 Compatibility List Expands
Xbox 360 Team On Back Compatibility Issues
PS3 Finally Has A Release Date
Wii Gets Dated, Priced Later This Year
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