Xbox 360 Backward Compatibility Unshrowded

We’re still not completely convinced. Since we don’t have the PR pull GameSpot does, we’re gonna steal their article, even if we’re still a little hesitant to believe it.

Rumors have abounded since before the official E3 showing, that the
Xbox 360’s ability to play original Xbox games was something of a
conspiracy. Microsoft’s official wording on the subject has been “it
will be backwards compatible with top-selling Xbox games”. Well sorry,
but that’s awful vague. Does it mean you’ll only be adding support for
those games that sold a million copies? Maybe only Microsoft Studio
games? Or maybe you go back to the developer and say “we need another
version to work with the 360” only to sell yet another copy of games
users already have.

Plenty of other sites have questioned the
very same wording, but according to GameSpot, Microsoft bypassed the
press release and general PR policies to tell them directly that “Our
goal is to have every Xbox game work on Xbox 360. You will NOT need to
purchase a new ‘version.’ Your original games will work on Xbox 360.”

I’ve got two comments to that. First, your ‘goal’? What does that mean
exactly? Saying ‘our goal’ in the same instance as ‘original games will
work’ is a bit suspicious in the first place.

Secondly, and
this is not said to discredit GameSpot, but who said this? Can we get a
name? You’ve got to back up these statements and you’re not. Now
granted, this is their Rumor Control piece they publish weekly, but
that shouldn’t dismiss integrity in journalism.

If true, this
is great news. Especially for those people that sold their Xboxes early
assuming the best. If not, let it be noted that Media Geeks didn’t
hesitate to question the big dogs.