The Backwards Compatibility Research Poll 2020 Edition

[Shifty Geezer]

Poll time! Years ago we had views on the value of BC. Let's see if things have changed...

'Compromisation' in this case is either hardware choices (CPU choice, GPU shader counts) or hardware abstraction and disallowing devs from hitting the hardware. 'Slightly compromised' means no hitting the hardware or some minor hardware choices, maybe 10% off what the unhampered next-gen design would be. 'Moderately compromised' means putting in an older GPU arch, a rather old or slower CPU arch, or a fat API that reduces performance notably.

I ran out of options for the Nintendo like 'I want BC above all else even if it means the next-gen machine is two outdated last-gen machines duct-taped together'

'Enhanced' is upscaled, better framerates, extra graphical niceties like post-processed raytraced AO.

I assume BC to be one generation but feel free to add more generation comments.

 

[iroboto]

Too many options a Shifty, bucket into smaller groups, 6 options at most then you gain some insights. The number of options won’t give you any significant insights without a massive sample size.

 

[BRiT]

Where's the option for Microsoft Xbox users to vote? I don't see one that fits the following:

"We want BC and we know next-gen experience won't be compromised one bit and the BC experience will be enhanced!"

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Too many options a Shifty, bucket into smaller groups, 6 options at most then you gain some insights. The number of options won’t give you any significant insights without a massive sample size.

If you do a few options, people always complain they aren't represented.

 

[iroboto]

If you do a few options, people always complain they aren't represented.

Haha. Well yea. Sure. That’s true but then you have a bunch of columns with 1 vote each. Nothing there to gain.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

On the flip side, if you group everything under too broad options, you then can't be sure what the votes really mean. Let's say there's two poll options, "I want BC" and "I don't want BC." Then there's no nuance in the choices. Perhaps someone would like BC but not if it limits the next-gen experience. Where do they vote? If they vote 'yes' it can be interpreted as 'no matter what'. And if they vote 'no', it can be pointed out as people not caring for BC at all.

We're arguing about the results before there even are any!

 

[iroboto]

I’ll take a stab here:
I expect my purchases to upgrade to next generation version (multi license scenario) or otherwise supported through BC.

I don’t want or need BC.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Not voting as I don't plan to buy either console, but if I were to vote...

Considering I just finished playing the original Wasteland released in Jan. 1988 (I also finished it back in 1988) again, I'd have to say that BC would be extremely high on my list. I'm now thinking about replaying the original Bard's Tale trilogy again (1985-1988). System Shock 2 (1999) is also maybe on the horizon.

Regards,
SB

 

[Cyan]

would properly vote if there was a I want BC but I'm not interested in a new console -maybe lockhart, but juuuuust maybe, very improbable-. I am currently playing Alien Isolation, a game shipped in 2014, and having a blast, full settings, GPU resting on its laurels running it as if it ran nothing...

 

[eastmen]

would properly vote if there was a I want BC but I'm not interested in a new console -maybe lockhart, but juuuuust maybe, very improbable-. I am currently playing Alien Isolation, a game shipped in 2014, and having a blast, full settings, GPU resting on its laurels running it as if it ran nothing...

well let me tell you about a little thing called game pass......

But seriously not in reply to you but in reply to this poll itself. Why would anyone say no if the system the new system isn't compromised at all ? Seems quite odd

 

[Shifty Geezer]

But seriously not in reply to you but in reply to this poll itself. Why would anyone say no if the system the new system isn't compromised at all ? Seems quite odd

Indeed, if there was no compromise it wouldn't hurt, but removing that poll option means no 'I don't want BC regardless' option. There needs to be an option for those who wouldn't play any old games no matter what to see if what part of the gaming populace is happy to embrace 100% next-gen, no looking back.

 

[MrFox]

I want BC only if it helps ramp up adoption of the platform. Otherwise it's a waste of resources and a waste of money that should have gone to next gen titles development. The more people upgrade, the money can be made with AAA titles, the more I get the games I want.

Figure out the market, and do whatever works.

 

[Inuhanyou]

I dont understand the concept of the poll...but i think bc is a good thing as long as it ensures baseline compatibility across most(90 to 95%) of software and the modern hw is able to take advantage of it to some degree.

If we consider ps5 slightly compromised to hit ps4 bc effectively for their needs rather than another reason, ill take it since it doesnf really seem like much of a loss to my eyes.

Going to ps5 ive never expected full enhanced bc going back gens because it would realistically be a logisticial nightmare for any company, let alone sony who dont have a history of all their games being contained in house like nintendo or run under similar programming language like ms. Not even speaking of the pure expanse of software theyd have to account for.

At the same time with ps4 to ps5 its different than going from ps3 to ps4, as every company is invested in live services and recuurent revenue streams. And it would be a killer for their money train and fans expectatiins both to not be able to carry those libraries and access to software on the store forward now that it has grown so much as an investment of peoples time and so crucial to the sony business.

Nintendo are lucky wii u was such a dismal failure and they have been so backwards with online thaf they didnt need to worry about ecsystems going into switch. But itll he different for them next time around too

 

[Pete]

If you do a few options, people always complain they aren't represented.

Spoiler: politics

Too many options gets us President Trump, but maybe the B3D voting populace is better informed. I can’t wait to see who’s the Trump of the next console gen!

It’s ironic that I prefer slight compromise for enhanced BC because the titles I want enhanced have compromised framerates. I love me some AF and resolution and AA, but framerate is the minimum bar, the low hurdle that most games trip over. To be fair, Jaguar didn’t do devs any favors. I’d love to see if Zen 2 gets us back to 60fps as a starting point (I’m willing to let bygones be bygones, Insomniac).

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I dont understand the concept of the poll...

Well so far, with such incredible numbers, we see that about half of gamers don't want any sacrifices in their next-gen experience. If Sony had had access to this incredible data, perhaps they'd have said, "screw BC, let's go with a monster rig and just sell remakes again," and run away with next-gen? If only they'd thought to make their own internet poll.

 

[Inuhanyou]

Too many choices! I just picked the one i thought made most sense

 

[Pete]

On the flip side, if you group everything under too broad options, you then can't be sure what the votes really mean. Let's say there's two poll options, "I want BC" and "I don't want BC." Then there's no nuance in the choices. Perhaps someone would like BC but not if it limits the next-gen experience. Where do they vote? If they vote 'yes' it can be interpreted as 'no matter what'. And if they vote 'no', it can be pointed out as people not caring for BC at all.

The nuance could be: need BC / want BC / no BC / [bleak COVID19 humor].

Digital storefronts make BC interesting. Value-priced previous gen games aren’t competing for limited physical shelf space with full-priced new ones. Unlike Steam, where everything is kind of lumped together as “Windows game” and specs are a PITA to sort through, you have separate, uh, e-shelves for separate generations. And if your old console breaks, maybe it’s easier to talk yourself into buying a new current gen as a replacement with benefits (the option to play new titles and movie/TV formats) rather than dealing with repairs or the used market.

 

[MrFox]

Well so far, with such incredible numbers, we see that about half of gamers don't want any sacrifices in their next-gen experience. If Sony had had access to this incredible data, perhaps they'd have said, "screw BC, let's go with a monster rig and just sell remakes again," and run away with next-gen? If only they'd thought to make their own internet poll.

Wanting something and not wanting any sacrifice is a badly constructed poll choice. People also want an inexpensive console and also no sacrifices in performance, which makes absolutely no sense. People want everything. How is this helping you reach any reasonable conclusion?

People want BC without compromise if it is in any way possible. It isn't. It's either costing in additional hardware (seems minimal in the case of PS5, but it was massive for the PS3), or in forcing a high-level API or in testing 4000+ titles, recompiling (sorry deassembling/reassembling) with a ridiculously low rate and redownloading a disc game. It will always have compromises whether gamers are techincal enough to understand them or not.

If there's a way to make it without "compromises" everyone will choose that, and so far nobody is being honest about assessing where the compromises are. Same for the pipe dream of having cross gen without causing any limitations to next gen.

Any poll like this would need a threshold impacting the market, changing a purchase intent. Because "I want XYZ if.." and everyone will buy it anyway is not a useful poll result. Some gamers will figure out whatever shape BC takes, they will stay on that platform anyway, regardless of how they wish it was using unicorn blood as heatsink compound.

* I adjusted the unicorn joke to avoid being low-brow. I am proud of myself.

 

[BRiT]

I want my cake and eat it too.

 

[iroboto]

Last revision based upon the responses here:
a) I want or need BC: Purchases should upgrade to next generation version (multi license scenario), if not, then enhanced BC, and if not that then legacy BC.
b) I don’t want or need BC. All resources should be invested into next generation titles without compromise

Should pretty much give you the population without making it difficult and should tell you where people actually stand on the topic.