New Xbox 2 Backwards Compatibility Rumors

Unnamed sources close to Microsoft senior executives have apparently confirmed that the next generation Xbox console will not be backwards compatible with the existing machine. If true the move is seen as largely unavoidable, considering the major differences imposed by the new console’s use of a non-x86 processor, (allegedly) no hard drive and an ATi graphics chipset rather than nVidia. According to these sources the company does not consider backwards compatibility to be an important issue and has cancelled all work on a software solution to the problem. However many analysts have citied the backwards compatibility of the PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance as major factors in these consoles’ success and the lack of the feature in the Xbox 2 is likely to further alienate consumers upset at the short lifespan of the current Xbox console. Source: gamesindustry.biz