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Old video games get new life on Xbox One consoles
Microsoft played to the hearts of gamers on Monday with word that they will be able to switch on beloved old video games on new-generation Xbox One consoles
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icrosoft played to the hearts of gamers on Monday with word that they will be able to switch on beloved old video games on new-generation Xbox One consoles.
The announcement of long-desired "backward compatibility" for hit video games that typically cost $60 new came at a flashy Xbox One event on the eve of the opening of an Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) extravaganza at the Los Angeles convention center.
Microsoft repeatedly touted "exclusive" blockbuster content, including "Halo 5 Guardians," from in-house teams and early availability of hotly-anticipated video games such as "Rise of the Tomb Raider," set for release late this year by outside studios.
"There has never been a better time to be an Xbox gamer," said Xbox division head Phil Spencer.
"If you have been waiting to move from your Xbox 360 to Xbox One, now is the time."
Sony PlayStation 4 consoles trounced Xbox One after the new generation consoles hit the market in late 2013.
Microsoft since lowered the price and increased the focus on game play, rather than features such as streaming films, and has begun narrowing the sales gap.
The ability of people to re-play previous generation Xbox games that they enjoyed promised to be a hit with gamers who have lamented that upgrading to new hardware, historically, has come with leaving behind old titles that don't work on new consoles.
"Xbox One backward capability allows you to play the games you have already invested in," Spencer said, eliciting raucous cheers from an audience of gamers, partners and the press.
By the year-end holiday season, Xbox One will support play of select Xbox 360 games for no charge. Spencer noted that it was one of the most requested features from fans.
Xbox executive Mike Ybarra promised that more than 100 titles would be available by year's end in a library of games with backward compatibility, crowing that a personal favorite, "Mass Effect," will be among them. (ika)(+++)
