A Case For Backward Compatibility

So with the announcements for the Playstation 4 and Xbox One out of the way, they both have something very critical in common: neither are backwards compatible. Backwards compatibility allows one to use the previous generation's stuff on the new generation, and in terms of video game systems, this would mean that PS3 and Xbox 360 games would be compatible on their successors. However, this is not the case.

Now, the reasoning behind not doing this is two fold. First, they want to upgrade the systems and their graphics and hardware, etc, so they tell us that the old software is simply not compatible with the new. Seems a tad unlikely, really, the it is impossible for the old stuff to work on the new, since the new is more powerful in terms of processing, etc, and they have access to the proprietary coding for both. They'd have us believe that playing the old games on the new system is like trying to play VHS tapes on a DVD player, yet a Bluray player will run not only DVDs but VCDs as well.

Their other public reasoning is that people don't buy a new system to play old games on it. This is true, of course, but they miss the circumstances under which someone would buy a new system when they own the old one. Follow me on this line of reasoning.

I own a Wii. The WiiU is backwards compatible just as the Wii was backwards compatible with the GameCube, which I also owned. I love my video games and played the heck out of those systems. They still work, but when the new stuff comes out, I start looking to see what's new. With the WiiU, I know I can continue to play all of my existing games and use my existing Wii remotes, so I can simply consider the system an upgrade and replacement to what I have and then explore the new games at my leisure.

However, for me to purchase an Xbox One or PS4, I would need to see what new games are being released and have a gaming need to buy one system or the other along with the motivation to replace all hardware and make sure I had yet more space around my TV and in my receiver to accommodate the extra system alongside my existing system, since I would have to keep it hooked up for some time to finish out whichever games I still had to get through. After all, old systems don't die because I new one comes out.

I feel like neglecting backwards compatibility because you don't buy new systems to play old games misses the market that owns the existing systems and simply want to upgrade. For me, I would probably grab an Xbox One sooner if I could consider it an upgrade for the hundred games I now have. I will need considerable motivation to plunk down $600 to play a $60 game. "Must have" only goes so far.

Why I Do What I Do

After all my ranting and moping and such, I got on with my day. Over the past month or so, I had gotten into the Amazon Cloud Player, which holds some 250,000 tracks. I have no where near that many, but I figured after dragging through my collection of CDs and backups and everything else I have that resembles music, I would go ahead and back that whole thing up to my hard drive. The cloud player is my primary source of music, and I mostly download a few albums to play them on my iPod and cycle through them that way. So far, I'm up through the letter M. 32,000+ tracks takes a very long time to download.

Anyway, today when I logged into my home computer to make sure it was still going (it times out after about 12 hours), I paused before closing the connection to look at my desktop background. It is a picture of the three princesses that my brother-in-law and his wife took over the summer. As I looked into their smiling faces and eyes, I realized that despite my moping, I am quite blessed in my life, and it is for them that I work so hard at something I don't want to do. It is my responsibility to provide for them the best way I can, and should my ship come in, then it would only get better.

Another song I've been toying with also kept going through my head today. Probably been going through my head or a few days since I endeavored to arrange it and such. I wrote the music and lyrics for it, and in other times of distress, I have read through these words and found them very comforting. It is one of those where I was definitely inspired in its writing.

Blessed

Leaning upon your arms, Lord
I find the comfort I need
With less of me, there’s more of you
I will follow where you lead

Your love, it wraps around me
Everything drives me closer to you
Like a purpose where all seems wrong

When my spirit’s lost all hope, I am  blessed
When I bring peace to all those I know, I am  blessed
When a hole has been torn in my heart, I am  blessed
When for Your name they tear me apart, I am  blessed
I don’t need to be afraid ‘Cause you love me every day,
I am blessed              

Help me to find peace, Lord
Quiet my restless soul
Within you there is no loss
And your spirit makes me whole

Your love, it wraps around me
Everything drives me closer to you
Like a purpose where all seems wrong

When my mind and heart are finally right, I am  blessed
When I’m content with my lot in life, I am  blessed
When God is all the food I need, I am  blessed
When I care too much for all those I see, I am blessed
I don’t need to be afraid ‘Cause you love me every day,
I am blessed

Not Normal

You know, there are thing that annoy me out there, and here's another one. I'm guessing that the majority of the world follows sports of some kind, and they all have their favorite teams. I'm not a sports fan at all. No team favorites. I have no memorabilia or jerseys or preferences. I just don't follow it. however, on more than one occasion, my workplace has had a event for jeans and your favorite team jerseys. I'm not opposed to people having fun, but it sort of further isolates those of us who don't do sports at all. We might be a minority, but you know, all this diversity nonsense seeks to include every minority in the world...except for us mid-range white guys who are not into sports. Those people can just shove off, I guess.

Pretty funny in a workplace full of geeks. I guess the rest of them are sports geeks as well. I'm more of a music geek who is into writing. Gotta pick your life, and I apparently chose wrong again. I am further outcast. Thanks spirit committee!