Xbox 720 - Disc Format Not Backwardly Compatible

Is this poorly written article insinuating that the console itself is launching on May 21st?

Think someone has the wrong end of the stick.

It's not that it won't be able to read the discs, it's that it won't be able to run the software on them.

The blu-ray drive will be able to read DVDs.

"So, like most consoles since, well, a long time ago... no backwards compatibility."

I'm curious, what consoles are you referring to? Most that I can think of from the last 12 or 13 years did launch with backward compatibilty

PS2 - Played PS1 games
PS3 - Launch version did play PS2 games
Xbox 360 - Could play most Xbox games
Nintendo handhelds - As far as I am aware, most Nintendo handhelds are backwards compatible with the previous one (3DS plays DS, DS plays gameboy advance games, GBA could play GB games)
Wii U - plays Wii games
Wii - could play GameCube games

Only consoles that come to mind that don't have backward compatiblity are:
PS Vita

Uncertain about Gamecube compatiblity, but it probably couldn't play N64 games due to switching to CD (which actually IS a case of media format being incompatible ;) )


I'm not sure why it seems to be getting banded about that expecting backwards compatibility is an unrealistic expectation, it's not as uncommon as the media seem to want us to believe.


Issues of the always on DRM aside (which would be a deal breaker), I'd have no hesitation in getting the next xbox if it would play all my existing games (both DVD and XBLA), if it doesn't, then I'll wait until there are enough games available to justify getting one since I don't have space under the TV for both :(