8 Ways Greed Is Wrecking Modern Gaming
5. Non-Backwards Compatibility
Sob stories are often heard from the mouths of our corporate overlords as to just how oh-so-very hard it is, with the increasing complexity of newer consoles making it impossible for games from older generations to be backwards compatible.
Nevertheless, many fans were outraged a few years ago upon hearing the respective revelations that both the PS4 and the Xbox One would not support compatibility with older titles. Regardless of any alleged 'difficulty' for multi-billion dollar gaming companies in implementing such a feature, one thing is certain; non-backwards compatibility is as inconvenient for gamers as it is convenient for the studios.
Non-backwards compatibility, first and foremost, bullies the buyers of newer consoles into immediately investing in brand new games, which are almost always sold at premium prices. Some developers have even started a scam of remaking old console games specifically for the newer consoles and charging for them - extorting customers into essentially paying twice for the same game.
If you happened to purchase GTA V before upgrading to the Xbox One, you can expect to pay £38.99 on Amazon for the sheer privilege of *wait for it* still being able to play a game you already paid for. Add in the fact that GTA V, being sold now at new-release prices, was made three years ago, and you've got a racket in the making.