A lot of the issues that arise from being backwards compatible is in the graphic engines that games use. A lot of game engines send instructions directly to the GPU. When those GPUs and graphic engines get updated with newer gen hardware and software versions they often have to hardware emulate instructions for commands recieved from older games . It should not be as big of a problem as it was when they went from the XBox to the XBox360 because the architecture isn't going to be so very different.
I would assume there would be a point where the 360 would stop receiving updates, and the next gen console will pick up where the 360 left off. I doubt the "720" will be on par with AA modern gaming computer, but it shouldn't be to far behind. Meaning a world the size of PC minecraft should be possible, with also more players in multiplayer.
The 360 updates will end sometime, just like the Live servers will stop supporting the 360. There will probably be a period of several years overlap with the two consoles. Just look at Windows XP. Microsoft is finally pulling the update servers on that in April 2014. They stopped selling it in 2009.
A lot of the issues that arise from being backwards compatible is in the graphic engines that games use. A lot of game engines send instructions directly to the GPU. When those GPUs and graphic engines get updated with newer gen hardware and software versions they often have to hardware emulate instructions for commands recieved from older games . It should not be as big of a problem as it was when they went from the XBox to the XBox360 because the architecture isn't going to be so very different.
I don't know as much as I should about GPUs, if that's the architecture you speak of. As for CPU architecture, evidence shows that most cores will be ARM-based, (Advanced RISC [Reduced Instruction-Set Computing] Machine) however 2 cores will be PowerPC. As you recall, 360's CPU architecture is PowerPC, this is where I draw my conclusions on backwards-compatability. If you're talking about overall system architecture, nobody has a clue, though it doesn't make that much of a difference.
There are vast differences between low level and high level programming languages. C++ for example is a intermediate interface language that contains functionality for writing in low level machine language.
Well if there is going to be a Minecraft for the Xbox 720 it would have to be called Minecraft 720 Edition seeing as it wouldn't be our edition being Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition.
The title could show differently per console and the game could probably(I'm guessing right now) detect whether the console is 360 or 720 or what ever you want to call it, to unlock features that require more powerful hardware.
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"The struggle of survival is a war without end, and war – war never changes." -Ron Perlman in Fallout.
I have to say, that given all the console makers have done some very half-assed backwards-compatibility in the past (and present, with Wii U) it would be better to have them deliberately ignore bc rather than compromise the system with it.
Having our 20gig hard drives have only 13 useable so some goofball can play Halo 2 instead of Halo 3 was ridiculous, but back then Microsoft had to stop producing the original Xbox ASAP (due to its prohibitive expense). I don't think the 360 is being sold at a loss, and there's little reason not to sell the 360 beside Durango for years to come. - unless it is limited retailer space, but the PS2 continued to be sold for years after PS3 came out.
I rather expect the PS3 will be discontinued pretty quickly if Orbis is backwards compatible, although reports suggest it won't be.
No way backwards compatibility is awesome and alot of the kids that became large parts of the halo community may not have known the story of Halo if the 360 couldn't play Halo:CE & 2.
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"The struggle of survival is a war without end, and war – war never changes." -Ron Perlman in Fallout.
If you can find me a single game programmer still writing in machine code, i'll give you $1,000,000
I build redstone CPU's.... I don't have a clue what machine code is! /sarcasm
And I said one would need to go into assembly language or machine code for more control. When I said "which devs often do" I was referring to ASM. I can see how that could be misinterpreted though, my apologies for the poor wording.
thats funny, i though 1's an 0's was binary code ?
It is binary, which isn't a "code" necessarily, it's simply a base-2 numerical system. In layman's terms, it's just another way to count. At its most low-level form, computing is nothing but 1's and 0's, on and off, there is no in between. Most people who program in machine code (which isn't very many folks) use something like a hex editor, which represents data in a hexadecimal format. In terms of smallest amount of digits, hexadecimal is commonly the most efficient numerical system, it is compact to human eyes. A computer uses components with only 2 states, which makes binary the most efficient system. There is only one wire for each binary digit, there would have to be 10 for every decimal digit.
Machine code isn't strictly 1's and 0's. When you start programming on that level it's more memory management and stack allocations that anything else. Hexidecmal is more efficient because you can allocate more RAM at a time and use less as a push stack. A lot of programmers also program directly with the proccessor and use cycles to write things like loops.
In higher level programming languages like Java, Visual Basic and C++ memory is managed by variable allocation and the compiler handles all the machine instructions. You can make use of an assembly language inside those languages.
While the argument over what is and is not machine code continues, (or hopefully ends,) I'd like to talk about the coding. Currently, my understanding is that 4J Studios must take the PC code and rewrite it in a language that the X360 understands. If they used the same language, I imagine this would make things much easier. While I don't know the current languages used, I do remember reading that the new Xbox console will be running off of a Windows 8 based platform. (When I find the source, I will link it.) I'm hoping this means the language it uses may be closer or the same as the language that the PC version uses. For the record, I am no programmer and know very little about it. I am going to school for computer technologies, mainly networking and the hardware stuff.
until microsoft releases any actually credible info on the subject of the new console, i wouldnt be posting links to websites that have big heads and try to predict and spread rumours about the new generation. just be happy you have the game on the current generation of xbox, i am quite happy with it, as a console gamer i really could care less about how powerful the hardware can be and how the graphics will be. thats the not the point, it never was the point in gaming until very recently with the rise of PC gaming and the popularity of PC gaming. who gives a wheather or not you can see every pour of the characters face or every windo in a building, just be me a controller and a game and i am happy with it. graphics and power doesnt make the game, the game is what makes the game. a game is a game and a good game is a good game.
Why do you reply to things that you have no understanding of whatsoever? i really don't understand it. You try to argue points with false information constantly
I used no false info, 4j has now gone their own way TU9 will have the end along with many more PC features.
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"The struggle of survival is a war without end, and war – war never changes." -Ron Perlman in Fallout.
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Retired StaffI don't know as much as I should about GPUs, if that's the architecture you speak of. As for CPU architecture, evidence shows that most cores will be ARM-based, (Advanced RISC [Reduced Instruction-Set Computing] Machine) however 2 cores will be PowerPC. As you recall, 360's CPU architecture is PowerPC, this is where I draw my conclusions on backwards-compatability. If you're talking about overall system architecture, nobody has a clue, though it doesn't make that much of a difference.
In case you're interested:
Why the "negative vibes".
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Retired StaffReread your post, and you will see how dumb you thought English class was...
No, the xbox will have the majority of the features in PC and some exclusive.
off-topic, but I'm sure through all the people who program out there and make online games someone programs in binary alone.
The title could show differently per console and the game could probably(I'm guessing right now) detect whether the console is 360 or 720 or what ever you want to call it, to unlock features that require more powerful hardware.
No way backwards compatibility is awesome and alot of the kids that became large parts of the halo community may not have known the story of Halo if the 360 couldn't play Halo:CE & 2.
That seems like too much work. That's what compilers are for.
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Retired StaffI build redstone CPU's.... I don't have a clue what machine code is! /sarcasm
And I said one would need to go into assembly language or machine code for more control. When I said "which devs often do" I was referring to ASM. I can see how that could be misinterpreted though, my apologies for the poor wording.
It is binary, which isn't a "code" necessarily, it's simply a base-2 numerical system. In layman's terms, it's just another way to count. At its most low-level form, computing is nothing but 1's and 0's, on and off, there is no in between. Most people who program in machine code (which isn't very many folks) use something like a hex editor, which represents data in a hexadecimal format. In terms of smallest amount of digits, hexadecimal is commonly the most efficient numerical system, it is compact to human eyes. A computer uses components with only 2 states, which makes binary the most efficient system. There is only one wire for each binary digit, there would have to be 10 for every decimal digit.
In higher level programming languages like Java, Visual Basic and C++ memory is managed by variable allocation and the compiler handles all the machine instructions. You can make use of an assembly language inside those languages.
I used no false info, 4j has now gone their own way TU9 will have the end along with many more PC features.