If you happen to have a massive collection of Xbox Live Arcade games, you’ll likely want to keep your trusty Xbox 360 handy as we move on to the next generation. Not only is the Xbox One, which Microsoft announced yesterday on Spike TV, unable to play Xbox 360 discs, but the device will also not support all the Xbox Live Arcade games you’ve purchased in the past.
This news comes from GameSpot, which spoke to Phil Spencer yesterday during the event. Similar to the situation between the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, all of the downloadable content on your old Xbox 360 console will not be making the next-gen transition.
"Those games will continue to run on your Xbox 360 for as long as your Xbox 360 runs," Microsoft Game Studios VP Phil Spencer said. "The box is not backward compatible and we think for somebody who invests in a large digital library that you want to keep your [Xbox 360]. Keep that as a vibrant part of the ecosystem."
Don’t think that this means that the consoles are completely isolated, though. While the games will be tied to each system, your friends list and achievements are tied to the account, which can be accessed on both the Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
"That's why we've made sure that your identity, your friends, are constant between both platforms. You don't have a separate identity on Xbox one or [Xbox 360]; it's the same, you are you," he continued. "My friend's network is the same on both boxes, my achievements are the same. So we think that service component is an important component to keep constant across both devices."
Response to the Xbox One has been tepid at best, so this news will likely continue to confuse the masses on this recently announced Microsoft product.