Craig Duncan spoke to Xbox Wire in an interview about backward compatibility and cloud gaming.
With 16 backward compatible games for Project xCloud now available to all Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, Xbox Wire chief editor Will Tuttle asked Craig Duncan to interview RARE to discuss backward compatibility and talk about cloud gaming. We have this Interview I translated here for you.
Xbox Wire: Did bringing these games to Xbox Game Pass members over the cloud make you special memories?
Craig Duncan: I have memories of all the rare games. As a teen player and recently when we put Rare Replay together in 2015. Viva Pinata is a game where I personally invested hours in growing my garden and my binata boxes. I play it again from time to time. It’s a very interesting game about grooming and growing and finding out that was ahead of its time. Lots of fun jumping back.
Xbox Wire: How important is backward compatibility in terms of preserving your video game history?
Craig Duncan: It is necessary. There is simply a bunch of complexities inherent as generations and basic systems change. The opportunity to relive games you played in the past that you remember fondly is important. These games contain memories and moments to share with others, and the ability to do so quickly by simply selecting the game on Xbox Game Pass is simple and easy. The alternative is to plug in an old console, find all the cables, and keep the discs so they keep working (which is something some collectors like). Making your game history available to everyone and having access to your game library with one click is great!
Xbox Wire: Have you seen a lot of new fans accept titles like Kameo and Banjo Kazooie in Xbox Game Pass?
Craig Duncan: Rare games have spanned many generations to the point that there are fans of rare games of all ages. That’s the really nice thing about having a game library on every device, including your favorite games from years ago.
Xbox Wire: Do you see backward compatibility with phone and cell versions as a way to bring these titles to new audiences?
Craig Duncan: Being able to play your own game library on the device you want is a great promise. Be it on console, PC, mobile phone or tablet. I think it gives real freedom of choice when it comes to where to play. But with the growth of cloud gaming on mobile, it is exciting to think that this could be where someone discovers their first rare game.
Xbox Wire: Will fans see any noticeable improvements to the original releases of these games?
Craig Duncan: The team behind backward compatibility are true magicians. The ability to make games work better is because the hardware you run on, whether on this generation of consoles or in the cloud, is more powerful than the platforms games were originally running on. This means faster load times and higher frame rates.
Xbox Wire: How do you decide which titles the touch controls will receive?
Craig Duncan: We took the lead from the Cloud Gaming team as they implemented and made us available to play and test. It’s always difficult because touch is different from console and some games with fewer inputs are better for a touch experience than others. Jetpac Refueled is a great example of minimizing input, but if touch is the way you, the player, want to play a game, we want to make sure it works as well as possible. Of course, we are also happy to receive feedback from our players.
Xbox Wire: What do you think of the very “smart” people who think Viva Pinata is the ultimate masterpiece that everyone should play?
Craig Duncan: A lot of people love Viva Pinata so they have to be “smart” people! When she was brought up there was nothing quite like her and it looks like she’s great to play with even today. The original concept put a lot of thought into play on the go, and the nature of the game is great for a mobile experience (and at the time, Rare made a version of the Nintendo DS called Pocket Paradise). Well, the idea that people will be able to experience the full Xbox 360 version of the original Viva Pinata and the sequel to Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise on their phones through the power of backward compatibility and cloud gaming is magical. Hope everyone gives it a try.
