Xbox President Sarah Bond has reportedly helped set up a new internal team that is prioritizing game preservation and future-proofing in regards to hardware.
As gaming preservation continues to be a major concern in the digital age, Bond and her newly fashioned team are committing to future-proofing the Xbox ecosystem, according to Windows Central. This includes ensuring that games remain available in the future on new pieces of hardware.
“We have formed a new team dedicated to game preservation, important to all of us at Xbox and the industry itself,” Bond says in an internal email. “We are building on our strong history of delivering backwards compatibility to our players, and we remain committed to bringing forward the amazing library of Xbox games for future generations of players to enjoy.”
Currently, it’s not yet known what the team is directly working on. However, it’s believed that Xbox will discuss more regarding this initiative during its annual Xbox Showcase, which is believed to be taking place on June 9th, 2024 in Los Angeles.
Xbox has continuously prioritized backwards compatibility. Currently, hundreds of Xbox 360 titles are currently available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Even many original Xbox games can be played on the current consoles. However, there’s still room to grow and improve. Microsoft is shuttering many parts of the Xbox 360 storefront later this year, closing off access to many games.
Outside of Xbox, game preservation is commonly a point of conversation. We’ve long seen the ramifications of storefronts being shut down. Whether it was PlayStation shuttering the PlayStation 3, PSP, and PS Vita stores a few years back or Nintendo closing the Wii U and 3DS eShop in 2023, it marks the end of an era for many titles. Adding to this, many singular experiences are ripped from digital storefronts due to licensing issues. This includes the fan-beloved Spec Ops: The Line.
On top of addressing the new team, Bond also discusses the integration of Activision Blizzard and Battle.net into Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass. Following its introduction onto Xbox Game Pass in March, Xbox has become the number one platform for Diablo IV.
