Mike Ybarra, Head of Platform Engineering for Xbox, shares some thoughts on the one year anniversary of Xbox One Backward Compatibility, including details on one of the most requested titles being added to the back compat library today.

This weekend marks one year since the Xbox One Backward Compatibility program launched, bringing your favorite Xbox 360 titles to our Xbox One catalog so you can continue to enjoy the Xbox 360 games you own at no additional cost. It’s already been a big week with the additions of Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 to our library, as well as to the EA Access Vault, and the hits keep coming. We’re excited to announce the arrival of the highly-requested fan favorite, Skate 3, to our library of Backward Compatibility titles – available starting today.

When we first launched Xbox One Backward Compatibility as part of the New Xbox One Experience last November, our goal was to continue to put gamers at the center of everything we do.

We launched with over 100 titles and have added over 170 more in the last year. Today, you can play more than 280 Xbox 360 games on Xbox One, including my personal favorites, Blue Dragon and Red Dead Redemption – and the library continues to grow. We’re thrilled with the response and engagement we’ve seen from the community with more than 210 million hours of gameplay logged. (See the full list of Back Compat titles here)

As we approach our one-year mark on Saturday, November 12, we continue to work with our publishing partners to grow our library of Xbox One Backward Compatibility titles, and we’ll keep the community updated weekly when new releases are available. And don’t forget, all Xbox 360 games available through Games with Gold since we launched the program last year are also playable on Xbox One.

Now, here’s some more about Skate 3 to help get you in the mood to shred the streets of Port Carverton…

The Skate franchise fundamentally changed the skateboarding genre, and Skate 3 made everything that was already great about the series even better while adding a number of notable improvements. It’s no surprise that this title has been a fan-favorite. In addition to the already excellent Flickit control scheme, Skate 3 offers players the chance to team up with their friends to build a skate crew and shape their brand on their way to becoming a mogul.

Skate 3 is also the most accessible of the Skate titles thanks to Skate.School, where you’ll be able to go at any time to learn the ins and outs of skating, practice your moves, and hone your skills. Once you’re ready, say goodbye to harsh security, skate stoppers, and draining pools and say hello to darkslides and underflips as you explore an all-new city – Port Carverton, a skater-friendly mecca. Featuring unique districts, all-new plazas, and endless lines, Port Carverton is a true skater’s paradise. Finally, the Hall of Meat is back in Skate 3 and gnarlier than ever. You can brutalize your skater in the harshest ways possible with all-new total body control bails.

As part of the celebration, we’ve teamed up with EA to provide the San Van Party Pack DLC at no cost for a limited time from Nov 10 to Nov 20 in participating countries.

We’ll also be hosting a special Skate 3 Stream on Friday, November 11 at 1pm PT / 4pm ET. Tune in to beaam.pro/xbox (also at twitch.tv/xbox)

Thanks again to the community for your ongoing feedback and support. You’re what makes Xbox great. I’ll see you on Xbox Live.