[quote name='akathatoneguy']What? Why? I'm genuinely curious. It's not like this has been a short console life cycle...it'll have been like 8 years at least once the next ones come out, not to mention that good games will come out for the current gen systems for another couple of years at least.[/QUOTE]
2014 is my guess for Xbox 3 and PS4.
Once this generation dies, I'll sell off my 360 and PS3 and just stick with my slim PS2 and probably buy back an SNES. The reasons are simple actually -
1) Too much money for less. Now, you pay $60 for a game but then spend more money to unlock stuff in the game, extra characters, missions, etc. to where the cost is just insane. Online passes too. When I see stuff available for purchase for avatars, I know gaming is going downhill. Seriously, I have purchased some DLC for games but not much and none whatsoever for themes and avatar stuff. Just think thats flushing money down the toilet.
2) Online/Digital Download. I dont play online and could care less about it. When I need to be a Gold member just to download a roster for Madden 13, there's a problem. PS3 is free to play and whatnot but that will change with PS4. Speaking of Madden 13, its a perfect example. M13 is meant to be played online which makes it useless to me. And people dont realize that the more you're willing to pay to play online, the greater the chances are that next gen systems go all digital which would be horrible because there's no reason for any publisher (especially those like EA, Activision, Capcom, etc.) to ever lower the price. Game releases at $60 and STAYS at that price forever because there would be no other way to play the game. Also, if the game is crap or you dont like it or finished it and wont play it again, you're stuck with it and cant sell it to get back some money to put towards an upcoming game.
3) The death of used games. Online passes are the start of this. Buying a game used and then having to buy an online pass to play the game online? What a rip off. Also, if you buy a game used, you're getting it cheaper than new which is another reason why I think that eventually consoles will be all digital. It eliminates so much in one move and favors those making the money.
4) Achievements/Trophies, etc. I hate all this crap. I think that a lot of games get played extra just because of this as opposed to the game actually being worth playing again. I hate having to create an avatar and keeping a record of every game I played especially when I cant delete the game. Just prefer the old days of plug and play.
5) DLC. I have bought some DLC for games because I wanted to keep playing them which is why now, I try finishing the game within a week or two and sell it because if I see DLC that I actually want to play (Sleeping Dogs would be a perfect example for me), I'll keep buying it which means it will just increase which long term is a bad thing. Also, combine this with Digital Download only and you'll have companies selling games via DD along with DLC content so instead of $60, you'll have to pay $80, $100 or even more but wont be able to do anything about it because you'll have no other way of playing the game.
6) All this extra stuff. Netflix, Hulu, etc. A video game console is meant to do just that - play games. If I wanted to do all this extra stuff, I wouldnt turn on my game console and pop in a game. Worse, there's too much focus on all of this crap when the focus should be on the games themselves. More worse is the fact that you need Gold to use all the apps which is nuts. If I wanted to watch Netflix, I would pay the $8, get an HDMI cable, connect my laptop to my HDTV and save $60 for Gold and the result is the same. Core aspects of video games are becoming less and less of a priority which is sad because thats what you're paying for to begin with but arent getting.
7) WiiMotion, Kinect, Move. UGH. I hate all this motion sensor camera whatever crap. Give me a damn controller, turn the system on, put in the disc and get out of my way so I can play the game. This is all just gimmicky crap. Granted, its made Nintendo a LOT of money and build their user base for Wii U but at the same time, majority of those people werent playing video games 20 years ago like I was. I want more traditional games that are worth the price and worth playing without any of this extra crap that should be in the game to begin with instead of being added as $15 DLC.
8) Manuals/Booklets. This is meaningless to most but important to me. Now, I open a new game and I see a two page manual telling me to go online to see the full manual. I remember back when I bought Chrono Trigger for SNES and the manual was like 80 something pages. Buying and opening games back then was actually exciting and that was before playing the game. This is also another reason why gaming will go all digital sooner rather than later.
9) Length of majority of games are too short. Some games are just over too damn fast even though majority of people exaggerate (especially on review sites) the game length. Short game length also means more DLC and more money spent for less.
10) Missions/chapters, etc. that require online play even though the single player story does not. Lone example is the prologue in Splinter Cell Conviction. Wanted to play it but dont play online and have no freinds that care about SCC so im stuck. Why you couldnt control Archer (or Kestrel) and have the CPU AI control the other guy is beyond me. See how this gen has taken away the focus from single player games to online, online, its all online?
Thats pretty much it. The only things I like about this era of gaming are (but not without faults) -
1) XBLA/PSN. Games like Outland, Lara Croft, Shadow Complex, Rainbow Moon, etc. are damn good games, far cheaper at $15 (or $10 in Outland's case) and actually better than majority of retail games. Granted, I prefer disc based games but I can understand games like these being released this way because they wont make any money but at least they're good games. Also, I have realized that XBLA/PSN games dont all have DLC for them which is a positive. Some do but compared to retail games, isnt not even close. Rainbow Moon for example is arguably the RPG of the year and its only $15. I will say all that DLC add on crap they have for it is just way too much. Cash for in-game coins? Seriously, WTF? Aside from that, I have actually played more XBLA/PSN games than I have retail games because quite simply, they're better, more fun and less money and more times than not, no DLC.
2) Patches. This is good to fix bugs, problems, glitches, etc. but the problem is that because of this, extra problems make it into the final retail product which shouldnt happen. Sometimes I think that companies dont even test their games figuring that the consumers will do it for them, complain and then, they can just release a patch to shut everyone up.
3) Ability to share files. Perfect example would be NBA 2K11. When I went online to download the roster update on PS3, I see all these classic rosters and stuff which brought back good memories. Stuff like this is good. Charging extra money for it or to be a Gold member to access this stuff is not. Gold member comment mainly towards Madden. Dont know if any other game has the same problems.
4) DLC. Yeah, few times, I bought DLC. Would I rather have it die? Yes but with that said, if the DLC is good and cheap, its worth it. If not, then nope. Perfect example for me is Splinter Cell Conviction. Love the game and loved Deniable Ops. Paying $10 for the Insurgency Pack was worth the price because it was good, solid to good length and added more playing time to Deniable Ops which I loved. Worse part of DLC is that companies take advantage of us with it. But then again, if everyone buys DLC (including me), they will continue doing it so I guess I cant complain that much.
Anyway, thats pretty much it. Sorry for the long ass book but you said you were curious. LOL.
