[quote name='dan77733']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.

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Looking at your points,
1) Completely agree, and I think costs will continue to go up and many will stop playing games because of it. Then there will also be free to play which will be good for some stuff but will be abused by publishers and people will first gravitate to it and then find out later how much of a rip off it is.
2) Agree Sony will probably charge for online and at some point Nintendo too. XBLive cost will increase. Publishers will continue to do things to charge like that COD Elite and BF 3 Premium crap, more publishers will get in on it. But you won't see digital download only until the generation after PS4, if there is one and not just cloud gaming on PS4 generation hardware. Even when there is digital only we will see sales because there will be competition in different games and hopefully enough different devices to play on.
3 & 4 & 5) Ya that sucks. I think we'll see more achievement type modern gaming ideas next gen. DLC is the biggest rip off in gaming. The only good stuff is the expansion pack type content and even then it sucks because you can't sell it. Once in a blue moon there's something small that is actually worth it, until you stop playing that game of course.
I usually never buy DLC, hold out for the GOTY editions, but then gaming isn't as fun because you have to wait years and then you lose interest because nobody plays the game anymore or talks about it. Or a game that was once AAA gets surpassed in graphics, gameplay, etc from a newer game. Then there's EA who usually don't bundle their DLC on disc.
6) Don't mind the extra stuff, but it is stupid that you're basically paying more on 360 and will overtime to access it. Hope that part remains free on PS4.
7 Amen

Unfortunately, IMHO only Sony really cares about core gaming on consoles anymore. And since they're doing so bad they may eventually have to abandon that and start doing casual more than anything else. Maybe. Unless core gamers can unite behind PS4 as THE core console next gen while Nintendo and MS stay how they are currently.
1) The good thing is you'll see more and more of that with even larger budgets, but you'll also see prices rise to where XBLA/PSN games will have many be or even the norm be $20. Cash for in game coins lol, the future will bring a lot more of that with the free-to-play games but those will actually be Pay-to-Play where you'll have to grind for hours unless you pay up.
[quote name='io']Didn't realize there was a thread for this. I got mine Sunday and have pretty much just been downloading all my PSN purchases and PS+ freebies. I haven't even tried putting a disc in yet. I'm not even sure how it opens/closes. It seems to have a button that pops it open, but doesn't close it? I dunno - will check it out some time though

. The button is just sort of the left side of the front of the system and does seem pretty cheesy (the whole "bar" with the PS logo pushes in on one side only and as such doesn't feel like a button at all).
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I was under the impression the button to open the drive is only mechanical parts - not electronic, thus the reason for not being able to close.
[quote name='CheapAssHustla'] The other thing I don't like about this generation is that more single player content isn't added to the games I enjoy. Like any of the Uncharted games, I'd love if I could do a few more missions but it's all online based content. I honestly think the only way I'm buying the next generation of consoles is if they support full backwards compatibility. I have you many games that I need to finish. Time will tell though.[/QUOTE]
No no no please don't tell developers you want single player based DLC. They will chop the game up into pieces and you'll have to pay for the ending. PS4 will not be BC due to the CPU being too different from the Cell CPU unless they do it through software. 720 maybe but it's MS so they will probably prefer to resell to you too.