Five Things I'm Praying Won't Take Precedence Next-Gen

Posted on Monday, October 22 @ 09:00:00 Eastern by Alex_Osborn

As super-powered PCs continue to raise the visual bar for games, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are really starting to show their age. While Microsoft and Sony refuse to admit that they're currently working on new hardware, the writing is on the wall, plain as day. The inevitable launch of new hardware brings with it both changes for the future and carried-over features from the past, both tangible and intangible. As such, I've decided to share with you five things (some new, some old) that I truly hope won't end up defining the way we'll be playing games over the next several years.

1. Controller Gimmicks

Nintendo started the terrifying trend with the Wii and now they've likely done it again with the Wii U. Will tablet-centric controllers be the new "it" thing? Will we see Sony and Microsoft waste precious resources into copying what Nintendo has created? I sure hope not. It is one of the few reasons I was delighted to see Microsoft announce SmartGlass at E3, giving weight to the possibility that a simple app will be enough to incorporate tablet functionality while not letting it get in the way. In the case of Sony, I just hope that they let the Move die in peace. They honestly don't have the money to invest in some wacky tablet controller—never mind a new console— so let's just hope they focus on Vita compatibility instead.

2. Cloud Gaming

Services like OnLive and Gaikai, while incredibly impressive, scare the living heck out of me. The slow but steady transition to digital has already been a bit problematic (see DRM) as streaming games through a cloud-based service opens a whole new can of worms. Part of the appeal of gaming is the ability to take ownership of the products you've purchased. When it is all stored on the cloud, you don't really own any of the content you pay for. Should that service go down, well... then I'm sorry but you're out of luck.

However, with Sony's recent purchase of Gaikai, we're definitely going to see it in some shape or form in the coming years. I just hope it doesn't end up doing more harm than good.

3. Quick-Time Events

They may have been cool in the first God of War, but let's face it, QTEs are getting out of hand. (Resident Evil 6, anyone?)They've been shoehorned into nearly every action game on the market and do little more than give you something to do while you watch a cinematic. How about telling the story around the gameplay rather than slapping in QTE-equipped cutscenes that provide a false sense of interactivity? New hardware brings more power, so let's hope that developers put to rest on this game design crutch in the future.

4. Downloadable Content

Say what you want about lasting value, but I absolutely abhor DLC and what it has done to the gaming community. Between having to listen to all the whiners complain that there's add-on content already on the disc, and to being let down time and time again by half-hearted money-grabbing moves by developers, I've grown tired of the concept.

If, however, this can morph into a new form of game delivery, say, episodic gaming, I may be able to get behind a similar business model. It will be interesting to see how Halo 4's Spartan Ops mode changes the world of DLC. That said, downloadable content simply can't carry on into the next-gen the way it has been over the past few years.

5. Emphasis on Exclusives

Am I the only one who is sick of fanboys ranting on message boards about which console has the best exclusives? I can't wait for the day when every game is available virtually everywhere, when defending your console of choice isn't reduced to a list of games that you can only find on that platform. Since the early days of gaming, it has all too often been more about loyalty to a particular piece of hardware than the actual games that run on them. Unfortunately, as much as I hate to admit it, I fear we're still a long ways off from this ever happening.

But enough about what I think! Sound off in the comments below with the five atrocities you'd like to see ripped from the industry during the next generation of gaming.

Tags: Next-Gen, Xbox 720, PS4

Comments

wildmario
Joined: Jan 2007

Posted: Oct 22nd, 2012 at 9:28 am
I'd have to disagree a bit on the gimmick controllers. Even if Nintendo didn't popularize the motion controls, everyone knows it would have been a matter of time till video games would change the way we play (some people still wait until the day we have pure virtual reality gaming). Button based gaming won't last forever on its own and non button gaming will eventually be refined.

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213EDD
Joined: Sep 2007

Posted: Oct 22nd, 2012 at 9:28 am
Given what Sony's budget for its next-gen console is, you can bet in the near future its probably going to have a gimmick

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Chunibrow
Joined: Mar 2010

Posted: Oct 22nd, 2012 at 9:29 am
Don't know what it is but I love QTE. I guess I like a level of interactivity in the cut scene, because I like to play games and not watch them. Get rid of stick wriggling ones tho, gamers punish their hand joints enough as it is.

Because we masturbate a lot I mean.

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UghRochester
Joined: Jun 2006

Posted: Oct 22nd, 2012 at 9:40 am
My Kinect is sitting there making me constantly wipe dust off of it. I wished Microsoft would go the other way, because using your whole body to control isn't worth it...specially moving around. I wished they had something like the Wii to move freely. Using an analog stick would be much better than stepping somewhere.

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Squiggy
Joined: Nov 2005

Posted: Oct 22nd, 2012 at 10:01 am
I want to see a game where there are Quick Time Events, but are never shown on the screen or addressed officially as a game feature. They are a secret, that if accessed, will change the events in those cutscenes and ultimately offer alternative endings, but ONLY if the right input is made at the right time by someone who's figured out the secret. If they don't, the game continues as normal, cutscenes are normal, ending is default, no silly deaths and Game Overs for missing the QTE.

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elmoreoocyte
Joined: Apr 2012

Posted: Oct 22nd, 2012 at 10:09 am
I was sick of QTE's back when I played Die Hard Arcade in the neighborhood Pizza Hut.

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Italion193
Joined: Jun 2011

Posted: Oct 22nd, 2012 at 10:19 am
RE6 QTE's were atrocious. But alas, I would rather not see any of these items next-gen but we all know they will be there along with a few more things. Just think, in five years we won't be talking about DLC the way it is today - it'll be much worse. (in my opinion)

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LawnGnome
Joined: Apr 2007

Posted: Oct 22nd, 2012 at 10:45 am
I'm sure there's going to be terrible gimmicks next-gen that we can't even imagine now. When we were all enjoying our PS2s, XBOXs, and GameCubes we never once thought that crappy motion controls would be a hallmark of the next generation. What are we not considering now that could be on the horizon? Smell-enhanced graphics? Ads in games? C'mon console gaming, make me love you then hate you all over again!

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Noritama
Joined: Feb 2012

Posted: Oct 22nd, 2012 at 11:27 am
All five will happen and its fine. I would go into detail but that means I gotta type more on my phone so to keep it short I disagree with you completely and that these things are great design tools but are just executed horribly .

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sandineyes
Joined: May 2008

Posted: Oct 22nd, 2012 at 11:28 am
It is pretty annoying seeing a cutscene start, put down the controller to take a sip of your beverage of choice, and then have a button prompt pop up and have to waste a few minutes starting over.
Worse yet is button mashing, which refuses to die. RE4 and 5 were awful with this; I have a friend who loved RE4, but had to make me do the boulder dashing on his Wavebird for him, since he sucked too much at it. Why in the world would you think mandatory button mashing is a valid test of skill? Also MGS had them, though I don't think they were Game Overs if you failed at least. I actually broke my PS2 controller's X button in the final fight with Ares in GoW from all the button mashing nonsense. Certainly didn't help me win when I realized that only every other button press was being recognized.

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Italion193
Joined: Jun 2011

Posted: Oct 22nd, 2012 at 11:34 am
RE6 QTE's were atrocious. But alas, I would rather not see any of these items next-gen but we all know they will be there along with a few more things. Just think, in five years we won't be talking about DLC the way it is today - it'll be much worse. (in my opinion)

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damo_rox619
Joined: Jan 2007

Posted: Oct 22nd, 2012 at 12:33 pm
I really hope developers see lists like this, i absolutely hate QTE's. They used to be okay, but i think it was around the time of Modern Warfare 2 that i started to get sick of them. The best example is the ending to the game, I loved the way COD4 finished, having a handgun slid to you along the ground and then in slow motion shooting the bad guy. But I didn't know what to think of Shepherd at first, the whole thing is one big QTE. Now I realise it's pretty crap. And QTE's are just getting worse. What surprises me the most is that developers don't realise that QTE's aren't actually fun to control, how can they not know that?!

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moretokes
Joined: Apr 2011

Posted: Oct 22nd, 2012 at 11:02 pm
The days of video games coming in cardboard boxes and renting from block buster are long gone. Time to deal with dlc unfortunately

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Heath_Hindman
Joined: May 2011

Posted: Oct 23rd, 2012 at 7:09 am
Reminds me of this video:
mega64.com/2012/08/02/new-consoles-then-and-now/r

I'll do digital occasionally on my Vita, but never on a home console. Even handheld, I highly prefer physical media, especially with how much of an asspain Sony has made dealing with Vita's region swapping. Ugh.

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ballabert
Joined: Jul 2011

Posted: Oct 23rd, 2012 at 3:28 pm
When there is no disk (or tangible item) is when I bow out. The reason digital is becoming so popular is because THEY want it to be so popular! Because THEY don't want you to own it. And when you don't have an internet connection THEY don't care because YOU don't own it.
I love hearing news stories about how digital is the new trend, no it isn't! You think consumers actually want that? No, the producers want that and want to make you think you do too!
... Don't mean to rant but the whole digital thing just really irks me

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Niteshayde
Joined: Jan 2013

Posted: Jan 18th, 2013 at 9:04 am
I wish all you whining babies would just stop it. If you don't like what they're making, don't flipping buy it. I mean really...would you listen to yourselves? "Oh, I hate getting a game over just because I missed a button prompt." WHAAAA! You know what happened if you missed hitting the jump button at just the right time playing the original Mario or Sonic? GAME-FLIPPIN'- OVER! And who the hell gives a crap if they want to add additional content to a game after its release? How many times have you idiots finished a game and thought, "that was so awesome, I wish there was more to it"? Well, now there CAN be! I for one was delighted to shell out the extra bit of cash for expansions on Borderlands 2. You people are all just spoiled brats who want things your way or not at all. Well GROW UP!!

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