Nov 22 2008
Top 11 most desired features of the next console generation
4. DLC That Shouldn’t Be Free
We have entered an age of nickel and diming. A lot of games these days have DLC ready at launch, and sometimes this DLC isn’t even really DLC at all, but a downloadable patch to unlock content that’s already on your game disc. Bethesda expected Oblivion players to pay $2.50 for horse armor that had been planned to be in the game in the first place, and barely even did anything anyway. Because of that incident, “horse armor” has become synonymous with price gouging DLC.
On the other hand, some games know how to do DLC right. Current generation Guitar Hero games come with more songs than last generation Guitar Hero games, and downloadable songs are songs that wouldn’t exist in Guitar Hero otherwise. Not only is this completely fine, but it’s a great feature that adds lots of replay value to the game. This is the kind of thing most people can get behind.
5. No More Lazy Graphics
If the next generation brings more consoles like the Wii, focusing more on gameplay innovation than raw power, let’s hope developers don’t treat them the same way they treat the Wii this generation. I’m talking about laziness. The Wii is perfectly capable of handling games that look better than last generation games. Super Mario Galaxy and The Conduit show this. These games are beautiful. So why are so many developers content with making PS2 games and sticking them on the Wii? Is it because the Wii’s first big release looked like a GameCube game? Well, that’s because The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was a GameCube game ported to the Wii. That game was not a license to treat the Wii as a last generation console. Heck, we shouldn’t even have to wait until next generation for this. Developers need to stop this now!
6. A Smaller Gap Between Homebrew and Licensed Content
The Wii and the DS have pretty active homebrew scenes. People love developing their own applications and the rest of us love using them. WiiWare exists as a platform for small, indie developers to release their own games, and that’s very nice, but it’s not enough. Perhaps next generation, console developers should take a page from the iPhone.
Apple has released a tool for users to create their own iPhone applications. There are lots of (very) indie iPhone apps floating around the internet. Some are useful, some are really cool, and some are pretty pointless, but they’re there and they’re interesting. I’d love to see this idea applied to video game consoles and handhelds next generation. Speaking of user developed content….
7. More User Created Content In Games
Sony recently released LittleBigPlanet for the PS3. This is the first console platformer (I love you, Knytt Stories) developed around the idea of user created levels. The game comes with its own pre-made levels, but most of Media Molecule’s work went into the incredibly deep level creation tool.
When someone manages to build a calculator out of gears and things in the beta version of a game, you know it includes a versatile tool set.
I’m not saying that every game needs to basically be a game engine for users to build their own games around, but things like the Super Smash Bros. Brawl stage creator can add a lot of longevity and a lot of variety to a game.
13 Responses to “Top 11 most desired features of the next console generation”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
[...] Article here [...]
For fairness, the Wii remote.. Is rechargeable. Granted, you need rechargeable batteries, but even so.
Other than that, nice article! There’s nothing I can really add.
if anyone got that consulting job, it’d be you. you’re my favorite tanooki writer :D
Oh my, you’re making me all warm and tingly!
That’s true, Larke, but I would rather have recharable batteries WITH my purchase. You know, so I wouldn’t have to worry about them screwing up my Classic Controller. I heard something about that with Mario Kart Wii.
@ Helper187: I’m assuming you’re referring to someone using the wrong kind of batteries? Well Nintendo states on their website what kind to use, so. *shrug*
Anyways I’m dragging this way offtopic. ^_^’
Not really. :P It’s a point in the article. It’s perfectly on-topic to discuss it.
@helper187, I have the NYKO rechargeable batteries for my wii remote and use the classic controller all the time for Mario Kart…I have not yet experienced any problems. (also, I have found that these batteries hold their charge very well, I don’t put them on the charger all the time, maybe once a week, and they last quite a long time)
Yeah, Nintendo really dropped the ball with friend codes. As in REALLY dropped the ball. I don’t play my Wii online much anyways, so whatever. Another thing I would add to this list would be free online play. XBox Live makes you pay for online play, which I find pretty ridiculous. If you even plug your XBox into the internet, you get ads sent to you. Why can’t ad space pay for microsoft’s bandwidth?
I think you make a good point. Xbox Live is better than the PlayStation Network, but I don’t think it’s $50-a-year better.
I think I’m one of the few that actually likes the fact that the Wii Remote takes AA batteries. That way I can use regular rechargeable batteries, and when they die, I can just pop them out and insert another pair of rechargeable batteries (It also helps that my charger charges 4 AA in 15 minutes). This way I won’t be out of gaming commission while I put the controller on a docking station, or transforming my wireless controller into a wired controller by charging internal batteries with a cable.
Good point, Ryan.
I dunno $50 a year is about $4.17 a month for the service of Xbox Live and it trounches over the PSN (I have both and use both regularly). I’d gladly pay that fee for a superior online system on the Wii.