I in now way claim to be an industry analyst, insider or designer (at least outside of my own imaginings) but, as an industry commentator, I can’t help but want to speculate on the past, present and future of the industry as a whole. Moving on to the next generation of home consoles, we’re bound to see a lot of changes in the way that we appreciate gaming. We could focus on the good that could happen but, in the healthy spirit of cynicism that blankets any journalistic field, here are things that Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony must do if they want to offer any kind of customer satisfaction with next generation’s home consoles.
1. Allow used game sales
Don't go anywhere used games. We need you
This seems to be all up in the air at the moment but, should the rumours about Sony and Microsoft preventing their next gen hardware from running used game be true, things are going to start going downhill in a big way. Sure, there are some heavy financial implications that go along with second-hand game sales, but I doubt the next generation of games would survive if they suddenly just disappeared.
2. Keep costs down
No Ken, I will not work more hours to afford a PS3
Of all three current generation consoles, the PS3 seemed to have the hardest time getting off the ground in the early days. This sort of financial inertia can happen for a variety of reasons, but the PS3’s colossal initial price tag certainly didn’t help matters. Next gen hardware isn’t likely to be cheap to manufacture, but the big three will need to ensure that they don’t completely pillage consumers’ wallets. After all, how else are we expected to buy games for our shiny new hardware?
3. Re-brand motion controls
Motion controls have become an increasingly large part of all three current gen consoles’ being, with a huge amount of advertising being focused around them. Despite their increasing relevance in the gaming universe, many still see them as for family and young audiences exclusively. It’s easy to see why this stereotype lives on, largely due to the way motion control games are branded. All three consoles are going to need to prove that their motion control experiences can produce proper games, and no, Rise of Nightmares doesn’t count.
