As you are at this point no doubt aware, the ?next
generation? of gaming has finally arrived. Last month, Sony and Microsoft
unveiled the latest iterations of their home video game consoles: the
PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, respectively. Understandably, folks have been
making a pretty big deal about them; many have already rushed out to the store
to pick up their own shiny new system. Me, I?m not terribly excited, or even
all that impressed.
Oh, don?t get me wrong. Both the Xbox One and the PS4 are a
cut above the current crop of consoles. It goes without saying that I?m going
to be purchasing one (or both) eventually. That said, though? Neither system is
actually worth buying right off the bat. Me, I?m going to wait a while. I?ve
got some very, very good reasons for that.
All The Good Exclusives Are Coming Later
There are some damned promising games on the way for both
the Xbox One and the PS4. On one side, you?ve got Deep Down, Driveclub,
infamous: Second Son, and The Order 1886, and Kingdom Hearts. On the other,
there?s Below, Quantum Break, Rabbids Invasion, and a new Halo game. The thing
is?none of these games are currently available, and what exclusives both
consoles do have available aren?t system sellers by any stretch.
Oh, there?s also an awesome crop of indie developers waiting
in the wings to create games for both consoles?but it?s going to take a while
for that particular avenue to bear fruit. Again, it?s probably better to wait a
bit.
Most Games Are Available On Other Systems As Well
To be fair, both the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 launched
with fairly impressive libraries of games. Unfortunately?aside from the few
lackluster exclusives I?ve already mentioned, almost every single title on both
consoles is already available elsewhere, either for PC, Xbox 360, or PS3. Not only that, some of them actually run
better on other platforms ? take, for example, the
problems Battlefield 4 has been having on the PS4.
They Don?t Really Do All That Much That?s New
I?ve heard a lot of talk about how both consoles offer so
many new and exciting things; how they take gamers to new, previously
unexplored frontiers. Both companies have talked up the Family Sharing feature
of the Xbox One (which I understand Microsoft still plans to implement at a
later time), the PS4?s Play Room, the Xbox One?s new media abilities, and the
PS4?s unique
cloud features. Save for the last
one, none of the stuff I?ve mentioned is all that revolutionary or even all
that exciting ? it certainly won?t change the landscape of gaming to the degree
that Xbox Live and the PSN did, at any rate.
The Developers Haven?t Really Unlocked Their Full Potential
In my experience, every new console has gone through
something of a grace period after launch, while developers worked out how best
to tap into the new platform. This is
yet one more reason why it?s a good idea to wait a while. Just look at the
current generation: nearly all the best games available on both the 360 and the
PS3 didn?t? come until much later, well into the life-cycle of both consoles.
It?s not really much of a stretch to assume that the PS4 and Xbox One are going
to follow the same pattern; with the best and most promising games arriving
only after some time has passed.
Newer Consoles Tend To Have More Hardware and Software Issues
With any new system, there are going to be kinks to work
out. As many people who rushed out to buy their systems at launch can attest,
both the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 have run into a whole plethora of
issues with both hardware and software. We?ve seen PS4?s crashing and burning
with the Blue Light of Death, while Xbox Ones have been shipping with faulty
disc drives. While waiting to purchase a new system won?t necessarily ensure
one won?t have to deal with these issues, it?ll certainly reduce the chance.
There?s Still No Modding Community
Although Microsoft intends to eventually give players access
to the Xbox One development kit, they haven?t done so yet. As a result, for all
the talk we?ve been hearing about giving more freedom to the players, the PC
gaming community still has a huge leg up on console games. This won?t change
until both manufacturers and developers/publishers clue in. Again, I expect
that this is going to happen eventually?but it hasn?t happened yet.
They Aren?t Exactly Cost-Effective
If you?re going to drop $400.00-$500.000 on a new
system(that?s without any games), you?d best be damned sure you?re getting your
money?s worth. After all, as I?m sure you all know very well, the economy isn?t
exactly great at the moment. Neither console is thus really something you want
to purchase without a guaranteed return?which, as I trust I?ve shown here, they
aren?t yet ready to offer.
Most Every MMO Worth Playing Is On PC, Anyway
Since this is a site about MMO gaming, I figure it?s worth
mentioning that neither next-gen console is launching with any worthwhile MMOs
(nor are there any MMO exclusives coming any time soon). What? It?s a legitimate reason.