With the middle of the year approaching and sadly E3 rightly being cancelled all eyes turn to next gen. For me it’s akin to the pre-season in football. Lots of rumours, exciting talk of things to come, hope that this will be the best yet!
All talk is on possible specs but what really looms large is the price point and release date. For me not much else matters. But if I really think about it there’s so much in the gaming landscape that really annoys me and surely now is the perfect chance to put things right? So allow me to mount my high horse and moan the fuck out of gaming!
Xbox Updates
You would have thought that the PC manufacturers would have nailed updates but low and behold its Microsoft screwing them up. I moan as I almost broke my Xbox a few weeks back due to this. Having them automatically occur on bootup can be easy to miss if the TV is not on. Keep updates in a subsection for the user to select, akin to the PS4 and Switch.Move it Microsoft!
Download Sizes
It seems with better internet speeds and external hard drives games companies dont give a fuck how big their download files are. Case in point, COD Warzone. I just want to install it to play with some friends in the evening. But I have to download both it and Modern Warfare clocking in at a ridiculous 100GB?! That's two evenings worth of downloads! Companies used to know that they had to keep files smaller for vocal fans but that seems to have gone out the window.
You only have to look at Nintendo’s current work. The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild is a huge game, one that I have sunk 150 hours into. The map is massive and full of things to explore. The file size? 13.4GB. Fuck off Activision with your weekly updates that mean redownloading the entire game again...
Download Schedules
Back in the normal world of February 2020 consoles like Xbox let you remote download games very easily. Being permanently stuck at home has made this feature less important. I still want to download this stuff but let me do it when I am not working and don’t have to think about it? Steam have nailed this with most game updates scheduled automatically for very early in the morning. Consoles makers please follow this lead!
Quick Start Updates
Yes I know. More update complaining but we get so many of them that they should be far more convenient for us. I get that most updates need to be installed before the game can be played but surely it can’t be all of them? How about we copy the quick start functionality used on some games when installing for the first time, so that you can jump in before the download is complete? Would be way more convenient for players.
Console Design
Well it is too late for me to affect Sony's thinking. They have finally shown the PS5 in all its gory. I honestly cant even say it's better than the PS4. Not that I like that console much better, like a triple layered lopsided cake. Now the weird sail boat is coming... The Xbox Series X looks like a stout column and I love it. A step away from the boring rectangular beasts we have known for the last few years. All I know is when I eventually get a PS5 it will be hidden behind my TV. Take that Sony!
Joy Con Drift
Seriously Nintendo, fix this already. Characters moving on screen with no input to the control sticks is unacceptable and it shouldn't take a bunch of lawsuits to get you to sort this. In the Wii era you managed to invent Wii Motion Plus to make the controllers much more sensitive. Make a new model and get it out asap.
Release Schedules
I’ve moaned about this before but can we please spread out the games a bit? We dont need every fucking game out in October and November. Has anyone heard of July? Long month, middle of the year, usually with people on holiday. PUT SOME GAMES OUT THEN.
Solitary Release Days
Well done 2K for putting out Borderlands, XCOM2 and Bioshock collections out on the Switch. Not so well done for releasing them on 29th May 2020. Three huge games that people like myself cannot play all at once. Spread them out over a few weeks? Oh what else is out this day? Xenoblade Chronicles remake. You guys had the whole of May to get these fuckers out! At least The Outer Worlds is a week later...
Username Amnesty
I know not everyone is streaming to millions of fans but it would be nice if I could have the same username across all devices. Sure it is first come first serve and maybe a lot of people don’t care but having four different usernames is a pain. I could try and come up with something unique but come on. Billions of people play games, there aren’t that many word combinations outside of adding numbers. Get together and allow us to line them up in a free and easy manor.
Switch Back Catalogue
This might just be for Adam and myself but can Nintendo hurry up and add some N64 and Game Boy games to the Switch already? You basically put most of your late 80s and 90s games out on older consoles, why is there such a wait for them yet again? I would love to be able to play Kirby on the go or to finally give Pokemon Snap a run out. Guess what? I will even pay for them!
Pokemon Go
Everything. Literally fix everything Niantic. For a company raking in billions for their game you are frankly fucking useless. From the endless game crashes, to the bullshit shiny odds, randomness of using rare TM changes, price of basic balls, Pokemon locked to certain continents…. The list is actually endless. I still play but you are not getting a penny from me.
Release Teases
Elder Scrolls 6. Bayonetta 3. Metroid Prime 4. Games teased to fans years before release. What's the point? I mean seriously, it just breeds disappointment and expectation. How will these games ever live up to the hype? Honestly I think six months from announcement to release is enough. Any longer and it’s just taking the piss. I know that the pandemic has changed how companies operate but announcing Paper Mario and the Origami King 2 months (!!!) before release is outstanding. More of this please!
Sport Game Subscription Model
I say sports games but literally any game that comes out every year like COD or FIFA needs to move away from physical releases and just do a yearly subscription model. £50 a year and you get continuous updates. Selling millions of one game physically to be worthless the day after the next one comes out is not a sustainable model. They can't be recycled and will just rot in rubbish dumps. At least Football Manager is changing its boxes to be more recyclable but with so many more games sold, digital only subscription is the only way forward.
Big Three Cooperation
I know Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are rivals but many of their customers play on at least two of these devices. Crossplay has been a large bone of contention but is an absolute must. Sony has been making the right noises but it really needs to act in 6 months to ensure everyone can play together regardless of console. Microsoft’s publishing of games on the Switch has been a wonderful move and I hope it continues in some way. I am not expecting Mario games on the PS5 but a little more spreading of some smaller IPs would be good. Play nice!
Loot Boxes
Governments, please, at the least regulate them, if not outright ban them. It's basically gambling for kids and it's obvious companies will still use them until they stop them.
Gamers Conduct
It’s only a minority of players that ruin it for the rest of us but they need to start behaving responsibly. The online culture is beyond toxic and leaves people like myself abhorrent. Grow the fuck up. If not, kick them off.
Equality
There are obviously major things happening in the wider world with important conversations being had. It’s now time for the majority to properly listen and learn. And then maybe things might actually change.
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