The Future is Going to Suck

And I don’t just mean because you’re going to lose your hair and put on a few pounds – here’s why gaming is set to get a lot worse. - PSLS

[Sev]

I'll take all the innovation I can get.

[knifefight]

Me too. I want new methods of making you pay more and fancy ways of making sure you only use your games in 1 console ever. :D

[jrbeerman11]

also every game after 2013 will be an MMO.

[CarlosX360]

They lost me on the first point where the writer says that Sony can't take a risk anymore... Uh. I dunno about you, but PSVita IS risky. I don't think Sony is going to hold back next gen, especially when it has to compete with Wii U and XboxNext.

[smashcrashbash]

Yeah that is pretty strange seeing that Sony has taken more risks with games then Nintendo and Microsoft combined. Nintendo basically just digs up the past and reuses the same character over and over again and Microsoft only takes risks with games when they are Xbox Live or indie games.

Sony has so far took risks with Demon Souls, Heavy Rain, LBP, Infamous,Last of Us, Last Guardian and Motorstorm, all games that could have or might be easily rejected completely and become complete failures in score or sales.Not to mention they are taking the risk of making PASBR, LBP Karting and MP for GOW despite all the hate and scorn they are getting from doing it.

So how is Sony not risk taker again?

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

He was saying Sony can't afford to take risks with the PS4 because they are in debt not that they don't currently do, but the funny thing about that is that the PlayStation division is profitable for Sony.

He's blaming the cell for the reason why Sony was selling the PS3 at a huge loss, but that was also due to blu-ray... That is why he's saying that Sony can't take a risk with their next console and is using the rumored PS4 specs as proof... lol

The author claims that the PS4 will be an unimpressive PC based of the specs, but if Sony goes that route I can understand why, which kinda took me a while to see. I think Sony has learned that power isn't all that if developers don't know how to use it.

Look no further than this gen as an example. Multiplat games have generally looked better and preformed better on the 360 despite the PS3 being more powerful. Developers are more comfortable with the 360 than the PS3, thus Multiplat games look better on the 360.

If the rumored spec are true then that means Sony is going with the notion that they feel that developers can make better looking and better preforming games on their console despite not being more powerful than their competitors because ALL developers will be already familiar with it, thus know all the ins and outs as oppose this gen where it is basically only their first party studios that where fully utilizing the PS3(which they have done an impressive job doing so).

That's just my take. I really do hope that Sony tries to make a powerful console that devs can still be comfortable with.

[GraveLord]

See you online in Black Ops 2!

[alexcosborn]

Gaming was so much better when I was 12...

[knifefight]

Sounds like you might empathize with this:
http://www.gamerevolution.c...

[TheFirstClassic]

Wasn't just about everything?

[Foolsjoker]

Sad truths...

[doctorstrange]

I hate some of the things that are growing like F2P and Kinect :(

[dbjj12088]

If you buy it, they will... develop... new ideas?

[Y_5150]

Yeah but what's awesome about the future is that we are going to see awesome new games!

[Saladfax]

A bunch of baseless whining and fear of the future. Very seldom do things change for the worse, and people unable to adapt can always spend the next eternity replaying their old titles on old systems.

As long as the market exists for interesting games, they'll be made. Some will be more expensive, but tools, talent, and even something as simple as Kickstarter will allow niche titles to flourish.

Technology changes. Deal with it.

[doctorstrange]

"Very seldom do things change for the worse"

Looks at SNES
Looks at Wii

[Saladfax]

Looks at SNES.
Looks at every other current gen system/game.

Nice try?

[Croash]

"Technology changes. Deal with it. "
Oh sure, let's have a look at PC Gaming in general.

Before :

Insert disc. Install full game. Play full game.

Now :

Insert disc. Install Steam(-like program?).
Install 95% of content minus the "Day One" DLCS.
Use the Internet to download the remaining 5%. Download "Day One" patches.
[Your license will be checked online, you can only install this on two different computers. You can never play this offline.]
Play 85% of the full game.
Don't forget to pay more to unlock Disc-Locked Content.

Soon enough :

Insert d...No wait, what am I talking about?! Download gam...uh, no...
Stream the paid-demo unless the content isn't available in your region because of your government. An eye scan procedure will be needed to determine your age.
You will only be able to use this content for a year, as decided by the publisher, unless you purchase it again. If you want to have access to more than 20% of the game, or extras like more languages or controller support, pay for "Day Minus One" DLCs.
Don't forget that any game files, including save files, are stored on our cloud, meaning that you may lose everything should we decide to erase the games you never possessed or your account. Enjoy gaming!

---

I still can't believe that there are people who are surprised when developers like CD Projekt RED have a no paid DLC/no DRM approach while making sure their products are always updated according to the players' feedback. It's supposed to be like that! They should be surprised by the fact that other developers don't! Just look at Capcom, ugh!

We can't use our games the way we want to anymore. A few weeks ago, one of my friends lent his PS1 copy of Grandia to someone who was curious about this old gem. How the hell is anyone supposed to do that with current games, 15 years from now?!
Here, let me lend you MY STEAM ACCOUNT. *facepalm*

Now I was focusing on PC gaming but consoles are also under attack. Used games that can't be played? Online passes?
What's next? Making sure nobody can play a game because it has expired, like a few recent demos? Oh wait, it's happening right now! Rock Band for iOs is unleashing the full power of "oh hai, that game you thought you owned, we're taking it back!".

[WestenShelton]

"I still can't believe that there are people who are surprised when developers like CD Projekt RED have a no paid DLC/no DRM approach while making sure their products are always updated according to the players' feedback. It's supposed to be like that! They should be surprised by the fact that other developers don't! Just look at Capcom, ugh! "

And despite that approach, over 1 million people pirated their game. I guess no one cares about supporting developers who do things the right way. It's almost as much the fault of the gamers themselves as the greedy corporations.

Also keep up with the news, Rock Band iOs is not being taken away, it was an error.

[Croash]

"Also keep up with the news, Rock Band iOs is not being taken away, it was an error."

I feel the need to react about that.
I already knew that this was an error when I wrote this comment. However, this doesn't change the fact that I'm scared. It didn't just pop-up from nothingness. Someone programmed it.
Someone, somewhere, made it possible to remove access from the content your purchased. So Rock Band may have been saved for now, but such a message can still appear at a later date and other games/non-gaming related programs can also be controlled by such practices. Then other platforms will be infected.

Just imagine opening Steam only to have some of your games instantly deleted from your system.
Imagine inserting a blu-ray disc in your PlayStation only to read "This content cannot be accessed as of [date here]" following an expiration check online.
It doesn't even have to use the Internet, what if discs eventually have a built-in offline expiration date/clock (= Released in September 2012. Expires in September 2013 unless an online update changes that information)?

The worst thing here is people slowly accepting such things because "it's working right now".

Some people don't think about the "very far" future. They buy a game and it has to work at least during the first month if it's SP only, or a year if it has an interesting MP. Then they will eventually play something else.
But what happens when you want to play a game 5 years after its release? You can't remember your account's info which, unfortunately, makes it impossible for you to play as your activation key's one-time use is already gone. Or worse, Steam doesn't exist anymore and your game's installation can never be complete, woohoo!

And to react to the first part of your comment, the future I see doesn't have piracy the way we see it now. It wouldn't just be about getting games for free. It would be about getting games (= possessing them).
Being able to save on your HDD, to mess around with the configuration, to share with others, to uninstall and install whenever and wherever you want, etc... No region lock, no Internet check, no content taken away, only gaming. You know, the way it should be.

So if we don't want piracy to become mainstream, to become the only way to enjoy our games, preventing developers/publishers from getting money and therefore slowly destroying the industry as a whole, leaving us with the past to entertain ourselves, we have to act now. We have to be heard. I won't blindly follow the trend. If next-gen consoles don't want me to play used games, then screw next-gen.

That's it for my opinion.
Now I'll happily go back to playing through the 10 year-old Fatal Frame 1 on PS2 for the first time, which is a game I bought almost 2 years ago for 5 euros. And I hope I'll be able to do that with PS4 games.

[cp68]

WALL OF TEXT

[Saladfax]

One thing you don't consider in your very bizarre future scenario is people adapting to the new technology and not actually *minding* the situation. Which, to be honest, will probably happen whether or not it's favorable.

However, aside from the fact that your semi-dystopian future where your precious entertainment content can be taken away from you at any turn is just... silly?

Regardless, the increase in distribution potential very often results in better pricing structure, and it truly begs the question: if I'm paying an average of $5 for each game, will I care if a few of them disappear 10 years down the line? Will I honestly care if I don't have *any* access to them in 20 years?

[WestenShelton]

Pretty annoying and dumb article.

-Sony can't take risks? Maybe not in the retail market (though I'm not sure if they ever were that big of risk takers there), they do however, continue to invest in interesting and innovative downloadable titles. Check out recent release Closure, or Journey.

-The Used game stuff is unfortunate, but the author just talks about a lack of finances for Sony, then complains about used games being potentially limited. Just sayin.

-The single player dying thing is just complete whiny hogwash and totally untrue. More games are having multiplayer thrown in when possible yes, but there will still be plenty of solid single player experiences. I can't wait to get Max Payne 3 in a few weeks, as one example.

-waaa waa CoD. There is CoD and now EA tries to compete with Battlefield and Medal Of Honor. CoD is so popular, it's pretty tough to compete with, hence why you aren't going to see nothing but CoD clones.

It's just funny for me to see this article when 2011 was one of the best years in gaming I've seen. Also, most problems go away if you support indie companies and stuff on XBLA/PSN.

[deletingthis34675334]

Nope. There is no hope for video games and the next generation will hammer the nail in the coffin. Everything is turning to s***. Going the way of movies. Companies abandoning their loyal fans and pander to the lowest common denominator all for extra money. Entire genres going down the drain. World renown franchises getting butchered. More shooters now than ever before. Sad.

[TheRealHeisenberg]

I just came back from the future. Gaming is going to be great. Gamers were united and I must say that it was a mind blowing experience. I did not think that so many different gaming communities would put their differences and preferences aside and just enjoy gaming itself.

I probably should not tell you this next part because it could put the entire time-space continuum at risk but I can’t hold on to this one…there will only be one console. Some major corporations jumped in to the console business and pumped out new consoles for three generations. They ultimately decided to unite just like the gaming community. They put their egos aside and worked together to move gaming forward, with each contributing in some way or another. You will not believe the end result.

Maybe your great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandchildren will travel back in time and take you to see for yourselves. I would have taken pictures but cameras did not exist anymore. Go figure. :0

[DeadSpaced]

This man is simply playing off the fears of others. Let me tell you this: everything will be fine.

The next systems will be an upgrade. Upgrades are usually good. Companies have learned from mistakes and from what I see, the future looks promising. Especially to the gamer.

We have so many gaming options as the gamer that the only thing I would worry about is the game developers. However, that just means to stick out and appeal to gamers, they have to give us what we want.

There may not be a huge graphic leap between any two consoles. This may cause fear in people, especially to the people who always complain about graphics not being good enough. The upgrade will be in the gameplay, I believe.

That said, it's all good with me.

[Flewid638]

Graphics.....

Let's put aside the fact that its not just about graphics and focus on the visual aspect for a second..

The hardware of gaming history up to this point hasn't reached a level of photo-realism, or let's say, Pixar/Dreamworks quality movie visuals. We may even have a few more gens till we get there, but we are close.

Yes the industry is evolving, but I WANT to believe there is still room for the animations, physics and visual quality to improve to the point of near-photo realistic visuals.

I say the core gaming audience and new gamers alike would still welcome the TV, sit and play something that LOOKS awesome tech. For that to happen though, there would have to be a STANDARDIZED engine/hardware/technology that many devs or manufacturers would have to agree upon and support this.

It won't remove these other evolving forms of gaming, but I would still love to see this type of graphical jump. Where even sh*t games LOOK amazing, just b/c they are so visually appealing.

Wishful thinking I know, but what do you guys think?

[ShaunCameron]

West Is Sadly Best

I unfortunately agree just looking at my PS3 collection. And I have only Sony to thank for alienating Japanese developers by making the PS3 too sophisticated for its own good. But then again Japanese developers haven't exactly brought their A-game to the table this generation namely on consoles.

[goldwyncq]

Gaming has changed

[LostTokens]

I've thought about some of the things outlined in this article, I'm honestly just glad someone else was thinking about it too. I'm happy that the tech is getting all the better, but it's what developers do with said tech that makes things either positive and negative.

If the same thing from last year will sell again this year with a higher number on the box, that's what companies will look to do; hopefully it has some backlash akin to what Activision suffered from through the Guitar Hero phase for those companies that rely too heavily upon it, but it will keep happening. I just hope the amount of new and creative ideas will maintain balance within the Force.

[Tommy334]

The future is already here and it sucks! Music sucks,TV sucks,Movies sucks, cloths suck gaming is dying I miss the 90's waking up for saturday morning cartoons. Muisc stations actually played music videos,good movies like forrest gump,goodfellas,etc. tv shows shows like doug,guts,goosebumps,all that..... I'm about to cry.

[dalibor]

Lets go even further back a la 80's. Anybody remember TMNT, Transformers, Knight Rider, Airwolf, ect. Or how about movies Scarface, E.T., Predator, or m'fuken Big Trouble in Little China haha. Same goes for games. Original ideas are running out to a degree. That's why I think it might be a good idea to not release so many games. Take more time to create them, pack them with more content and finally get them released the best they can be. Just a thought. But I should add as technology advances so should everything else for the most part.

[Omnislash]

It'll suck for Xbox 360 fanboys since they have nothing left.
Unless they really want to bring back more Halo, More Gears and more Fable....