Contributed By: Jordan Mallory
Freelance Gaming Journalist
http://omnomnews.blogspot.com
@Scatterheart_
The internet has been straight-up electrified this week with rumors and back-alley whisperings about what the next generation Nintendo console will be like. High-Defs, more motion controls, and even touch screen controllers have all been attributed to Project Cafe. The internet would have us believe that Nintendo’s next big thing really is the next big thing, and all this hub-bub has got me thinking: what do I really want from the next console generation? What mistakes do I want the Big 3 to learn from?
I decided to give our friendly neighborhood hardware manufacturers some advice, since I’m a consumer, and I know everything. Read on to find out what they should (and shouldn’t) do during the next console generation!
Nintendo:
I’d change a lot of things about you if I could, Nintendo, but for this article I’m only going to address changes I think are actually possible. Unfortunately, I think you’re too far down the motion-control path to turn back now. If you’re careful, though, you still have time to save yourself from touch controls. On a mobile device they’re fine, but for the love of Kong please don’t put them in your next controller. You’ll have to choose between device quality and device price, and that’s not a position you want to put yourself in. If you go with quality, replacement controllers will be too expensive for the family-friendly price points your install base has grown accustomed to. No one will care how functional your capacitive bluetooth wonder is when a bout of wild flailing shatters its screen and they have to buy a new one. If you go with price, you’re in an even worse position; you’re left with a controller that people won’t want to use. Low resolution displays are bad enough, but make it resistive and we’re practically in deal-breaker territory. Savvy cats like myself and other in-the-know gamers will be put off by the sheer last-gen-ness of the tech, and less informed parents/families will be frustrated when your product doesn’t work the way they think it will.
Also, you’ve got to get your online swagger right. Friend codes? Come on. You don’t have to charge for it if you don’t want to, but at least let me register a username.
Sony:
As usual Sony, your hardware strategy panned out pretty well this generation. Blu-ray was a winner, despite its slow read speeds, and it only took you 5 years to make a model that was actually profitable. Stick with this philosophy of utilitarian and performance-driven kit for the next round of fighting, and you should be just fine. Oh! One thing, though: ditch Move. You’re not as invested in motion as Nintendo is, and you can still write the whole thing off as an experiment that didn’t pan out. Nothing is less immersive than moving around in my very un-virtual living room. With Nintendo positioned as the casual, family-friendly contender, your strongest angle will be as the serious product for the enthusiast buyer. You’ll be able to leverage your lack of motion controls as an example of how in-tune with “real” gamers you are. Stick with the DualShock though; it’s tried and true, and we all love it. PSN is functional (when it’s not being body-bagged by hackers), but you should include headsets in your base SKUs with this next box. It’ll help, I promise.
Microsoft:
Look, don’t take any chances next generation. You’ve finally hit your stride as a hardware manufacturer, and this isn’t the time to try and reinvent yourself or redefine what you’re offering. Don’t change your controller around, don’t change any of XBL’s base functionality or pricing structure, and I’m as upset about HD-DVD as you are, but you’ve got to go Blu-Ray next time. DVD has the upper-hand on read speeds, but games are quickly outgrowing those compact britches. Make sure that every SKU comes with a hard drive, also. It was annoying to have to buy one for my Arcade when Games on Demand became worth-while, and the one you sold me still isn’t big enough. As long as you stay the course, and somehow manage to find yourselves another Bungie, you should be okay.
1 Comment