By Scott Jones Though it’s still a long four months away, the big story of E3 2012 (June 5-7; trust us, we’ll be there) will no doubt be the next round of next-gen consoles. The world has already gotten a glimpse–perhaps a premature glimpse, in retrospect–of what Nintendo has in store for us with its so-called Wii U. (Which, rumor has it, was really only a placeholder name for the console, same way that “Revolution” was what the Wii was called before it became the Wii.)
Change is good. Until it isn't good. Then it's bad.
But what about Sony and Microsoft? What do they have in store for us? Almost every gamer on the planet is busy obsessing over system “specs,” trying to guess what the Wii U., the PS4 and the Xbox 720 will be able to do. We say: the heck with speculation. Who cares how many gigs this console has, or how may CPU revs (clearly I have no idea what I’m talking about here) that console will be capable of?
We say: let’s stop the guessing, and let’s start talking about what we want as gamers from a next next-gen console.
Without further ado, here’s what the Reviews on the Run staffers are hankering for the most. Also: be sure to let us know what you want and expect from the new consoles in the comment section below.
Jose “Fubar” Sanchez says: “After attending CES, I’m really looking forward to ultra high definition 3D gaming and seeing how amazing games can look in the next generation. I want it to feel like I’m literally inside the game! Is that too much to ask?”
Steve Tilley says: “Here’s a list of what I want. I want flawless built-in voice recognition. I want motion controls that aren’t a giant pile of suck. Barring that, no motion controls at all will do. I want a new Jet Set Radio game. I want a hologram projector. Finally, I want a fleshlight accessory for first-person sexers/GTA VII hookers. Look at my face. Do I look like I’m kidding?”
Marissa Roberto says: “I want only satisfying gaming experiences. No more frustrations with motion controls, please. If the new consoles continue moving in the direction of hands-free gaming, I would like the experiences to function with more than one person in the room. Also, enough of this ‘freemium’ b.s.! I want to pay one fair price for a game and not be given options during the game to purchase additional content that promises to enhance my experience. I don’t want to feel like I’m being swindled by publishers. I want to feel the love! I want to feel like every game made for the console is a passion-project. Show me your love, and I will show you mine.”
Raju Mudhar says: “I want an all-in-one box that does everything, including being backwards compatible with all disc based games from this generation, with an industry standard format moving forward, with a robust online offering with all the fixings. And when I say everything, I do mean everything, like those ghetto blasters that had a detachable tapedeck/walkman, (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s one to check out. The detachable part would be the mobile version of the console, and the gameplay experience would be similar to what you get from the at-home version.
“If we’re talking about the machinery itself, I’d actually prefer there not be a box it all, but rather some all encompassing online service that I could easily, seamlessly access through all my various devices. Oh, and while we’re dreaming, can someone hook a brother up with a Holodeck?”
Ben Silverman says: “I don’t want to waggle. I don’t want to rearrange my living room. I don’t want to argue with my console. And I really don’t want anymore 3D headaches. Give me Pixar-quality graphics, and an intuitive download shop that uses real currency (no more ‘points’ please) that is overflowing with affordable releases. Also, I want zero load times, a comfy gamepad and enough new IP to last five years. Is that too much to ask? Because I don’t think it is.”
Victor Lucas says: “Here’s one thing I don’t want: I do not want anymore game boxes or discs to deal with. If that means having either a tremendous amount of storage for the unbelievably huge games that we’ll be playing, or else super fast, stable Internet speeds to play streaming cloud-delivered games, let’s make it happen. The idea of having to collect and switch out discs for the different games we want to play seems terribly outdated now. And if it has to be discs, then it has to be Blu-ray across the board, which is a pretty terrific format. Also, if 3D and motion gaming are to be a major part of our future gaming experiences, I want them to work flawlessly and not interfere with our enjoyment of the games, like they so often do these days. Most importantly, I want systems that game developers find easy to work with, so that ambitious and groundbreaking new software is readily available at launch and through the console lifecycle and we won’t see game developers having to overcome major financial hurdles as they grapple with new architecture to develop for. There have been too many closures in this console generation!”
Scott Jones says: “I have to be honest. I don’t want anything from the next round of next-gen consoles, because I still feel like there’s so much damn life left in the consoles that are currently sitting in my living room. Seems like developers have only really started to figure out the nuances of the PS3′s cell processor and whooooosh it’s already time to move on. Remember: more power, motion controls, 3-D etc. does not necessarily result in better games. And yes, this is coming from a man who still spends 45 minutes to an hour each week admiring his PS2 Slim.”
Shaun Hatton says: “I would like a future gen console that includes the option to use and re-map any controller, either via USB or Bluetooth. I don’t want anymore of this garbage where I spend $200 on an arcade controller that can only be used on Microsoft’s console and not on Sony’s, and vice versa. Beyond that, what I really want–and it will never happen, of course–is just one console with ‘the Big Three’ contributing to its hardware collectively and also publishing their own games for it. This console would also have to iron my shirts, so I guess it would have to be able to morph into a robot form. On top of all of this, I want a goddamn iPod with a slide out controller.”
