The Next Gen: Ideas on What Happens to Games

This is your future—don’t worry about the console itself.

I've done a post over my hype of the next generations of consoles. However, the announcement of the PS4 pushes us into closer into the next generation, we are starting to say goodbye to the 7^th generation.  However, rumors are floating around that the next set of consoles may not allow for backwards compatibility, or for the playing of used games. This of course, can be quite concerning to some of us gamers. I buy games with the idea that I can continue to play them. I loved SSBB because the Wii brought over the Gamecube controller slots. I loved my Gamecube because I bought the adapted that let me play GBA on it (which led to many playthroughs of Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga). The 7^th generation has also seen a high influx of “casual” gamers. Phones have become a source of enjoyment, and Flash games are beginning to edge into markets. We have entered an era of microtransactions. This makes me curious as to how games will continue to evolve.

Some more speculation in the mix.

Personally, I want to see backwards compatibility and used games to continue on. Although I personally don’t buy used games, I do, on occasion, borrow games from friends. It’s a way to expand your experiences and play a game before buying it. Backwards compatibility of course is nice since I don’t always have my consoles hooked up. Gamecube games are already not playable on the Wii U, and I still love to revisit Luigi’s Mansion and even Sunshine on occasion. I do believe we will see everything phased out from the 6^th gen. but I think that at least the Xbox will keep compatibility for 360 games, like the Wii U has for the Wii. Gamers still like their old games, and want to be able to play them without swapping out consoles. Yes, HDMI and RCA cords are becoming more common on TVs, but that does little to change the fact that having 4 consoles hooked up to a TV becomes bothersome and a dust trap.
The other big change I believe we will see is accommodations for casuals. This doesn’t mean that we’ll see a full-on revolution towards the market, but probably more towards what Xbox is doing currently: bringing Hulu and Netflix and other things onto the console as an added extra. Consoles, in a way, are adapting to be more like PCs. The ability to do more than play games is becoming more and more lucrative, and is a big reason why I’ve become a big PC gamer (other than hats, of course.) This will also go hand in hand with cheaper games with microtransactions. Gamers are more likely to pick up a game that’s cheap, and not likely to think very much of an occasional $1 powerup. It’s another way to make money; it’s another way to nickel & dime gamers.  
The future of gaming still looks promising, but as always an ever-changing empire; this is not a bad thing, but more of an evolution. Yes, at this point it is a lot of speculation and gathering of rumors, but there is a precedence that can be seen. When the Wii came out, both Sony and Microsoft responded with the Move and Kinect. Both of them may not have been good, but they saw it as a strategy. The gaming market now has a growing demographic of people who want more than just games—the market will eagerly meet these people with new options. However, don’t fret children. The true gaming market is still steady and strong. We will continue to see new, exciting FPSs and strategies; just expect there to be some new people in the market.

--Santa