What features should the next gen consoles have or lose?

[Chickybaby]

I really agree w/ a lot of you all on what new systems should come out with. When are we gonna send Sony/Microsoft?nintendo a link to this thread?

I think if system manufacturers polled the actual owners and players of these systems they'd have better profits.Some 800 number in fine print on the back or a almost inaccesable website just don't cut it anymore. A nationally advertized poll w/ a garantee that maybe the best features could be incorporated into the new system would bring a huge response.

Anyway here are my picks:

- Definitely has to be compatable w/ older system and playing DVD's

- Built in memory w/ the availability to purchase upgrades

- multi-disk changer (at least 3 disks)

- Comes w/ a full game, even if its like a museum volume but no shareware/demo's (agreeing w/ Snider-man that it should be at launch)

- If it wouldn't come w/ 2 controllers- a discounted price pack where we could buy the extra controller, a remote and maybe a memory card. This would make it much easier since I ended up buying memory,extra controllers and the DVD remote for my PS2 anyway.

 

Maybe the'll actually listen to what we want if enough of us speak out.

[joeybastard]

I actually emailed Nintendo with some of my hopes for the next console yesterday after starting this thread. They told me thanks but we don't take unsolicited suggestions on out products. I understand they probably get lots of impossible or stupid requests but I hope somebody read it at least. I'm surprised I got a response at all even if it was automated. It does beg the question, of why have a suggestion email link if you don't want suggestions though.

[Foxy Cleopatra]

HUNH?

You cannot control DVD functions without the $30-$40 remote. What a jip job. Sure, you can put it in and it will run. But why can't the XBox be like the PS2 and allow controller input.

 

 

Well I've used both as DVD players and frankly I do not like the pop up menu the PS2 uses to play DVD's.

First these are game consoles DVD playback is a secondary feature. So yeah great you get to use the controller to play DVD's in the PS2, but to play GAMES with the PS2 you need ... well we all know what you need.. so who pays more extra money?

 

I just think it is ironic that some of the wish list items are already available on the XBox but we ignore that because everyone seems to be so down on "M$" when I think Sony is a maybe the bigger villain.

To each their own

Chickybaby- I agree the upgradeable console is definitely on my wish list

[MegaManFan]

I hate to disagree with you Chicky, but I have a few issues here:

 

- Definitely has to be compatable w/ older system and playing DVD's

 

The DVD compatibility is one of the things I really hate about consoles today (and one thing I'm happy GameCube left OUT. Backwards compatibility would be nice but as much as hardware changes I honestly don't expect it to happen.

 

- Built in memory w/ the availability to purchase upgrades

 

No way. What do you want, a console or a computer? The thing I like most about consoles is when you buy it, you're DONE. No upgrades!

 

- multi-disk changer  (at least 3 disks)

 

Seems kinda unnecessary. Even with three disc RPG's, you're still going to be playing the first one for 15-20 hours long before you switch to the second. Anybody who can have the kind of marathon gaming session where they play all the way through to the next disc probably SHOULD get up to change it (if not get up and do something else).

 

- Comes w/ a full game

 

No argument there at least. Pack-ins are a must.

[Punisher5.0]

 

I just think it is ironic that some of the wish list items are already available on the XBox but we ignore that because everyone seems to be so down on "M$" when I think Sony is a maybe the bigger villain.  

To each their own

Chickybaby- I agree the upgradeable console is definitely on my wish list

 

Yea, there is a lot of people here who hate Microsoft. I like Microsoft and I wouldn't run any other OS than Windows. The XBOX is a good console and I like how Microsoft asked thousands of gamers what they want in a videogame system then they actually put those features into it.

 

I also like the ability to upgrade but unfortunately most consumers don't want to. I think the only successful upgrade made was the expansion pak for N64.

[Ze_ro]

Things I hope are in newer systems:

• Controllers with spinners and trackballs. These things would be damn useful on a lot of games.

[*]Bring back VMU's! Having a screen on the controller is useful in a number of situations, and was never used to full advantage on the DC.

[*]Memory card slots on the controller.

[*]At least 4 joystick ports. Multitaps are lame.

[*]I guess cartridges are not longer feasible... but I want some sort of medium that kids can't scratch up.

[*]Build in hard-drives... or failing that, built in memory cards like the Saturn had.

[*]More than one controller with a system, dammit!

[*]Easy homebrew possibilities... developer kits and such.

[*]Portable systems: screen flipping and vertical games (Remember the Lynx?)

Things I hope disappear:

• Multiple shoulder buttons. Two are more than enough.

[*]Mandatory networking. What the hell good is PSO if you don't want to go online??

[*]How about a REAL joystick instead of this pad stuff?

[*]Lower priced games. $80 my ass.

[*]Less japanese games. The cliches are getting mighty tired.

[*]Compatibility with older systems.

[*]Annoying intro movies that can't be skipped.

I'm actually glad pack-ins are gone... kind of restricting if you don't like that game. I'd rather have EB give you a free game with it or something.

 

Oh yeah, and it should never stop dancing!

 

--Zero

[Jeffy Arensmeyer]

 

"Hear me now, Believe me latuh"

 

I'm not picking on you, Ze_ro, but you bring up some very good points.

Thanx for allowing me to use you, Ze_ro as a template. Even though we are about 50%-50% on our views, you blanketed the topics very well.    

 

ò¿ó        

 

[Gabriel]

What do I think are good ideas for a console?

 

1) Portable memory storage devices. However, I wish they'd go with something standardized like 3.5 floppies or maybe zip discs in order to allow easy transfer to a PC.

 

2) Better controllers. The original PS1 digital controllers were good. The current crop of everything and the kitchen sink analog controllers are just pathetic. The PS2 controller is best. The X-Box controller is as least marginally usable. The GameCube controller is total shit. Let's either have controllers like the original SNES or PS1 controllers, or things like the ASCIIWARE SNES or Genesis Fighter Sticks.

 

3) No pack in game. Quite frankly, I find most pack ins to totally suck ass, from Super Breakout on the 5200 to Super Mario World on the SNES. I'm actually happy that pack ins have gone the way of the dodo. It keeps me from having to pay extra for a shitty game. I'd rather use that money to buy a separate game that I'd actually like.

 

4) Backwards compatibility or compatibility with associated systems, preferably out of the box. This is very important. I love my 7800 and PS2 for this feature. My GameCube will get quite a bit more love when the GameBoy Advance adaptor comes out.

 

5) Small. I have a lot of stuff hooked up to my TV. I don't have much space to stick shit in. I also prefer small vertical profiles. I can sandwich my PS2 or (to a slightly lesser extent) my X-Box between two narrow shelves. I can't do that with my GameCube, thanks to its assine top loading nature and high vertical profile.

 

I also would prefer a return to CD jewel cases for games instead of DVD cases. CD jewel cases are much easier to store a large number of.

 

6) Non crippled DVD capability. Since the CD/DVD games are going to be playing FMV and graphics anyway, they might as well have full capabilities to play movie DVDs. When you get right down to it, I'm paying for the capability whether they actually allow it to be used or not. While they're at it, they might as well add in some of the other features of DVD players like allowing play of MP3s and viewing of .jpgs off of CDRs.

 

 

Issues that are important to others here, but really don't matter to me (and therefore I really don't want to pay for):

 

Online capability

 

4 controller ports = I hardly ever even use the second port.

 

Networking = yeah, its cool to hook 2 PS1s up, but hardly any games ever supported it, and it wasn't really the most convenient of features.

 

Hard Drive = I think that the CD drive has a high enough chance of breaking down without also adding in a hard drive that can crash. Onboard battery backup memory is fine, as long as it has an easily replacable battery like the Saturn.

[Eduardo]

1) Regular DVD drives.

2) No locks for 3rd party software (Homebrews should be able to run right out of the box without mod chips)

3) A packed in keyboard and mouse, a basic word proc. and web browser to type short memos won't hurt.

4) Two controllers or more packed in.

5) Light Gun.

 

One can only dream

[Scooterb23]

Jesus, 6 replies to this thread have come up since I read it to when I finally had a chance to write this...

 

@ Snider-man

So that means unlimited save space on the hard drive within? Or are you somewhat limited without "extra" memory?

 

There's something along the lines of an 8GB hard drive on the XBox...

 

I haved saved games for 4 different sports dynasy games (that take upwards of 100 memory blocks each) and at least 10 other games, as well as 50 songs, for those games that let you have custom soundtracks, and it says I still have 50,000+ blocks of space left!!!!

 

Now, you can buy a memory card, just in case you want to take your saved game over to a friend's house (I guess). Or you want a backup of your saved game off system...

 

As for what I need for a system...I need good games 'nuff said. I'll buy any system as long as I can see at least 10 good games coming out for it...

 

No networking, don't care about the media (cd's so much easier to store...)

 

And I don't mind a demo disc being included, although I'd like to see the return of the pack-in game, demos allow me to look at the goods without having to make a mistake with my money. And I'm trying to work on a demo disc collection...any help would be nice

[SwedenLynxer]

What features should the next gen consoles have?

 

The most important feature would be the posibility to play Atari Lynx games on the console

[z28in82]

Well my ideal console would have

4 controller ports

DVD player ability accessory (like PS2/X-box, not needed to be built in)

nice big HDD

MP3 Player (hey I can dream)

on-line play

decent 3rd party support

 

If I could get that I'd be happy, but I'll end up buying whatever comes out anyway.

[Ze_ro]

I'm not picking on you, Ze_ro, but you bring up some very good points.

 

It's worth pointing out that the point of this thread was what you want in new consoles... I agree with most of your predictions (which mostly hinge on making more money), even if I hope for the opposite.

 

 

I haved saved games for 4 different sports dynasy games (that take upwards of 100 memory blocks each) and at least 10 other games, as well as 50 songs, for those games that let you have custom soundtracks, and it says I still have 50,000+ blocks of space left!!!!

 

And yet I've seen X-Box memory cards selling for about $50... what's wrong with this picture? This was when the X-Box was new... but still...

 

I also find it odd that Microsoft put two card slots on their controller, what with that big hard drive in there.

 

No locks for 3rd party software (Homebrews should be able to run right out of the box without mod chips)

 

Sadly, this will never happen. I'd like to see it too, but companies make too much money in liscensing to do this. Of course, the arguement could be made that computers are still profitable without imposing stupid restrictions like this...

 

I wish they'd go with something standardized like 3.5 floppies or maybe zip discs in order to allow easy transfer to a PC.

 

Well, floppy disks are a little bulky for something like this, and the mechanism is actually a lot more complicated. However, I remember seeing USB memory sticks that could be used as small (120 meg or so) hard drive. They were small enough to put on a keychain. Something like that would be great as a memory card.

 

Speaking of USB, I'd love to see all consoles conform to some sort of standard for their controllers. Remember when everything used that 9-pin jack until Nintendo screwed it up? If all companies used USB, it could even be possible to swap controllers. Imagine playing an X-Box with a PS2 controller without an adaptor!

 

I can sandwich my PS2 or (to a slightly lesser extent) my X-Box between two narrow shelves. I can't do that with my GameCube, thanks to its assine top loading nature and high vertical profile.

 

That has to be the first some someone has chosen X-Box over Gamecube when arguing about size

 

You're right though, front loading is much easier for us collectors. Stuff like my NES and INTV are much easier to store than my Saturn or Jaguar+CD... but for people that aren't as hardcore, it's not a big deal.

 

Another thing about consoles that I'd like to see die an ugly death is the idea of getting different colors. Sony and Microsoft seem to agree with me, yet Nintendo seems intent on trying to sell it's systems on style rather than quality (Not that their quality is lacking), which pisses me off. The Hello Kitty Dreamcast and the Pikachu N64 make me want to puke. The GBA SP annoys me too, since I know that tons of mindless drones will buy it even though they already have a GBA. It's a trick! You already have this system! Most of it's games are still on your SNES anyways, so the light isn't important!

 

--Zero

[chrisbid]

i actually admire consoles that dare to deviate from black or beige. i own too many black and beige consoles, and since woodgrain wont be making a comeback this decade, i like the fact that i can get a purple gamecube (although i admit, i bought a used cube, and it was black ). I do agree that the "themed" consoles like pokemon are a bit much for me, but i feel color is a good thing. If Microsoft made a pink xbox, id be first in line to pick one up, since it goes completely against their whole marketing strategy (horny 13 year old boys that like to watch computer generated breasts jiggle)

 

i agree that there are no siginifigent leaps forthcoming in the gaming industry. 3D was the last big leap, and this generation does for 3D what the "16-bit" generation did for 2D. Games are no longer wowing people, and while another complete market crash isnt likely, a decline is certainly a possibility. More polygons and faster framerates arent going to make games that much prettier than they are today.

 

i cant really say that im excited about the next generation of consoles. This current generation still has a lot to prove

[Ze_ro]

i actually admire consoles that dare to deviate from black or beige.

 

I have no real complaint about deviating from the norm... but I'd rather they just pick a color and stick with it. I have a "glacier" GBA, and every stupid battery pack I find is white (or "arctic" or whatever they want to call it), which would look very stupid in my system. I would have thought that making accessories in each color would get annoying for the companies that make them.

 

I also think changable faceplates and custom ring-tones for cell phones are extremely lame, so what do I know?

 

i cant really say that im excited about the next generation of consoles.  This current generation still has a lot to prove

 

I'm surprised that they're already talk about the next generation... I really don't see any advantage to getting anything more powerful than a PS2. I hardly even see much difference between PS2 and Dreamcast, let alone PS2 and PS3. I think if companies start coming out with new systems too soon, they'll find out that no one really wants to give up hundreds of dollars for only a slightly better system (on a side note, my 400 MHz computer is still plenty powerful enough for me).

 

Bring back VR, and then we can talk

 

--Zero