No new consoles under the tree this year.

This is not Santa’s punishment for me being bad this year (although I would understand if he thought that should be the case). It was my decision and it was a long time in coming.  It started with the question “Should I pre-order the PS4 or the XBOX One?”  I didn’t immediately know the answer, so I decide to wait a while.

Let’s give a little context here.  I was that gamer that bought XBOX, the PS3, the XBOX 360, the Wii on day one.* When it came to the Blu-Ray and HD-DVD wars, I didn’t choose sides; I got them both.  (Once a year, I still attach the drive to my XBOX 360 and play a movie from that dusty collection.)

With that in mind, when I asked myself the question “What system do I pre-order?” I expected my gut to respond “Order both, moron!”  But it was quiet.  When I paused to listen, I could only hear a faint “…ehhh...”

It took a little digging, but I think I understand now why I didn’t commit, and I suspect that I may not be alone in my reasoning.  If I’m right, it may take longer for this generation of consoles to reach Sony and Microsoft’s first-year goals, as opposed to the way the last generation did.

The previous generation had a demonstrable jump in technology and in user-experience.  You could see the difference immediately in graphical resolution and in frames per second. You could now game in ways you’d never been able to before motion controls.  This generation of consoles, on the other hand, struggles to come up with obvious innovation as opposed to improvements.  (Many people are challenged to be able even to tell the difference between 720p and 1080p graphics, unless it’s specifically pointed out or they’re put side by side.)  

The XBOX 360, PS3, and Wii offered brand-new environments.  You could play a game and connect with other gamers through their networks, or from within a game itself.  You could revisit an older game from your collection, put in your new game from the store, or download a game on-demand without physical media.  Then came all the third-party apps and services to entertain me when I wasn’t playing a game.  It was as though the collective mantra of Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo was “Yes!  And now you can also….” 

While it is true that many of these great experiences are still present in the PS4 and XBOX One, the mantra has seemed to have changed to “No. Sorry about that. We’re hoping you’ll forget about how good it used to be.” Remember all those changes that Microsoft wanted to instill back when then announced the XBOX One…and later recanted? Remember not having to pay for basic network services on Sony?  Remember being able to play Blu-Ray movies on the PS3? Remember being able to play all the games from your library regardless of generation?

For me, that last point was the proverbial straw.  It’s what is holding me back from purchasing right now.  Pretend for a moment that XBOX One was able to play XBOX 360 games. I would then be able to justify purchasing the console.  It would immediately replace the 360 that’s sitting in my living room.  I could have that wonderful/frustrating new-console experience, and when I was done with the limited selection of XBOX One games, I could return to my existing favorites in my virtual or physical library.  

But no. This time Sony and Microsoft have not caught me in new-console frenzy.  Rather than wooing the gaming community, they are trying to force their vision and revenue model onto us in a shotgun-wedding scenario. They’ve forced me to examine the cost versus value of the experience.  So far, it’s not compelling.  They have caused me to join with my friends, waiting.  Waiting for that game that I simply MUST play.  That can’t be played anywhere else, on any other system.

Well, I guess there is always next year.

*The author also concedes to having purchased a Wii-U, but is still trying to justify that purchase.