I’ll admit it. The main reason I didn’t pre-order an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 is because I couldn’t afford it. Judge me if you will, but $450 could buy me public transportation in Boston for 6 months. A man’s gotta eat. As strange as it may seem, though, it doesn’t upset me to miss the first few months of the next-gen frenzy. Sure, I’d love to make space for a shiny new console on my TV stand. And, as a video game journalist, I’ll soon need to move on. But, for me, next-gen simply isn’t worth the cost yet.
The first source of my hesitation traces back to the Xbox 360 launch. Yes, you remember it: the “Red Ring of Death.” One minute you’re playing your console, having the time of your life, and the next you’re given a neon orange “Fun time over” message. You let your system cool down, wrap a damp towel around it, and maybe you fix it temporarily. Either way, your console is broken.
I hate to be an old geezer, but my faith in console pre-orders was shaken last gen. New technology is allowed to have its issues, but I’d personally rather not make that gamble. Why risk buying a faulty system when I can just wait and let other consumers test it out?
“Games,” you might answer. I should want to go next-gen ASAP so I can play all of the innovative, graphically outstanding games. Unfortunately, the list of PS4 and Xbox One launch titles isn’t that impressive. We have Assassin’s Creed IV, which was reviewed more positively on PS3 than it was PS4. We have Battlefield 4 and Call of Duty: Ghosts, which look moderately better on next-gen, but aren’t deal-breaking. Knack looks beautiful, of course, and Ryse: Son of Rome will likely be badass. Overall, though, the true next generation of gaming won’t arrive until a critical mass of games brings it forward. While the PS4 and Xbox One hardware is unquestionably superior to its predecessors, it will take time for developers to really get a handle on the new technology.
Then there’s current-gen. I can’t even guess how many current-gen games are on my backlog right now. From State of Decay to Valkyria Chronicles (2008!), I have A LOT of titles that I need to play before I can brace myself for a new console generation. Heck, I have games from last gen that I still need to play. Sometimes I wish gaming technology would slow down so that me and my wallet can catch up.
I’m not advising you to put off buying a next-gen console. If you’ve got the dough, by all means join the already million-strong movement. I doubt you’ll regret it. What you shouldn’t do, however, is feel bad about staying behind for a little while longer. Take some time to cross off a few games on your current-gen list – The Witcher 2, Ni no Kuni, or Arkham Asylum could be good places to start – and be thankful for the wealth of quality games that the last eight years have provided. And, every time the jealousy of seeing your friends play next-gen games becomes too much, put a dollar into a jar. By the time killer apps like Titanfall and Destiny roll around next year, you should be well on your way to joining the fun.
