What Gamers Want for the Next Generation of Video Game Consoles

Ever since the Wii U was announced at 2011's E3, speculation about the next Microsoft and Sony consoles have been high. We are reaching the end of the seventh generation, but a new Xbox or PS is probably still a few years away. While the companies are busy developing gaming's next big thing, what should be included? Here are a few additions the eighth generation should have.

[Your Voice: Which video games should be rebooted?]

Backwards capability
Out of the three major home consoles, only the Wii is truly backward capable with its predecessor the GameCube. The 360 is a little better. There is a list on its website that shows all the original Xbox games that can be played on the 360. The PS3 only had backwards capability on certain models. Those models are no longer being sold in stores. In a recent Gamespot survey, 83% of gamers said they wanted the eighth generation of consoles to be backwards capable. Only 24% think we'll actually see that with the next Xbox and PlayStation. The Wii U has already confirmed capability with Wii games and controllers.

Consoles that don't break
Before the seventh generation of consoles, I never had one that broke. Unfortunately, I've been through two 360s and I'm on my second PS3. Even if they haven't experienced it themselves, every gamer knows about the Red Ring of Death and the Yellow Light of Death. By 2007, so many 360s were failing that Microsoft extended the warranty for three years. While the S model of the console seems to be fairing better, it wasn't released until 2010. Original 360s still break all the time. The PS3 has a much lower rate of failure, but if you sent it back for repairs, you lost all your data. The easiest way to fix this is to wait until the console is absolutely ready before it's released. Don't rush the launch because you want to be first or because it's the holiday season.

Download full games on release date
All the consoles of the seventh generation are able to download demos, DLC, and full games. There's no reason why new games shouldn't be available as soon as they hit the stores. Games should still be available on disc, of course, but it would be very convenient if a download option existed. Perhaps the price of a downloaded game would be cheaper the a disc one. While I don't see the next generation switching to download only, it would be interesting to see how retailers and gamers react.

Focus on the games
What worries me most about the next batch of home consoles is the push to become multi-media entertainment centers. With the latest Xbox 360 dashboard update, it's clear that Microsoft want you to use the console for everything from streaming Netflix, watching cable TV, and updating your facebook status. The gaming part of the dashboard is no longer the most prominent. The PS3 and even the Wii are also becoming more then just gaming systems. What does this mean for video games? As long as the main focus is releasing quality games for their core users, I don't care what else the console does. It might be convenient to have all-in-one machines, but if the gaming suffers, the companies will lose their biggest supporters.