10/06 Update: Since we no longer write for the Edmond Sun, this section is temporarily housing our podcast links for our iTunes feed. All of the columns are in the archives menu if you feel like exploring.

These columns (as well as the 'releases') come from weekly content that we write for the Edmond Sun, out of Edmond, OK (though we live in Chicago). This page contains the archives for said column, many of which are in their pre-published, unedited state. Some titles and editing by Brendan Sinclair.

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Next-Gen Requirements
Tuesday, March 08, 2005

While official, factual information regarding the next-generation of consoles continues to trickle out steadily, the rumors are in full-force tsunami mode. The very existence of these future systems has technically not even been confirmed, and every Tom Mc Shea, Dick and Harry are already speculating as to their names, appearance, power and place in the market. Including me, of course. So even though I've written here previously about what to expect from the three big gaming companies and their respective machines, I'm here today to tell you what I REQUIRE of them - what every game and system needs at this technological juncture, and what is more than expected from them by now.

A recent story making the rounds online originates from a game developer supposedly working on an Xbox2 title. He goes on to say that not only will the system be somewhat underwhelming in power (especially when compared to the PS3), but that few games will even hit the sixty frames-per-second mark. For the uninitiated, FPS quite literally represents how many still frames of video you are seeing on the screen per second, thus determining how smooth the movement of everything in a game is. Some people can't even see the difference, but for those who can it can be the deciding factor of whether to purchase a game or not. Bad framerates have ruined some otherwise compelling games (Herdy Gerdy, Skygunner), and helped push some already great ones to new levels of graphical prowess (Ninja Gaiden, Twisted Metal Black). Making a 60FPS game is always a conscious choice by a developer, something to aim for specifically; it's not like your game just ends up running at that speed, and it's been that way for a while due to hardware limitations. The PS1 had just a handful of 60fps games, with the PS2 having only a few dozen more. What I'm getting around to saying here is that EVERY game created for future consoles should run at 60fps, no exceptions. With the amount of power sure to be under the hoods of each of these beasts, this should take priority over every other graphical bell ans whistle. I don't care how complex an environment is if walking through it feels like I'm drunk in a pool of molasses. It's a big deal, trust me, and it will mean the difference between future games looking like simply the next step or a whole other ballgame.

I don't know what Sony was thinking when they decided to only put two controller ports on their systems, but it's still the most embarrassing flaw on their hardware by a long shot. That, naturally, should be standard on all future systems. The real issue is wireless controllers; as in, no one should be without them. Regular ones shouldn't even be produced, and I'm militant about this. Nevermind the fact that we're basically using the same control inputs we were over twenty years ago, (the ol' joystick/button combo) - I shouldn't ever have to deal with another mess of cords at my feet again. The system should be turned on with a wireless controller, and go online with a wireless connection. Similarly, saving your game also shouldn't require any additional hassle or expense. The Xbox did a good job with this using the hard drive, and there's no reason why it can't be the standard. Managing save files already feels archaic, and I'm hoping this is remedied by whatever internal memory devices they decide to go with. And while I'm applauding the Xbox for setting the standard this time around, or at least trying to, why can't every game have a customizable soundtrack? Consoles should definitely be able to handle any type of media that we throw at them, so why not let us have a measure of control at least over what we listen to?

Lastly (for now...), and perhaps most importantly, load times. Yes, Nintendo were idiots for sticking with a cartridge format on the N64, but at least they didn't have to sit through minute-long load screens every time they entered a new area like Playstation owners. It's gotten a bit better, but it's still relatively rampant. I can understand one minute-long load for the entirety of the state of San Andreas, but having to wait every time my options menu loaded in X-Men Legends was just embarrassing. Games should be able to have you playing seconds after you boot up if you so desire - it's not that I'm impatient, it's just that I want that option, and know that it's quite possible. One of the reasons that Halo 2 is so cinematic is due to the fact that there isn't any waiting around in-between levels. The entire game is seamless, start to finish, and it's fabulous to play that way. It extends to the online play too for the most part, which makes an already great system even easier to appreciate. Same with Resident Evil 4 - if i had to stare at a graphic of a door opening every time I entered a new room like in the originals, well, it wouldn't be nearly as intense. Streamline your game, add two hard drives, do what you need to do. Just make it so that I never have to sit through another bloody load screen every again.

Notice that I didn't even touch on backwards compatibility, quality voice acting, or a handful of other things very wrong with the way we play games today. I know that working with new hardware is overwhelming, and developers have their priorities, but the things I've mentioned simply MUST be fixed for the next generation of consoles. I'm hoping that once these standards have been set they'll never be let up, but it's happened before (N-Gage) and it will happen again (N-Gage 2). Here's to hoping.


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