2. Online Multiplayer
A surprisingly unheralded development, Online Multiplayer, like a couple things on this list, is far from new. PC gaming has had a one-up on consoles from the very beginning, but it's a feature that shouldn't be under-estimated. I've spent entire weekends playing CoD with friends. I mean it, literally, entire weekends.You just get in a mood where you want to jump on with a few buddies after work on Friday. You go to the kitchen for a brew, maybe a nap, come back to the game, and next thing you know its Sunday, and you have thirty-three new messages. Online has been around for a while. It was even a big part in the latter years of the previous generation, but that gen has nothing on this. So much is online based, and competitive. It isn't enough that you have to choose your console, you have to choose your sport, your shooter. Believe it or not, that nativity of online gaming on consoles has brought upon a life-style. Even PC gaming has changed with League of Legends, WoW, DC Universe Online, Secret World. Few people play several MMOs. They can get expensive, but what you're $15 a month buys you is a niche lifestyle, and though online gaming has been around for years now, this has really only started to pop up recently.