10. The Launch Lineups Are Not That Great
The quality of console launch software lineups has not been very high for several generations now, and the upcoming lineups for the Xbox One and the Playstation 4 don't really look to break this trend. One thing that has always struck me as odd is that even the most hardcore, wait-in-line-for-the-midnight-launch type of early adopter gamers will acknowledge this. So why is it that these consoles are sold out of stores for weeks and weeks after launch? Because like I mentioned before, we gamers love loot. We are tech junkies, and often times, it's more about having the latest and greatest toy than it is about the use that we are going to actually derive from it. There is nothing wrong with this, and it is these types of consumers that help keep our industry afloat. For the rest of us, though, it's worth asking this question: what launch titles look SO promising, that we simply must spend $400, $500, or even $1000 on new consoles this holiday season? What are the "system sellers" here that you simply can't wait for? Sure, I'll be the first to admit that Dead Rising 3 looks quite good. Some of the PS4 indie titles like Resogun and Contrast look very fun as well. And of course, we have our usual plethora of sports games, racing games, and first person shooters that will be launching with the systems. But are these games really worth that price of entry to you, especially with many of them also launching on the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and PC as well? If so, that's fantastic, and by no means is this an insinuation that you are making a bad decision. But with the states of economies around the world and the mindsets of consumers in a much different place than they were in 2005 and 2006 , it is well worth asking yourself whether you need to play Knack, Ryse, Killzone Shadow Fall, and the prettier version of Assassin's Creed IV right away? If you hesitated at all in answering a resounding "yes", then perhaps waiting out the early madness would be best. The consoles aren't going anywhere, and several months down the road into 2014, they will both have much stronger software libraries that should provide a much stronger justification for a purchase.