7. You'll Avoid Potential Network Problems
Like it or not, the Xbox One and the Playstation 4 are going to be connected to that weird, wonderful thing known as the internet in a way that no other consoles before them have. Whether it's sharing gameplay video with friends, digital downloads, or utilizing the cloud to offload processing tasks, these machines will no longer just use the networks, they will depend on them. They are going to be as integral to the overall functionality of the console as the processors and hard drives are. Gamers should be optimistic about the connectivity of these consoles. As they evolve, their networks will open up a cornucopia of possibilities for the consoles' potential, much being the likes of what we have never seen before. Yet at the same time, there is some valid worry in the gaming community regarding this connectivity. The PS360 era was rife with network-related horror stories large and small, from botched game launches to the infamous PSN hack of 2011. Over on the PC side, the nightmare launches of Diablo III and SimCity are still fresh on many gamers' minds. And while the problems associated with those games were partially related to corporate DRM policies, it highlighted the importance and increased dependency of online connectivity in modern video games. With these new consoles adopting philosophies that are much more aligned with PC gaming, this is becoming a genuine concern. Upcoming titles such as Watch Dogs, Destiny, and The Division may not have official "always-online" policies, but there's no denying that playing these games in offline mode will handicap many of the games' predominant features. Not only can we expect game-related network issues, but most importantly, network issues with the consoles themselves. Despite the existence of the current PSN (Playstation Network) and XBL (Xbox Live) networks, this is going to be new territory for both of the console makers, and gamers should expect lots of kinks that will need to be ironed out for many months after launch. Fortunately for the patient (and the easily frustrated), these new networks should operating much more smoothly, and in much more usable states a few months after the launch dates.