12. Online Gaming
Look, I think online gaming is great. It allows friends and family to play together regardless of location, as well as opening up the ability to play with people all over the globe. However, anyone who has played games online, particularly the
Call of Duty and
Halo series, knows that there is a nasty, dark, and unpleasant side to online play. These games, in combination with the anonymity of the internet, bring out the worst aspects of humanity, allowing morons and ingrates to spout their hateful rhetoric and ruin what could otherwise be an enjoyable competitive experience. Whats worse is that these people tend to be misguided preteen boys who think that the internet is a no holds barred free-for-all of ignorance, and that just because they happen to be miles away means that they dont have to take responsibility for the way they act. Online gaming has also practically eradicated an age old past time: split screen gaming. Gaming with friends is always a better experience when in each others' company, but the advent of online play has led developers and publishers to disregard including it in their games. Most games today, even the cooperative ones, only include the option to play online. Why cant we have the option for both? Its sad to see this option slowly die off in favor of online play.