We seem to be in the midlife cycle of the current console generation. I thought it would be interesting to sit down and think of the items that should be included in the next generation of consoles from a hardware stand point.

10. Allow purchased content to be transferred to the new console:

Since this is the first generation of consoles that have all included pay-fordownloadable content,it is a must that the next generation of consoles allow you to transfer that content to the next system. I'm sure most of you like myself, have purchased content, either as a full game or a downloadable pack for a game. This content needs to be available especially if they next generation of consoles plan on having any form of backwards compatibility.

 
Nothing would upset me more to have purchased Street Fighter 2 for my Xbox 360, then having my 360 rrod on me, finding out that the Xbox III doesn't support old downloaded 360 titles. It would probably upset me even more to find out that I could have the game again, if I would just rebuy it for my Xbox III. This is currently why I try and get a physical copy of all my games. Sadly, this has happened before with other media, namely music. I personally don't want to see this happen in video games.

9. Get rid of the Points system:

The next generation of consoles need to get away from this stupid point system. Yes, I'm looking at you Nintendo and Microsoft. If Sony can do this, you guys can too. Show the price of downloadable content as a fixed dollar amount. No more of this 800 points crap. Yes, it's confusing. I'm tired of having to bust out a calculator sometimes when I'm going to buy something.

 
Another thing, make it so I only have to pay for the content that I'm getting. This is beyond stupid, but why do I have to buy 1000 points or whatever if I only want to buy a 150 point item? That needs to go. Once again, if Sony can pull this off, so can you guys.

8. Exporting of Saved Game Data to my PC:

I know that the current console generation has this. However,this is something that must be continued on to future generation of consoles. Either have a built in SD Card slot in the machine or a USB port that will allow me to hook up an SD Card reader to it. It would be even better  just to have something in the GUI that allows you to transfer X Data to a computer on your network. If you still can't do any of that, how about you just let me email myself the data.

No locking of save game data so it can't be moved!

7. Built in Wi-fi:

This is a must. I know some people love running cables everywhere and some of you out there are able to live in a place that has networking set up in every room. I don't personally and I know a ton of people that don't either. Wi-fi is mandatory for me. Have the darn thing built into the next generation console. It's a $5 chip. 5 bucks!!! There is no excuse for not having it. I'm looking right at you Microsoft. If Nintendo and Sony can do. Why can't you? And what is your problem with charging people $100 bucks for your Wi-fi adapter?

 
Another thing that would be great is if they made the wi-fi wireless-N. I know alot of people don't have it, myself included. Therefore it would be nice to know that my next console has it if and when I upgrade.

6. Free online play:

This is something I'll be looking for in my next generation console. It's a must have for me. Only reason why I got Xbox Live myself was because a friend pretty much begged me to. And sadly I only use it to chat online and to play Catan online with that friend. There is no excuse for not being able to provide free online gameplay. PCs have been doing it for years upon years. Other older consoles do it for free too. *cough* Dreamcast *cough* Come on, we shouldn't have to pay to have the privilege of having a 12 year old calling us a fag when we play online.

5. Taking Screenshots and Movies in game:

This item is being touched on here and there by a few games in the current generation. But I want to see it across every game come the next generation. This would be a great feature for building a community around. Imagine being able to send your friends a screenshot of your highscore or taking a video and uploading it to Youtube of that cool jump you just pulled off in the game. We have to have this. 

Taking it a step forward, why not allow people to broadcast their gameplay in realtime, sort of like what Xfire does already, to everyone you want or just your friends. I know some people will say, people will cheat with it. Yet, that's why there is an option to turn it off if you don't want to broadcast.

4. Upscaling:

The next console generation has to fully support 1080p. No ifs, ands or buts about it. It should be able to scale a game from 1080p to 480i without a problem and everything in between with no text or graphics issues. All games should be able to run in true 1080p. No scaling up a game from 576p or whatever. No cheating. The hardware in a computer can do this today. It should be a cakewalk 2 or 3 years from now.

3. True and Full Backwards Compatibility:

Where do I start with this one. I'm still mad that my 360 doesn't support all the Xbox games that I have. Yes, I still have my old Xbox. And no, I don't want to have to hook it up to play my old games. If you are going to offer backwards compatibility, you better do it right. If Nintendo and Sony can pull this off. Damn it, Microsoft should be able to as well.

I want to be able to walk into a Gamestop and buy an old used game and pop it into the system and just have it work. Or, maybe just work after a small update file is downloaded.

2. DVDs and Hi-Def Movies:

This is another thing that the next console generation has to have. The ability to play both DVDs and Blu-Ray movies from the start. Not from buying some add-on or dare I say, buying a whole new system. This is just one of those things that should be a no brainer.

1. Hard Drive:

Every console in the next generation should have a hard drive. Not a hard drive as an option, but a built in hard drive that is also user changeable. Sony got this one perfect this console generation, it should be the model for all future console generations.

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This of course is just a small list of the things I'd like to see in the next console generation. There are other things too that I didn't touch on, like paying to unlock content that is already on the disc or controllers with rechargable battery built in but when that fails can take normal batteries. I could probably type for days on this but I had to stop somewhere. And I know some of you may say I was a little heavyhanded when it came to the 360. I didn't mean for it to be that way. It's just the way that it turned out. the 360 itself has some things I'd like to see in next generation consoles as well.

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