Opinion – Trouble In Transition To New-Gen

The future of video gaming did not start the moment that the new-generation systems came out. The systems have had their launch problems, and even a year in there are still some promised features that have yet to appear. Hardware isn't alone. A few recent games' SNAFUs – from both the new generation and the old – prove that the transition of the generations isn't happening as smooth as it should.

Sony first-party racer DriveClub from Evolution Studios used to have a delay problem, but now that it's out the door, the trouble is just starting. The game – which is heavily dependent on having an online connection at the expense of the single-player – is currently having server problems to the point that people are having a hard time getting online with the game. This situation has even caused the free PlayStation Plus Edition of the game to be delayed indefinitely.

Network problems of some sort happen to games all the time and are not a new-gen problem, but given how a working online connection is what the DriveClub's feature set is built around in the name of pushing a new way to race, the game is having a hard time living up to its promise. Evolution didn't have a public beta, which could have sufficiently stress tested the game, and although it was delayed the developer says it spent the time working on other things. Given Evolution's position as a first-party Sony studio, I don't understand how it could not marshal the resources to launch the game correctly. Certainly, delivering a working product isn't as easy as flipping a switch, but that's just a sign that even with an entire generation of online games under companies' belts, we're still not ready for prime time.

Another case on this point is 2K, developer Visual Concepts, and their NBA 2K15. The game's MyCareer mode (even when playing offline) is tied to an online connection and communication with the 2K servers – which for the second year in a row have been crapping the bed and leaving everyone high and dry. Not only can you not play your saved MyCareer character when the servers are down, but you'll have to re-do your MyPlayer face scan.

I'm not sure why NBA 2K15 has to communicate with the servers at the expense of even offline play, but in the case of DriveClub, there are games that are riding that line between pushing the feature envelope, trying to meet a release schedule, and simply having the damn thing work. Stripping games of any potential online or feature innovation is certainly not the recommended course of action, but gamers just aren't getting the games they were promised.

Speaking of which, it goes both ways: Old-gen gamers aren't safe either. Even with a much larger installed base, games still coming out for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and pledges of support, the console transition is hurting them too. We all know the titles are going to dry up as we get more and more into the current system cycle, but Forza Horizon 2's announcement that the 360 version of the game would not get any DLC after the game released is at best a communication failure to its fans and at worst deceitful.

The companies themselves may want to move on to the new systems, but if you're going to put out a product for any system and charge someone for it, it's not outrageous to treat the game and those who've bought it with some regard. Information on what the differences are between an old-gen version of the game and the new one can be hard to come by, and if I have my tin foil hat on properly, I'd swear this was almost by design as if to create enough consumer confusion so they don't hesitate to buy an old-gen title in case they think their favorite feature is not included.

The new generation is here, and yet we're all still waiting for the future to arrive.