Take Your “Always-Connected” Console And Shove It

Normally, I'm not quite so blunt with my headlines. But I have to admit, this topic is just begging for extreme bluntness.

I really wouldn't care if the new round of consoles blocked used games. Not in the slightest. I wouldn't care what sort of fancy-dancy features they came with, provided I had games I wanted to play and there was, at the very least, a noticeable increase in general technology. But there are two things I will not stand for.

The first is if they decide to make the machines all-digital and physical media goes out the window. I like my game collection and I like the fact that I can touch my game collection. Anything else is just smoke and mirrors, as far as I'm concerned. The second thing that could be a deal-breaker for me is if the console must be "always-connected" in order to function.

Yeah, forget it. If we've finally reached a point in this industry where I always have to be "connected" to enjoy a game every now and then, I'll find some new hobbies. Okay, maybe that's a little strong; I'm relatively certain I'll be playing games in some capacity until I'm dead (could only be a few hours a week, but I'll likely still play). But the idea of forced connection chafes me in all the wrong places. Forgive me for being a dinosaur but in many instances, I game to get away from things.

Now, you could make the argument that an Internet connection doesn't mean you're actually connected to anybody, and that you can just as easily "get away" in your living room with an always-connected console. But I'm sorry, I really don't see it that way. Furthermore, not everyone has an Internet connection in this world and even if they did , they have to rely on this to play a game, or get a game? You know, this digital stuff is neat and everything, but it's like the fact that my car only has push-button ignition and no standard key.

…I've found that once you reach a certain point in technology, common sense gets left behind.