In retrospect, I feel about it, as when this generation started. Xbox 360 was launched to early. The technological leap from the Xbox was to little, and it was a poor rogue to pen it on a HD era. A bullshit statement that didn't belong, but was needed to sell the next box.
The entire era was initiated for Microsoft to get an advancement. They forfeited their Xbox and went back to the drawing board. Nintendo sold out to the masses and abandoned their high technological ways, and became a crowd pleaser with the non gamers, while Sony(E3 2006) Stumbled out in a horrible mess of broken dreams and promises.
Exclusive games have been fewer, all three manufacturers spent many millions trying to fabricate their own digital games stores, downloadable games, motion control technologies, media applications, and online gaming related services. None of the services spoke to each other though, and as a result we got some half assed, half baked efforts like Miis, Playstation Home, and Avatars.
Online gaming was a major dissapointment. Wii simply decided to say fuck to it, and didn't bother at anything really worthwhile. Sony went for a mediocre free service, and Microsoft went for a over priced online kindergarden model.
The Accessories for all three consoles where a sham. From Eyetoy, to HD-DVD to the countless of stuff on the Wii, to Kinect/Playstation Move, to Wii Balance Board.
It's hard not to sit back and be cynical as fuck at them trying to 1up each other in terms of being lame, instead of just providing fantastic games.
Exclusives(not counting downloadables, indie games, DLC) seem to have gone lower than before, promises where not kept about 120 FPS AA free gaming at 1080p, framerate and draw distance remain major issues, online infastructure has still not developed past server host advantages and max 16-20-24-32 player games.
Achievements, Points, whatever.
Unlike the situation of iOS and Android, where there is real competition(fantastic competition) in which eco system people choose to dive into, choosing an eco system for either Microsoft, Sony or Nintendo seems to be brimmed with compromises.
More than ever, I want them to go away with all their bullshit, and start focusing on the games again. There where so few, truly excellent great games. Too many remakes, sequels, prequels, spinoffs and reboots.
The best part about this generation remains the smaller games. We should have seen it already when we first saw that Geometry Wars was the best launch game of Xbox 360. Interesting that the omen and disappointment of Perfect Dark Zero, seems to reflect where we are today. The large scale Call of Duty shit is old and stale, but the small stuff like Braid, and Limbo is fun and exciting.
If we really look back, a lot of stuff didn't seem to live up their promise. GTA4, Halo 3, Lair, Resistence, Uncharted 1, Killzone 2, PDZ, Bionic Commando, Perfect Dark Zero, Too Human, Blue Dragon, Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIV, Spore, Mercenaries 2, Haze, The Force Unleashed, Ninja Gaiden 2, Call of Duty 3, Eye of Judgment, Zelda: Twillight Princess, Metroid Prime 3, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, Soul Calibur 4, Gran Turismo 5, Devil May Cry 4, Lost Oddyssee, White Knight Chronicles, UT3, Kane and Lynch, Quake Wars, and so on and so forth.
There where some good stuff too, but I think the focus on the machines, accessories, and other stuff not related to going took too much focus.
So my prayer is for more streamlined gaming. less bullcrap, faster into it, better. More smooth. Just more time and investment in the games.
/rant off
everyone holding hands under a rainbow
