Next Gen? Not Now.

I want to play with them, but I have to wait for the right moment.

The Ps4 or the Xbox One?  Which one?  To be honest, neither right now.  It is simply not worth it.

Where to start?  The hardware problems, the unavailability, or the lack of good games to give us an incentive to buy the system?  I guess we'll take a look at the problems plaguing both systems.

So, apparently the Ps4's release was immediately followed by two problems, one where the HDMI port was pretty much unusable, and one where consoles were bricking by providing a constant blue light.  The Xbox One, on the other hand, has a problem with the disc reader, where it will emit a "grinding" noise and not read any game disc.  That's great.  As with any other launch, it doesn't surprise me that there are problems being found with the systems so soon.

Everywhere, and I mean everywhere, is sold out of both systems.  Since it is so close to the Holiday season, this was inevitable.  Retail stores and online shops both suffer from a lack of consoles.  If you can find one, and really want one at this point in time, go ahead, scoop it up.

My biggest problem is the lack of good games and exclusives for the systems.  Now, this is a point of contention, so I will elaborate.  Battlefield 4, Call of Duty:Ghosts, Assassins Creed 4, NBA 2K, FIFA, etc. are all available for both systems.  Not only are they available for these systems, but they are all available for prior systems.  Granted, features such as increased number of players online, and stunning graphics may be enough for someone to warrant the purchase, but if I already played through the new Call of Duty on the Ps3, what reason will I have for justifying another purchase for the new systems?  Although, if you have a new system, and haven't played these titles prior to their release on said systems, you're better off going with the new systems versions, as they are mildly superior in every way.  Except for Battlefield 4 on the Ps4.  Stay far away from that until it is fixed.  For those of you who do not know, Battlefield 4 is unplayable right now; the game keeps crashing in multiplayer, and corrupts saves for the campaign.  It's not pretty.

Exclusives at launch were boiled down to Killzone: Shadow Fall and Knack for the Ps4 and Dead Rising 3/Ryse/Crimson Dragon/Forza 5 for the Xbox One.  I am leaving out downloadable titles, Kinect-Centric titles, and titles that did not garner enough attention to even warrant being talked about (and those I simply forgot about, since this is just being done off the top of my head).  Killzone was praised for its fantastic graphics and solid multiplayer, but suffers from a very lackluster campaign.  Dead Rising 3 is getting hate for its sub-par visuals and excessive loading times.  In Knack, there is an overly repetitive, linear experience to be found.  In Ryse, the same can be said, with the game borrowing heavily from similar games of the same style, such as God of War.  Forza 5 is just...another car game, which I guess is okay if that's your thing (certainly not mine).  Finally, Crimson Dragon's simply looks very unappealing and, dare I say again, repetitive.

For those who want the big titles for both systems, you'll have to wait, and while waiting, be stuck with these same games. Games such as Infamous: Second Son, The Order: 1886, Metal Gear Solid 5, Kingdom Hearts 3, Final Fantasy 15, Halo 5, Titanfall are releasing in the future (some far earlier than others) and are the reasons I want the consoles.  Not for the games they have currently.

Some of the games mentioned in the prior paragraph are, to my surprise, being released for both systems (Kingdom Hearts 3, Metal Gear Solid 5...I believe that Final Fantasy 15 initially was but is no longer...).  So this brings up the question:  Should I get both systems?  If you really love Halo, but you also really love Uncharted, maybe.  But if you're perfectly content with one system's exclusives over the other, there is no point in purchasing both other than setting your finances back.

I don't blame people for purchasing the new consoles.  I am not throwing them under the bus.  I know that the new systems do have some decent games at launch.  Remember, this is all my opinion.  For me, personally, I just do not like the lineup.  If the Ps4 launched with Uncharted 4, I would instantly get it.  If the Xbox One launched with Halo 5, I would instantly get it.  If they both launched with both the games I just mentioned, and I only could get one system, the decision I would have to make would be a moral conundrum that would endanger my well-being.  I'd go all "The Shining" trying to compare the pros and cons of both game series.

The above was based purely on the "gaming" aspect of the consoles.  For the overall media experience, i.e, if you want a blu-ray player because you haven't had one, or one of many other things, you are much more inclined to get one than I am.  I am perfectly happy with using my Media Laptop for all music, blu-ray playing, and Netflix watching that I desire.  And I desire much of these things.

As an excessive gamer, I feel like I am going against everything I know and love by feeling this way.  But, the truth is, there is no reason to be overly excited about these consoles at this moment.  Why not hold off on getting these, and enjoy your Holiday season, by not dropping hundreds of dollars one of two consoles that have not reached their potential yet?  Oh, you're buying it for your kid?  Never mind then, if you don't get them it, they'll hate you.  Disregard everything I've said.