GTA V Makes Me Want PS4 and Xbox One Right Now
The open-world fun of GTA V calls for a feature not found on current-gen consoles.
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Like many players, I haven't been able to connect to GTA Online yet. I've created a character, but the server issues are still ongoing for me, so I've been content to play around in GTA V while waiting to retry GTA Online. I still enjoy GTA V immensely, just from a 'mess around in Los Santos' perspective. One thing that playing more GTA V has made me realize is that I wish the game was on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
It's not the graphics, though I love next-gen and high-end PC graphics. GTA V has great graphics, and I'm not sure a next-gen push would add much to it. (Feel free to point this one out when GTA V or GTA VI launches on Xbox One/PS4 and I'm ga-ga over the graphics.) It's the video sharing features built into each console that have grown this desire within me.
Last night while playing around with Franklin, I was running from the cops. I slipped into his slow-motion driving special, dropped a sticky bomb on the road, leaped off the highway on a ramp, and blew up the bomb before the cops could come after me. It was awesome, trust me. Unfortunately, my word is the only thing I have to show for my moment of amazing-ness.
The PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One not only have video sharing features, but they also constantly record your gameplay footage in a buffer. The PlayStation 4 has a 15 minute buffer, while the Xbox One only records the last five minutes of gameplay. It's another differentiator between both black boxes, but it's great that both have the feature at all. YouTube and Facebook sharing won't be available on Xbox One at launch, and YouTube sharing isn't in the cards for PS4 at all, but Twitch and Ustream are pretty good alternatives that the game industry has built from the ground up.
Haven't you ever had that moment that you wanted to share with a friend, roommate, or significant other? A great combo, a comeback drive, a last-ditch play that worked, or something that scared you? Games are full of great water-cooler moments. Even if you weren't planning on making a video, this means you'll be able to share your weird glitch or amazing move, if it happened recently. It brings all the benefits of a DVR for sports fans to gamers.
There may be drawbacks to the ability to share videos so easily. I can only imagine a player in a match going AFK because he wants to save his awesome headshot before the buffer runs out. You'll probably see a ton of videos that aren't awesome at all, like hunting through YouTube for a good Let's Play or MiiVerse for a great drawing. Heaven forbid if you're a few seconds past the buffer on the Xbox One; I see nothing but rage in your future. But overall, I think the video sharing features will be a net positive for players.
I'm looking forward to it, if only because my moment was the most awesome moment of Grand Theft Auto V ever and no one has anything else that can beat it. Trust me, it was cool. You have nothing better.