Best and worst aspects of the 7th generation of gaming

The gaming industry broke the mold with the PS2 and original Xbox. When the time came for the next batch, they wanted to make the era the biggest and baddest thus far. This was the generation that would give millennials their most beloved and precious gaming memories. But it wasn’t all prestige and kill streaks, the era also came with profound blunders and missteps. we’re here to list the 5 best and 5 absolute worst the 7th generation had to offer.

1 Best- The Rise of Online Gaming

Without a doubt, the most popular feature of the generation. The original Xbox walked so the 360 and PS3 could run. This era built some of the most engaging, exciting, and sentimental gaming memories for players. Being able to meet others online, build genuine connections, and form clans was a beloved novelty that many in the community still praise today. Not to mention, a 360 lobby was the Wild West — some of the best trash talk you ever heard could be spewed at a moment’s notice. An experience I feel is sorely missed today.

1 Worst- The Endless Updates

Previous consoles had a very easy and quick procedure: turn it on, hit eject, put the game in — bam, you’re playing. With the advancement in technology came inconveniences too. Periodically, you’d have to wait a few minutes while the console updated before you could actually play. In the grand scheme, not the biggest deal, but it was pretty annoying to come home from a long day of school or work when all you wanted was to blow off some steam.

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2 Best- Some of The Greatest Titles of All Time

2007 was objectively one of the greatest years in all of gaming. I don’t think I’ve ever seen lightning in a bottle on this scale since. In just one year we got Uncharted, COD 4, Bioshock, Team Fortress 2, Portal, Halo 3 — the list goes on and on. The standouts of this golden class: COD 4 and Halo 3. The hype surrounding them was unlike anything I had ever seen. The groundbreaking campaigns and the endless hours poured into multiplayer solidified the FPS phenomenon of the generation.

2 Worst- Red Ring of Death

I loved the 360 — it was the first online console I ever owned. One of the best and most fun pieces of hardware of its time… when it worked. But bar none, its most infamous and hated feature: the Red Ring of Death. Due to rushed production and outright bad design, the console would overheat, flash a red ring, and become unplayable. While this was later corrected, it should have NEVER gotten past QA. Yes, there was a hotline and a replacement service, but the fact that a console needed any of that was unacceptable.

3 Best- Introduction of DLC

Internet downloadable content was first (albeit very limited) introduced with the Sega Dreamcast, but the 360 and PS3 were the first to perfect it. The thought that a game could be updated with new characters, skins, or maps without waiting for a sequel was revolutionary. Bundles like the Nazi Zombies packs or entire campaign expansions like Left 4 Dead brought almost as much hype as the main game itself. This was before microtransactions and overpriced slop ruined it for everyone. Thanks, Elder Scrolls — that horse armor was totally worth it and so was the greed train you set in motion.

3 Worst-Oversaturation of Shooters

This era, while shining in spots, was woefully uncreative in others. FPS games were so popular they flooded the market. At first, I couldn’t put my finger on it, but once it clicked, it hit like a ton of bricks. The market had drastically shifted: almost no variety. Sports games, racing games, and shooters were all you really had. 3D mascot platformers? Dead. 2D side-scrollers? Rare. Horror games? Morphed into action-shooter slop. This was the era where Crash, Spyro, Oddworld, Silent Hill, and many others effectively died out. I understand the industry needs to evolve to avoid stagnancy, but to see entire genres disappear completely was one of my least favorite aspects of the generation.

4 Best- Games Became Blockbusters

As I said earlier, 2007 was one of the best years in gaming. It wasn’t just because of online play — it was how games expanded their presentation so dramatically. Previous generations had amazing titles with compelling characters and lore, but only during the 7th gen were games able to stretch into something so epic. Uncharted, The Last of Us, Assassin’s Creed — these worlds demanded exploration and offered adventures unlike anything before.

4 Worst- Motion Controls

I’ll just come out and say it: I always thought it was a lousy gimmick. Sure, it was a fun novelty for the Wii, but even then, it wore out its welcome quickly. What really pushed it into overkill was when everyone else tried to cash in. The PS3’s motion controls, while functional, felt entirely pointless and tacked on. If my character is down, I’d much rather mash a button than wave the controller around like an idiot. But even that pales in comparison to the most infamous failure: the Xbox Kinect. Overpriced, dodgy functionality, repetitive and poorly implemented games, and virtually no fun factor. This is one mechanic the industry can leave buried.

5 Best- Consoles Became General Entertainment Systems

A huge feature was how consoles evolved into catch-all entertainment systems. You could play games, watch Netflix, YouTube, DVDs, and Blu-ray — all in one place. It was a massive convenience that saved money and even more shelf space.

5 Worst- Shovelware titles

Without a doubt, the worst and most infamous aspect of the era. The Wii, designed more for casual and uninformed gamers, combined with low production costs, led to a smorgasbord of low-quality shovelware. The sheer amount of soulless, contemptuous garbage churned out for a quick buck showed how greedy and lazy parts of the industry could be. These games wasted shelf space and ruined birthdays and Christmases. Can you imagine a kid waking up on Christmas morning only to unwrap Ninjabread Man, Carnival Games, or World Championship Poker? I’d rather get socks or a lump of coal than play those congealed hunks of trash.

There you have it — the best and worst the 7th generation had to offer. Even with its shortcomings, I still have a huge soft spot for the era and look back on it fondly. Sure, we had god-awful shovelware, annoying updates, red rings, and other inconveniences. But having friends over, ordering a pizza, cracking open some cola or Monsters, and taking turns on Gears or Modern Warfare? That was an experience. The era may be gone, but the memories will live on. Until then, everyone — stay frosty.

– Fil