Generally speaking, the future of gaming is digital and online-connected. I, for one, am largely in support of much of this, as I quite enjoy the benefit of, say, being able to easily bring all of my handheld games with me wherever I go or easily download my collection of PC games without ever looking for a disc or CD key. The rare instance when I’m without Internet or the long wait for the My Games section of the Xbox 360 dashboard to load aside, I’m a fan of all this digital business. However, on occasion there are things which cause me to wonder if it’s all worth it and make me hesitant to debate anyone who is averse to becoming excited about the direction the industry is headed.
Take Dragon Quest X, for instance. Unlike previous games in the series, it is an MMORPG and, as such, it requires an online connection (and carries a subscription fee, at least in Japan) for all but a few hours. The decision to take a previously single-player-centric series into the MMO space — a move Final Fantasy has made twice, first with XI and then with XIV — will continue to be talked about. Personally I’m indifferent to the move as I don’t have any particular affection for the series beyond being a casual fan.
