The video game industry certain has its share of problems, but don't expect that all of those problems will one day be fixed. This is not because those problems are unrepairable, but are instead very profitable. The theory here is that certain gaming shortcomings make lots of money for the publishers and developers, so it's in those companies' best interests to leave these sorts of things forever broken. Cracked takes a look at five of these failings and provides some historical context for each.
Her name is Sheva Alomar. The game is Resident Evil 5. And unless you're playing on the "just let me win, damn it!" difficulty setting, she's the A.I. partner who is about to make your life a living hell. Behold as she accidentally rides a conveyor belt right into a blast furnace. Watch as you carefully lay timed mines in front of the giant mutant bat monster, only to have Sheva follow behind you picking [them] up and putting them in her pocket. And that's in one of the best games of the generation, a title that's top-notch in about every other area. Probably no other flaw ruins great games the way this one does.
[This] will never get fixed because it's not a flaw, necessarily. See, Resident Evil 5 doesn't want you to play with A.I. Sheva. They want you to play with a friend, in the co-op mode. Specifically, they want you to play with a friend who you forced to buy a second copy of the game. And Microsoft wants both of you paying monthly subscription fees for Xbox Live.
It won't get fixed, because there's more money in not fixing it.
Something that Cracked overlooked that I'd like to see changed is the ongoing need for developers to continue creating and releasing add-on controllers that only work with one or two games before being dropped from future development. My media room is becoming a shrine to bongo drums, microphones, action dance pads, steering wheel shells, and other such things, and frankly it's getting a bit cluttered in there. I'm all for innovative new ways to play games, but let's try to avoid the commercial dead ends, shall we?
