What does being a next-gen game or hardware mean, exactly? While the answer is kind of murky—in some ways, the coming generation doesn't feel like a huge departure from our current generation of hardware —one of the places we can see concrete changes is when it comes to multiplayer games.


So let's talk a little bit about what we can expect out of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 when it comes to (console) multiplayer games, shall we? Improvements, changes, continuations of trends, predictions—you name it. Here are some of the many ways next-gen games and hardware will affect multiplayer games.


Control

Online Experience


Social Experience


Game Content

Absent friends: Of course, while online-only is on the rise, so is asynchronous multiplayer. That is to say, your friends don't always need to be present when you're playing against them. Forza 5 for example will base AI on actual players and their behavior

Of course, while online-only is on the rise, so is asynchronous multiplayer. That is to say, your friends don't always need to be present when you're playing against them. More Free-to-Play games: Here's another trend that is likely to continue, if not grow in the coming generation. Already, there's proof of it: fighting game Killer Instinct will start off free with one unlocked character,

Here's another trend that is likely to continue, if not grow in the coming generation. Already, there's proof of it: fighting game Downsized MMO: one of the big buzzwords for the coming generation is " shared-world shooter

Lots of changes, lots of improvements, and perhaps some worrying trends—what are you looking forward to or dreading out of next-gen games and hardware?


The Multiplayer is a weekly column that looks at how people crash into each other while playing games. It runs every Monday at 6PM ET.