For a gamer there really is no feeling quite like the one felt when a new console is released. The average fan has spent hours pouring over the specs of the new models, comparing the processors between console A and console B, deciding which particular media drive is more beneficial for multi-media entertainment, consulting with a Shaman to see into the future to determine whether or not the games library will be worthy of your cash… the list goes on. Yet when it comes to the end product video game companies like to think they know what we want in that magical cardboard box. Oh how wrong they are!

And so, without further adieu, here’s G3’s Top 5 Thing That Should Be Included In The Box.

5. Faceplates

You know what’s amazing? Knowing that you and your friend both have the same console, and can therefore trade games with each other. But what’s more than a little lame? That the two consoles are aesthetically identical. Microsoft has realized this and provided consumers with the ability to interchange the Faceplate on the 360, but in their marketing wisdom didn’t include one in the box.

Is this what you want? WELL YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM!

That’s like telling someone who is about to buy a car that they can open the trunk if they want to, but they’ll have to buy a special remote to unlock it and that is another $10.99. It is the reason why we color our hair, paint our houses and change the desktop picture on our computers; we are individuals and we want to be unique. If you offered me a Hello Kitty Faceplate for my 360 right now, I would be overjoyed to accept it, just so I could be a little different. Somewhat less masculine, but different.

4. DVD/Blu Ray Remote

We all love movies. Have two hours to kill before an appointment and no new games to play? Just toss in a movie and tune out for a while. Want to catch a few episodes of Dollhouse? Then use your fancy Blu Ray player handily stashed inside your PS3. Want to pretend -as much as the gaming companies frequently enjoy- that your video game console is a media center? Well you’re in luck! Step right up and purchase one of our wonderful remote controls and put away that primitive controller you’re using to skip chapters and toggle Japanese subtitles.

THE FUTURE… when your grandpa was a kid.

Sure you could use the controller, but where is the feeling of living in the Jetson’s house if you’re not making use of a technology that’s nearly 60 years old! It’s not expensive to manufacture, and someone like Sony, who’s yelling all about town that their spiffy new console includes a Blu Ray player, then do us (and your sales) a favor: Throw in the remote as well, yeah?

3. Replacement Safety Equipment

Do you know what regular safety equipment is for? You know, goggles, gloves, that sort of thing? I most certainly do not, I just tend to keep working and if something catches on fire I’ll stop, but when a gaming console comes equipped with safety equipment (or damage preventative apparatuses) you know it’s because of some bad ass reason not mentioned on the box.

Safety First People! Or second..Or a close third..

And sure enough as soon as a console is released with a DPA attached to the controller you know that hilarity will ensue. Now I’m no rocket scientist (results pending though) but if a company has to re-release the very thing they designed in-house, then maybe their testing just wasn’t thorough enough. Of course we’re talking about the Wii Remote, and perhaps it’s an issue that could have been prevented. One of Nintendo’s biggest draw card to their current system is its Wii Remote and if Nintendo started to see failure rates for the straps beyond what was acceptable once they released the Wii then why didn’t they just provide a few replacement straps in the box rather than have the consumer jump through hoops to get some new straps every time they break?

2. An Extra Controller

Humans are by nature very social animals. We like to interact with other people and partake in various activities that enrich our lives and help us to build our knowledge of the world.  And one of the best ways for a gamer to do this is to play a game with their friends. But how are we meant to do this if the console only comes equipped with one controller? 

Now some people will be saying, “You could play online with people, so what’s your point?” Well the point is that not all people have internet connections fast enough to do this, and being in the same room as someone else whilst playing Madden or Halo can be an exhilarating experience. The rivalry you can build up over a game can be enormous. Let’s take, for example, two gamers who follow English football. One of them supports Chelsea FC whilst the other supports Liverpool FC. Throw in a game like FIFA10 (due October) and you have a recipe for some great friendship building.

But it is frustrating when you realize you have to shell out another $37.99 for a second controller on top of the outlay for the console and the game. It would be a fair bet to say that if a video game console manufacturer included two controllers with the console on launch day, the demand for the unit would sky rocket. Independent testing around the G3 offices confirmed that a second controller would not only be a bonus to the consumer, but good business sense. Which leads us to….

1. A Game

Surprised? We didn’t think so. When will companies  realize that the number one thing gamers want, nay need, is a game bundled with the console. The Sega Master System came with three games built into the coding of the system (Hang On, Duck Hunt and the hidden Snail Maze). The updated Master System II had the legendary Alex Kidd in Miracle World, a game many older gamers will know and remember dearly (and could maybe even remember the pattern used for the Janken bosses).

Rock then Scissor and then you lose Stonehead. Forever.

Whilst it’s true that games are far too powerful to be built into the console now, that shouldn’t stop companies from bundling a game with the console from the launch date. Nintendo has done it with Wii Sports, and now it’s officially the number one most sold game in the history of video games. What’s number two? Wii Play, which is bundled together with a Wii Remote. Now that I’m a certified rocket scientist, I can easily make out the relationship between those games and the sales figures, so let me explain. By bundling a game, even one as simple as Wii Sports, you stand to sell at least the same amount of copies as consoles sold.

It's because it was bundled with a game.. And a puppy.

Nintendo even got a little tricky and claimed that you got a free controller when you bought Wii Play, even though we know it’s the other way around. Why hasn’t Sony or Microsoft picked up on this? Nowadays it’s common to see a promotion for the 360 or PS3 bundled with a game or two, usually older titles that have sold extremely well. But these are deals set by the retailers, not the parent company of the console.

It boggles the mind that the companies that release the consoles can’t simply take a look at previous generations and how consoles were sold and stream-line the overall package to maximize their sales and credibility. If a console is released in the next generation and it has a second controller and a game bundled with it from the developer – not the retailer – then I will buy at least five of them. That’s how good a deal it would be. All that we’re asking as consumers is for the companies that deliver us with these glorious consoles of gaming wonderment to take a look at what the people want and cater to that, rather than try to squeeze every last dollar from us.