Early adopters to technology have historically taken a beating from the very companies that they support in the cash flow department. This generation of game consoles has been especially brutal to gamers of all types. We have been given three solid home console and two portable platforms to choose from. And then it is all downhill from there. Multiple SKU numbers, versions, and bundle packages have done nothing but confuse and frustrate people. These aren’t the days when you start with a big clunky console that gets cut down to size after several years to a smaller, more compact model.

Let’s start with Sony. PS3 owners have been presented with numerous hard drive sizes, different numbers of external media ports, and completely different sets of hardware that may or may not be backwards compatible with PS1 and PS2 games. Throw in different pack in game bundles that have their own unique hardware options and you end up with one gigantic cluster. Then they go and release their famous ‘Slim’ model. My condolences to you poor bastards that waited out in the cold in November 2006 for the right to pay $600 for a 60GB PS3. Please don’t forget the PSP with its three different additions and then the PSP Go. Thankfully they released the PSP Go last and not first or we may have had a riot on our hands. Too bad they don’t have the common sense to let people move their UMD games to the PSP Go.

Nintendo has lived with a split personality for hardware updates this generation. The Wii you bought on day 1 is the same as the one you can go buy today. They have released multiple controller colors and different those options are sure to follow very soon for the consoles themselves. While Nintendo has taken it easy on Wii owners, they have punished DS owners from the get go. The surprisingly successful handheld was first slimmed down with the DS Lite. The DS Lite was much smaller than the original and a lot easier on the eyes. The next update was to the DSi which slightly increased the overall size but also increased the size of the dual screens and included a new interface which is more similar to the Wii’s interface. If that wasn’t enough, a short 10 months later, they release the DSi XL with much larger 4 inch screens. Nintendo can be commended for giving $10 worth of DSiWare credit to DSi owners who purchased within the first 6 months after release but are 4 editions really necessary?

Last but not least, Microsoft may be the most serious offender in this department. Early adopters to the Xbox 360 were greeted with the infamous Red Ring of Death (myself included). Microsoft solved the problem with numerous hardware fixes and an extended warranty program but that doesn’t excuse them from rushing to release incomplete hardware. Getting a cardboard coffin in the mailbox and 4-6 weeks without your console is enough punishment without having to deal with Xbox phone support. The same issues with different hardware models exist here also with larger hard drives and HDMI compatibility being offered to those who waited before making their next gen console purchase. With the 360, not only do you have different pack in game options but full on special edition consoles with custom cases for the likes of Modern Warfare 2 and Halo 3.

The software companies are not exempt from this either. Early adopters this generation earned the right to pay for downloadable content that has been consistently released in a Game of the Year package for the same cost as a copy preordered 6 months before the release date. Oblivion and Fallout 3 are the prime offenders in this category. While Greatest Hits editions are to be expected, Game of the Year editions from this generation are a slap in the face to the hardcore fans that preordered these games and pushed them to that Game of the Year status in the first place. An unlockable weapon or character as a reward for preordering isn’t going to cut it.

While I understand that this is a business and that these companies need to make a profit to keep producing the consoles and games that we have grown to love, the hardcore should not take this one on the chin. The early adopters are the ones that spread the word on whether a game or console is worth the casual fan’s hard earned dollars. Some companies are getting it right by offering excellent preorder items that cannot be found later on. Recent examples of this include exclusive access to the upcoming Halo Reach beta with the purchase of Halo 3: ODST and the mysterious redemption code included with Darksiders (more on this later). So there you have it game developers and console makers: get creative and throw some new stuff at us. Gamers are an easy group to please and are quick to forget the oversights that have been made over the past couple of years.