Dark Souls and it's imminent sequel are double-handedly keeping consoles alive for me.

For the past several years I've been decrying the "decline of console gaming" as I see it. I'm a long-time console lover, but there's a laundry list of issues that are only getting worse. This is honestly not player-hating, it is only my personal opinion and experience - but I know some of you out there agree with me.

Day 1 DLC
Paying for DLC in general
Microtransactions to get in-game advantages
**** service
Price hikes for online play (Xbox)
Price of games going up (I remember when A-list games were $40 for consoles)
Publicly traded companies worrying more about their shareholders than their customers

I could keep going. That said, Dark Souls has rekindled my faith in console gaming. I know that the PC port is just fine, but I love xbox controllers and living room TVs. I was *this* close to giving up on gaming in general about a year ago, but this game has brought me so much joy (and rage) that I just can't give up yet. Right now, the only thing stopping me from selling my console and building a PC is the thought of Dark Souls 2 and how it might just be the best thing since sliced bread.

Is there anyone else out there that's had the same experience? I owe a lot to this game, and the community it created.

WIthout dark souls my xbox would be collecting dust right now, and would have been for the past year. I DID buy Halo 4 when it came out, but it got boring after the first month about. Dark Souls is still the only thing I keep coming back to.

Maybe not dark souls, but the Call of Duty series is keeping console gaming alive for me. I love dark souls and I constantly go back to it but Call of Duty is a rush for me. Plus after beating dark souls multiple times it gets a little repetative and time consuming to try new builds.

I also hate how prices keep getting higher every year and the content keeps getting smaller for some games. They should be more generous if they want 60+ dollars for new games and season passes.

I dunno, Turok on the N64 was £70 when it came out. Ouch.

Console gaming is suffering from the Online emphasis, I find. Too much in the way of DLC and sequels, and a focus on the same types of action and shooting. Nintendo used to be my sanctuary, but their determination to not release their good games that often these days really grinds my gears.

RPG's even suffer from this - I'm not a fan of the Disgaea style of humour, nor am I a fan of bishies. Doesn't leave me with a lot of choice from the Eastern lot, and from the west everything wants to be Lord of the Rings with added relationship stuff involved.

I'm also not sure what's left of the average platformer now. There's Mario and the terrifyingly hard Donkey Kong Country Returns, but that's kinda it...