Installers that try to decide what OS you can install a game on. (I’m looking at you, B&W!) Being unable to install the game on NEWER versions of Windows without “tricking” the installer is unforgivable. Follow Blizzard’s example : give us a warning that the OS is not supported, then allow us the option of installing anyways.

FMV cutscenes that do not respect the game’s “master volume” setting. If I can adjust the volume to a resonable level in-game, I don’t want the FMVs to play at ear-bleeding volume…

Not every PC has a net connection, so we should be given a choice about how the DRM will function during the installation process : you either require the DVD in the drive to play, or you activate online and play without the DVD.

Inability to run a game as a limited user. This clearly demonstrates how little testing is actually done with games before they’re shipped out. There are STILL titles being released that write configuration data and saved games to folders and registry keys that are only accessible to administrators. As stated previously, you should be able to play a game as a limited user WITHOUT having to install to custom locations, or change permissions on folders and registry keys. The admin should be able to install it, and the limited user should be able to play it — that simple!

Useless driver features. I’m looking at you nVidia. Instead of giving us some silly-ass Direct-X logo overlay in the bottom corner when a Direct-X game is running, why not give us something useful : like a SYSTEM CLOCK overlay in Direct-X games so that we can see what time it is in the real-world during those prolonged late-night sessions. ;)

Moddable games that require a $3000 application for content creation. Seriously. If you want a flourishing mod community, create an SDK and toolset around a capable, FREE 3D application like Blender. How many more modders will you attract, and how much longer will your game keep selling as people are carried along by user-created content? Better yet, how many more people will enter the workforce ready to create games on YOUR engine?

@Homunculus : Assassin’s Creed’s menus… yes, hideously long exit process. Unless you remember that it’s a Windows application and press ALT+F4 — in which case, you exit to the desktop instantly. :) (This works for many games.)

@Reverend Speed : OMG! LOL! :D That has happened to me soooo many times… ;)

I once played Far Cry like 30 minutes through the damn forest killing like 50 enemies and the last one refused to die after a whole round emptied into his body — he stood there taking it until my gun did an empty “click”, and then he owned me with a single bullet.

I have two problems with that.

First one is with checkpoints, I had to replay the whole part again which sucks. I want to be able to save F5/F9 should be in every game, fsck the console crappy checkpoint system.

Second, I want a game to be fun, and I don’t have anything against challenge, but it has to be fair — if I empty a round into someone no matter if they are wearing bulletproof vest they should go down screaming in pain, and not just stand there and wait for me to run out of ammo.

Instead of uninstall times I would like developers to focus more on load times. Those can be horribly slow and they kill any incenitive to play.

Other things that come to mind — long, boring and unskippable cutscenes right before the boss fight (saving Liara in Mass Effect for example). If you have to stuff the cutscene in my face then save me after the cutscene so I only see it once not 10 times if I get killed repeatedly. It makes me reach for a trainer and that automatically means that the game isn’t funny anymore.

First Person Shooter should be in First Person, not Third Person. What is the point of making a FPS game when you are looking over your shoulder like in Dead Space? Third person is good for tactical shooters only and even then in limited quantities such as if you lean against the wall.

Mouse lag — unforgivable (Dead Space). No mouse — double unforgivable (Resident Evil 4 the worst and crappiest console conversion ever. Don’t bother to port the game if you can’t make PC controls and make them feel like PC controls.

5. Uninstall in seconds.
You install 10 Gigs , 50 registry keys and expect to uninstall it under a minute? .. ur stoopid or what?

In a nice, well kept XP install you can delete 10 gigs in about 30 seconds. It depends of course on whether you have large pak/cab files like 90% of games do, or whether you have millions of little files which would take longer. And as for 50 registry keys, I think the general argument is that the 50+ registry keys SHOULD NOT BE INSTALLED IN THE FIRST PLACE, thus reducing install time.

6. Don’t require the CD/DVD in the drive to play.
I agree.. but for them its a form of passive drm.

That makes it unlikely to change, but it doesn’t make it any less desired. Anyway, with all this crazy OTT active DRM they throw around, surely they can drop the passive shit?

8. Escape means menu/pause
thats just stupid

I hope you mean ’so obvious it’s stupid’. Otherwise you’re stupid.

9. Auto-backup quicksaves
do it manually… its easy copy & paste

yeah its dead easy, but its also dead easy to automate.

10. Patches should fix, not break
All code in the universe has bugs. live with it!

Ok I kind of agree with you on this one. It’s a bit like asking for movies to have no gaffs or plot holes in them anymore.