In certain games, save points are better. In other games, they aren't. Say in Diablo II, you don't need save points at all. The game automatically saves when you log out. Or say in an action game like Ninja Gaiden, the game automatically saves at key points. These are fine things. However, there's plenty of times when you will play an online game and after dying, you are sent back to a previous area or lose massive experience due to having no save point. Same for an action game due to a badly placed 'checkpoint'. Its all based on the programming.

Save points in some games can save you that trouble. Utilizing a save point in a Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest game, you can save before major boss battles or leaving a town and pace yourself so you do not lose that hour of EXP or gold. And even better, as is the case with many JRPGs, you can utilize that save point to warp back to town or save while on the battlefield. So at least in RPGs and some action games with certain circumstances, save points are still very much a good thing. Yes, they can be abused, but they also save you from tons of frustration.

This.

It really is dependant on the game.

Automatic saves in RPGs would be absolute crap since if I did something wrong, I can't retry!

I want to keep them around, mostly. Automatic saving also usually robs me of 1) the option to have multiple saves to be able to go back to a specific part (games with just one save file do that as well though), and 2) saving, doing whatever, not liking the outcome and redoing it.

Though I think all games should have (or, the console itself should have) a suspend function, I hate being in a hurry and running around looking for a save point.

Checkpoints are better and save points are both useful. It depends on the game type to be honest. I couldn't imagine having to save where i am in MW2 instead of having a checkpoint like it is already. Though in RPGs like Fallout 3 save points are better because you can save anywhere outside of combat usually while checkpoints would just start you in a spot determined by the game.

i miss the days where i could press pause and click saved. those days were fun.

on the other hand. playing all of super mario 3 as a kid and then getting to the last world only having to hear my mom say. ok we gotta go. was torturous lol.

passwords were the greatest blessing ever at that time.

I HATE SAVE POINTS!!

It was one of the reasons why I liked tomb raider 2 more than tomb raider 1!

TR2 had a "save anywhere" function if I remember correctly.

But in FFXIII you get them like every 5 minutes so thats ok....but it would be better with a save anywhere function.

No they don't. Not if done correctly. Dragon Age is a good example. The game auto saves, has four slots for it to be more exact, but allows you to save pretty much anywhere (as long as there aren't any mobs in the area). So if you don't like the auto save you can load up your last save.

I like save points when they actually matter. If you die in a game these days, it doesn't restart you at the save point, it restarts you like, 15 seconds before you die. So yea, save points are kind of pointless now, but it is not their fault, it is the wimpy players fault who never want to lose.

Save points seem pointless.

Just let the person save anytime.

I don't get why they don't do that in sports games. If I'm 5 innings through a 9 minute game, or just put 10 minutes into a half of basketball... why can't I call a timeout... save and wait until tomorrow to finish.? I think it would really boost sales among casual sports fans who don't have forever to play.

that's when you learn to turn the tv off and put a piece of paper over the red light on the nes.