Digital vs hardcopy

Everyone will have their own opinion on this matter but I truely believe that leaderboards and achievements/trophies are bad for gaming, especially multiplayer components.  Up until achievements became popular I used to have dozens of friends who would play private matches or seek lobbies just for the fun of it. Now I find it hard to get a gamer to play anything unless it means ranking up. Most fun I ever had with a fps was Call of Duty 2 on 360. First of all you had no leaderboards for k/d ratios and you had access to all the weapons right out of the box. No locking weapons to a class and no waiting till level 50 to unlock such and such a gun. It feels like developers make games with the hardcore in mind. Unlike most of these gamers, I work and don't have 12 hours a day to dedicate to one particular game. I can understand how fustrating it is for not just new people but casual gamers alike to jump into a lobby and get annihlated by clans and gamers who live that particular game. Even worse are the cheaters and boosters who can't even rank up legitimately. There really needs to be a casual option on these games that doesn't count kills, wins, or any other stat. Leave it alone and you will have many more gamers. It won't get rid of all the morons but it will drastically deplete a good number of them. I know why developers do some of the things they do, but honestly I like many others out there want to have fun and could care less if i am prestiged for the 10th tiime. Personally I think if you spend more time gaming in a week, than you do with your family, friends, or job...you have issues. I am not saying a developer needs to get rid of the leaderboards but they can make an extra mode that can be labelled "casual mode" for those of us who do not base our skill on stats.

I honestly think Nintendo will put a seal of approval on any game. I think its a seal of box art approval more than the game itself. Today I purchased a game called "Rec Room Games". I wasn't expecting this to be a masterpiece but It did have an interesting variety of mini games I figured might be fun on Wii. Was I ever wrong! I am sure that this has to be right up there with the turd of turd games. The Wii seems to have a growing number of these games for some weird reason and I have noticed the trend growing on the Kinect as well. I just can't understand how Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft would let this junk pass. Every once in awhile you do come across a few bargin bin games that aren't all that bad (Carnival Games comes to mind), but they are few and far between. As far as Rec Room games goes, you know its going to be bad when you can't even do Whack a Mole (or squirrel in this games case) right. After several years of Wii being on the market i can't believe programmers can't even nail the control schemes. It's no wonder first party titles by Nintendo sell so much better. They actually pay developers to make a game and not put all there money into the art department making sure the cover looks great. I don't make bad purchases like this every day and I am pretty sure this will be the last time I make that mistake. Rule of thumb..if you never heard of the game, don't see a review before it is acutally released and its made by some weird company you don't recognize..its most likely a piece of crap wrapped in a nice gift box. When it comes to the Wii, the bin is probally worth more than the supposed bargins in it. You have been warned...stay away.

I know that Sony and Microsoft have a general 10 year plan in place for the current gen of systems, but to be honest I think the current Xbox 360 and PS3 could stay relevant long after the next wave of consoles are out mainly due to the massive improvement of the online content and community. The Xbox and PS2 were just starting to cut their teeth into online but only had a handfull of titles that took advantage of the service and the infastructure of Xbox Live and PSN was so different.

What we have today are too massive communities that go far beyond gaming and have become social phenomenons in their own right. Millions of players take to Xbox Live and PSN daily to game, chat with friends, use facebook, watch movies, and so much more. The inclusion of Achievements and Trophies alone will keep many gamers attached to their accounts for years to come. I can picture many gamers playing COD games on the current gen systems long after the new ones are losing their luster.

I know both Microsoft and Sony will want to sell as many new consoles as possible but I think it would be a huge mistake to not include backward compatibility. Gaming has become so much more than bringing home a title and beating it in one sitting. Games are so robust that multiplayer is keeping them alive long after they have hit bargin bins. Its this element that will keep old games relevant no matter what console you play them on in the end. I believe this will be a very different era in gaming and if done right could benefit gamers it ways previous console generations could only dream about. Game on!

Hi..this is Iben Wackenov. Are you tired of ultra competitive games and people calling you noob, ameor other derogatory names when all you want to do is have fun. Well, I am starting a non competitive clan I call EGG. It stands for Easy Going Gamers. The purpose of this clan is to unite people in games with one purpose...to have fun and make friends. I find the most enjoyable gaming moments to be when friends come together for co-op and private matches and can play without racism, or egos who only want to rank up at any cost. I look forward to you joining the EGG team and all you have to do is send me a msg on PS3, Xbox 360 or Gamefriends.com. * I would prefer that players joining be english speaking gamers who are 17 years or older and own a mic. Look forward to seeing you online. Now recruiting!