[UPDATE: Price corrected]

Microsoft has put everything behind Kinect, it's new motion control device releasing this fall. They've treated it like a new console launch with launch titles, super hype at E3 and Comic-Con and a ton of build up. However it is all in vain. Kinect is has been doomed from the moment it was debuted at E3 2009. Now before I sound like a cynic, let me outline three fundamental reasons why Kinect will never connect with gamers, casual and hardcore alike.

You may have heard about the recent Schwarzenegger proposal from the Govener of California which would basically make the ESRB rating the standard in stores, meaning that it will be illegal to sell M-rated games to anyone other 17 without parental consent. Now before you say this law seems okay let me say some things. The MPAA (the movie rating system) is not federally enforced. You know why. Beceause it's unconstitutional.

Now if your reading this blog you most likely love video games. You play them almost everyday and read magizines and articles about video games. You are most likely perplexed as to why people don't like video games. It shocks you. It shocks me too. So I did some investigating and I've narrowed down 5 reasons why people don't like Video games and then quickly debunked each reason.

5. Hot Coffee (A.K.A Sex(Sex?))


In 2004 a Dutch modder discovered a hidden minigame in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas which allowed the player to have sex with the players girlfriend in numerous sexual positions. The minigame caused a firestorm of controversey which included the notorious attorney Jack Thompson (shocker) and even then-Senator Hilary Clinton. This mini-game controversey has put a negative spotlight on the industry that games are sex simulators for kids (even though San Andreas was an M game NOT INTENDED FOR KIDS!) and are desensitizing America's youth (when have you heard that before?). The fact is barely any mainstream video games in their entire history have had nudity and never except for Hot Coffee has sex ever been simulated and in the players controls during a game. This is a simple misunderstanding of Video games.

4. Video games are stupid children's entertainment

Like Comic books, video games are seen as children's entertainment not to be taken seriously. So when people play games they are considered trashy and child like. The truth is that gaming's fastest growing demographics are adults. A majority of the triple-AAA titles released are M-Rated so this is just a stupid and short-sighted arguement.

3. Jack Thompson

If all gamers had a nightmare- that nightmare would be Jack Thompson. The Florida attorney single handedly placed in the minds of American parents that games like Doom, Grand Theft Auto and Mortal Kombat would turn their children into axe murdering psychopaths who did drugs, murdered their classmates and would become devil worshipers.And the funny thing is, people believed him. Time will tell but it looks like Jack Thompson may have put full video game acceptance in pop culture back by a decade.

2. Video games have no depth.

On the surface when people look at video games they see simply killing simulators for no purpose. Any gamer will tell you this isn't true. Whether it is the tragically epic story of Red Dead Redemption or the mature philisophical adventure of BioShock games are mature pieces of art which use their interactiveness to distiguish themselves from other art mediums and saying that they don't have depth is simple ignorance of the medium.

1. Violence

This is the biggie. Video games have always been known for violent games. Counterstrike, Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty, Manhunt the list goes on. But so what. Movies have been violent for nearly a hundred years and their an accepted form of entertainment. Their are two reasone why this is a reason. One the interativeness makes it seem like video games are turning America's kids into murderers (Jack Thompson). However there is NO PROOF that video games are involved in anyway in school shootings or murders of any kind. Second it's the newest medium on the block so it's instantly made fun of and looked down upon.

In conclusion you can expect all these problems to go away in 10-20 years. A new generation is coming. A generation raised on popular next-gen titles and this generation, I predict will be the one to bring gaming (good gaming) into the mainstream.

Written by Matthew Byrd: Gamertag: ColonelByrd95

This is a weekly opinon article I write about a certain issue in the gaming industry. This does not in anyway express the opinons of the entire Youmedia or Library of Games staff.

This may be one of my lowest moments in Gaming. My Xbox 360 has cracked it's third game. Not scratched-Cracked. I put in Red Dead Redemption and suddenly CRACK. I hear a crack and the game goes black. I take it out and there's a big crack near the middle of the disc. This isn't new. This same thing happend to two of my previous games. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Modern Warfare 2. However those games didn't have such a special place in my heart like Red Dead Redemption did. I'm truely crushed that I can't play this game for the time being. Now before you blame me for either moving the 360 and putting it sideways let me explain. The Xbox hasn't been moved in months from it's horizontal position. It just cracked. It just enrages me how the PS3 and Wii have an almost perfect record yet Microsoft can't seem to fix anything. I'm already hearing early reports that the Xbox 360 slim is already tearing up games. This is unacceptable.

For too long Microsoft has been blaming it's fan base for the Red Rings (which I get monthly thank god they haven't destroyed the Xbox) and disc scratch. Instead of blaming users why don't you get off your lazy butt and fix the problem. No wonder Sony beating Microsoft. Microsoft can't keep it's act together. I hope that the Slim is better then the old 360 'cause I can't take anymore games being destroyed.

Note: The Actual blog will be posted tomorrow. The subject is achievements and trophies.

Written by Matthew Byrd: Gamertag: ColonelByrd95

Byrd's Nest is a weekly opinion article I write about the gaming industry and my thoughts on a certain issue. This does not in anyway express the views of all the Library of Games and Youmedia staff.


Gaming was built by single players. The first video games were single player arcade games such as Pong, Pac-Man, Centipede, etc. In recent years however it seems the gaming industry has shunned the players which started them. Games like Halo and the Call of Duty Modern Warfare franchise have brought shifted the focus of video games from a more single player focused market to a multiplayer focused market. It has divided gamers into 2 camps. A single player camp and a multiplayer camp. According to a recent Game Informer article the amount of gamers who prefer solo to multi is 49% while vice versa is 51%. At the same time single player games with great multiplayer games have been lacking. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's evening long campaign although great to play was a disappointing experience for me. The lack of depth was appalling and I expected more after many complaints about he first games lack of depth. In fact, the only games I've noticed that have both great multi and single players are the Gears of War and Halo series. Another disturbing trend seems to be developing as sequel’s to awesome single player games are lacking when a multiplayer element is added as many gamers were disappointed with Bioshock 2's lacking single and multiplayer. Some new games on the horizon such as Dead Space 2 are adding a multiplayer element which may make the game lacking. It seems as if single player games are under attack.

It’s not all gloom and doom though. Several games and studios are still pumping out wonderful single player games. Rockstar has clearly taken the initiative with some of the best single player games of all time such as the Max Payne franchise, the GTA series’s and awesome newcomer Red Dead Redemption. They have several new games coming up like LA Noire that suggest they will continue their tradition of solid single player games. The Mass Effect franchise, Fallout 3, Uncharted 2 and Dead Space show that single player gaming isn’t going anywhere. However these games are in the minority as every time a great game like this is released another generic online shoot ‘em up like Call of Duty or Battlefield is released. We need games like this so that the video game medium isn’t just a bunch of meaningless killing simulators.


There’s also the element of gamer prejudice. Many multiplayer gamers look down on single player gamers with a sense of elitism. I myself as a single player minded gamers have felt this prejudice. I have been called stupid since "I only like to kill fake people since I’m too stupid for real people" and that "I’m not a real gamer since I like single player" . This prejudice hurts and excludes other gamers when gaming is supposed to be a refugee for outsiders. Not some little group of people who look down on others. The multiplayer focused market has breeded this intolerance and it must stop.

My opinion: It shouldn't be a multiplayer or single player focused market. It should be a market
where both sides should have equal say and both should have equal respect by gamers. As a single player gamer I respect multiplayer but prefer the depth, story and excitement of single player. But I can see other people's side of the opinion and can sympathize with that. I hope the gaming world puts more of a focus on single player then they are right now because they are excluding an audience of fans who definitely prefer single player and would like to empty there wallets for single player.

Written by Matthew Byrd, Gamertag: ColonelByrd95