@torres_unix Agreed 100%. Free to download, if it's on the disc and we have to pay to unlock it on day one, it's a ripoff.

@MjnE @ssormanti I live 10 miles outside of a city of >300,000 people, and I can't get broadband "that far out there."

@SuperMegaMaster You always say that, Frost.

Need more Fallout.

"I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced."

"...it is unrealistic to assume that overworked and stressed parents can prevent their kids from viewing inappropriate content," Rockefeller said." That doesn't mean that I volunteer to be a parent by proxy. You know the one thing that all mass shooters have in common? Access to guns. Start with that.

I have no problem if they don't want to do a game with a female protagonist lead, but I'm sick of playing dudes all of the time. If they won't let me play as a woman, I'll just pick another game that does. I'm not saying it's bad, I'm just less interested in playing a dude yet again as I have had to do for the 80% or so titles out there.

There are only so many times that the revenge-seeking masculine hero must avenge the death of the fair maiden/family/children/whatever that I can take. Now that many games (mostly RPGs) have introduced the ability to choose a gender, I prefer playing as my own gender, and I gravitate toward games that allow me to do that. No harm, no foul, no cries for gender parity, just no giving them my money. I reserve the "can only play as a dude" for the really good games.

Srsly? Saying that Call of Duty (or any game with guns or gore) is going to teach me how to shoot someone is like saying Grand Theft Auto is going to teach me how to steal cars and run away from the cops. I guess if the ignition said "press x to start" I could be a real awesome car thief. Dude, we walk over heath packs in games but we don't stand on boxes of band aids instead of going to the hospital.

@pathosfire No kidding, rite? You hated it even after we explained it to you? Here, have some stuff for multiplayer. It's shiny.

I have zero problem with enforcing ratings legally, since previous studies have shown that retailers already enforce the ratings to a greater extent than movie or music retailers. I think this is something no one will notice, since it's simply codifying an existing practice. http://ftc.gov/opa/2011/04/violentkidsent.shtm As far as the violence goes, as long as I don't have to be a parent by proxy and play only Hello Kitty Island Adventure, I'm definitely on board with developers taking a look at what kind and depth of violence adds or detracts from their games. Lets' also remember that video game violence may be a symptom of violence in our culture, but it's also a reflection of what was already there. Great article.