How can you respect Gears of War 2? It's flat out- a horrible game. And, how many times have they tried to fix it? Far to many, that's for sure; but they sure do release DLC! That they do, do. This is a prime example of a squeal dumbed down to attract casual players. MK vs. DC. Anyone who's played it knows that the entire game is BS. Call of Duty 5, a failed attempt at making CoD4 version WWII (its more of an expansion pack than a game). The holy grail: Halo 3. Halo 2 set milestone. Halo 3, just is. The industry doesn't deserve respect. It's whoring itself out to the highest bidder, casual gamers. Fuck that.

But, what can be said.
>"I moved out of the core games industry five years ago, into the mobile space with iPlay – and I returned in 2008 with Microsoft.
You dont have an opinion lol.

Stop complaining. Do you think you are in the only industry that doesn't get any respect? You make video games, so what? I'm not a cop but how do you think they feel when they roll down some city street and get sneers from some Joe walking down the street, yet let something happen to that same Joe and he'll call on that same cop he just sneered at. Let's not forget all the people out of a job right now and can't find work to feed their families. So suck it up rich boy and be glad you at least have a job.

... and NOT just because I own an Xbox, I think the industry on the whole deserves more credit than it deserves. I've been gaming for over thirty years, now, am considered quite intelligent and charming, great at parties - until the subject of video games comes up. Now, mind you, I'm not just a person who PLAYS games, I spend sometimes four hours a day simply catching up with all the gaming news that's been announced on the web that day. So I'm not just spouting things like "and then I hacked his head off!", I'm talking mergers, I'm talking developers, investments, but because all these facts and figures take place in the realm of "video games", I'm suddenly a social pariah. I mean, really?

This crap simply has to stop. This is an industry that makes EPIC scaled entertainments enjoyed by MILLIONS. Isn't it time we all started getting treated like "normal" people?

You must earn it. Actions speak louder than words and demands usually go nowhere towards attaining their goal. Niether is sinking to depths that could well be seen as far below the days of the old coin operated systems in order to turn some extra profit is not going to be the way to acheive that goal among most especially parents, who I hasten to add are todays biggest customers of consoles and gaming. In the past the arcades were frowned on for 3 main reasons, the gambling element, concerns over certain patronage types and the adictivedness of the gameplay coupled with coin operation. Today the developers certainly seem to be exploiting the capabilities of live and marketplace that is now becoming very remeniscint of the older coin op days.

In the past the PC platform game developers were very keen to give away pictures, desktop images, fan kits etc which aided in the marketing of the core product, today most developers are charging for a few poxy gamer pictures and themes which dont really even exist any more since NXE they are little more than a backdrop image. They are really not thinking to well as getting a backdrop visible onto as many NXE's as possible is far more likely to improve awareness of, and aid in promotion of the core product as are gamer pics. Charging for such menial items is to be absolutely frank petty and pathetic and damaging to the core product and the industry in general as it is portraying itself to be about nothing but anything for buck whilst at the same time pretty much shooting yourself and your core product in the foot. If your really that desperate you have to sell a few additonal digital images to your customer base perhaps its time to look for a new industry, if its down to plain greed then perhaps your just reaping what you are sowing. The same goes for a certain amount of games now being supplied so blatantly obvioiusly in parts as DLC, some of which actually exists on the retail disc and the only DLC you purchase is an unlock key for the addon to appear in the game. In my day hidden areas that got unlocked was both a reward for gamer play knowledge and skill whilst adding more reasons for more people to actually play the main game. Today however to all intense and purposes the coin slot has returned to the living room except it is no longer a slot but a tap into some credit card or bank account. It wont be long before the industry in general is slamming the preowned marketplace and rentals, aligning them to be as damaging as piracy whilst in the background pushing for a monopolistical price fixed marketplace of total DLC only, and expect full SRP at least 95% of the time whilst giving less and less in terms of actual game content.

To clarify my gaming industry experience consists of over 20 years around the amusement arcade industry including aracde ownership combined with around thirty years of PC and console gaming and 15 years as a parent, in both these sides of the industry I spend or have spent extensive time both as a player and a core gamer.

You cannot buy respect either as true respect is not usually for sale so throwing your toys out the pram while shouting about how much money the industry turns over is never going to work. Those who are remotely savvy will see straight through it. If some 75% of the population is 50 years of age or below then the chances are the majority of the population today are gamers of some level, if the industry is still feeling alienated today then it is the industry that has issues to address with itself and not with its clientelle. Perhaps this itself is a fine example of why it has such issues, I suggest stopping demanding and carrying unreasonable expectations and you will be far more likely to receive what you desire. The more you want for the less you are likely to get.