Not to get all serious and stuff, but my first system was an Atari 2600. I've had every console, also used to work at an arcade, and was old enough to buy my own systems by the time the original PS and the N64 came out (yes my parents bought me an NES, SNES, and Genesis, but I had to work my ass off doing chores to "pay" for them). There was a time (oh shit, one of those "I remember when moments") when games weren't connected to the the internet. A gaming company had to come out with a solid game at launch so people would buy it. The reviews were posted in magazines (mom at the checkout line while you try to read as much as possible before she's ready to go). They told you whether the game was any good, any exploits, and if it was worth buying over renting. There might come a future "Turbo" edition, but you bought a complete game until the next installment. Constant internet access allows developers to fix issues/exploits in a game once it's been released. However, this also allows developers to be lax in their diligence to release a complete game. Now they can just update anything they want to add, don't like, or haven't finished. These items aren't tangible. You can't hold them, put them into your console, or take them to your buddy's house. These expansions, fixes, updates should only cost what they're worth. World of Warcraft charges $60 for an expansion every 2 years, containing enough content (with updates, which doesn't cost money) to justify the expense (haven't played in about 5 years so this might not hold true). Console publishers/developers seem to have pushed for a money grab mentality. "How fast can I get a return because my title will probably be dead within 2 years...even though I churn out (shitty) sequels/subsequent titles yearly!?!?!?!?!" I understand the rise in inflation, but these embellished prices for producing a product that used to be a requirement for business survival? **Do you have any idea how old "Super Mario Bros." is...I still play that shit when I go to my mom's house. Along with the original Final Fantasy, Bad Dudes, Double Dragon, Zelda, and a fair amount of others. They didn't have any updates, patches, or expansions, but I still play them with as much enthusiasm as I did when I first got them as a kid** Until developers AND producers (i put more emphasis on producers since they decide the money aspect and what's ultimately released at launch and subsequent updates/"expansions") are made responsible for a solid game at release, and comprehensive expansions subsequently, publishers and developers will only do what's absolutely necessary to sell a game. The rest will be added, in a staged process, accessible only after you put up more cash. Even this monetary offering isn't enough to ensure satisfaction in client demand. How long have we been waiting for raid fixes? How long has the minority of "crybabies" determined the direction of this game's weapons and difficulty? They "fix" the weapons for pvp (get good kid) and it effects pve...that's just flat-out poor design. They would rather keep the minority (crybabies) happy because they're less likely to bail when the "regular" players catch wind of what's going on and jump ship. Little do they realize, keeping those guys happy is the reason a fair amount of players bail. Remove all difficulty, "dumb it down," so anyone can play. WoW did the same thing (oh right, Blizzard is part of Activision...imagine that). They changed the game so that an 80 year-old grandma could play with her 8 year-old grandson or daughter. That's when a good amount of the real/normal/regular players quit, me included. There is a standard that needs to be maintained. However, the number of people willing to require this standard is dwindling. It makes me sad to think that soon enough, there won't be anyone that requires a developer/publisher to perform at ANY standard. At that point...the masses will have become "batteries" for the corporate money machine. Well this was good therapy. Have a good day!