Collection of Disposable Media -

     I've noticed that when it comes to technology that everything is awesome until the next big thing hits. Thus a lot of the gaming industry is disposable media. What does this mean to you the consumer or you the gamer... It means that the sixty bucks you just wasted on a game is like buying a lemon car. Now before I get some pissed off gamers going nuts let me explain this two ways.
1.) Monetarily speaking after purchase your game loses value unless it's made of some amazing unbreakable material that we now consider currency it's almost of no value to anyone after you purchase and play it once. Seriously look at the prices of used games and new games. Somewhere in between there is a hell of a drop. Yeah market wise it's reasonable, but seriously collecting games holds no money value unless you are talking sentimental or auction value.
2.) The game library approach. I collect games so do my siblings and family it's what you do when you play games the games still hold no money value but sentimental value. I commented before it's like buying a lemon car. Let me clarify in the game library aspect of things. A lot of games as of late have been published somewhere near incomplete as with digital downloading we can get add ons and patches to fix games that are otherwise broken. Sad thing here is this is a growing trend. I'll be honest Let's take a game and break down what you're spending on:

Borderlands 2 (don't get me wrong folks I love this game but it's a great example)

• Game itself new day one purchase $60
• first add on extra character $5 (non exacts estimates)
• first add on extra area $10
• next add on area $10
• bonus heads and colors $5
• next area $10
• small extra arena $5

Right off the bat with this you've now spent $105 on things that in the PS 2 days would have been on the disc. Not that I'm arguing against the way things are done now, but this is a growing trend in gaming as you are spending a whole load of money but you only really thing you're spending a smaller portion. Because well you got the $60 out of the way in one shot, the rest doesn't seem so bad. Now I could go into greater detail here on things like season pass and other aspects, but seriously this makes a great point. The gaming industry is selling you lemons. Not that I'm calling Borderlands 2 a lemon, but games are coming out with more add ons that should be part of the game from the beginning than afterwards.
     This is why I'm for and cautious of the future of video gaming. Look at the specs we have gotten so far of the PS 4 I'm hearing more about online sharing and other aspects and less and less about games. ATTENTION GAME COMPANIES we already have computers and consoles lets focus on why we play the game and not how we can share and brag about a game that may as well be a guy farting on a snare drum just to say we can. Just in case this got a bit confusing as I'm rereading it myself I'm trying to clarify some things and don't want to over edit here. The future of gaming as it has been is great and I'm for it, but I'm cautious to see what comes next as I think it will be like me sharing a picture with facebook. Yeah it's funny and everyone will share, but that's not a great game. The videogames we know and love are disposable media and should be looked at as a part of our culture and our hobby of gaming. Hopefully the future will bring us great stories and awesome games that we can share and explain to future generations of how far the industry has come.

- William Dreimann