What...an OPTION to skip gameplay that you wouldn't have to choose if you didn't want to is horrible, but hacks, exploits and cheat codes are OK? Go ahead, tell me the people who were harassing and debasing this poor woman aren't the same kind of people who regularly use hacks, exploits and cheat codes to get ahead of other gamers who play fair so they can pretend that they have "mad skillz" and are "hardcore." Go head...tell me that so I can laugh in your face.

@Cell_Kl And yuo, like the rest who said "games are meant to be played, not watched," have still failed miserably to explain in a cogent, rational, well-supported manner how an OPTION to skip combat would in any way effect people that choose not to click the "skip" button. And please, spare us the tinfoil hat conspiracies about how it woudl slowly erode combat in games. There's no reason to believe that at all, because guess what...they still want your money...they want it very badly...and so they're still going to listen to you whine and behave like infants. Just because they also want other peoples' money too and might also listen to those people, doesn't mean they'd stop catering to your needs as well. This is simply about EXPANDING their customer base, not SHIFTING it.

"ZOMG, games are all about the gameply...you can't let someone SKIP the combat even if it wouldn't effect me....hey, check out this nifty exploit that I used to get to the level cap in 1/3 of the time it took everyone else...."

You want to talk about "skipping" things? How's this: People run out and immediately look for hacks and exploits and cheat codes whenever ANY game is released...many of them claim to be the type of "hardcore gamers" (despite the fact that it's an oxymoron in the first place) who were beligerently insulting Hepler. Yeah, real "hardcore" to be exploiting so you can get to Tier 3 or Battlemaster or powerlevel to level cap in 3 days. Where's the outrage about THAT ruining gaming and threatening the integrity of the industry? Hmmmm? THAT is a far bigger problem than any of this crap of people throwing a tantrum over someone suggesting that people who don't like the combat have an OPTION that wouldn't effect anyone else. Want to have some nerdrage over something that is actually a problem? Direct it at that crap. Oh, but wait...that's right...a good chunk of the people who would have that kind of rage over an OPTION to skip combat are precisely the knid of people out there using hacks, exploits, cheat codes, etc., to skip ahead of everyone else anyway. I GUESS IRONY DOESN'T MEAN "FULL OF IRON."

"And no, other people completely skipping the combat in Gears of War or the boss battles in Final Fantasy doesn't effect me, but it will effect them." So you're altruistically trying to save them from the heartache of finding out that the story could have been so much more powerful if they hadn't skipped the combat? Wombat Tango Foxtrot? Even if you're right about the gamelpay elements adding to the story, which I agree si true in SOME cases, who cares if they want to spend $60 and skip the combat for a slightly diluted story? If it doesn't effect you, then it doesn't effect you, PERIOD.

"So us gamers, aka the customers who pay for your games allow you to make revenue, shouldn't dictate how games are made. Gotcha." Sounds to me like what you're really afraid of is that other people might start paying for games and influencing how games are developed and you simply want to maintain your illusion of "control" so that games get made (you hope) only in the manner YOU want them made and nobody else.

"If you don't like the gameplay elements, then don't play a video game...go read a book or watcha movie" Bull pucky. The answer is much simpler: "If you don't want to skip the gamelpay elements, then don't click the button that lets you do so." Just because the option is in there, doesn't mean the gameplay will suffer. I hardly think people who want to skip combat would be taking the time to rant and rave on a gamesite's forums about said combat mechanics such that it would influence the manner in which the developer makes the sequel or whatever. Highly illogical arguments. It would effect nothing other than perhaps getting developers more money to use in developing even better games and, perhaps, giving them a reason to give us better stories than the generally lackluster crap they usually serve up in between gameplay segments. it might also incentivize other innovations. BTW, don't forget, the article is about the bullying, not the 6 years-ago comment she made...and some of yuo just prove what a problem it really is.

Hey, guess what...I just found out there's an option in books to skip to the last page and read the ending. I guess that totally ruined books for everyone.

"The definitiion of a game is...." Your OPINION. "I don't go to a movie or a book for it's interactivity, so why would I go to a game and expect to skip the part that makes it a game?" Who said YOU would have to skip it just because SOMEONE ELSE was given the option to do so? And don't answer with slippery slope straw men...I already debunked that crap below.

@Lemminwinks55, who said "Unacceptable. Out of the box thinking is what helps drive the industry, sometimes it's a good idea sometimes it's not. I mean... six years ago.... really?!?!" Yeah, six years ago. Keep in mind that there's a small subset of the gaming community who are in full-on conniption fit mode in terms of their anger at BW right now because of SWTOR...whether it's because it didn't meet their expectations or because it's doing well and they fear it's drawing players away from "certain other games." The 6 years ago quote was no doubt dredged up to fuel that fire.