I'm tired of hearing about how violent video games somehow make people (young people) go out and kill for real. First, let me say that games, movies, and TV do not show violence. No one is really killed or even hurt for that matter. Safety is a priority for the industry. Everyone knows that. What you are watching is the artistic depiction of violence.

In Xavier Morales' review of Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, Vol I, entitled "Beauty and violence", he calls the film "a groundbreaking aestheticization of violence." Morales says that the film, which he calls "easily one of the most violent movies ever made" is "a breathtaking landscape in which art and violence coalesce into one unforgettable aesthetic experience".

Film critics analyzing violent film images that seek to aesthetically please the viewer mainly fall into two categories. Critics who see depictions of violence in film as superficial and exploitative argue that it leads audience members to become desensitized to brutality, thus increasing their aggression. On the other hand, critics who view violence as a type of content, or as a theme, claim it is cathartic and provides "acceptable outlets for anti-social impulses.

Either way, when you engage someone in the debate about violent games and anti-social behavior, be sure to remind them that what we are seeing is not really violent, it's the artistic depiction of violence. Just like when they were watching cowboys and indians as a kid. Did it make them want to seek out indians (or anyone else) and kill them. NO. It's just entertainment.

The $60 price tag of most boxed games today is "a lot to pay" and in the event the player does not enjoy a game, it is "just not fair" for gamers to have to hold on to the title.

I understand why a move to block used games would be appealing for some. It's greed. I think gamers should not be prevented from playing, selling, and buying secondhand titles. As long as games are distributed on physical medium as physical goods, players should have the right to buy and sell them.

If someone buys Zuma and it's not for them, then why should they be forced to turn it into a bookend?

I also believe the $60 game can become $30, if digital distribution is used. Simply getting a game to the retail store incurs $30 in "waste." Instead, a game's experience can be broken into two components: multiplayer and single-player and distributed digitally for $15 each or bundled together for $30.

The rise in discussion concerning the used game business was sparked by a recent rumor that suggested Microsoft's next-generation console would block users from playing secondhand titles in much the same way that it stoped users from passing MS software around to their friends. Microsoft said it does not comment on rumor or speculation.

Raptr.com has a new Gaming Report System on their web site.

It's a sliding progress bar that reflects the time you play and the achievements you earn on each game you own. They then rank you against the progress of your friends. As you log playtime and earn achievements in your favorite games, you can rank up. You can even manage and share your playtime activities on Facebook.

I updated my X'er today (Dec. 7th) to the new interface designed by Microsoft. I like it. It is very different from the old interface. It now supports the Kinect motion controller and Bing, Microsoft's own search engine.

Microsoft had to change the "Dashboard" so that Kinect customers could use their controllers in the menus. This also was a prime opportunity for Microsoft to push their search engine further into the marketplace. They know the difficulty and pressure to compete with the likes of Google in the web space.

With Microsoft's deep pockets, and control of the desktop, it can force itself on us, even if we don't prefer it. Did you notice that Internet Explorer 9, Microsoft's latest browser, does not allow you to install and run Google's search engine in the browser? It wants you, and almost forces you, to only use theirs; Bing. But, it's their browser and they don't have to allow the competition to run in their product if they don't want to. I get that, fair or not.

Now, Bing is good, it's very good. I think it matches Google, feature for feature. I was a devoted Google search user until I upgraded to IE9. That's when I realized that Microsoft had pulled a fast one, once again. If you didn't elect to download the IE9 upgrade yourself, Microsoft was going to make sure you upgraded, by slipping it into the Windows update. Once you realized you had it, the only way to get rid if it was to un-install it from the Control Panel. But, guess what? There it was again, included in the next Windows update.

So Bing is now in the new X'er Dashboard. Use it to find games, videos, music, and just about anything else you are looking for. But, if you have to use the Google search engine, you can always download Google's browser, Chrome.

Shoot you later