Classic overreaction, done more to insulate MassDOT from criticism than for any real societal value. The violence in the games mentioned is cartoonish and more like a carnival shooting game than a warzone.

Frankly, I would be more concerned about games that encourage reckless driving than about games that encourage shooting others. Fast driving is a low enough bar that I suspect some kid might actually do it; I doubt that anybody but the most imbalanced would pick up a gun and start shooting people.

Of course, the underlying fallacy in these assumptions is the same as always -- "those games are there to entertain kids." No, the games are there to entertain anyone who wants to play them. So while the kids can no longer play the games, what of the adults who enjoyed them? What do they play now while they're at the rest area? I guess people over 21 are supposed to be content with Angry Birds.

@hombreg1 That's good, but I don't think it's sufficient. I think that given a choice, most gamers would still rather look at the big TV screen. And my guess is that most hardcore gamers already have a dedicated TV so that they don't really have to share with everyone else in the house.

First, I wish people would stop referring to this system as the XBOX 720. That name started as a joke and unfortunately caught on.

Second, I suspect Microsoft does care about first-mover advantage. They cited it as the reason for releasing the XBOX 360 a full year before their competitors' comparable systems. And given the huge increase in sales over the XBOX, they may not have been wrong.

I'm curious to see whether the XBOX 360 gets pulled as soon as its successor hits the store shelves. I actually think the system can continue to generate sales beyond 2013, but Microsoft may want all its eggs in one basket going forward.

I'm also curious to see whether Sony tries to go big and bold like they did with the power of the PS3. My guess is that they won't, opting instead for a system that can sell in the sweet $350 to $400 launch range.

First, I wish people would stop referring to this system as the XBOX 720. That name started as a joke and unfortunately caught on.

Second, Nintendo is being judged harshly against the stratospheric expectations set by the Wii sales curve. There's no way that they're going to hit those marks again. Nintendo's big problems come from two things: (1) their Wii base was mostly comprised of casual gamers who have moved on to smartphone and tablet gaming and (2) third parties are finally supporting Nintendo, but not with the innovation Nintendo needs.

Being able to play the same games as the PS3 / X360 but with an always-on map or inventory on the controller screen isn't going to win any converts. They need games that use that second screen for game possibilities that others can't achieve. That's the only way they succeed in this generation.

@rasterror Sony is missing those, probably because they give away their PSN access for free. And I'm guessing that the attach rate for PS3 is lower than X360 too.

@PumpkinBoogie @hatieshorrer @emptycow @strongmokus You guys are comparing apples and oranges. Yes, Sony is no longer selling the PS3 at a loss, but their Entertainment Division is bleeding money. It's enough to leave me concerned about the future of the PS4. My guess is that they will be far less ambitious with their next console launch than they were with the PS3.

All you guys being critical aren't considering the number of hot women that you could pick up if you had one of these...that alone will make it worth the price of admission.

@ferrarimanf355 It looks like it's not available for purchase right now, but it does still show up in the libraries of those who purchased it before it was pulled.

@gouveia I think this point has been missed by a lot of people. If a gamer likes playing with his friends and they're all on XBL, then guess what he's probably gonna do?

@someNONSENSE Yeah, I wondered the same. I never get to reply to some comments because after they've "scrolled away" into oblivion, I'm not wasting my time to get back down the feed just so I can have the last word. :-p