All the time, you hear people all over the place state that it's the inside that counts and yet people still fall for that doughy-eyed beauty they see. All flash and absolutely no substance: is this what video games are coming down to? Sure, video games are still evolving and nothing is a perfect science, but as consumers, should we expect more as gamers (all you who claim to be the hardcore gamers) or let these companies tell us what we want in a game.

First of all, before I dive into the topic already posted, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Joshua Martin. I am a 17 year old high school student from Michigan. I plan to either go into journalism or game design. And I have to say that I am extremely disappointed with the video game market and even the consumers who buy the games. I have been spending a lot of time on the forums this summer and have discovered something intriguing. Most people who play video games are completely clueless and extremely shallow. Here, I'll show you what that means.

I would like to point to the Nintendo Wii; a system that is based on that principal: all flash, no substance. The idea of a motion activated control system is a good idea but so far, Nintendo has done nothing to prove that their games have muscle or any kind of game play depth. Sure, they may have one or two games that have a large scope but most of the games relay on the fact that they have innovative control schemes and cute characters. And the fact that the Wii just pasted the Xbox 360 in sales shows that the average gamer has absolutely no concern about content and only really cares about what is the cool thing to do or what looks fun.

Next, let's look at some other games that people have raved about. Like Forza 2 which was given a 9 from Gamespot. I played that game from start to finish (and mind you, I am a racing game fan) and could not see why people were in love with the game. Yes it is an accurate simulator of racing. Yes, it looks very good. But no, it didn't have that much depth. Sure, it had depth if you like racing the same track 50 different times with different cars every time. Seriously, that is almost no reason to keep your old cars in the game. People say that you should keep your car and upgrade it but why would you do that when winning the previous race got you a brand new car that is better than the upgraded one. Plus all the events require different cars; most of the time you will just buy a new one. It does not deserve a 9.5 like some people were claiming. Look at some of the PS3 titles: Motorstorm and Lair. All shine and no game play.

Believe me when I say video games have come a long way. There is no denying the fact that Tetris is a huge step back from the likes of Gears of War and Lair and that the game play of games like Final Fantasy 12 have come a long way from Mario. BUT, after playing games like Final Fantasy and Halo, it is so hard to go back to regular games and look at them the same. Blue Dragon would have been amazing 6 years ago (if the dialogue was different) but today it just cannot cut it. Games are becoming more about the money they can make than what they can do for gamers. And most of these people cannot see the difference between good games and great games. I feel sorry for you but I guess there really is nothing to be had about the situation. As long as companies keep pumping out games that look pretty but suck on a game content level, I will be holding my money for God knows what...