So what, if anything, can be offered by way of plausible solution? Well, let's look at 360-exclusive Gears of War, Games' $10 million sci-fi third-person extravaganza. First off, is priced at a hefty $59.99 for the standard boxed version of the game-without the snazzy tin, extra disc, and developer bells and whistles. For that price, which is indicative of a next-gen $20 increase over Xbox, PS2, and titles, players get to partake of a visually stunning game world while engaging in tactical cover-to-cover against a horde of marauding beasties intent on the demise of mankind-the usual videogame M.O. However, despite its stunning scenery, does Gears of War justify its pocket-destroying $59.99 by delivering a genuine next-gen experience-as defined by the platform impact of Halo? No, not convincingly so. What's more, Gears of War is woefully short, possibly to stave off the onset of rinse-and-repeat boredom, amounting to a mere 6-8 hours of full-trigger action throughout its single-player campaign.

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Once again, anyone presently wobbling their jowls in disagreement while proclaiming the significant value of Gears of War should bear in mind the following information: Not everyone likes or uses Xbox Live. Furthermore, of the estimated 34 million combined Xbox and unit only a mere 4 million consumers have taken their machines through Xbox Live's silver or gold subscription accounts. For the number crunchers amongst you, that equates to roughly a 12% Xbox Live user rate. Granted, claims the Xbox 360 user figure to be closer to 50% and that combined subscription numbers should hit 7 million by June of 2007, but the fact remains that Xbox Live-after four years in service-is still failing to attract the vast majority of Xbox owners. Therefore, a 6-8 hour single-player campaign (in any videogame) is simply not acceptable, especially considering the almost unavoidable gamer immaturity/sexism/and flaming that riddles Xbox Live's servers and renders the entire (unregulated) experience largely unappealing beyond scheduled gatherings with close friends.

Yet despite its single-player failings and its lack of sustained jaw-dropping impact, few could argue that Gears of War fails to merit its sizable $59.99 recommended price tag, because it IS a genuine next-gen title-and with a $10 million budget, you'd expect it to be. So how on Earth can the likes of Chrome Hounds, Enchanted Arms, Phantasy Star Universe, Over G Fighters, Ninety-Nine Nights, The Outfit, and Blazing Angels-to name but a few-lay claim to the same remuneration when they assuredly do not boast similar production budgets as Gears of War, and arrive as mediocre products at best, many distinctly failing to make the aesthetic or content-defined next-gen grade?

Would it be too far flung to suggest the implementation of an independent gamer-led quality assurance group to assess any and all gaming releases and offer up a box endorsement as to whether those games are fit to be called next-gen? A voluntary group of those 'in the know' made up of magazine editors, commentators, media pundits, and real videogame consumers, etc? Would it perhaps be considered beyond the realms of plausibility to have Microsoft, Sony, and run the rule of thumb over their third-party publishing partners to ensure that developers adhere to prescribed yardstick quality parameters before a game is green-flagged for retail release? Or, beyond that idea, would it simply be a case of pissing in the corporate wind to suggest that games found to be lacking in terms of that aforementioned quality blueprint are released to retail with a price that duly reflects the effort and achievement of the developer and publisher? In other words, Gears of War would exist as a clearly defined example of exemplary effort and applied developer affection, thoroughly deserving of its $59.99 pricing, and Chrome Hounds would be justly labelled as the absolute dog that it is and duly priced at no more than an existing PlayStation 2, GameCube, or Xbox title? Or are these merely the delusions of a jaded mind, clearly embittered with the gaming industry as hair begins to grey about the temples and a life-changing videogame is still yet to appear?

Gamers deserve better, and we shouldn't have to demand an increase in quality to justify the increases in price. The box prices on videogames invariably do not reflect the quality (or lack thereof) held within, and thus discerning a great game from a shoddy dud is all but impossible for the less 'committed' gamer. A killer app is a gem not often uncovered these days, and the fact that it took the Xbox 360 a full twelve months to find one is indicative of the lapsed developmental progress inherent throughout the videogame creation process. The power of current (and future) next-gen gaming hardware, for all its Emotion Chips and Cell processors and HD-DVD and shenanigans, means nothing unless those charged with creating the content it hosts are willing to invest the blood, sweat and tears necessary to push existing boundaries at every opportunity and produce gaming experiences that transcend a five-year-old launch game that sits proudly on a fading and vastly underpowered platform.

By Stevie Mostyn