DEATH TO KILLERS
I am so fed up with team killing online. There is no reason for it except to ruin other people’s online gaming experience. I’m a 28-year-old father and husband, so I don’t have a lot of time to play online, but when I do I like to play Shadowrun. I was playing the past couple of days and I’ve noticed that a lot of people like to kill their teammates. Why don’t they just get a private match and kill each other there? And when I do good and get lots of kills, they start booting me! There’s no way I can get around this.
I want some way to ban people from Xbox Live for this behavior. When you file a complaint, you don’t have an option for repeated team killing.
— Ryan Knudtson

We say: Sadly, you’re right, Ryan — the Code of Conduct, which is used as the basis for filing complaints against other users, doesn’t really go into gameplay conduct as much as it does network-wide things like offensive Gamertags or mottos. If you want to strike a blow against these spoilers, you’ll have to leave them a player review, which actually specifies “team killing” among its options. Only by filtering your matchmaking through player reviews will you really be able to exert any sort of control.

FLUNKING OUT
Your “Big Brain Academy” column (October 2007 issue) had me in stitches. Not long ago I wrote to you about your recurring Ask Dr. Gamer column, suggesting that a column addressing the effects of videogames on the human mind and body should do more than reassure people that playing an FPS will make them better doctors and improve reflexes. It should address overuse injuries, loss of sleep, hypnotism, and losing touch with loved ones. And here was a full-page article claiming that videogames make us smarter.
    I understand the motive. You can open any newspaper and see a column about how bad videogames are. Critics have claimed that gaming is responsible for everything from short attention spans to school shootings. In light of so much trash-talking, I can see why you would want to explain that many games require problem-solving and teamwork. But let’s face it: “reading, writing, and Rainbow Six” will NEVER be the best way to learn.
    Videogames are for fun and have nothing to be ashamed of, but they are very different from the real world, and staying up all night playing Shadowrun won’t get kids an A in Chemistry. If you want to justify gaming as a hobby, try to write articles that focus on entertainment value and encourage healthy gaming habits. Articles like “Big Brain Academy” will only sing to the choir and make skeptical parents laugh.
— Patrick Atkinson

We say: Skeptical parents should probably read more of James Gee’s work. His book What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy combines real-world examples with academic theory and a lifetime of studying how human beings think and learn. Your chemistry analogy is a fine example: Memorizing the periodic table won’t give you the same benefit as carrying out some experiments yourself. It’s a matter of not just reading, but doing and experiencing. And games are interactive: they offer experiential learning, almost as a bonus by-product of the fun you expect.
James Gee has filled his books with examples and evidence to support these points; you should read them before assigning them a failing grade. As for our own Dr. Gamer, you can read his thoughts on this matter on page 94, but the next letter might be of interest, too.


“A” IN ACHIEVEMENTS
I’m a high-school world-history teacher, but my students know I’m also a hardcore gamer. I use videogames to enhance topics, such as using Okami to teach Japanese Shinto values. During one lesson I was amazed by a student’s insightful response. When another student called out “Achievement unlocked,” I absolutely agreed. As a result, whenever a student’s work reflects a deep understanding of the lesson, I say “Achievement unlocked.” The student receives a prize as well as some points toward their “student score.”
    Achievements in videogames have led us to uncover parts of games we may not have experienced; it turns out achievements in my class are doing the same thing.
— Laura Cannistraci


CALL THE ACHIEVEMENT POLICE!
I noticed that NBA 2K6 gave lots of Achievement points for some pretty easy feats. Does Microsoft or anybody regulate the number of points a game can give you for doing things? If not, what keeps developers from throwing in a load of Achievement points for easy stuff on a crappy game?
— Tha Chin

We say: The developers we’ve spoken to say it’s basically up to them. Every game is required to offer Achievements — no more than 200 points for XBLA titles and no more than 1,000 for boxed games, with an extra 250 for downloadable content — but exactly what form those Achievements take is not regulated. As a result, several developers of launch titles like NBA 2K6 were taking their best guesses at how to implement the whole Gamerscore system, then watched closely to see how they were received. Time with 360 development helped everybody — game creators and game players alike — understand what would make a good Achievement. So the only thing that keeps developers from throwing a bunch of lousy Achievements together is…experience.


ROCK ’n’ ROLL REALITY CAMP
The recent spate of new music-oriented games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band are understandably popular. What healthy, imaginative American kid doesn’t want to be a rock star? I know that when I was in high school I fantasized about joining Def Leppard and soaking up the energy of jamming with them onstage. But instead of just dreaming, I did something about it: I went to my local guitar shop, bought my first guitar, and signed up for lessons. Sixteen years later, I might not be a member of Def Leppard, but playing my Strats is still the perfect way for me to relax and express myself. 
But if Guitar Hero existed in 1991, would I have been as inspired to learn to play a real guitar? I’m not dissing these games at all; I’ve watched people play Guitar Hero and have tons of fun. The problem is that these games are marketed as a way to live out fantasies. Will younger players not learn to play the guitar now that there’s a videogame version of the fantasy?
I hope that the gaming press and gamers themselves will look at games like Guitar Hero as a gateway or inspiration to learn the real thing rather than being a substitute. Because the feeling of sheer euphoria gained by learning and playing your favorite songs — not to mention jamming with other musicians and eventually writing your own compositions —
is second-to-none.
— Greg Suarez

We say: One of our friends over at GamesRadar.com is a big fan of Guitar Hero, and he did exactly what you suggested…and had a miserable time. The experiences were totally different, he said, and he just got frustrated. Playing guitar games is a fun distraction, but playing guitar for real is a commitment. And while the games can help improve your sense of rhythm and help train your ear, being good at pressing five colored buttons doesn’t really prepare you for strumming six silver strings (though developer Harmonix says that Rock Band drummers will be able to transfer their skills to the real skins). But will the lure of instant Guitar Hero gratification somehow prevent the next generation of guitarists from learning to rock? Even the guys in Def Leppard would think you’re f-f-f-foolin’.


CRIMSON TIDE: READERS SPEAK OUT ON THE THREE RED LIGHTS!

THE RED RING OF FEEDBACK
I just read the “Seeing Red” feature in your October 2007 issue. As a 360 user who is about to be on his fourth one, I have to say, thank you. Though it doesn’t show a very bright near-future, it does show me that Microsoft is trying to fix the problem.
    Before I read this story, I was pretty unhappy with the quality, and was worried Microsoft was doing nothing to fix it. In fact, I was so disillusioned I was going to trade in my 360 for a Wii. But because of this article, I’m going to hold onto my 360 and hope for the best. I mean, I’m not going to be penalized for my faith in Microsoft. In fact, all I can really see is rewards in the form of games I’ll enjoy (hello BioShock, Mass Effect, and Resident Evil 5). So again, thank you. Because of this, I have renewed hope my investment will find a happy place in my home.
— Chris Suursoo

We say: Chris, the phrase that jumped out from your letter was “not going to be penalized for my faith in Microsoft.” We gamers all play with our hearts, and the issue of consumer confidence is probably the biggest one to come out of the three-red-lights phenomenon. If you’re one of the gamers who has gone through multiple units…well, we don’t blame you for wondering if you’d had enough. As has been widely reported, the free repairs will cost Microsoft billions of dollars…but doing the right thing by the customer, no matter the cost, might help repair more than just the machines themselves.


WARRANTY TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES
I waited in line for my Xbox 360 on launch day in November 2005. My console didn’t conk out like so many before it…until this week. I got the infamous “checkerboard video” problem, where the system freezes and shows a patterned graphical glitch across the screen. It’s a precursor to the “red ring of death,” so I called Microsoft tech support to get it repaired. Surprise: they wanted me to pay $100 to send it in. I reminded the tech that since my console was manufactured before 2006, my machine should be fixed for free — something the company announced last September. Nope, he said: “Whatever you’re reading online isn’t in front of me. That information has not reached us yet.” I either had to pay the cash or wait for the console to show three red lights, because red lights is an instant repair.
    It wasn’t long before I got the triple crimson omen anyway, and as of today, a repair coffin is on its way. It’s bad enough the problem exists, but to fight for an hour on the phone for my warranty rights is insane. What I want to know is this: How can a warranty-extension promise made by Microsoft “not reach” the customer-support division, despite being announced nearly a year prior? Is information-sharing within Microsoft really that bad?
— Shelby Bennett

We say: Don’t take this the wrong way, Shelby, but we didn’t want to believe you. So we called tech support (never identifying ourselves as press) and got the same story with one of our 360s, which had a manufacture date of 10/20/2005 (it’s printed on the back of each console, near the serial number). As reported in the San Jose Mercury News on September 21, Microsoft did indeed promise to fix all 360s with manufacture dates before January 2006. So…why doesn’t the crew at 1-800-4-MY-XBOX know this? Apparently, while the warranty exception was announced, the expiration date of that exception was not. A few more calls to tech support revealed that the extra warranty support was just temporary; anybody who made it past their usual one-year warranty period was back under normal coverage — that is, left to pay for repairs on any issues unrelated to the red ring of death after the year was up. Now, aren’t you glad your 360 showed three red lights? You saved money!


CHEATING DEATH
About a week ago, I got your issue with the article about the red ring of death. Well, today, my own 360 faced the fatal system error. Please, don’t print anything bad like that again...for your loyal readers’ sake.
— Corey Nelson

We say: We jinxed ourselves, too, Corey. Between the time that article was written and the time it appeared, three of our office 360s have “gone red.” We’re clearly dealing with cosmic forces beyond our control.