We chat about videogames and videogame accessories.

What there is a lack of in the industry is simply listening to consumers, which goes hand in hand with the video game journalism industry's favoring over the businesses than the consumer. While large companies will continue to listen to only sales numbers, it really shows when the third largest business in the industry gets voted for Worst Company In America over Bank of America for the second time in a row. As much as they can attempt to blame it on conservative issues over LGBT characters and ME3's ending, it won't work. Because that's not what the consumer is voting them for, and the consumer knows that.

We as consumers have consistently proven to developers and publishers that listening to us is an entirely superfluous endeavor: players did practically nothing but wail and gnash their teeth about Diablo 3 and its DRM and its onlininess and its totally inadequate starting infrastructure; huge commercial success to the tune of 400 million dollars. We complain constantly about stagnant franchises and lack of significant innovation; more than 26 million copies of New Super Mario Bros. Wii sold while Call of Duty: Black Ops II (the ninth game in the call of duty series) grossed a billion in two weeks. The gaming industry has no reason to change; it's only on the decline from the perspective of a small minority that they don't need to bother courting because they're not the ones that spend the big bucks on new titles (or if they are, they tend to do so anyway even if they complain about it).

Companies will only do something so long as it stays a good business model, and it's a hell of a good one now. What should they care if they're voted terrible as long as everyone keeps buying their terrible games? We have only ourselves to blame. A business is a totally reactive entity in this respect.