As a PS3 and GTAIV owner, I'm disappointed that Rockstar have chosen not to release Lost & Damned for Sony's machine, particularly given the phenomenal success on Playstation 2 the series garnished. However, it is not this particular downer which has resulted in my posting of my first Edge comment; as a buyer of Edge's publication and judgement since the first issue, when the PS1 was just a twinkle in Sony and Toshiba's eye (remember that?), I find it depressing the way software distribution and online content is reducing the focus on single-player games.

Don't get me wrong, there are true AAA titles which continue to push levels of immersion beyond the existing framework - Bioshock, take a bow - and I should also point out I own a 360, purely for Halo 3, but I will admit to completely bypassing ever-growing paragraphs dedicated to online content within game reviews; I just don't have any inclination to play online as, in my opinion, nothing beats the squirming expression of a friend losing to you at Tekken, Pro Evo or Motorstorm in the same room. Although Halo 3 would come close, beating strangers just doesn't have the same satisfaction.

My favourite games of all time cover C64, SNES, PC, PS1+2+3 and PSP, and my roll-call of certain games may strike a chord with the early 30's crowd; Speedball & Xenon 2, Marble Madness, Sanxion, F117A Stealth Fighter 2, Final Fantasy 7, Wizball, Flashback, Metal Gear Solid, Shadow of the Colossus, Wipeout and Zelda, and now includes GTAIV, Bioshock, Pro Evo and multiplayer Tekken on PSP. Great games, none of which I care to experience online.

Single-player games like Bioshock offer a true level of immersion hitherto not experienced on console, and I absolutely love them. Moreover, online games have become a lesson in marketing success; Resistance 60 player deathmatch!! Yawn.

In the current climate, when online games require an internet connection and charge subscription fees, publishers and developers would be wise to once again place the spotlight on enthralling, imaginative, offline experiences the medium built it's success on, because that market is seeking attention and will gladly shell out forty quid for quality titles that push the single player experience, on a disc which can be played on a friend's machine and not network-locked, sheesh.

Anyone out there agree?