I believe that the 360 has the functionality and ease-of-use necessary to draw in a larger market - but I haven't seen any real success from Microsoft with regard to actually marketing the machine towards that broader base. Maybe that will be coming with the end-of-year marketing push? Because while I applaud their efforts, I haven't seen the 360 expand beyond the core market yet.

--Simon Strange

In reality, I tend to play my games through just once and then never use them again. Digital distribution is quicker, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly than printing 200,000 copies of a game and shipping them all around the world. If digital distribution suffers from a few shortcomings, I believe the proper approach is to find ways to offer those additional components to the users who want them.

For example, I doubt that very many users ever read the paper manuals that ship with games. Digital distribution means that we don't waste all those resources manufacturing and shipping paper manuals. I suspect that the cost savings should be enough there to allow publishers to simply mail out free paper manuals upon request.

Similarly, I think it's reasonable to collect a disc of a game, should you request one. Discs are unnecessary and undesirable for many users, and once again the savings in manufacturing and shipping are significant. If you really want a disc of your game, I would like to see publishers make them available. But making physical media an option, rather than the default, is a big win overall.

--Simon Strange

It tickled me no end to be selected as a winner in the first design challenge. I'd like to give some props to Jason Ford- an artist here at Buzz Monkey - who drew the pictures posted with my submission.

--Simon Strange