Weekly Discussion: Avatars

So for any of you wondering what happened to Lunchtime Discussions now you know the truth! Every week we’ll be running a discussion, giving you more time to have your say on the topic presented. I know I can trust TSA’s community to bring up some fantastic points we never would have thought to cover in the original article.

Anyway the inaugural discussion comes from our new American writer, Matt. Enjoy!

Ever since the launch of the New Xbox Experience roughly 2 years ago I’ve been hearing complaints about the avatars you now see on your Xbox 360. It wasn’t at all a surprise back in the day, as hating on the digital representation of yourself was the cool thing to do. What is a surprise is that people are still doing it – a lot. If you’re one of those folks that aren’t so fond of the electronic populous on the Microsoft side of things, then I’ve got some bad news for you… avatars aren’t going anywhere.

Admittedly, I was one of the first gamers to pick up my flaming stick and pitchfork when I initially laid eyes on them. Since then – and it took many months – I’ve come around to the little guys (and girls). Yes, I understand how ridiculous it is to be a grown man and spend my hard earned money on dressing up a doll that doesn’t even really exist, but even still, I enjoy representing my excitement for upcoming games with my cartoon-self.

Unfortunately, for every core gamer like me that has jumped on the avatar bandwagon, there are about 10 others that are still rioting in the streets. I’m truly stunned by the number of gamers that still go out of their way to speak ill of them. It makes me wonder if those folks understand the probable truth about them and their budding existence. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for vocal criticism if you feel something you’re passionate about is being tarnished, but how long must the verbal animosity last before gamers give it up?

I have no clue how much revenue Microsoft generates on avatars, but it has to be pretty substantial. I look up and down my friends list of regular gamers, and roughly half of them are adorned with multiple purchased items. Some of them even still claim to hate avatars, yet they’ll purchase over-the-top props to make theirs stand out. Something tells me Microsoft doesn’t care what your opinion is of avatars, so long as you continue to garb them with marketplace content.

The continuing lifespan of avatars is even more evident when you think about the trending age of new gamers these days. As games become more and more accessible to extremely young audiences, kids are starting to play earlier and earlier. Those young kids are likely the market that Microsoft was aiming for, and that demographic is only going to ascend from here; Kinect (and other motion control devices) will make sure of it.

It always sucks to see something you hate so much dwell for such a long time, especially when it’s dangerously close to your comfort space. That said, rest assured, avatars are here to stay, announcements like Avatar Kinect confirm that. Like them or hate them, you’re probably going to have to put up with their existence for quite some time. Your only hope is that Microsoft keeps them at a safe distance from the essentials so you’re not consistently forced to interact with them. For your sake, I’ll cross my fingers.