Thinning The Herd: Good Idea, Bad Idea?

Will Microsoft's recently-announced efforts to improve Xbox Live Arcade quality levels by culling underperforming titles bolster the service, or ultimately harm it?

Objectively, one of Live's biggest obstacles is the sheer density of its offering and wildly variant quality levels - it's hard to tell what there even is to play, let alone if what you're checking out will be a worthy experience, despite the numerous demos. With that in mind, a standard methodology for trimming the fat might help the cream rise to the top, right?

Slaughterhouse and farming metaphors aside, a new opinion column by Lionhead and Climax veteran Tadhg Kelly presents a fascinating perspective on why Microsoft's new sales and scores-based "de-listing" strategy might actually spell the death of the service.

More On "Faking Quality" And Metacritic

Whenever we hear about the travails of a video game company, snark abounds, and ultimately, the chorus cries, "Why don't you just make some games that don't suck?"

Easy to say from the outside looking in, but independent game developer Matthew of the Magical Wasteland blog shared his insider experience with an unidentified major publisher to explain that it's not always so simple, even when executives "talk the talk" about quality control.

Matthew cited the institution of bonuses for developers based on Metacritic scores, similar to the practice of hinging developer royalties on good scores that MTV Multiplayer's Stephen Totilo recently investigated.

Said Matthew:

The Controller Stress Tests

A wildly amusing set of three stress tests on the PS3, Xbox 360, and Wiimote: how well do they hold up to gamer temper tantrums? The 'researchers' over at Insult Swordfighting set up rage-inducing scenarios, flung controllers, and looked at how both aesthetics and performance were impacted. An example? The SIXAXIS didn't fare so well after being hurled "in a shallow downward motion, simulating disgust and frustration":

With the R2 button hanging by a thread, a sweeping upward motion is required to press it. The R1 button is missing entirely, and thus unusable. The L1 button has been knocked off its axis a bit, although it still works. And the PS button is stuck in the depressed position. Analog stick functions seem to work fine, as does patented SIXAXIS tilt control, insofar as patented SIXAXIS tilt control works at all.

I'm not the controller flinging type, though I do frequently threaten to toss consoles out my window; still, it's a funny (and perhaps relevant, depending on your play style) read.

Control Pad Stress Test: PlayStation 3 SIXAXIS, Control Pad Stress Test: Xbox 360 Control Pad, Control Pad Stress Test: The Wii Remote [Insult Swordfighting]