Gentlemen. Ladies. We, as gamers, truly are spoiled. Say what you will about games not being of the caliber of old ( though that's poppycock ), but nowadays everything is handed to us in a silver platter. Through online we can just download games, eliminating the inconveniences of the past of actually walking into a store and physically buying games. Our games lately, for the most part, are easily digestible as in they are easily beaten. The days of epic hurdles to beat videogames are long past and entering into the imagined fabled Hall of Videogame Champions is as sure as baseball players chewing bugglegum and taking steroids. For even if you're having the rough patch of beating a game, a gamefaq is but a click away on the world wide web.

Our game reviews tell us what to spend our hard earned money on, and in more than a comfortable percentage, even spoil the game for us, telling us all there is to it. Even before the review we are bombarded with developer diaries of upcoming games with screen shots that could choke a rhinoceros. The hype train of old amongst fans is now a hype campaign initiated by the companies behind the games to ensure our interest as well as our nestled dollars in our wallet. Information passed on to try to generate buzz. All these things I can understand. Know what I can't? If you're a perceptive one then the title to this post will lead you to the answer.

The answer being the latest phenomenon of Ten Minutes of Videogameplay employed by almost every game site, including our own who recently added it to their frontpage arsenal. Let me, before I continue, just state I know I'll be in the minority here and that's okay. This just happens to be a pet peeve of mine that I am merely exploring and voicing. For the life of me I don't get it on a few fronts. For one, I don't want to be spoiled of what will be my initial play through of those said minutes. I kind of get a kick out of experiencing my own first impression of a game. I feel these rob you of not just any excitement the game may generate initially but of any possible surprises as well. Could you imagine if these existed when Super Mario came out. Imagine the loss of discovery that would of happened there.

Two, I could probably find more things I detest, like any kind of waiting in line or otherwise, but watching someone else play a game is a close third or second. I know it's supposed to give you an inner peak at a game, that's the purpose yet that doesn't negate the sensation of feeling like the kookiest voyeur watching someone else playing. At least on a video game review there is the narrative of the review itself. With these it's hey watch me play this. Uhh, no. I'd rather not and before anybody says anything, I avoid these like the plague.

Obviously these are a huge hit as everywhere you look you see them. I just don't understand why gamers nowadays want to ruin the beginnings of the opening arc to any game. Yes we are truly spoiled nowadays as gamers. More in depth coverage to games, more behind the scenes peeks, interviews with developers, thorough previews and reviews. And now these ten minutes of video gameplay ( well lets be honest, these have been around for a bit) along with the constant scrutinizing of games are in a way...siphoning all the mystery and wonder of our own playthroughs.

I wouldn't be surprised somewhere down the line full video of not just ten minutes but of the game or even a demo of the game being finished as the next supplemental to be embraced. Oh wait, that's already being done.