The Community Spotlight highlights some of the best articles that didn't quite make the front page. This week, we've got a look at mistakes in character creation systems, a breakdown of digital distribution, and a defense of "gimmick" technology. And what the heck -- we'll throw in a couple of hedgehogs, too. Since you kids have been good. 

Player creation is flawed
By Daniel Campbell
I admit it -- I'm one of those twisted people who loves fiddling with all the sliders, color options, and hairstyles when creating a character. But as Daniel points out, most of these options are purely cosmetic; they don't affect gameplay at all. Taking these factors into account could go a long way toward improving narrative.

Is digital distribution awesome? Kind of....
By Patrick O'Rourke
"To me," Patrick writes, "there's something about holding a brand-new video game in your hands." I feel you, brother -- I love ripping off the shrink wrap from a new purchase. On the other hand, the used-game market is pushing more and more publishers to opt for online sales methods. If that's what it takes, Patrick says, then so be it.

Longing for the days without DLC or yearly updates
By Jonathan Oyama
Downloadable content can give old games new life, but it can also act as a cheap way for publishers to dump out a new "Special Edition" of a title. That's what has Jonathan upset; he doesn't know whether to bother with buying games at launch if he knows he's getting an inferior version. "I guess I just have to face the fact that those days (without DLC) are now long gone," he writes.

A tale of two Sonics
By Jason Almenas
I never owned a Genesis, so I don't have a ton of Sonic memories. Jason does, and he says that the upcoming Sonic Generations gets things right by going back to the good old days. "I can ignore the contrived reasoning behind putting two Sonics in my game," Jason writes, "because Sega looks like they finally have the level designs right." Here's hoping.

Why gamers need to embrace new concepts and controls
By Danny Concepcion
I'm still not sold on motion control, whether on the Wii or Kinect or some future platform. Danny says that we just need to give it time. He tells of his reluctance to embrace analog control sticks -- he staunchly refused until he played Zone of the Enders. Of course, that's kind of the answer to everything: more giant robots.