OK, OK. We get it. E3 burned you all out. Ditto. We're only now recovering from the show, and we're still putting up stories through this week and into next -- capped off with Monday's Mobcast in which we get in some final thoughts.

But things are returning to normal and we're ready to get the Bitmob Mailbag train back on track. This week, we talk tough love, writer's block, unnecessary multiplayer, and more. If you have something you want us to talk about in the future, you can reach us at letters@bitmob.com.

Hey Bitmob,

I look at gaming now, and it's an industry full of tough love. There are so many developers out there besides the big names that pour their heart and souls into games, and then release dates or funding shortages result in a game that is often a complete failure. I hear it a million times. No one wants to make a bad game, but it happens...a lot. As a fan of games and a religious follower of the gaming industry, I keep myself as far away from it professionally as possible, and enjoy just writing and talking about it.

What motivates people to go into an industry so chaotic and unpredictable?

I'm glad they do, because if they didn't I wouldn't have the games I've come to love. Is it simply growing up with videogames and seeing it as the only thing they could picture themselves being happy doing? It's certainly not fame. I'm sure there are hundreds of answers to this question, and it's one I've pondered while questioning my own distance from the industry.

-Chris Davidson

Bitmob: Yep, we could think of hundreds of answers to this question, but in the end, we imagine it usually comes down to the same reason we're in it: We love games and want to be part of them in any way we can. Gaming is a passion industry, and that's where you'll usually see this type of devotion, success or no. And hey, sometimes it does pay off.

Also, the picture you paint is awfully bleak: "often a complete failure" and "a million times"...we'd have to disagree on those points. At Bitmob, even on the worst days, none of us here would rather be doing anything else. That said, we're glad fans like you support us and the developers who are trying to realize their dreams, too. We can think of plenty of jobs we would rather not be doing.

Hey Bitmob,

I was just wondering how you guys deal something like writer's block?

-Kris Rosado

Bitmob: Ah, the age-old question for any writer. Let's see what the experts have to say.

Shoe: I stop writing.

Demian: Yeah...don't have any miracle cures for this one. Wait it out until it comes easy again.

Greg: Don't force it. Either skip to a part you're ready to write about (often, the intro can be the toughest part), or take a break. That's what games are for!

Hey Bitmob,

What is more important in gaming: complexity or simplicity?

-The Lancer, Lance Darnell

Bitmob: Simplicity.

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OK, we won't leave it at that, as much as we're tempted. And with such a broad question, who knows if we'll even hit at what you were going for, but we'll give it a shot.

Here's the thing, even the best complex games stem from simplicity. Take a recent game as an example: At its heart, Punch-Out!! on Wii is pretty basic as you just watch patterns and react to them. Plenty of people could pick this one up and have a good time with it. A nice layer of complexity comes into play in the title-defense mode, however, when your opponents mix things up, practically delivering a new game as it messes with what you thought you knew about the how it worked.

A complex game can most definitely be more satisfying, especially to hardcore gamers like us who want more going on and richer experiences (and it's certainly what's needed to grow the medium in terms of content), but in the end, it has to start with the simplicity. What do you think?

Hey Bitmob,

Am I missing something? How come publishers/gamers believe it is important for games to include a multiplayer component when it's really unnecessary? I stand by the fact that BioShock 2's multiplayer looks to be unoriginal (check out this Shacknews preview), and now talk of Assassin's Creed 2 including online multiplayer bewilders me. I may be speculative here, but I don't believe it's going to provide the replay value necessary to sustain a community like the Modern Warfare/Gears of War types.

Don't get me wrong, though; I'm liking the execution of Uncharted 2's multiplayer. :)

-William Saw

Bitmob: This is a question we get a lot, so we won't dwell on it too long, but we totally agree with what you're saying. Besides a select few games (including the ones you mention), online modes just don't seem necessary on many titles.

Developers put them in, usually at the prodding of publishers, in order to make the back of the box more attractive. And you can see where they're coming from: If they don't include multiplayer, they inevitably get knocked for it.

We see it worthwhile when the developer at least tries something new, like what happened when the Splinter Cell series brought in the mercenaries vs. spies mode. If BioShock 2 did something along the lines of a pair of players controlling a Big Daddy and a Little Sister -- both with obvious strengths and weaknesses -- against a slew of splicers or completing a mission, we'd be psyched. As it stands, well...you said it just fine.

Hey Bitmob,

Love the site, hate the green

Thanks,

-Dib Oglesby

Bitmob: Dib, we were with you till the hate. We'll have to agree to disagree on that one. We love our green in most any form.

And with that, we're done. E3 made for fewer letters in our Inbox this week, but let's not let that happen again. Hit us up at letters@bitmob.com.