Gimmie pigs!

You know, like Guinea pigs, but "gimmie pigs."

I would like to ask a favor, of everybody here. These are new forums. Apparently, the people of Xbox Addict consider them a success as they are generating new traffic, plus they are considered interesting by the old traffic. But we have a LONG way to go to be even close to the vision I have, to be the Mos Eisley of Faceplate Collecting.

While we get some attention from other sites, the rare interview now and then and so on, we want to make sure we're leaving a good impression on the visitors who are "checking us out."

There is going to be a lot of very cool stuff shown off here. Lost of plates, from the common (and to be honest, mundane), to the exotic and droolworthy. From mindblowing customs to the "Aw, I coulda done that" customs (Oh, and if you think so, go for it - that's what we want.)

Here's the favor. Let's not turn this into a "oh, gimme that!" place. If you like it, say so. If you want it, say so. If you want it really badly, PM the person and ask if it's available. (Don't throw an offer out first - Robert's Rules of Order FTW.) But please, please, no posts like, "That rocks! Give it to me?" Nobody's going to give it to you. They, and we, collect them. We work hard looking for them, or work hard earning money to buy them. And if we build up a relationship with each other like some of us in here have, we'll give the occasional plate to one another as a token of friendship. I'm only speaking for me personally, but I'd never just give a faceplate to anyone who whined for one.

If you're a looker, admire it. If you're a collector, make a plan to get it. But nobody's going to build your collection for you by giving you your colelction for free, a plate at a time. And again, only speaking for myself here, I think it would be a real turn-off to a visitor to see a bunch of that going on.

Hopefully, we'll be adding tools soon to help you make your plan of attack, which will include have to trade lists, want to trade lists and a database just to see what's out there (and to help you make your want list). We want to help you build the collection that YOU want.

By the way, since I beat that horse plenty... I was thinking on the way home tonight that 360 faceplates may be the first actual collectible video game accessory. People collect consoles, and people collect games. Some peopel collect arcade cabinets. There are even people who collect accessories, for example they have every accessory ever made for the NES. But nobody has, like, a collection of collectible N-64 controllers, or collectible memory cards.

Faceplates are the first accessory that I've seen marketed to collectors, with game specific, retailer specific, region specific, and event specific plates. I'm excited that I'm a member of the community that collects these "things."

I'm hoping that this is not something that is abandoned with the next Xbox console, but is instead embraced, encouraged, and taken to another level. Imagine a "feed"-type drive that only requires a slot and not a tray door to have to be worked around. Imagine if the console had a white light instead of a green one, and by changing the color of the faceplates, you could change the color of the lights. (Right now I have to limit myself to green features, which bites.) Imagine if it had a flatter design so that skins were a little easier to create personally.

Anyway, long thread for a short issue, so I'll stop here. No more Trick-Or-Treating with an open bag held out, please.