• Clueless dolts talking on their cell phone in the check-out line at CVS
• The Fire Sauce Gestapo at the Taco Bell drive through window
• Two foot long receipt for my $0.99 Tic-Tacs purchase
• Idiots taking up three spots because they don’t know how to parallel park
• My lady friend for making me sit through the Housewives of New York City

Like a great many gamers, I follow certain series and can’t wait for the next release. I’d like to think of myself as an investor in these franchises.  Without my hard-earned coin, there would never be any sequel.  So what do I get in return for my loyalty, financial backing and continued support?  You guessed it – usually NOTTA.

There are some exceptions to the rule, but for the most part very few titles in the post 16-bit era allow you to import data from your previous adventure/season/etc.  I am not necessarily looking to start off a new gaming venture with my super-human character from a last installment – that would basically ruin the new game experience/fun.  But I admit I do want a little "sumthin-sumthin".  Give me some bad-ass sword, first pick in the draft, a special mission, whatever.  Recognize that I am a loyal follower of your series (as well as a suido-shareholder).

I am happy to see new game releases like Mass Effect 2 that will actually take notice and compensate me for beefing up my Shephard in ME1.  In my humble opinion, the employment of this "thanks for your loyalty" programming strategy should be the rule rather than the exception.

There is no excuse why developers can’t show us some love for our continued patronage of their respective gaming series.  With today’s technology and expanded media formats, they can surely squeeze in a few 0′s and 1′s to at least recognize our past efforts.  It’s bad enough that my wallet is getting brutalized like a contestant on Hell’s Kitchen for DLC and the like.  Throw me a bone (extra lives, cool outfit, a retro car, etc.) – I have earned it!!!

Give me my soup!!