Lance I wouldn`t want to disagree with what you say about the USA, after all I`ve only been to the USA on visits, and you live there. But I think many Americans have a different idea of themselves than Europeans, just look at how proud a lot of Americans are of their flag. I`m not saying that`s a good or a bad thing, but hanging out Union Jacks is considered more than a bit naff over here. I think this difference is because in the UK we see our national flag as belonging to an empire and values which are behind us, and we are uncertain about the future. In America a greater number of people are proud of their country and optimistic about its future, even if they are deluded as you suggested.

Anyway, I think all this relates to Wipeout because the vision of the future it fits in with is a more popular European and Japanese than American idea.

but it is odd, I know lots of gamers but no-one who likes wipeout as much as I do. I think they don`t like it because its not a simulation of anything they can identify with, and because they think its too challenging to be much fun.