So yes, I'm late once again with my entry, although I do have a legitimate excuse this time. Although considering how I promised to improve on getting these entries done on time, no excuse is justified.
But hey, it's Labor Day weekend, so I'm sure most of you can cut me some slack. This Monday is the real Sunday...except for those of you who work.
Like me.
But don't cry for me, since I'll be paid for double time and a half, along with free pizza and lax phone calls. But more to the point, here's today's entry.
So as I mentioned before, I'm into videogames. Since I began my hobby, I've always been strictly a 'two system per generation' player. In the beginning, I thought Nintendo's systems were the only things I ever needed. But despite the childlike level of excitement I felt when I first received the Super Nintendo, the sudden presence of Sega's Genesis machine, featuring a new teen driven attitude in its advertising (especially with a certain blue hedgehog that was drawing attention away from Nintendo's jumping man) had pulled me over and purchase a second system.
Things became more complicated when Sony arrived on the scene, charging in with guns blazing against Nintendo's time honored traditions and wholesome family fun. The Playstation's vast array of games and full motion videos made me regret buying a Nintendo 64 early on. And when it came time to upgrade again, with the Playstation 2 and Gamecube entering the scene, the choice for my first new system was made much more obvious.
Then things took an interesting turn when Microsoft decided to follow in Sony's success, with the advent of the Xbox. No one took this machine seriously at first; An obnoxiously large design, little to no Japanese support, a plethora of additional accessories and subscriptions that required more money to be plunked down, and Sony taking an early dominance with their second system left the Xbox clear away from my interest. The only thing about Microsoft's intermediate gaming machine that surprised me was the fact that it actually lasted longer than anyone anticipated.
Turns out people were really digging this game called Halo.
Now we are square in the beginning of the "next generation" of games, for the fourth time since Mario's 8 bit beginnings, and the choices available to me aren't as black and white anymore. Sony's Playstation 3, which promised the most realistic graphics and horsepower that no other system could hope to match, is currently failing to dominate the video game kingdom as its forefathers had done twice before. The Nintendo Wii has taken everyone by surprise with its worldwide numbers, yet despite all of its praise and multimillion profits, its actual selection of games have been paltry, with a large majority catering to a new sort of crowd that leaves us '80s OG's out of the loop.
But perhaps most shocking of all is Microsoft's continuing existence. Despite early doubts and scoffs that seemed eerily similar to their first system's debut, the Xbox 360 is enjoying a surprising level of success, especially in North America. No longer relying on Halo alone, the 360 has been home to a good amount of quality exclusive titles, the most recent a wildly praised first person horror game called Bioshock.
But despite that, I still held reservations about the system, even scoffing at the mere notion of owning one; The system was infamous for periodically breaking down, the additional charges regarding simple additions (such as wallpapers, pictures and the like) were absurd, and the community that Microsoft was catering to were of the MTV/Myspace/Xtreme variety of thirteen year olds that I had no desire to be a part of.
Ironic how I was repelled by the same attitude and presence that had compelled me to purchase a Genesis years before.
But then the increasing hype, along with my increasing paychecks, had forced me to take a serious consideration to purchasing the system. With the recent arrival of HDMI-enabled models that reportedly contain stronger heatsinks to reduce (but not eliminate) the possibility of machinery malfunction, and the current drought plaguing both the Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii, I had finally put aside my inhibitions....
And henceforth decided to "Jump In".
It took a little digging, but I managed to find a Premium model with HDMI enabled in Best Buy during Labor Day, and then proceeded to purchase Gears of War in the CompUSA next door, which I remembered was advertised for $50. Turns out there was a promotional special at the time, though, and I ended up paying only $39 for it.
And how have I enjoyed the system so far? Well, that's something you can look forward to in my next entry. Sorry, but if I were to post all my impressions now, I'm certain it would take another day or two for this entry to go up, and I'm late enough as it is.
See you this Sunday. Double promise, this time.
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