I did it. My gamer score is finally at 50,000. Well . . . actually it's at 50,011 but I still finally crossed that threshold.
It's been 11 and half years in the making. As best as I can tell I got my first achievement on January 6th, 2007. I actually got 3 achievements on that day. All of them in Hexic HD which came free with the Xbox 360. I got Flower Child, Cluster Buster and Star Gazer. And thus my journey began.
I remember the beginning of that journey. I was not an early adopter of the Xbox 360. All the stories of Red Rings of Death and such made we want to wait until Microsoft got their act together. The Xbox 360 was out for more than a year before I finally got one. I sat and watched all my friends rack up their gamer scores and I couldn't wait to start earning mine. Unfortunately I was big in to playing on my PS2 and didn't play much on the Xbox 360 for quite awhile. That all changed once I got Gears of War and found a great group of guys to play it with.
I was always lamenting how fast their scores seemed to increase versus how slowly mine was inching up. But now, for some reason, getting over 50,000 seems a decent amount. Of course I have several friends with gamer scores over 100,000. But they don't have much of a life outside of video games (sorry guys, but you know that's true).
I had a goal of getting to 50,000 by the end of the year. Getting it this early was a bit of a surprise. What achievement was the one that pushed me over the edge? It was in Minecraft (the new version). Delicious Fish. Catch and cook a fish. It was just enough to put me over the edge. And since that version is different than the Xbox One version I have the chance to double up on the achievements and get my gamer score even higher.
I wonder if it will take me another 11.5 years to get to 100,000. I don't think so, but stay tuned. You never know.
Showing posts with label Xbox 360. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Xbox 360. Show all posts
Friday, August 31, 2018
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Digital or Disk?
So I perfected Lego Star Wars and bought my Xbox One. And I'm loving it. I'm having a blast in Titanfall and Destiny and recently Gears of War Ultimate Edition (of whatever it is called). But all this excitement has me thinking. And that's a scary thing.
I have a shelf full of game cases for all my systems going back to the PlayStation. I'm running out of room to put new game cases. I can't image what it will be like a year or two from now. So I've been thinking about going all digital vs. buying disks.
I probably wouldn't have even considered this a couple of years ago but having the Games with Gold option every month it's nice to get a full game and not clutter up a shelf with a case that will never be used. Plus I don't have to flip around a big CD case looking for a game disk of what I want to play. I know the Arcade titles have always been digital but in the past I've preferred to buy a disk when I wanted a retail game. Now I'm rethinking that.
I don't store my disks in the case they came in. Instead I put them in to a very big CD folder (which I'm running out of room in between my PS2, PS3, Xbox 360 and Xbox One games). Those game cases are now just decoration . . . and clutter in my living room. I guess I could always pull a case out and look through the insert manual for help in playing the game. But wait, games aren't coming with inserts anymore. And there's no organization to my shelves at all.
So why not digital?
That's what I've been asking myself for the last couple of months. When I started to budget for getting an Xbox One and heard the announcement of a 1TB system I knew I had to get that larger hard drive space . . . especially if I wanted to get all digital. On my 250GB hard drive on my Xbox 360, I've run out of space several times. All of my Arcade titles are now stored on a thumb drive and I've deleted all the extra stuff for games that I probably won't play for awhile. I figure I'll just re-download them if/when I play that game again. File management has been a bitch.
A 1TB hard drive should be big enough, right? If not I guess I'll have to look in to some external storage for my XBO. I like not having to flip through a case but instead flip through a couple of titles on my screen. And there isn't the hassle of having to get up to change disks whenever I want to change games. I can see the beauty in going all digital. But it doesn't feel like I "own" anything when I purchase a digital game.
I love to read but I have no interest in going to a digital platform for books. My tablet is a Nook from Barnes & Noble but I have no interest in reading a book on it. I prefer the paper and glue method of delivery that I've used for years. I feel like I "own" those books , , , even if I've only just checked it out of the library. There is something about holding something in your hand and saying "this is mine" that is very satisfying to me. That's why I've been buying disk copies of games.
And it always seems to me that I can find cheaper copies of the game if I buy the disk than if I buy a digital copy. Recently I've been looking for a copy of the game Enslaved: Odyssey to the West for Xbox 360. I saw that GameStop had a used copy for $3, but in the game store on my Xbox a digital copy was still going for $15. Now why would I want to spend $15 on a game when I could get the same game for $3 somewhere else? (In fact I got the game for $1.50 somewhere else so I saved even more money.) For less than $60 I was able to pick up 5 games only one of which was new (Gears of War Ultimate Edition $40). For less than $20 I was able to pick up 4 more games that I wouldn't have been able to if I had purchased the digital version of Enslaved.
Until digital pricing goes down on older games I'm not so sure that I want to spend more money than I have to for older games. That doesn't mean I won't buy digital at all (and I won't stop getting Games with Gold games for free if I like them). But maybe I only pay full price on new games. You know, when the digital copy is the same price as a disk copy.
Yeah, I won't have any little inserts or "24 hours free Xbox Live Gold membership" cards in a case. But I also won't have a case cluttering up the space in my living room. I'm running out of shelf space as it is. And with digital some games have the option to pre-purchase and pre-download so you're ready to play the game from minute one on the day it comes out. I like that. But whether it is digital space or shelf space I don't see myself stopping to buy video games anytime soon. New or used. I only see more video games in my future . . . especially this holiday season. Lots more games.
I have a shelf full of game cases for all my systems going back to the PlayStation. I'm running out of room to put new game cases. I can't image what it will be like a year or two from now. So I've been thinking about going all digital vs. buying disks.
I probably wouldn't have even considered this a couple of years ago but having the Games with Gold option every month it's nice to get a full game and not clutter up a shelf with a case that will never be used. Plus I don't have to flip around a big CD case looking for a game disk of what I want to play. I know the Arcade titles have always been digital but in the past I've preferred to buy a disk when I wanted a retail game. Now I'm rethinking that.
I don't store my disks in the case they came in. Instead I put them in to a very big CD folder (which I'm running out of room in between my PS2, PS3, Xbox 360 and Xbox One games). Those game cases are now just decoration . . . and clutter in my living room. I guess I could always pull a case out and look through the insert manual for help in playing the game. But wait, games aren't coming with inserts anymore. And there's no organization to my shelves at all.
So why not digital?
That's what I've been asking myself for the last couple of months. When I started to budget for getting an Xbox One and heard the announcement of a 1TB system I knew I had to get that larger hard drive space . . . especially if I wanted to get all digital. On my 250GB hard drive on my Xbox 360, I've run out of space several times. All of my Arcade titles are now stored on a thumb drive and I've deleted all the extra stuff for games that I probably won't play for awhile. I figure I'll just re-download them if/when I play that game again. File management has been a bitch.
A 1TB hard drive should be big enough, right? If not I guess I'll have to look in to some external storage for my XBO. I like not having to flip through a case but instead flip through a couple of titles on my screen. And there isn't the hassle of having to get up to change disks whenever I want to change games. I can see the beauty in going all digital. But it doesn't feel like I "own" anything when I purchase a digital game.
I love to read but I have no interest in going to a digital platform for books. My tablet is a Nook from Barnes & Noble but I have no interest in reading a book on it. I prefer the paper and glue method of delivery that I've used for years. I feel like I "own" those books , , , even if I've only just checked it out of the library. There is something about holding something in your hand and saying "this is mine" that is very satisfying to me. That's why I've been buying disk copies of games.
And it always seems to me that I can find cheaper copies of the game if I buy the disk than if I buy a digital copy. Recently I've been looking for a copy of the game Enslaved: Odyssey to the West for Xbox 360. I saw that GameStop had a used copy for $3, but in the game store on my Xbox a digital copy was still going for $15. Now why would I want to spend $15 on a game when I could get the same game for $3 somewhere else? (In fact I got the game for $1.50 somewhere else so I saved even more money.) For less than $60 I was able to pick up 5 games only one of which was new (Gears of War Ultimate Edition $40). For less than $20 I was able to pick up 4 more games that I wouldn't have been able to if I had purchased the digital version of Enslaved.
Until digital pricing goes down on older games I'm not so sure that I want to spend more money than I have to for older games. That doesn't mean I won't buy digital at all (and I won't stop getting Games with Gold games for free if I like them). But maybe I only pay full price on new games. You know, when the digital copy is the same price as a disk copy.
Yeah, I won't have any little inserts or "24 hours free Xbox Live Gold membership" cards in a case. But I also won't have a case cluttering up the space in my living room. I'm running out of shelf space as it is. And with digital some games have the option to pre-purchase and pre-download so you're ready to play the game from minute one on the day it comes out. I like that. But whether it is digital space or shelf space I don't see myself stopping to buy video games anytime soon. New or used. I only see more video games in my future . . . especially this holiday season. Lots more games.
Monday, August 10, 2015
Xbox One is in the house
Since I finally perfected an Xbox 360 game I got the reward of treating myself to a new Xbox One system and games. I was so excited when I opened it up and hooked everything up. There were a lot of downloading and updating to do so I didn't get the chance to play on Friday.
I did get the chance to look at my friend's list and finally see what my friends were playing. It was so annoying on the Xbox 360 so see my friends playing "Xbox One" and not know what game it was. Now and I could see. And what were they playing? YouTube. TV. And "watching a video". Really? That's what you were doing?
After all the grief I had been getting for the last couple of years of not upgrading, yet when I finally do that's what everyone was using their system for? What about games? Do my friends still play those? Maybe this is just the void before the storm as there are lots of great games that are coming out this holiday season. Let's hope so.
But when I was finally able to get online and play, my friends online were still only watching TV or videos and not playing games. I was starting to get sad. Then I put in Titanfall. And then I felt better. It would have been great to play with friends, but it was still nice to play a game that I had waited a long time to play.
You see, there were several games that came out that when they did so they were for both the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Of those games, I decided to wait to get them for the Xbox One instead of the Xbox 360. That meant I wasn't playing Titanfall, Destiny and Shadow of Mordor. I could have, but it was my choice to wait until I could get the newer system. I think the only exception to that was Thief. I just couldn't wait to get that game on an Xbox One.
I don't know how many of the great games that will be coming out this year I'll be able to afford. I hope my friends that do have some of the games that I do have will play with me like they use to in the old days. I guess we could always watch TV or YouTube videos together too. It's just not the same.
I did get the chance to look at my friend's list and finally see what my friends were playing. It was so annoying on the Xbox 360 so see my friends playing "Xbox One" and not know what game it was. Now and I could see. And what were they playing? YouTube. TV. And "watching a video". Really? That's what you were doing?
After all the grief I had been getting for the last couple of years of not upgrading, yet when I finally do that's what everyone was using their system for? What about games? Do my friends still play those? Maybe this is just the void before the storm as there are lots of great games that are coming out this holiday season. Let's hope so.
But when I was finally able to get online and play, my friends online were still only watching TV or videos and not playing games. I was starting to get sad. Then I put in Titanfall. And then I felt better. It would have been great to play with friends, but it was still nice to play a game that I had waited a long time to play.
You see, there were several games that came out that when they did so they were for both the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Of those games, I decided to wait to get them for the Xbox One instead of the Xbox 360. That meant I wasn't playing Titanfall, Destiny and Shadow of Mordor. I could have, but it was my choice to wait until I could get the newer system. I think the only exception to that was Thief. I just couldn't wait to get that game on an Xbox One.
I don't know how many of the great games that will be coming out this year I'll be able to afford. I hope my friends that do have some of the games that I do have will play with me like they use to in the old days. I guess we could always watch TV or YouTube videos together too. It's just not the same.
Sunday, July 26, 2015
A little less Dark Souls . . . for now
So I've noticed something when I play Dark Souls. I get a headache. A very bad headache. I don't know if it's because the game stresses me out. Or I just get too mad and frustrated with myself when I play it that my brain cramps up on me. What I've also noticed is that I also get a headache when I edit my gameplay footage of Dark Souls. This is not good.
I don't exactly know what to do about that. I want to keep playing the game. When I'm not dying I'm actually enjoying myself. The problem is I'm dying a lot. And over stupid stuff that shouldn't get me. But it does. And now that I've noticed that it is effecting my editing I'm at a loss of what to do.
I don't know if it's because I know I would rather play other games that I'm less terrible at or not. I mean I like Rayman Origins. And I die A LOT more in that game. But it doesn't frustrate me as much as Dark Souls does. And I don't get headaches editing the gameplay.
I've been trying to figure out what to do and so I've been focusing on finishing up Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga. I'm almost done too. I've only got one level for the blue barrels left (a stupid vehicles mission) and just 4 gold bricks left to do and then I'm done with the game. I can't wait to earn all achievements in that game. Every chance I get to film some gameplay has been in that game. I've got about 9 videos filmed but not edited yet so I'm debating about making all of the videos I post for the next little while Lego games so I can finally be done with the game.
My reward for finishing the Lego Star Wars achievements and getting 100% in the game is to buy myself an Xbox One system. I can't wait, but I promised myself that I would until I finished at least one retail game on the Xbox 360. I've completed several arcade titles but I haven't finished the achievements in a full retail game and I would feel guilty about moving on to a new system without having done that.
I've been asking all of my friends what XBO games to get since my budget will be limited. Of course that means I'll still have time and games to play on my 360. Which means I will finish Dark Souls . . . it just might not be for awhile. Does that make me a bad gamer? I hope not.
I don't exactly know what to do about that. I want to keep playing the game. When I'm not dying I'm actually enjoying myself. The problem is I'm dying a lot. And over stupid stuff that shouldn't get me. But it does. And now that I've noticed that it is effecting my editing I'm at a loss of what to do.
I don't know if it's because I know I would rather play other games that I'm less terrible at or not. I mean I like Rayman Origins. And I die A LOT more in that game. But it doesn't frustrate me as much as Dark Souls does. And I don't get headaches editing the gameplay.
I've been trying to figure out what to do and so I've been focusing on finishing up Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga. I'm almost done too. I've only got one level for the blue barrels left (a stupid vehicles mission) and just 4 gold bricks left to do and then I'm done with the game. I can't wait to earn all achievements in that game. Every chance I get to film some gameplay has been in that game. I've got about 9 videos filmed but not edited yet so I'm debating about making all of the videos I post for the next little while Lego games so I can finally be done with the game.
My reward for finishing the Lego Star Wars achievements and getting 100% in the game is to buy myself an Xbox One system. I can't wait, but I promised myself that I would until I finished at least one retail game on the Xbox 360. I've completed several arcade titles but I haven't finished the achievements in a full retail game and I would feel guilty about moving on to a new system without having done that.
I've been asking all of my friends what XBO games to get since my budget will be limited. Of course that means I'll still have time and games to play on my 360. Which means I will finish Dark Souls . . . it just might not be for awhile. Does that make me a bad gamer? I hope not.
Monday, November 12, 2012
A little bit of this, a little bit of that and whole lot of boredom
I've been playing a bunch of things lately. I got bored trying to learn things in FFTactics so I switched to Final Fantasy II. I finished the first one on the PSP but I honestly can't remember anything about the game. FF2 is different and I'm having a hard time getting the hang of it. If you attack physically those stats go up (but magical stats go down) and the reverse is true. My problem is I get into dungeons and I don't want to use up my magic points because Ether is so damn expensive so I use a lot of physical attacks. I know I'm going to be screwed later on in the game when I need that powerful mage and I don't have one.
I also dusted off the old Xbox system and hooked it up for awhile. I restarted Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. It was one of the games dain and I decided to "finished" a long time ago. Actually since 7/16/2006 to be exact. I could have played it on the 360 but I didn't want to. I know the exact date that started all this because I printed the email and apparently I've been using it as a page marker for the strategy guide. I stopped playing because I got lost in the game and the guide was no help. Strategy guides have come a long way since then. I figured the best thing to do was start over (with the cheat code BUBBLE entered - - I don't take any damage). I played for awhile . . . and got bored.
So, I reconnected my PS2 and put in Summoner. That's another one of those "let's finish them this year [2006] games. This time the guide helped and I feel better about how to play the game. But I got bored because I'm just replaying the stuff I had already done since my stuff was stolen.
So, I went back to my 360. I tired some zombies in the Dr. Ned DLC for Borderlands since I've finished the game (I'll do a review of it later). But the zombies don't make any noises when they come up on you and I got tired of being jumped when I'm trying to do something. Although those flying things are more annoying.
So, I decided to play some online stuff by myself. It's really hard to find friends to play with these days. But that's okay I play better without them. It's true. It doesn't matter what game we play but when I play with friends I end up sub 500 on my kill/death ratio. I'll die 2x at least for every kill I get. I don't know why this happens but it does. Because I've been playing solo mostly (except when Natra sends me an invite) I've noticed that my skills are getting better. I've only had one match with a 1/2 kill/death ratio; everything else has been much better than that. I've even gone positive once or twice. I'll usually finish with about 10 kills to 12 deaths or something like that. Just over this weekend alone my kill/death ratio went from .551 to .571. Not bad considering I've got a lot of deaths under my belt in that game. I'm also finding the game more fun to play now that I'm doing better. I don't get frustrated as much and I don't let a death discourage me. I do have moments of panic when I'm under that .500 threshold but I always seem to find a way to do better before the match is over. And I'm finally getting some of those maps. I guess I now need to try playing with friends to see if I can translate this success when I play with them. Any volunteers?
So that's about it. A little PSP, Xbox, PS2, and 360 gaming all in the same week or two. I've even been tempted to pull out my GameCube to work on that "let's finish" game (Super Mario Sunshine). And I've got an itch to play my old N64 as well. I've either got too little of an attention span or too much boredom. You decide.
I also dusted off the old Xbox system and hooked it up for awhile. I restarted Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. It was one of the games dain and I decided to "finished" a long time ago. Actually since 7/16/2006 to be exact. I could have played it on the 360 but I didn't want to. I know the exact date that started all this because I printed the email and apparently I've been using it as a page marker for the strategy guide. I stopped playing because I got lost in the game and the guide was no help. Strategy guides have come a long way since then. I figured the best thing to do was start over (with the cheat code BUBBLE entered - - I don't take any damage). I played for awhile . . . and got bored.
So, I reconnected my PS2 and put in Summoner. That's another one of those "let's finish them this year [2006] games. This time the guide helped and I feel better about how to play the game. But I got bored because I'm just replaying the stuff I had already done since my stuff was stolen.
So, I went back to my 360. I tired some zombies in the Dr. Ned DLC for Borderlands since I've finished the game (I'll do a review of it later). But the zombies don't make any noises when they come up on you and I got tired of being jumped when I'm trying to do something. Although those flying things are more annoying.
So, I decided to play some online stuff by myself. It's really hard to find friends to play with these days. But that's okay I play better without them. It's true. It doesn't matter what game we play but when I play with friends I end up sub 500 on my kill/death ratio. I'll die 2x at least for every kill I get. I don't know why this happens but it does. Because I've been playing solo mostly (except when Natra sends me an invite) I've noticed that my skills are getting better. I've only had one match with a 1/2 kill/death ratio; everything else has been much better than that. I've even gone positive once or twice. I'll usually finish with about 10 kills to 12 deaths or something like that. Just over this weekend alone my kill/death ratio went from .551 to .571. Not bad considering I've got a lot of deaths under my belt in that game. I'm also finding the game more fun to play now that I'm doing better. I don't get frustrated as much and I don't let a death discourage me. I do have moments of panic when I'm under that .500 threshold but I always seem to find a way to do better before the match is over. And I'm finally getting some of those maps. I guess I now need to try playing with friends to see if I can translate this success when I play with them. Any volunteers?
So that's about it. A little PSP, Xbox, PS2, and 360 gaming all in the same week or two. I've even been tempted to pull out my GameCube to work on that "let's finish" game (Super Mario Sunshine). And I've got an itch to play my old N64 as well. I've either got too little of an attention span or too much boredom. You decide.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Poll Results - How do you display your Xbox 360?
I'm sorry for the delay but sometimes life creeps up on you, grabs you by the scruff of the neck and just won't let go. I'm better now. Thank you! Here's the (belated) results of my last poll:
I've displayed mine horizontal almost all of the time. There was an experimental period when I tried it vertical but it just didn't feel right. I wonder if Zenra's comment about it being a matter of age might have something to do with it. Or maybe it's all that advertising I see. They always have it vertical. It seems that younger people like it vertical and they're more susceptible to advertising than us jaded old folks.
I did have a sales clerk at Gamestop (a young one) tell me when I was buying a new Xbox 360 a while ago tell me to use it horizontal because standing it up on end was what was causing all the Red Rings of Death. Really? I got the RRoD on my first machine and I never stood it up. I guess that's the intelligence of today's youth for you.
The Wii on the other hand just doesn't look right when used horizontally. I don't know why, it just doesn't seem right that way. The PS2 could be done both ways and you could even swing the logo around on the front to match the way you had it set up. Maybe it's my history with the SNES and PS but I never considered playing the PS@ up on end either. It just never felt right. And there was not RRoD to worry about on that machine.
I guess it doesn't really matter how you display it, but how you play the games for the Xbox 360. As long as it works for you, you can be a backwards-stand-on-it's-end type of gamer . . . just remember to let me win.
How do you display your Xbox 360?
Horizontal = 3 votes
Vertical = 0 votes
I don't have an Xbox 360 = 0 votes
I've displayed mine horizontal almost all of the time. There was an experimental period when I tried it vertical but it just didn't feel right. I wonder if Zenra's comment about it being a matter of age might have something to do with it. Or maybe it's all that advertising I see. They always have it vertical. It seems that younger people like it vertical and they're more susceptible to advertising than us jaded old folks.
I did have a sales clerk at Gamestop (a young one) tell me when I was buying a new Xbox 360 a while ago tell me to use it horizontal because standing it up on end was what was causing all the Red Rings of Death. Really? I got the RRoD on my first machine and I never stood it up. I guess that's the intelligence of today's youth for you.
The Wii on the other hand just doesn't look right when used horizontally. I don't know why, it just doesn't seem right that way. The PS2 could be done both ways and you could even swing the logo around on the front to match the way you had it set up. Maybe it's my history with the SNES and PS but I never considered playing the PS@ up on end either. It just never felt right. And there was not RRoD to worry about on that machine.
I guess it doesn't really matter how you display it, but how you play the games for the Xbox 360. As long as it works for you, you can be a backwards-stand-on-it's-end type of gamer . . . just remember to let me win.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Investing in the life span of Fruit Flies
So, let me sum up my gaming experience for the past 12 months:
a) got all my game stuff stolen (Nov)
b) replaced my 360 with an elite (Nov)
c) sent my elite back for repairs for not reading disks (Feb)
d) received a brand new replacement elite (March)
e) sent new replacement in for repairs for not reading disks (June)
f) bought a new backup Arcade while waiting for my replacement (June)
g) received a new replacement elite straight from the manufacturing plant (June)
h) gave my backup Arcade to dain so he could play (June)
i) sent my new new replacement elite in for repairs for not reading disks (Oct)
j) borrowed back my new Arcade from dain (Oct/Nov)
k) while waiting for my new, new, new replacement console to be shipped back started having problems with my Arcade not reading disks (Nov)
l) will make arrangements to send my new backup Arcade in for repairs once my new, new, new elite replacement arrives (Nov)
Notice a pattern?
Since when does Xbox 360s have a 3-4 month life span? I think this is just ridiculous. If the place I worked had such a low standard for the products we put out we would be out of business within a year. Microsoft, on the other hand, seems to be above all that. "If you want to play our games you'll just buy another system" seems to be their company motto. Over the course of my Xbox 360 playing days I've purchased 4 separate 360s (including replacing what got stolen). In that same amount of time and longer I've used the same refurbished original Xbox, GameCube and Super Nintendo. I did have to replace my fat PS2 with a slim PS2 after the break in. My Super Nintendo is still going strong today. Why can't Microsoft make a product that last half as long as that?
When I bought the backup Arcade console this past summer I swore that that would be the last time I bought a system in this generation. That was before the new "slim" versions came out and I was tempted. But I figured Microsoft has received enough of my money for the last 5-6 years that I wouldn't be feeding the hog anymore. Unfortunately I'm tempted again to look into getting a "slim". If it was a guarantee that I wouldn't have any of the problems I've been having I would do it in a heart beat, but it's Microsoft and the only guarantee from them is that they think their customers are suckers.
I use to think that it was great that certain games were exclusive to one system or another. I had all the systems so it didn't matter to me. Besides, it was nice rubbing it into the faces of my friends that I owned a game that they didn't just because they didn't have the system for it. When Final Fantasy XIII was first announced it was only going to be for the PS3. Dain and I both said we wouldn't get a PS3 until then. When the announcement was made that Final Fantasy XIII was going to be released on the 360 at the same time (instead of months or years later) I had no real reason to go out and get the system (other than the fact that I just wanted it).
Microsoft seems to think that gamers are so hooked into playing the games that they can only get on their system that if those systems fail those gamers will not wait for repairs and go out and buy another one. Red Ring of Death? Buy a replacement. E4 error? Replacement. Failure to read disks? Replacement. You want to play games like Halo, Fable and Gears right? Well there's only one console to play those on and if it breaks, oh well. Buy another one.
I remember when the RRoD was in full swing. A couple of kids from Texas started a class action suit against Microsoft because of the problem. I don't think the lawsuit is over yet but if/when it is it won't mean much to everybody. So Microsoft gets fined? So what? They've got money coming out of their asses. I was angry then because a couple of punk kids could have really messed things up for the rest of us (and I don't like someone else telling me how to feel about something). If that all happened now with the way that I feel I would say "burn them all to the ground". I'm tired of being used, mistreated and cheated. This debacle of a manufacturing and quality assurance system has got to change. If it doesn't then I might have to.
And I don't want to.
Xbox Live did one thing right. It helped me meet some great friends. If I walked away from my 360 and said "never again" I would be walking away from people I've come to know and love (or at least pleasantly tolerate). Maybe some of my friendships would still survive if one or both of us give up the 360 habit and turned to other forms or entertainment. I suspect most of them wouldn't. And that makes me sad. As great as those friendships are they might not last as long as the life span my 360 seem to have lately. But then again, it might get to the point were fruit flies live longer than 360 consoles. I just hope I'm not still buying them then.
a) got all my game stuff stolen (Nov)
b) replaced my 360 with an elite (Nov)
c) sent my elite back for repairs for not reading disks (Feb)
d) received a brand new replacement elite (March)
e) sent new replacement in for repairs for not reading disks (June)
f) bought a new backup Arcade while waiting for my replacement (June)
g) received a new replacement elite straight from the manufacturing plant (June)
h) gave my backup Arcade to dain so he could play (June)
i) sent my new new replacement elite in for repairs for not reading disks (Oct)
j) borrowed back my new Arcade from dain (Oct/Nov)
k) while waiting for my new, new, new replacement console to be shipped back started having problems with my Arcade not reading disks (Nov)
l) will make arrangements to send my new backup Arcade in for repairs once my new, new, new elite replacement arrives (Nov)
Notice a pattern?
Since when does Xbox 360s have a 3-4 month life span? I think this is just ridiculous. If the place I worked had such a low standard for the products we put out we would be out of business within a year. Microsoft, on the other hand, seems to be above all that. "If you want to play our games you'll just buy another system" seems to be their company motto. Over the course of my Xbox 360 playing days I've purchased 4 separate 360s (including replacing what got stolen). In that same amount of time and longer I've used the same refurbished original Xbox, GameCube and Super Nintendo. I did have to replace my fat PS2 with a slim PS2 after the break in. My Super Nintendo is still going strong today. Why can't Microsoft make a product that last half as long as that?
When I bought the backup Arcade console this past summer I swore that that would be the last time I bought a system in this generation. That was before the new "slim" versions came out and I was tempted. But I figured Microsoft has received enough of my money for the last 5-6 years that I wouldn't be feeding the hog anymore. Unfortunately I'm tempted again to look into getting a "slim". If it was a guarantee that I wouldn't have any of the problems I've been having I would do it in a heart beat, but it's Microsoft and the only guarantee from them is that they think their customers are suckers.
I use to think that it was great that certain games were exclusive to one system or another. I had all the systems so it didn't matter to me. Besides, it was nice rubbing it into the faces of my friends that I owned a game that they didn't just because they didn't have the system for it. When Final Fantasy XIII was first announced it was only going to be for the PS3. Dain and I both said we wouldn't get a PS3 until then. When the announcement was made that Final Fantasy XIII was going to be released on the 360 at the same time (instead of months or years later) I had no real reason to go out and get the system (other than the fact that I just wanted it).
Microsoft seems to think that gamers are so hooked into playing the games that they can only get on their system that if those systems fail those gamers will not wait for repairs and go out and buy another one. Red Ring of Death? Buy a replacement. E4 error? Replacement. Failure to read disks? Replacement. You want to play games like Halo, Fable and Gears right? Well there's only one console to play those on and if it breaks, oh well. Buy another one.
I remember when the RRoD was in full swing. A couple of kids from Texas started a class action suit against Microsoft because of the problem. I don't think the lawsuit is over yet but if/when it is it won't mean much to everybody. So Microsoft gets fined? So what? They've got money coming out of their asses. I was angry then because a couple of punk kids could have really messed things up for the rest of us (and I don't like someone else telling me how to feel about something). If that all happened now with the way that I feel I would say "burn them all to the ground". I'm tired of being used, mistreated and cheated. This debacle of a manufacturing and quality assurance system has got to change. If it doesn't then I might have to.
And I don't want to.
Xbox Live did one thing right. It helped me meet some great friends. If I walked away from my 360 and said "never again" I would be walking away from people I've come to know and love (or at least pleasantly tolerate). Maybe some of my friendships would still survive if one or both of us give up the 360 habit and turned to other forms or entertainment. I suspect most of them wouldn't. And that makes me sad. As great as those friendships are they might not last as long as the life span my 360 seem to have lately. But then again, it might get to the point were fruit flies live longer than 360 consoles. I just hope I'm not still buying them then.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Days 1 and 2 of Xbox 360 Purgatory
So my Xbox 360 died and I had to send it back. This leaves me in some kind of purgatory. Do I wait until my console comes back? Do I buy (another) back up because it's going to be awhile? You knows.
What I do know is that the first time I had to send my original console in for repair all my friends who had done them same said it took them 1-3 months before they got their system back. I couldn't wait that long. So I bought a back up. Who knew that I would get my original system back a week and half from the date I dropped it off at the UPS store?
It worked out to kaiakapero's advantage when I let him borrow my original, while I played on my backup. Then within in the last couple of months kai's died (again) and I had to make arrangements to send that back. That time also only took a week and half to two weeks for the total turn around time (even though he was out of a system much longer because I didn't send it in right away).
So how much time will it take this time?
Who knows.
This time it's a different error. The dreaded "E 74" error. And probably related to the graphic chip set. This isn't going to be an easy fix. Will they repair my console, which could take awhile, and then ship it back? Or once they receive my console, ship back a different one that they have already repaired? I hope not. In the mean time I'm left to wonder how long it will take before I have an Xbox 360 back to play on.
In the meantime I've decided to pull out my PS2 and catch up on some old games. It hasn't gone well so far.
Day 1:
After watching TV and eating a relaxing dinner I pulled out my PS2 and dusted it off. Then I had to hook it up. Apparently that wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. The TV cable wasn't connected in the back and I didn't feel like moving everything around to get back there to connect it. The multi-cable system I had in the front didn't seem to want to connect all the way in. I couldn't figure out which TV a/v input channel to put the TV on. I had a hard time finding a controller. But finally I got to turn it on and start the gaming. At least that's what I thought.
I realized that I needed a game disk in order to play something on the PS2. I know that sounds funny, but with all the Arcade games I own on the 360 there's tons of games I can start playing immediately without having to bother with a disk. And don't get me started on carrying around a CORDED controller again.
I pulled out my binder with all my PS and PS2 (and original Xbox) games and had to dust that off as well. Then I started flipping through all those pages of games. So many choices . . . so little time. I finally decided on Bust-A-Move '99. Why? because it was towards the front (alphabetically) and it would be a quick, easy transition into the Dual Shock controller. Except that it wasn't quick.
The load times were terrible. I think I sat and waiting for screens to load longer than I actually played the game. If this was what the system was like for a simple bubble popping game what would an RPG or FPS be like? I couldn't remember.
After my frustrated warm up I decided to put in a game that would give me a greater sense of achievement (unfortunately without the beep and a little pop up box). I pulled out Final Fantasy Tactics. I loved that game and I've played it recently on my PSP so the game mechanics were familiar to me even if I hadn't played it on the PS since 2007 (according to the save game file). Even though I didn't spend a whole lot of time getting familiar with my current cast of characters I picked some out and jumped into my first battle. Big mistake!
On the map there was a high wall that separated my team from the enemy. Unfortunately I didn't have anyone with a high enough jump skill to get on top of that wall or anyone with a range to cast a spell past that wall (or more than a couple of squares away). Within three rounds my whole team was dead except for one and he wasn't going to last until his next turn. I killed the power, called it night and went to bed.
Length of gaming session? 30 minutes (at most)
Day 2:
This day I was going to be prepared. I thought long and hard about what I was going to do and I had a plan. I was going to play Half-Life. I've started it several times (like so many of my older games) but hadn't gotten very far. If I just focused on that game and played it every night for a week and a half (based on past experiences) I could be well into the game to continue once my system was back . . . or will have finished the game by then. And if I finished? I could play Half-Life 2 on my Xbox 360. Win-win situation right? Not so fast.
After putting the disk in I got a message that it couldn't read the disk. Oh great. Is my PS2 going to die too? Or maybe there's just too much dust collected inside for it to work properly. I took the disk out, made sure there wasn't anything on it and blow into the disk tray. I put the disk back in and after a very long time for the system to be "reading the disk" it finally loaded up. Yeah!
Then I was left with a decision. I had a saved game file but I didn't know where I was in the story (and I couldn't remember the controlls or story line). Do I start over? Or pick up where I left off? I decided to start over.
I rode the tram through the facility and listed to the announcements and sat through annoyingly frequent load screens. I finally got to a put where I could move around and I started off on my merry way. Got my hazard suit on. Headed down the hall. Tried to access a terminal. And got stuck. Literally.
Apparently I tried to access a terminal at the same time a NPC walked up and stood right in front of it. When I tried to walk away my character couldn't move. When I tired hitting the access button all it would do was talk to the NPC. So I decided to wait until he moved off. Surely I could move then. Unfortunately he couldn't walk away because I was stuck right behind him. Great. I can't move until he moves. But he can't move until I move. I'm having so much fun.
NOT!
I decided to load the save file and see where that put me. Apparently I didn't make it through the training the last time I played.
Power off.
And goodnight to ya all.
Length of gaming session? 30 minutes (at most)
I think this is going to be a long week and a half. And for my own sanity I hope it doesn't take longer than that before I get my Xbox 360 back. If any of you have any suggestions of other, more productive, things to do with my time let me know. Or if you have older games you'd like me to play and review/chronicle my woes in drop a line in the comments. Who knows what I'll play tonight. If I get to play anything at all.
What I do know is that the first time I had to send my original console in for repair all my friends who had done them same said it took them 1-3 months before they got their system back. I couldn't wait that long. So I bought a back up. Who knew that I would get my original system back a week and half from the date I dropped it off at the UPS store?
It worked out to kaiakapero's advantage when I let him borrow my original, while I played on my backup. Then within in the last couple of months kai's died (again) and I had to make arrangements to send that back. That time also only took a week and half to two weeks for the total turn around time (even though he was out of a system much longer because I didn't send it in right away).
So how much time will it take this time?
Who knows.
This time it's a different error. The dreaded "E 74" error. And probably related to the graphic chip set. This isn't going to be an easy fix. Will they repair my console, which could take awhile, and then ship it back? Or once they receive my console, ship back a different one that they have already repaired? I hope not. In the mean time I'm left to wonder how long it will take before I have an Xbox 360 back to play on.
In the meantime I've decided to pull out my PS2 and catch up on some old games. It hasn't gone well so far.
Day 1:
After watching TV and eating a relaxing dinner I pulled out my PS2 and dusted it off. Then I had to hook it up. Apparently that wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. The TV cable wasn't connected in the back and I didn't feel like moving everything around to get back there to connect it. The multi-cable system I had in the front didn't seem to want to connect all the way in. I couldn't figure out which TV a/v input channel to put the TV on. I had a hard time finding a controller. But finally I got to turn it on and start the gaming. At least that's what I thought.
I realized that I needed a game disk in order to play something on the PS2. I know that sounds funny, but with all the Arcade games I own on the 360 there's tons of games I can start playing immediately without having to bother with a disk. And don't get me started on carrying around a CORDED controller again.
I pulled out my binder with all my PS and PS2 (and original Xbox) games and had to dust that off as well. Then I started flipping through all those pages of games. So many choices . . . so little time. I finally decided on Bust-A-Move '99. Why? because it was towards the front (alphabetically) and it would be a quick, easy transition into the Dual Shock controller. Except that it wasn't quick.
The load times were terrible. I think I sat and waiting for screens to load longer than I actually played the game. If this was what the system was like for a simple bubble popping game what would an RPG or FPS be like? I couldn't remember.
After my frustrated warm up I decided to put in a game that would give me a greater sense of achievement (unfortunately without the beep and a little pop up box). I pulled out Final Fantasy Tactics. I loved that game and I've played it recently on my PSP so the game mechanics were familiar to me even if I hadn't played it on the PS since 2007 (according to the save game file). Even though I didn't spend a whole lot of time getting familiar with my current cast of characters I picked some out and jumped into my first battle. Big mistake!
On the map there was a high wall that separated my team from the enemy. Unfortunately I didn't have anyone with a high enough jump skill to get on top of that wall or anyone with a range to cast a spell past that wall (or more than a couple of squares away). Within three rounds my whole team was dead except for one and he wasn't going to last until his next turn. I killed the power, called it night and went to bed.
Length of gaming session? 30 minutes (at most)
Day 2:
This day I was going to be prepared. I thought long and hard about what I was going to do and I had a plan. I was going to play Half-Life. I've started it several times (like so many of my older games) but hadn't gotten very far. If I just focused on that game and played it every night for a week and a half (based on past experiences) I could be well into the game to continue once my system was back . . . or will have finished the game by then. And if I finished? I could play Half-Life 2 on my Xbox 360. Win-win situation right? Not so fast.
After putting the disk in I got a message that it couldn't read the disk. Oh great. Is my PS2 going to die too? Or maybe there's just too much dust collected inside for it to work properly. I took the disk out, made sure there wasn't anything on it and blow into the disk tray. I put the disk back in and after a very long time for the system to be "reading the disk" it finally loaded up. Yeah!
Then I was left with a decision. I had a saved game file but I didn't know where I was in the story (and I couldn't remember the controlls or story line). Do I start over? Or pick up where I left off? I decided to start over.
I rode the tram through the facility and listed to the announcements and sat through annoyingly frequent load screens. I finally got to a put where I could move around and I started off on my merry way. Got my hazard suit on. Headed down the hall. Tried to access a terminal. And got stuck. Literally.
Apparently I tried to access a terminal at the same time a NPC walked up and stood right in front of it. When I tried to walk away my character couldn't move. When I tired hitting the access button all it would do was talk to the NPC. So I decided to wait until he moved off. Surely I could move then. Unfortunately he couldn't walk away because I was stuck right behind him. Great. I can't move until he moves. But he can't move until I move. I'm having so much fun.
NOT!
I decided to load the save file and see where that put me. Apparently I didn't make it through the training the last time I played.
Power off.
And goodnight to ya all.
Length of gaming session? 30 minutes (at most)
I think this is going to be a long week and a half. And for my own sanity I hope it doesn't take longer than that before I get my Xbox 360 back. If any of you have any suggestions of other, more productive, things to do with my time let me know. Or if you have older games you'd like me to play and review/chronicle my woes in drop a line in the comments. Who knows what I'll play tonight. If I get to play anything at all.
Monday, October 19, 2009
And she's down for the count
I just got the dreaded E74 error message on my console. I played some zombie matches with Pogue, MadMax and Genghis Khan and was having some graphical difficulties. As long as I didn't look around or things moved in front of me I was okay. Once things, or I, started to move around things would get all wonky on me. We took a break for dinner and when I logged back in the dashboard was all wonky right from the get go. I turned it off, made sure every cord was connected properly and then I got the E74 error message. I tried several different things but it wouldn't go away. So I set up a repair ticket, printed off the shipping label and will stop my the UPS Store to ship it off tomorrow. Hopefully it won't take long (and I'll get my same system back). I hope you all don't forget me.
Now I guess I have no excuse for not hooking up my PS2 and getting back to some of those games.
Now I guess I have no excuse for not hooking up my PS2 and getting back to some of those games.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Poll Results - How many 360s have you owned?
Okay, here's the results from the latest poll.
I'm really not surprised by those numbers at all. What I would like to know is of those five people who said they've owned two systems how many were because they got a different system back after they sent theirs off to be repaired or they bought a second system to use as a backup. Feel free to leave me a comment if you're one of them.
What I was a little shocked to see if those that voted for the three, four and especially 5+ options. It leads me to ask: "How much does loyalty cost?" The only items I've had to replace or buy backups for on any of my other systems are controllers. The original controller I got with my PS2 finally died a couple of weeks ago. Considering how much game play I got out of it it was money well spent. Can you say that for your Xbox 360?
This shortened lifespan the Xbox 360 console has seems to have crossed over into their peripherals as well. I'm currently on my 5th headset and second Plug and Play charging cord. One of my headsets had the connecting post that goes into the controller break off inside the controller. It took some jiggling and a lot of praying before I was able to knock that piece out so I could use that controller again. How bad would that be to have to replace a controller just because a part of the headset connector got stuck in it? All of this and I've only had my system for 16 months.
So, at what point do you draw the line and say I'm not going to spend another dime on yet another Xbox 360 or it's peripherals? Or do you just naturally budget money for things like headsets and new consoles because the games are that good? I remember when my video game budget was just for games. And with games now at $60 a pop can you really keep affording new games if you keep having to rebuy all the extras not to mention new systems? At what point do you say 'enough is enough' and no matter what games are coming out on the Xbox 360 it's not worth it to you to play them any more? Do you stay loyal until the warranty runs out?
For me, I think I'm good for one more console and then I just might move on to the PS3 for good. It's not that I'm not enjoying my time playing on the 360, but it's getting to be a very expensive habit to maintain. But I guess all drug dealers, whether they're selling crack, heroin or Xbox 360s, will always remind you of the 'good times' to give you a reason to keep coming back for more.
How many Xbox 360s have you owned?
0 = 0
1 = 1
2 = 5
3 = 1
4 = 1
5+ = 2
I'm really not surprised by those numbers at all. What I would like to know is of those five people who said they've owned two systems how many were because they got a different system back after they sent theirs off to be repaired or they bought a second system to use as a backup. Feel free to leave me a comment if you're one of them.
What I was a little shocked to see if those that voted for the three, four and especially 5+ options. It leads me to ask: "How much does loyalty cost?" The only items I've had to replace or buy backups for on any of my other systems are controllers. The original controller I got with my PS2 finally died a couple of weeks ago. Considering how much game play I got out of it it was money well spent. Can you say that for your Xbox 360?
This shortened lifespan the Xbox 360 console has seems to have crossed over into their peripherals as well. I'm currently on my 5th headset and second Plug and Play charging cord. One of my headsets had the connecting post that goes into the controller break off inside the controller. It took some jiggling and a lot of praying before I was able to knock that piece out so I could use that controller again. How bad would that be to have to replace a controller just because a part of the headset connector got stuck in it? All of this and I've only had my system for 16 months.
So, at what point do you draw the line and say I'm not going to spend another dime on yet another Xbox 360 or it's peripherals? Or do you just naturally budget money for things like headsets and new consoles because the games are that good? I remember when my video game budget was just for games. And with games now at $60 a pop can you really keep affording new games if you keep having to rebuy all the extras not to mention new systems? At what point do you say 'enough is enough' and no matter what games are coming out on the Xbox 360 it's not worth it to you to play them any more? Do you stay loyal until the warranty runs out?
For me, I think I'm good for one more console and then I just might move on to the PS3 for good. It's not that I'm not enjoying my time playing on the 360, but it's getting to be a very expensive habit to maintain. But I guess all drug dealers, whether they're selling crack, heroin or Xbox 360s, will always remind you of the 'good times' to give you a reason to keep coming back for more.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
I think the Xbox gods are mad at me
So I told you that I was turning off my 360 for awhile and was going to get caught up playing Final Fantasy VII. I tried that for two days and I think the Xbox gods got mad at me.
I started playing my PS2 on Sunday night; by Monday my back hurt, but not to much. Just enough to make sitting on the floor playing video games uncomfortable. So I didn't play for too long. By Tuesday night when I got home from work my back was killing me. At that point I couldn't even sit on the floor at all. I could lay down propped up on one elbow but that doesn't stay very comfortable for long. And then there's the issue of getting off the floor with a bad back. I managed to play a little bit Tuesday, but not as much I would have liked.
Just after 3am Tuesday night I woke up with a sharp pain in my right wrist and hand. I've had pain off and on in that wrist for years. I'm sure it's carpel tunnel but I've never gone to a doctor to have it checked out. And it's never been nothing more than an achy feeling that goes away after a couple of days wearing a brace. That night . . . or I should say early morning . . . it was pain. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would give it a 15. I couldn't move my wrist or my fingers. I figured I had 2 choices: 1) get up, get dressed and head to Urgent Care or the Emergency room to have it checked out, or 2) go back to bed and see how I feel in the morning. I chose #2.
My wrist still hurt and once I got to work I put a brace on. It still aches today and I don't think it will go away enough for me not to have to go see my doctor. If I did go I'm sure things will eventually lead to me having to have surgery on that wrist and then what will that do for my gaming?
I hooked my Xbox 360 back up because if I was going to game it was going to have to be something with a quick and easy in and out process and something simplistic in the game play. I have a lot of Arcade games that fit that bill. I didn't have a recurrence of the pain last night so maybe I've appeased the Xbox gods enough to let me heal and get back to gaming. But I find it too much of a coincidence that the days I start playing my PS2 again is the days my body is in pain. Maybe I'm just out of practice for PS2 gaming, but for now I think I'll still try to get some Xbox gaming in every day just in case the Xbox gods are watching.
I started playing my PS2 on Sunday night; by Monday my back hurt, but not to much. Just enough to make sitting on the floor playing video games uncomfortable. So I didn't play for too long. By Tuesday night when I got home from work my back was killing me. At that point I couldn't even sit on the floor at all. I could lay down propped up on one elbow but that doesn't stay very comfortable for long. And then there's the issue of getting off the floor with a bad back. I managed to play a little bit Tuesday, but not as much I would have liked.
Just after 3am Tuesday night I woke up with a sharp pain in my right wrist and hand. I've had pain off and on in that wrist for years. I'm sure it's carpel tunnel but I've never gone to a doctor to have it checked out. And it's never been nothing more than an achy feeling that goes away after a couple of days wearing a brace. That night . . . or I should say early morning . . . it was pain. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would give it a 15. I couldn't move my wrist or my fingers. I figured I had 2 choices: 1) get up, get dressed and head to Urgent Care or the Emergency room to have it checked out, or 2) go back to bed and see how I feel in the morning. I chose #2.
My wrist still hurt and once I got to work I put a brace on. It still aches today and I don't think it will go away enough for me not to have to go see my doctor. If I did go I'm sure things will eventually lead to me having to have surgery on that wrist and then what will that do for my gaming?
I hooked my Xbox 360 back up because if I was going to game it was going to have to be something with a quick and easy in and out process and something simplistic in the game play. I have a lot of Arcade games that fit that bill. I didn't have a recurrence of the pain last night so maybe I've appeased the Xbox gods enough to let me heal and get back to gaming. But I find it too much of a coincidence that the days I start playing my PS2 again is the days my body is in pain. Maybe I'm just out of practice for PS2 gaming, but for now I think I'll still try to get some Xbox gaming in every day just in case the Xbox gods are watching.
Monday, October 22, 2007
A backup Xbox 360 or a new PS3?
Okay I'm trying to decide on whether I should get a backup Xbox 360 since mine has died or a new PS3.
There isn't a whole lot of games out there for the PS3 that I'm interested in right now. That will change I'm sure, but can I justify the cost of the system and a game or two if that's all I have to play on it? A couple of months ago this might not have been such an issue but after looking through how many games I bought for the Game Cube, N64 and Super Nintendo I want to make sure the system is going to be worth it for a long time. Especially at Sony's current price points.
On the other hand I hate the fact that I'm considering buying a backup Xbox 360. One system should be plenty. Two just seems like a waste of money. I bought my original Xbox as a factory refurbished and I haven't had any problems with it for years. So you would think that after I get my Xbox 360 back I should be good to go. Unfortunately I have friends that are on their 6th Xbox 360. Not very promising.
I could just bag both of them and get a Nintendo Wii but does it have enough game play for a single player? I don't know. Sometimes I just need to play a game alone. I don't want a whole system that I only bring out when I have friends or family over. I know I'd get Twilight Princess and Rayman Raving Rabbids (although I have it for the Xbox 360) but what else?
And what's going to happen in a couple of years when they announce the consoles for the next generation? I thought the original Xbox still had some life in it's legs before Microsoft cut them off at the knees. And the Playstation 2 outsold the Playstation 3 last month. Not bad for a system that's 7 years old. I know the "old" generation can't render graphics as well as the new generation of consoles but I'll take a good story and great game play over graphics any day.
I'm just a gamer with some money to spend, but I want to make sure it's worth it.
There isn't a whole lot of games out there for the PS3 that I'm interested in right now. That will change I'm sure, but can I justify the cost of the system and a game or two if that's all I have to play on it? A couple of months ago this might not have been such an issue but after looking through how many games I bought for the Game Cube, N64 and Super Nintendo I want to make sure the system is going to be worth it for a long time. Especially at Sony's current price points.
On the other hand I hate the fact that I'm considering buying a backup Xbox 360. One system should be plenty. Two just seems like a waste of money. I bought my original Xbox as a factory refurbished and I haven't had any problems with it for years. So you would think that after I get my Xbox 360 back I should be good to go. Unfortunately I have friends that are on their 6th Xbox 360. Not very promising.
I could just bag both of them and get a Nintendo Wii but does it have enough game play for a single player? I don't know. Sometimes I just need to play a game alone. I don't want a whole system that I only bring out when I have friends or family over. I know I'd get Twilight Princess and Rayman Raving Rabbids (although I have it for the Xbox 360) but what else?
And what's going to happen in a couple of years when they announce the consoles for the next generation? I thought the original Xbox still had some life in it's legs before Microsoft cut them off at the knees. And the Playstation 2 outsold the Playstation 3 last month. Not bad for a system that's 7 years old. I know the "old" generation can't render graphics as well as the new generation of consoles but I'll take a good story and great game play over graphics any day.
I'm just a gamer with some money to spend, but I want to make sure it's worth it.
Friday, October 19, 2007
My heart's just not in it
I miss my Xbox 360. I know it's only been 2 days and I went longer than that on my self imposed hiatus, but this time it's different. This time I CAN'T play no matter how much I want to.
Last time I'd look at the white box sitting quiet and peaceful and say "nope I'm not going to play today." This time I look at the white box sitting quiet and peaceful and say "still dead." I almost can't wait until I can ship it off so I don't have to look at it any more.
Off and on I've been considering buying a new Xbox 360 so I always have a backup but that's an awfully expensive backup. I've looked through Craig's List and ebay but I'm a little leery of buying used. How do I know what those machines have gone through? With a console that has a proven history of problems I don't want to be taking on someone else's headache. If I could find a new Core system I think I would get it that way I could swap my hard drive between the consoles and it would be cheaper.
But right now my heart just isn't into gaming. I'm trying to get caught up in Final Fantasy VII. I had played quite a bit (got my characters up to level 48 or something) when I realized I sold a one-of-a-kind Materia when I was hard up for cash. No big deal, right? I read in the back of the book that there is another "Master" Materia you can pick up that you have to master all the other Materia of the same color in order to use. Unfortunately from everything I could find in the book I wasn't going to be able to get another copy of this Materia so my choices were to continue on or restart and pick it up (and keep it). I decided to restart. Now I'm finally back to the Gold Saucer area (way behind where I was before) but I just can't seem to play.
I miss playing with my friends. I miss the thrill of killing them and the agony of getting killed. I miss slow playing someone into going "all in" and knocking them out of the tournament. I miss watching my rank go up (but not it going down) when I play ranked matches. I miss changing my gamer picture to suit my mood (doing it through xbox.com just doesn't offer as many choices). I miss rubbing it in when I've unlocked an achievement that I know a friend has been working on for awhile. I miss my Xbox 360.
I know I've got a long ways to go before I can play it again (unless I break down and buy another one). And I know that after a few days I'll be back in the swing of gaming on my PS2, Game Cube or whatever. Right now it just doesn't seem worth it. My heart's just not in it.
Last time I'd look at the white box sitting quiet and peaceful and say "nope I'm not going to play today." This time I look at the white box sitting quiet and peaceful and say "still dead." I almost can't wait until I can ship it off so I don't have to look at it any more.
Off and on I've been considering buying a new Xbox 360 so I always have a backup but that's an awfully expensive backup. I've looked through Craig's List and ebay but I'm a little leery of buying used. How do I know what those machines have gone through? With a console that has a proven history of problems I don't want to be taking on someone else's headache. If I could find a new Core system I think I would get it that way I could swap my hard drive between the consoles and it would be cheaper.
But right now my heart just isn't into gaming. I'm trying to get caught up in Final Fantasy VII. I had played quite a bit (got my characters up to level 48 or something) when I realized I sold a one-of-a-kind Materia when I was hard up for cash. No big deal, right? I read in the back of the book that there is another "Master" Materia you can pick up that you have to master all the other Materia of the same color in order to use. Unfortunately from everything I could find in the book I wasn't going to be able to get another copy of this Materia so my choices were to continue on or restart and pick it up (and keep it). I decided to restart. Now I'm finally back to the Gold Saucer area (way behind where I was before) but I just can't seem to play.
I miss playing with my friends. I miss the thrill of killing them and the agony of getting killed. I miss slow playing someone into going "all in" and knocking them out of the tournament. I miss watching my rank go up (but not it going down) when I play ranked matches. I miss changing my gamer picture to suit my mood (doing it through xbox.com just doesn't offer as many choices). I miss rubbing it in when I've unlocked an achievement that I know a friend has been working on for awhile. I miss my Xbox 360.
I know I've got a long ways to go before I can play it again (unless I break down and buy another one). And I know that after a few days I'll be back in the swing of gaming on my PS2, Game Cube or whatever. Right now it just doesn't seem worth it. My heart's just not in it.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
I'm not just a one system gamer girl.
As much as I love my Xbox 360 I do have other gaming systems. A PS2, Xbox, computer, Game Cube, N64, Super Nintendo, GBA SP, PSP, and an XYZ. Okay, I made up that last one. I just haven't played those systems in a long time.
My PS2 is currently functioning as a stand for my 360. My Game Cube has been shoved to the back of my entertainment center. I'm not even sure where my original Xbox is. My GBA SP and PSP are tossed in a bag somewhere and my N64 and Supertendo are working on their dust bunny collections. I do get on the computer occasionally to check emails but after a day at the office staring at a computer screen and sitting in uncomfortable chair I'm not all that inclined to sit and do the same thing at home.
I blame my lack of playing other systems to Xbox Live. It's always a blast to get online and see which of your friends are plugged in and what they're playing. Even looking at the cute little pink Pac Man ghost your tough talking and tough playing friend picked as his avatar is a hoot. Player's mottos change often . . . sometimes hourly. And when your testosterone filled buddies, who once gave you a hard time for playing Hearts, are now seen playing Backgammon or Viva Pinata it only adds to the tauntings you can hand out to them later. (And don't believe them when they say their wives were playing.)
I will have to tear myself away from Xbox Live and my 360 if my other systems even have a hope of getting played again. It's not like I don't have any great and thoroughly engrossing games for those systems. (Yes, the Game Cube and N64 have some of those games too. Have you heard of Pikmin or Rouge Squadron?) It's just when I play those other systems I wonder what my Xbox friends are doing.
Have they past me on the leaderboards for Pac Man? Did they finish a game before me? Did they find a way to get that elusive achievement that's been the bane of my existence in Bejeweled 2? Is their GamerScore higher than mine now?
Yet at the same time I'm wondering what happens next in Final Fantasy X-2. Which is the real world in Chrono Cross? Where will Jak and Daxter or Ratchet and Clank go next? What do I have to do to beat the final boss in Pikmin in one day? How can I save that Galaxy far, far away? And just who is Solid Snake, Samus or Master Chief?
If I didn't have to go to work 5 days a week I'd be closer to finding out those answers, and many more. That is if I can put my Xobx 360 aside to plug another system in. Maybe I'll give it a try tonight. After all, I'm not just a one system gamer girl.
My PS2 is currently functioning as a stand for my 360. My Game Cube has been shoved to the back of my entertainment center. I'm not even sure where my original Xbox is. My GBA SP and PSP are tossed in a bag somewhere and my N64 and Supertendo are working on their dust bunny collections. I do get on the computer occasionally to check emails but after a day at the office staring at a computer screen and sitting in uncomfortable chair I'm not all that inclined to sit and do the same thing at home.
I blame my lack of playing other systems to Xbox Live. It's always a blast to get online and see which of your friends are plugged in and what they're playing. Even looking at the cute little pink Pac Man ghost your tough talking and tough playing friend picked as his avatar is a hoot. Player's mottos change often . . . sometimes hourly. And when your testosterone filled buddies, who once gave you a hard time for playing Hearts, are now seen playing Backgammon or Viva Pinata it only adds to the tauntings you can hand out to them later. (And don't believe them when they say their wives were playing.)
I will have to tear myself away from Xbox Live and my 360 if my other systems even have a hope of getting played again. It's not like I don't have any great and thoroughly engrossing games for those systems. (Yes, the Game Cube and N64 have some of those games too. Have you heard of Pikmin or Rouge Squadron?) It's just when I play those other systems I wonder what my Xbox friends are doing.
Have they past me on the leaderboards for Pac Man? Did they finish a game before me? Did they find a way to get that elusive achievement that's been the bane of my existence in Bejeweled 2? Is their GamerScore higher than mine now?
Yet at the same time I'm wondering what happens next in Final Fantasy X-2. Which is the real world in Chrono Cross? Where will Jak and Daxter or Ratchet and Clank go next? What do I have to do to beat the final boss in Pikmin in one day? How can I save that Galaxy far, far away? And just who is Solid Snake, Samus or Master Chief?
If I didn't have to go to work 5 days a week I'd be closer to finding out those answers, and many more. That is if I can put my Xobx 360 aside to plug another system in. Maybe I'll give it a try tonight. After all, I'm not just a one system gamer girl.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
