B
Brandon
Guest
An artical my friend PM'ed me.
This year I've bought a new PC, a Sony PSP and now I'm looking at shelling out $650 for an Xbox. Then there's the upcoming PlayStation 3...
My high school computer teacher always told me to never buy the latest computer. "Go for the model it replaced," he said. "You'll get it for a much better price."
Thus began an electronics procurement journey that has meant I always have lots of gadgets and computers - that are on the blunt side of cutting edge.
This is fine unless you want to play games. I sometimes think games are to the computer manufacturing industry what sweets are to dentists - a way of ensuring they never go poor.
Thus I have been repeatedly forced to buy expensive hardware to play the latest games.
Last year alone I had to bite the bullet and to buy a completely new and powerful computer, not to mention a PSP.
The release of the Xbox 360 will force me to (once again) question my former teacher's wisdom - and curse the unrelenting advance of technology.
The Xbox 360 is a not inconsiderable investment, with Harvey Norman selling a 360 bundle for $650 and games costing about $100 each. The initial suite of 20 games emphasise sport, adventure and action.
Sony have announced their PS3 will land on our shores in November, with industry estimates putting the price at $700. I expect games will cost another $100 each.
To game fanatics, who would have all pre-ordered their machines and be busy playing games as you read, there is only one solution: buy them all - the consoles, the games, the peripherals.
But I have a limited budget, even less free time and, alas, only one television. And as I've discovered, while I may enjoy playing a console game using the television, others don't find it very entertaining to watch. This is despite the effort I will always put into explaining exactly what I am doing.
("Did you see that? I just took that guy out with a rocket launcher! I'm almost finished the mission now and... Hey! Where are you? I was trying to explain the game to you. What do you mean 'it's a sunny day'? How can we ever play co-operatively if you don't learn how to take someone out with a rocket launcher?")
Added to this is the Xbox 360's emphasis on action. I always lean towards strategy games and the best ones are always on the computer. So, as it stands, I won't be buying a Xbox 360. I'll be testing one soon and will report back on my observations. But I can't justify the cost at the moment. I already see my high school computer teacher smiling.
Is gaming keeping you broke? Or do you limit yourself to one game system?
Did you buy an Xbox 360 this morning, will you buy one soon or will you hold off?
This year I've bought a new PC, a Sony PSP and now I'm looking at shelling out $650 for an Xbox. Then there's the upcoming PlayStation 3...
My high school computer teacher always told me to never buy the latest computer. "Go for the model it replaced," he said. "You'll get it for a much better price."
Thus began an electronics procurement journey that has meant I always have lots of gadgets and computers - that are on the blunt side of cutting edge.
This is fine unless you want to play games. I sometimes think games are to the computer manufacturing industry what sweets are to dentists - a way of ensuring they never go poor.
Thus I have been repeatedly forced to buy expensive hardware to play the latest games.
Last year alone I had to bite the bullet and to buy a completely new and powerful computer, not to mention a PSP.
The release of the Xbox 360 will force me to (once again) question my former teacher's wisdom - and curse the unrelenting advance of technology.
The Xbox 360 is a not inconsiderable investment, with Harvey Norman selling a 360 bundle for $650 and games costing about $100 each. The initial suite of 20 games emphasise sport, adventure and action.
Sony have announced their PS3 will land on our shores in November, with industry estimates putting the price at $700. I expect games will cost another $100 each.
To game fanatics, who would have all pre-ordered their machines and be busy playing games as you read, there is only one solution: buy them all - the consoles, the games, the peripherals.
But I have a limited budget, even less free time and, alas, only one television. And as I've discovered, while I may enjoy playing a console game using the television, others don't find it very entertaining to watch. This is despite the effort I will always put into explaining exactly what I am doing.
("Did you see that? I just took that guy out with a rocket launcher! I'm almost finished the mission now and... Hey! Where are you? I was trying to explain the game to you. What do you mean 'it's a sunny day'? How can we ever play co-operatively if you don't learn how to take someone out with a rocket launcher?")
Added to this is the Xbox 360's emphasis on action. I always lean towards strategy games and the best ones are always on the computer. So, as it stands, I won't be buying a Xbox 360. I'll be testing one soon and will report back on my observations. But I can't justify the cost at the moment. I already see my high school computer teacher smiling.
Is gaming keeping you broke? Or do you limit yourself to one game system?
Did you buy an Xbox 360 this morning, will you buy one soon or will you hold off?
