Gaming by GlossGreen

The Aftermath

Well, holy crap. That was a pain in the ass. Sorry to cuss like this, I just feel the need to release my frustration some how. Cussing just seemed like a good way to do it. It's been a long time coming, but I'm finally settled into my new place. Even though I still have a lot of unpacking to do, the most important things are done. The bed is together, the TV and PS3 are set up, and (of course) the internet is set-up. Yes this is my first time really going on-line in weeks. Weeks people!

How did I stay sane? I have two things to thank for anchoring me to reality, my PS3 and PSP. I'm really impressed by the capabilities of both machines. I've been pretty much playing my PSP everyday. Well, I had to take Mother's Day off. Had to treat the wife. Other then that, a few minutes to a couple of hours a day were devoted to my black beauties. Crisis Core is a great game (Adam Sessler is still the man, even if he is wrong about it) and I've even played a bit of Lost Planet, pretty fun game, too. One thing I have been doing more though is the video aspect of both machines.

I'm pretty excited about the future of the Blu-Ray disc. Every week there are more and more great movies being released for the format. It is kinda depressing seeing the almost non-existent HD-DVD section these days, but like a car accident, I can't help but look. The store I frequent has a smaller selection of HD-DVDs then they have for UMD. If that isn't the end, what is? I know we'll be seeing the format around for at least a few more months, after that we'll only be seeing them in history books and yard sales. Maybe not history books, but probably video and gaming magazines and web sites doing a retrospective.

Spending almost all of the day with two other people (family members at that) in one very small room is stressful to say the least. Part of that kept us from tearing out each others throats was compromising about what to do each night. Due to a generous gesture on my part, I limited my PS3 use to once every few days. We ended watching a lot of movies, seeing quite a few good ones at that. For those of you that haven't yet, watch The Mist. The ending is perfectly Steven King. I still have the Blu-Ray version of The Rock to see, maybe tonight is the night. That is if I can pry myself away from The 4400. We did also end up getting out of the place once or twice. A couple of nights ago my daughter and I went to see Iron Man. All I'll say is, if you like action movies with a bit of humor and heart, then you have to see this movie.

Time to go, I've got the internet to catch up on.

Part 4

Finishing up my entirely too long series of posts on the history of gaming we arrive at the last generation. This generation, as have previous ones, had a significant impact during their time and will continue to have lasting effects for the future of console gaming. The true effects of these innovations may not be seen for years to come, but expect to see new and impressive ideas continue to arrive in this and the future generations.

This brings us to the current and seventh generation (2004-). This generation is marked by interesting changes to every console. As console manufacturing and competition became more intense, the field dropped down to 3 combatants. First out the gate was Microsoft with the Xbox 360. While adding more advanced hardware to it's console, the true reason for The 360's success has to lie with one of it's previous innovations. Live has proven to be king of online console gaming and has become the de facto standard for the industry. A standard that Sony, and to a much lesser extent, Nintendo have scrambled to emulate.

Both the Wii and the PlayStation 3 were released about a year after the 360 to widely different degrees of success. The PlayStation 3 was next out the gate, with a couple of features hidden up it's sleeve. The first was the inclusion of Blu-ray support for gaming and movies. Another was the inclusion of a consumer swappable harddrive, to compete with the 360's more expensive proprietary model. Sales of the PS3 were initially promising, but due to the consoles high price, soon began to slip. The next generation Nintendo console, the Wii, was released two days later. When announced, this console wasn't given much of a chance to succeed. They had an unusual and untested control scheme and a plan to target the casual market. The Wii immediately became a hit. With the novel controls and a low price (released at half the cost of the PS3 and $50 less then the 360 Core, $150 less then the 360 Premium). In the short term, Nintendo's gamble has paid off. In the long term, it remains to be seen if the Wii can continue to fend of the 360 and the PS3.

The handhelds also continued to change. The first release was the Nintendo DS in late 2004. The DS was similar in look to the previous SP model with one large exception. The clamshell design was similar, but the inclusion of a touch screen for input on the lower half was a major innovation. This touchscreen was activated by using a stylus, not unlike one found with PDAs. The DS would see a revision in mid 2006 known as the DS Lite. While the Lite has the same overall internal hardware as the original DS it did include brighter screen, extended battery life, and as the name suggests, smaller size and lighter weight. A few months after the original DS was released, Nintendo saw it's first serious handheld competitor in over 15 years.

Sony in early 2005 released a handheld console of their own, called the PlayStation portable. This is the first handheld system that has truly given Nintendo a run for their money. To compete with the DS, Sony included Wi-Fi connectivity to allow connections to other PSPs (something the DS can do) and internet browsing (something the DS can't do), an optical disc format, more powerful hardware (to provide near PS2 quality graphics), and the ability for firmware updates. Initial sales of Sony's new console were very strong, but due to a much higher price than the DS ($100 more) and the lack of a games library hurt PSP sales after the shortly after the launch. Recently the PSP underwent a DS style update by releasing a Slim and Lite model late last year. This redesign was not a significant change, but helped to reduce size, weight, improved loading times, and added the ability to output to a TV. Also, significant firmware updates improved the hardware's functionality and it's PS3 interactivity. Sales of the PSP are far behind sales of the DS, but recent numbers have shown a slowly shrinking gap in this regard.

As you can see, innovation has happened, to varying degrees of success, in every console in every generation. Sometimes that innovation hasn't been a hit or helped to see a console succeed. Sometimes it helps a console become a market leader. It's hard to tell what the future will bring, but based on what we've seen of the past, expect something innovative.

Oh, so you think your significant other is the best thing since sliced bread, do you? Well, you are so wrong. I know, you have to disagree with me to keep yourself in the good graces of that other person, but we both know the truth. Deep down you do agree with me. Now, what the hell am I talking about here? Patience my friend. I will shortly reveal all.

OK, my gaming habit sometimes get me into trouble. OK, I get into trouble all the time. I forget appointments, forget to make dinner, forget to have a life. My wife knows all this about me, but she still loves me. How sweet, huh? Shut-up over there. Just read the damn story. If I wanted your opinion...OK, I know. I ask for opinions all the time. This time, just wait until the end. This is my life here I'm talking about. To continue, after being so rudely interrupted, my family (specifically my wife and daughter) decided to accompany me to the store today. It's one of those big stores that have a little bit of everything in it. We had to drive quite a ways to get there. What was so interesting there that I'd be away from my beloved game console for several hours (all at once, in the same day even)? Why, videogames of course.

That wasn't the only thing I went there for, but of course, being a gamer that's what I tend to focus on. This store was pretty nice. Lots of clothes, books, household cleaners, you know the types of stuff. My favorite. The electronics section. I love to see all the movies, TVs, and the gaming stuff there. There is one problem with all this stuff though. I want it all and have no budget for it. Gaming by GlossGreen is a non-profit organization. No, I am not a charity (although I have been referred to as a charity case), and I do have a real job where I earn real money. I'd starve if I had to rely on my writing. But enough about me. As the title suggests, this is about my better half. Why better? Because she does stuff like this:

A couple of months ago, after having to put up with a friend of hers (usually a nice girl, but a pain in the but on this trip) she let me get a PS3. Out of the blue. Just like that. I know she did it to try to make it up to me, but i probably would have settled for a movie. Today, after driving for hours, pretending to be a tour guide (don't try that people, especially when it's dark), we finally got to the place we were trying to get to. This is after I got us lost more than a couple of times. And no, I didn't ask for directions. Usually this would make the non-driving person a little irritated. Not the wife, at least not this time. So, we get into the store and start looking around. We find a lot of stuff to send the family (ie...late Christmas, birthday presents. I know, I suck), we finally make it over to the electronic section. Here's were she really started to shine.

First, my 12 year old daughter decides that she wants to get into WoW. My wife didn't have a problem with that. Now looking at this situation, I'm a little cautious. Do I really want my daughter to do that. She's already pale enough. She'll practically glow if she doesn't get more sun soon. I know first hand about not being able to quit a game. Now how about a game that doesn't end...ever. OK, so we tell her we will check out the subscription costs and see about getting the game for her. We'll probably let her get it though (shh, just don't tell her yet). Next, we start walking by the console games section. I look around, check out a few things. No new PS3 games I want to get. Only the Pro and Arcade 360s, no go there. PS2 games don't look interesting. DS? Um, no. Now, the PSP. I jokingly ask my wife if I could get one. She paused, thinks about it, and remains uncommitted. We start walking away. That's when I ask her how much I can spend there (a couple of movies did manage to catch my eye). At that point she turns around. She looks at me, and says a few fateful words. "You can get it if you want to." I just stood there kinda surprised for a couple of seconds. My next response was brilliant. "Really?" She at that point stated that I was an adult and could do what I wanted. I asked my thought provoking question again, only to have her say, "If you want it, go ahead". So, I got my PSP today.

Looking back on the last few years, I see how supportive of my unfortunate addiction she has been. Through the Nintendo Entertainment System collecting time, to the PS1 years, getting a replacement Atari 2600 for the one I lost as a kid, to the PS2 years, on to PC gaming, and now the PS3 decade. Add to that, my new PSP, and I see a hell of a lot of support for my money and time bleeding habit. After we get our tax return back, I have no doubt, that she'll be willing to let me get a 360 (as long as it's an Elite, or whatever the new model will be) to sit beside my PS3. My only question now? What is she going to want from me when she cashes in this manhole sized marker?

Update: To see what I think about my shiny new PSP check this out.