So does anyone have an X-box 360 now?

[Doghouse Reilly]

I've got to see some more games for each system (plus a price reduction for the PS3) before I commit.  That said, I'm sure I'll wind up with a PS3 somewhere down the line as my PS2 has been on the slow crawl to digital death for a long time, and I'll need a new system that can play those games eventually anyway.  Why not upgrade in the process?

...

Why do I get the feeling that's exactly what Sony had in mind?   

[measle]

Why do I get the feeling that's exactly what Sony had in mind?   

Yeah, that's the problem with Sony, they're a huge corporation that just wants your money.

[Doghouse Reilly]

Yeah, that's the problem with Sony, they're a huge corporation that just wants your money.

Yeah, I know, but planned obsolescence as a concept just sticks in my craw.

[measle]

Well as someone that works in the tech industry, it's not planned obsolescence just for the sake of getting you to buy new stuff every few years.  That's a bonus they're more than willing to cash in on, but technology is progressing at such an astonishing rate, they're really not much they can do about it.

It's been said that if the aerospace industry had progressed as fast as the computer industry, it would have taken only 12 years to get from the Kittyhawk to the Lunar landing.

[Doghouse Reilly]

I don't mind the rate of technological advancement; quite the opposite.  What bothers me is the fact that gaming systems are so much more prone to breaking down than ever before, particularly Sony's.  I've had my Atari 7800 for almost 20 years now, and it still functions perfectly.  In contrast, I frequently have to thump on the top of my PS2 just to keep playing a game because something in the systme gets misaligned or some damn thing.  Advancement should not come at the cost of durability, IMHO.

[measle]

I think aesthetics get in the way of quality.  Sony especially loves making kewl, slim cases and such.  The only problem with slim and small cases is that it does not allow room for ventillation and heat dissipation.  You really have to design a system well to get away with the small cases these days.  Back in the day the processors and such weren't running near as fast, so heat wasn't really an issue.

I know the first gen of X-box 360s had a bad problem with heat too.  I have a next gen one and have left it on for days with no problems.

[Doghouse Reilly]

Hence the planned obsolescence I was referring to.  Sony is well aware of the issues their systems have with fragility and overheating, yet do nothing to address them, content in the knowledge that dopey bastards like me will either get the current one repaired or just buy the next system, too, for the backwards compatibility.  Capitalist pig-dogs!

Of course, Microsoft's "release it half-finished, then patch it" philosophy isn't any better.  When did it become too much to ask for to have a damn game console work right?

[Rocko]

In grade school there was this fat kid who had a power pad, he used to lay on the floor and slap the foot pads with his hands so the guy in the track game would run real fast.

[Doghouse Reilly]

Thanks for sharing.

[measle]

Of course, Microsoft's "release it half-finished, then patch it" philosophy isn't any better.  When did it become too much to ask for to have a damn game console work right?

It's bad business, they replaced a shit-pot of consoles the first 6 months as well as drew the ire of those customers.  Trying to cut corners just doesn't pay, yet they all continue to do it.  I wonder if it just has to do with creative accounting or something.  Up front costs count against the bottom line, returns and replacements can be expensed or something and don't count against the bottom line..?  It's the only thing I can think of.

[Albino Squirrel]

Remember in Fight Club what not-Tyler did for a living? His sole job was to determine if a product was worth recalling. We do it rarely in the book business, but it happens. One of my favorites was a vegetarian cookbook which had to be called back. It had a recipe in it with lots and lots of meat. Don't know how that slipped by. It even had some graphic "snippets" on how to grind your own sausage. Priceless.

[measle]

So I finally got my 37 inch high def set, and let me tell you...the difference between the X-box 360 games on the regular TV and Hi Def is huge, much bigger than I thought it would be.  My wife, who normally rolls her eyes when I yell for her to check something out, was blown away.  She said it looked like I was playing a movie.  It's not quite that real yet, but it's pretty damn impressive. 

The Boy alternated between screaming "You rock" and pissing himself with excitement.

[John Moores]

Nice.

We've got a great big television, which I inherited from my dad.

[measle]

Nice.

We've got a great big television, which I inherited from my dad.

Well the PS2 won't really be able to take advantage of it, but wait until you get your PS3...you will be amazed when you play games full widescreen in 1080p.  My wife was onto something with her observation, the widescreen aspect gives the games a more cinematic feel.

[Doghouse Reilly]

That just solidifies in my mind the need to get a hi-def TV before getting the next generation of console. 

So what was the game that impressed the missus, Meas?  Also, will you be my new Dad?  I wanna play cool games on the big TV, too!

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