Current mood:

and still exhausted

New Toy
So, the holidays are over and I finally decided to wade back into console gaming. I've been keeping very careful tabs on the market for the last 6 months or so and also been paying attention to the recent Xbox 360 launch in America and Japan. So, all that taken into account I decided to get a new console system. I have been flip-flopping on whether to get an Xbox or PS2 for ages. I like the PS2 more, honestly. It has more games, and is backward compatible with older PS1 games. However, the Xbox can be modded to run Linux, if I so desire, and comes with a built-in hard drive. Handy, that.

In the end is was two things that ultimately decided it for me. Xboxes had a price cut recently which dropped them down to ~$230 while the PS2's were still around ~$250. And I know of at least 2 people that have an Xbox that I might be able to play with online or even by dropping by them, although Cairns would take a plane ride. Finally, Toys-r-Us had a special package available that got me the Xbox, 2 controllers, DVD remote, Halo 2 and some driving game for $229. The cheapest I could get anything comparable for the PS2 was around $290.

So, decision made, I purchased my first shiny new console system since I bought a PS back in 1998. Yes, that is indeed 7 years ago. Almost 8. Wow, time doth pass. I alos picked up a couple extra games that were in the bargain bin, because I know that any two games can get old pretty quickly on a console. Well, except Super Mario World. *99 twice in a single decade! Alas I do not have that much time for gaming anymore hehe.

Anyway, I have been perusing things like modding the new shiny, for playing out of region DVd's since I have and still get quite a few DVD's from America. I did find a handy lil trick to get around that without modifying the Xbox. Might give it a try when I am more ambitious about it. While doing my perusing, however, I found an article about the Aussie High Court ruling that mod chips are not illegal and will be available for sale again soon. I am glad of that. If people want to fry their own purchased electronics, more power to them and let them buy a new unit if they srew it up. For Sony or MS to try and have it made illegal would set a precedent that the consumer does not truly 'own' something they have bought and paid for. I may be a complete idiot if I want to tear apart my Teac TV and play with the wiring, but it shouldn't be illegal. Void my warranty? you betcha! But invoking the law is a whole other matter. I hope America quickly follows suit.

Anyway, if you want to hit me up to play sometime, email is in the userinfo. All I have are Halo 2, Forza racing, and Mechassault for online play though. And I don't have Xbox Live. I have been looking at some free alternatives though. X Connect and X Live both sound interesting and I'll be looking more at them after I sleep for a bit.

And in case I don't update again til next year, Hope you all have a very merry and wonderfully safe New Years. And that your holiday festivus/christmas/yule/chanakuh/ramadan/kwanzaa/whatthefuckever was happy and fun-filled frolicking. Don't forget.. Winter-een-mas is coming soon!