Desparadooooooooo

Just when I thought I had made up my mind and was proudly touting I would be buying a Playstation 3 sometime after xmas, Microsoft have to make me turn my head and notice their crazy new Australian price drop on all Xbox 360 models. Now it goes something like this

Xbox Arcade - $299

Xbox 20GB Pro Console - $349

Xbox 60GB Pro Console - $399

Xbox Elite Console - $549

While the Elite is still incredibly overpriced for its only redeeming features (being the 120GB hard drive and black colour) the other systems are looking very appealing. Even though I'm still committed to my plans to buy a Playstation 3 sometime between boxing day and start of my 2009 classes, I can't help but 'want' to jump into the Xbox gaming pool and see what I'm missing now that the systems are coming down in price this fast. I guess I should get all the details lined out about why I have been pro PS3 this whole time

Playstation 3

pros

-80GB HDD, easily upgradeable to anying from 120-500GB

-Built in Wifi

-Free online play via PSNetwork

-Already have Rock Band equipment for PS2 (meaning no new hardware required)

-System does not use a prehestoric disc tray

cons

-AU$699!

-Stripped backwards compatibility for PS2 games

-Trophies don't apply to all games

-Where the hell is Home!?!?

now heres the factors for the Xbox 360

pros

-Cheaper than a Wii

-Achievements/Gamerscore

-New Xbox Experience will help save my discs

-Avatars

-Xbox Live Arcade

cons

-Consoles stability reputations

-Disc tray is still a threat to my games pre install

-Paying for Xbox Gold

-No built in Wifi (and no way in hell I'm paying extra for a Wifi adapter)

Now the situation for me about built in Wifi is a big one, since I don't use a wired connection for anything in my house, and the internet connection is pretty far from where the console would be living. Meaning I can pretty much pass on Xbox Live Gold/Demos/DLC/Live Arcade. Of course now that games can be installed onto the harddrive I'll have a use for the 20GB/60GB storage. All this means is that I will still buy third party software on PS3 just to make use of online play n such, but theres still the matter of Microsofts exclusives.

With no other way to say this I'll just put it out there. Is it worth buying an Xbox 360 Pro Conosle (I'd be gunning for a 60GB deal) for single player experiences in games like Halo/Gears of War and single player exclusives like Fable 2/Ninja Gaiden 2? 

I really need to sleep on this, its hurting my head. The only cure for a sore head would be to go play some more Rock Band so I'm out for tonight

Cheers!

Stoiboi and his new Toi

xmas decided to pop in a tad early this year for me, and Santy Clause left me a little something (heavily emphisise the 'little'). After a year of complaining about the disc drive in my Inspiron 6400 being mostly for decoration and avoiding the 'ctrl' and 'backspace' keys to keep them attached I can finally say screw you to Dell and upgrade (or is it a downgrade?) to an Acer Aspire One netbook!

As a student who is on trains for hours every week with nothing to do a netbook is perfect for me. Although in a somewhat opposite direction I opted for the XP version over the super streamlined Linux model, simply out of fear of change like a politician born in the baby boomer generation. The strange part about coming off a laptop that was once touted to be comparible to standard desktops to a netbook is very little has been lost over the transition. After a day of making the machine my own I've noticed that any attempts to really 'push' the Aspire One will show its weak point. The Aspire One simply isn't built to handle multiple beefy applications that you would run without a second thought on a half decent laptop/desktop.

That said, keeping the interface clean and tackle things one at a time the Aspire One it holds up surprisingly well. It can even pull off a mean gaming machine for WoW or anything below it in terms of demand on the CPU (abit with some sliders turned down). I've just come off playing through Sam & Max - Abe Lincoln Must Die and the experience was identical to what I had on my Inspiron, both chugged at the car chase with giant Lincoln but otherwise had no problems. I wouldn't feel bad now picking up the ol' Fallout games just to see what all the fuss is about Bethesda pooing some guns over Oblivion and calling it Fallout 3.

One strange thing is bugging me about my new Aspire One though, there is no external volume control. No sliders on the side of the machine, just the volume control options from inside the lappy itself. This is making it a little more annoying to adjust the volume when someone is nagging me to turn the sound up/down, but like the disc drive before it I'm sure I wont miss it after a few months. For now I should get to work and finish my final essay for tafe (and maybe some game reviews)

Cheers

EDIT: Actually it looks like the proper writing will be temporarily postponned for now. It seems the 60 day trail for MS Office 2007 (why only a trial when Linux gets full Open Office I have no idea) doesn't want to cough up an activation key. So to you Microsoft I say NO. I will not jump through your loopholes just to temporarily use a program that should have been ready as soon as I open up this machine. You probably wont see revenue from me when I go obtain a full version in the next week just out of sheer annoyannce from tonight, thank the dark lords for the internetz insistance on piracy of software. Now where did I see that link to a cracked download of Office 2000...

Tis the season...to put up with xmas carols in the workplace!!!

One good thing about having a real job while whoring yourself out as a writer is recieving a regular sampling of cash money for materialistic desires. With only a few months of holiday work to look forward to at the overly twaty David Jones I gots a lot of shit to stock up on. Of course this means dealing with Christmas carols being played in the food court while running around delivering foodstuffs to the stalls. After one day I'm about ready to stab someone in the eye, so hopefully I can drown this stuff out for the rest of the season.

While I was originally planning to wait until after I picked up a PS3 for this, I'm really considering jumping into the Rock Band wagon with a PS2 bundle. Sure the game itself is stripped down the hell and back again, but since the hardware is identical over the 2 systems I wouldn't feel so guilty warming up on the PS2 now for when I have a spare $700 to blow out my rear hole (damn these Aus prices!!!) Fingers crossed Big W/EB (if it comes down to price matching) don't disappoint next week in finding my $217 band bundle + game.

As for other newish releases it is bleak until previously said PS3 comes into my life, which wont be until after the holidays most likely. Guess this makes things easier though since after Disaster and Fire Emblem DS there are no must buys. Ideas are always welcome from the masses, especially since I need to get off my hiney and actually WRITE some new reviews. Now since I don't have anything useful to say tonight I shall take my leave.

Cheers