Well, it's about that time again. It used to come every five years but this time it's been a couple years longer than usual. Yep, it's new video game console time!
This November we will be seeing the debut of Microsoft's third generation of Xbox, entitled confusingly XBOX One, and Sony's fourth Playstation console called...the PS4! (No shock there.) This will be the first time both brands will launch in the same year, stirring up the fanboy wars to a frenzy and driving pre-order sales for those hoping to land a shiny new console on launch day. Well for the first time in over 12 years, I won't be waiting overnight in line in front of Best Buy. And it's not because I now live in a town that doesn't have a Best Buy.
Maybe it's because I'm older now and have more of life to deal with than I did before. Maybe because my new teaching position keeps me constantly researching and contemplating new lessons for my students when I would normally be kicking it on the couch grinding through some new digital adventure. Maybe it's because I got burned with the Launch Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death fiasco. Or maybe it's because
I have a small pile of great games I just haven't gotten to over the last year or so that I REALLY want to play before moving on to the next generation!
Actually, it's a little bit of all that. And because I'm in no rush this time, I'll let the consoles come out and let the public (and my close friends) determine which one I'll eventually buy sometime in 2014.
MY LAUNCH DAY CONSOLE HISTORY
As someone who has owned a launch day PS2, won a launch Xbox...uh...Original from Taco Bell, and a nabbed a launch Xbox 360 I can definitely say...it's not that big of thing to be the early adopter.
Perhaps I'm a little jaded, but I distinctly remember not having any really good games to play until 8-10 months after the launch. PS2 was great if you were a fighting game fan (I was.) with Tekken Tag and DOA2 but that was about it until the following year when Metal Gear Solid 2 and Final Fantasy X came out. Could have waited.
Xbox Original was great with Halo until...well...oh yeah that's why I ended up selling that system....
Xbox 360? Well I played a LOT of Hexen. But the first great game didn't come until August the next year with Dead Rising. Totally could have waited! And if I did, I wouldn't of had to deal with two Red Rings of Death! (Thank goodness for extended warranty!)
On top of all that, my friends didn't end up getting their systems until the stores finally got them back in stock regularly 5-6 months later. I was alone online! (C'mon, be sad for me.)
MY DECISION
Nope. This year I'm sitting the console wars out. When the dust settles, I'll buy whichever system has the best games, best online experience, and most importantly, what my friends ended up getting. It'll be fun watching my students battle it out. In the end, I'll be able to order a console from Amazon with a couple really good games and enjoy my new system with complete confidence I made the right choice.
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