Daddy Gamer

Dear Sony,

Thanks for giving me some of the best gaming years of my life.  Because of you, video gaming became a passion and not just a hobby.  The in-your-face ads of “RUReady” back in ’95 showed me a unique attitude.  I couldn’t help but be intrigued by your new video game system and awesome-looking games.  You managed to attract my attention and stop my infatuation with the Sega Saturn.  I tried so hard to escape your intoxicating games such as the Final Fantasy and Tekken series by trying out Sega’s Dreamcast.  The Dreamcast games were getting better and, for a while, I thought I could replace you.  But your Playstation 2 was too much for a mere mortal video gamer to resist.  The new games, the graphics, the system, the online network; they all worked!  They were great.  I was excited again.

But there’s something different about you these days.  I feel that I don’t know you.  You seem to have decided to create the Playstation 3 as all-in-one box as opposed to a great video game system.  The $600 price tag is beyond the reach of many of your most loyal followers.  I feel that you are shoving all your technologies in one system in hopes that I adapt and buy into it.  Why not create a separate Blu-Ray video player and a video game system?  You also created two distinctly different PS3’s; one with all the media ports and expansion slots (60GB version) and another without (20GB version).  With Microsoft’s Xbox 360, I can easily upgrade the core game system by buying a hard drive and peripherals but not with the PS3.  Why didn’t you do this?

Now, you have the audacity to make me wait because you’re having problems producing enough PS3 for everyone.  Not only that, I heard that the PS3 gets even hotter that the Xbox 360!  Why should I buy a PS3 when I can just stick my Playstation 2 in my oven and call it even!  It won’t cost me $600. 

Tell you what though.  I still have faith in you.  Convince me that all these awe-inspiring game trailers I see are not PR propagandas.  Please stop marketing the Sixaxis controller as a new technology.  You and I know that it has been around for several years but have not been successfully integrated in video games. 

In the meantime, I will indulge myself with Nintendo’s Wii.  Please don’t blame me.  I’m hoping to get a hold of you by Spring 2007. 
 

Sincerely,
Miguel a.k.a. “Daddy Gamer”
p.s.
If you can, lose some of the PS3 weight.  It looks like a massive home appliance.  The PS2 slim-line is a better, sexier look.
  

I recently found out that my blood pressure is in the “holy crap” stage.  I’m sure many of you don’t have your own home blood pressure monitor.  Hey!  But I do.  Thanks for my health-conscious wife. This is how I found out that I’m in stage 2 hypertension.  Today, I decided to relax, drink my coffee and play a little Mario Kart DS.  Of course, my blood pressure went up again because I can’t win in the WiFi games online.

By the way, Mario Kart DS is a great game for everyone.  My kids love the characters and the mini-games.  You don’t have to race all the time.  There’s a balloon game where you actually have to blow into the DS microphone to inflate the balloons.  It’s a blast to watch the kids play this.

O.K. Back to my coffee and game to lower my blood pressure.

 There are several good reasons why I’m looking forward to getting a Nintendo Wii game system.  As a veteran gamer, I can’t wait to try out the wireless controller system and the games that are designed to take advantage of them. 

If you haven’t heard, Toys-R-Us has announced that it will take pre-orders starting tomorrow morning, Sunday, October 29th.  Lines have formed already; 12 hours before opening.  Practical? No.  Insane? Yes! 

Again.  The Wii is definitely a game system worth having but I can easily think of 10 reasons why you won’t catch me camping out to get one:

1. I like to stay warm and watch reruns of Battle Star Galactica on my Tivo.

2. I’d rather be in bed with my wife instead of standing in line with a bunch of guys wearing beanies and old sweat pants that have been clearly taken out of the hamper.

3. I can stand to wait because $300 can buy several gallons of gas.  Pushing a car on the freeway should only happen once in my lifetime.

4. I still haven’t finish Star Fox Command on my DS.  I can’t seem to catch those darn missiles.

5. Two words: Sunday Mass.  The choice is between the All-Mighty Creator and Shigeru Miyamoto.  Hmmmm…

6. Having a pounding headache the rest of the day due to cold temperature, junk food and lack of sleep just doesn’t motivate me enough.

7. Knowing that Target, Best Buy, Toy R Us and WalMart will have enough for the rest of America soon.  Ummm… Xbox360 anyone?

8. I never buy version 1 of anything.  I like to see the kinks and bugs worked out first before sinking my hard earned money.  Dealing with returns and repairs are a pain in the butt!

9. Did I already mention that I like warmth, bed and thick blankets?

10.  I can’t go to work and brag about having a video game system before my 15 year old neighbor.  I don’t think it’ll score me brownie points during my morning staff meeting. 

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