Just discovered the new Gamespot beta page, and I have to say I prefer it to the current layout. There are a few things I'd like to see ironed out before it goes final, but I hope the final version doesn't change too much.

Got a new 360 yesterday (with a manufacture date of 1-25-08). Yep.

I sold my Xbox 360 and games today. Why? Well, I did this for many reasons, which I won't go into here.

I replaced ye olde 360 with a spankin' new PS3. Yep, I switched camps, joined the dark side, all that jazz. I only picked up a three games for it, but there will be many more in the future.

Does anybody else feel a bit overwhelmed by all the good games released in the past two or three months? Call of Duty 4, Assassin's Creed, Rock Band, The Orange Box, Guitar Hero III, Halo 3, Mass Effect... Perhaps it seems especially overwhelming to me in that I've only recently gotten back into gaming on a more regular basis, and have been playing a bit of catch-up with game titles. I went from a scant six games (some of which were quite mediocre, so I traded them in at Gamestop for credit) to 17 in a little over a month. I'll probably make another used-game run sometime after the holidays, which will probably put me somewhere closer to 30 games total.

Here's the crazy part: I've only beaten about five of my games so far. Some of those are games that lend themselves to multiple playthroughs, so I haven't technically "beaten" them at all. Plus, I've only beaten Half-Life 2 in The Orange Box - I've still got Episodes One and Two, Portal, and more Team Fortress 2 to go. I haven't even bought Halo 3 yet, but I will (definitely not new, though - gotta get that one used).

If only that pesky little thing called work didn't get in the way of my gaming, I could probably beat a few more games soon...

Well, his job anyway...

I won't get into details or speculation here, as it is not my place to discuss such things, but suffice it to say that a certain Gamespot employee -- very well known, equally liked and reviled, I might add -- has been given the boot. If you haven't come to this site (or this blog) by mistake, then you probably know to whom I refer.

I cannot express in words how much this situation has angered me. Really, I'm about one minute away from turning into the frickin' Hulk. The aforementioned employee was the very face of Gamespot, a fantastic reviewer that never shied from telling us all precisely how he felt about a game. I respected his opinions, even when I didn't agree (which was quite rare, actually), and I was thankful to have such a honest reviewer to look to during a busy release schedule such as the one in which we are now living.

Dude, you'll be missed. I'm sure you'll find work (and hopefully fast); I'm not worried about your finances, your livelihood, or any of that jazz. You'll be fine, I'm sure. But a great injustice has been done you this day. Rest assured we -- your loyal supporters -- will not rest until those responsible for your dismissal paid in full for their actions.

Oh yes, they will pay...

[Note: This post won't have any specific flow or form... Think of it as a free-form rant.]

Why do I bother posting in Gamespot's forums?

All I -- and many other folks -- ever get for my trouble is flame after flame. Idiots don't like being told they are wrong, so they reign hell down on anybody that trumps them in some way. They don't like being educated, because they are incapable of receiving and retaining new information.

Why can't these idiots learn to write semi-proper English? I don't expect everybody posting in the forums to be English-language experts; hell, I don't even qualify in that category. However, typing "LOL, lzr, u suck" or "u r a fail" is pathetic and childish. When did people start using the word "fail" in such a way? Why are people encouraging it? Save that crap for text messages, please!

Why do people think that, hiding behind the supposed anonymity of a username, they can post any hurtful, horrible, dispicable thing they please, without consequence? Do these people not realize how incredibly easy it is to find a person's real-life location? All it takes is one person crazy enough to track down a flamer and cut his throat open... It will happen some day, mark my words (but it won't be me ... crazy as I may be, I'm far too lazy to hunt anything -- not even the remote for my TV).

Why must forum posters take everything I say out of context? Why must I always be the villain? I'm tired of being the villain, dammit!

I'm tempted to quit posting in the forums, but I know I'll never stop. I wish I could...

Oh, to be damn-near penniless during the busiest time of the gaming year...

There are many games coming out I want to play; a more-affordable PS3 model available; and, finally, at least one excellent reason for me to buy a Wii (hint: it involves a fat Italian stereotype).

Bloody hell, I need money!

If only I could just sell, say, my kidneys, or my liver, or even my legs...

Nah, I want my legs. But the other stuff can go.

Here's the screwed-up part of this: I kind of drifted away from games for a few months. When I went back to school this fall, I drifted even further away. However, buying a new HDTV brought me right back (cuz playing games on this lovely machine just plain kicks ass).

What a predicament...

Oh, I could care less about it.

That's all for now.

Sometimes, I really sound like a b*****y little kid, don't I? Oh well...

It's so sad, but so undeniably true: many Gamespot users are frickin' idiots.

Case in point: the player reviews for "Tenchu Z." Sorry folks, but what little of the game I played was not worth the ridiculously high ratings you monkey-brained grunts are giving it. Besides, if you dont' agree with Aaron's review, tough s**t. It's his opinion (which, by the way, is far more informed than about 90% of you dumb b*****ds'), so just deal with it - or go somewhere else and be a little emo d**k.

I know, I know... "Hey, how can you be such a jerk, man?" Well, honestly, it's hard not to be a jerk when you read some of these idiotic reviews. One gloriously stupid fellow had this to say: "It may not have the best graphics/gameplay out there, but it's Tenchu!" Well, f***tard, you just dug your own grave in the Cemetary of Dips**ts with that statement. It's not the best gameplay, eh? Somebody else wrote this little gem: "It's not TRYING to be the killer app for the sneaker genre, so stop criticizing it for not being that." Why the hell wouldn't it want to be the sneaker genre's killer app? What developer in their right mind(s) settles for mediocre?

You wanna know what's really amusing? Several of the gamers that reviewed "Tenchu Z" have never reviewed any other game here on Gamespot. What, little baby girls couldn't stand Aaron laying the smackdown on a terribly-made game, so they just had to write (poorly, I might add) their own little reviews? Oh, please...

I don't know about you kids, but I'll do without middle-of-the-road. I believe I'll continue playing top-of-the-line games, and maybe a few guilty pleasures - and that's that.

Suck it.