Ok so the next generation of media war is over (Blue-ray vs HD DVD), Blue-ray won. But here's what I was just thinking about. People have been talking about Blue-ray maybe not lasting that long because of the internet and people may just download high def media (and pay for it of course). But in terms of gaming it's nice to have something tangible. So why not switch the next generation of consoles media away from disc format and switch over to something like an SD card.

Of course you wouldn't make it exactly like an SD card but use the same technology. Think about it, the technology is pretty developed now and cheap, it would be much harder for people to make illegal copies because it's hardware, and the new gaming system wouldn't have nearly as many moving parts. No you can still have a Blue-ray player on the system so people can watch movies. But switching back to a hardware style of media makes so much more sense again. The only reason game makers switched over to discs is because they could hold a lot more data than a cartridge and it was easier to make games on a disc so it was cheaper.

I'll admit games maybe be a little more expensive at first but the costs in the long run in theory would be less, for the developers, publishers and consumers. Imagine a console that was as reliable as your old Super Nintendo or Nintendo 64. Less moving parts = reliability.

In my last blog I talked about the 360.  I love this system.  Not only because it has some pretty solid titles to start out with, but also because of its compatibility.  This console is not only able to do the standard arrary of things you'd expect of a gaming console, like play CD's and DVD's, but it can also talk to a variety of other electronics that are USB driven.  That's the beauty of the XBOX 360.  I didn't want to take up a lot of space on my 360's harddrive because I have a lot of music I want to listen to. So I decided to purchase an external harddrive and load all the music from my computer into that and play it through the 360.  Worked like a dream.  You can do the same thing with an IPOD or any Mp3 player.  They're all just storage devices.  To make a really trick set up you could buy one of those docks for an IPOD and plug it into the USB port in the back of the 360, and when ever you want to listen to your tunes just dock the IPOD.  I'm glad Microsoft designed this unit to interact with other devices, because that's the way it should be with electronics, because it's the consumer who wins in the end.

I finally was able to get my hands on a 360 on December 16, 2005. All I can say so far is WOW! I am so impressed with the new XBOX LiVE and the Gamercard features, it actually makes me want to play more! lol. Microsoft has done such a great job though in terms of being able to personalize your system. I love how I can choose different themes for my background and XBOX guide. Also the ability to connect the 360 to a variety of different USB driven devices is fantastic. Instead of spending hours ripping all of my CD's onto the 360's harddrive and taking up space, I purchased an external harddrive and put all my music and photos onto that instead. It works great!!! The graphics are amazing. I only have my 360 hooked up through S-Video and I think it's still very impressive even though it's on standard definition. In terms of sound, the 360 does an amazing job. I can hear everything around me clearly and precisely. I do wish they come out with some more quality titles soon. I know it's just the launch period so it takes some time, but I just can't wait. Overall I think they do have a solid launch selection though.

I was at the videogame rental store the other day and saw this paintball game for XBOX. Can't really remember the title but heard or read somewhere (probably here) it was pretty good. Now correct me if I'm wrong but isn't paintball around so that we get the satisfaction of shooting each other while not killing each other (our nature to destroy ourselves but that's a topic for another day)? Now don't videogames have the same purpose? Now as good of a game it is, why would I want to shoot someone with a ball of paint when I can pump them full of lead in a videogame with some real weapons. I suppose you can make the argument that it's for the painball enthusiast which is cool. It just seems redunt when I a videogame emulate something that a videogame is already doing.

You know the good old saying "If it ain't broke don't fix it"? Well today's trend of games seem to be living that motto. Two of the world's most popular games (Halo 2 and GTA San Andreas) are sequels. Now don't get me wrong I love my fare share of sequels. I love the two games I just mentioned (I play Halo 2 religiously), and who doesn't love all the Die Hards, Terminator 2 (don't like T3 cause the director wasn't as good as James Cameron) and a bunch of other movies. K back to the topic at hand. Halo 2 and GTA San Andreas are awesome examples of good sequels. Simply because they take a great concept then polish it and bring the game to the next level. Well you don't really notice the huge transition but try going back to their predecessors and you'll see a HUGE difference how far gaming has come. Now I love Tony Hawk games but honestly, come on!!!! How many Tony Hawk games can you come out with. They are awesome playing games but they're also exactly the same with different mission and different levels. We all know the underground came out so it wouldn't be called Tony Hawk 5 and 6. Why not just make one uber Tony Hawk game and put all of that stuff into one colossol game? Tomb Raider did the same thing and the game just went down hill from there. I don't dislike sequels, it's only really when they take the exact same game and don't really build on top of it and it just seems like something to cash in on.

So I heard that Toys 'r' us has gone bankrupt. That gets me thinking... why? I myself enjoy collecting Hot Wheels and I know there are thousands of people that do the same as well as other toys and collectible items. But it does kind of show you the trend now that today's youth take towards entertainment. It's a good and bad thing I suppose. Today's games do require a lot more coordination as well as some problem solving skills, but at the same time is takes away from the creative side since there is little left to the imagination. Today's games provide a level of entertainment that rivals that of movies because of the sheer replay value. I can watch Napoleon Dynamite only so many times.

So is it possible games could change the way youth are brought up? Maybe... I think it's ultimately up to the parents to how their children grow up. I guess I'm moving onto the topic of, "can you blame a game for a child's actions". But if we do that we might as well blame every other source of media. Again its the parents responsibility.

I've been viewing the Gamespot website since around '98. It's an awesome site if you want to learn the main things about a game. The site has evolved into a gaming center where you can find out just about anything about a game or a console. It's imensely popular now and is a gaming information becon standard in my opinion. I used to buy and subscribe to gaming magazines but I no longer see the point since I can find out everything on this website now, and keep up to date by the day and not have to wait every month for a new issue.

I started playing on the NES like most people. I've owned every Nintendo home console except N64 which I do regret not owning. I've owned every Playstation and a Saturn. But by far my favourite console is the XBOX. Its games are revolutionary in their own respects in terms of graphics and sound. Not too many games this generation were that ground breaking but really all they do is put all the good concepts from their predocessors and put it into one game. However the XBOX has revolutionized the way we play among ourselves with XBOX Live. It's an insane service that links all the XBOX's together in this virtual world and makes games' replay value that much better. The competition is intense because now one has the opportunity to play against the best in the world from the comfort of their own home. This is just the beginning of a new revolution of online gaming that I hope other companies try to emulate so that the consumer is the winner in the end with an uncompromised service. Only time can tell.