I say it is crazy. I have the game on 3DS...and I admit, I think it is great on a portable. But, I just don't think you will feel like it is money well spent after you click the buy button. I've done it before myself. Temptation is an evil thing ;-) Walk away, my friend, walk away...

I'm relieved to read parts of this thread. This is my first "Souls" game and that mob by the fire started frustrating me...had to put the game down for a few days. Last night, I just started grinding so I could upgrade my armor. Tried going back to the mob....still got worked over, but I made it a bit further.

I haven't tried using any strategies such as pebbles or anything, but have been able to lure a few guys who are at the end of a patrol. But, at some point last night, some dude started shooting at me from the other side of the fire and I ran around like panicked fool. Ended up attracting a group of 4 and they put me in my place.

How do you level in this game though? I thought I heard something about "insight"....but then others just talk about how killing anyone helps you level up. Do I need to do something in Hunters Dream in order to level or does it happen automatically? What about fixing or upgrading my weapon? Not sure if I need to be doing this at this early stage in the game, but don't want to be missing out on some really important info.

I really do like this game more than I thought I would...especially after I've gotten used to accepting death as part of the process. Just want to make sure I can get further to see more of this world.

Thank you @RyviusARC. You seem to understand more where I am coming from.

He's just about to turn 11. He really only plays Minecraft at the moment. He isn't looking to play super demanding games. He just wants a laptop....and I know that he will be super excited to be able to play Minecraft on it. He wants something that is his own. And when you are his age...asking to wait longer feels like an eternity. He already bypassed most Xmas presents by asking for money to save up for a laptop. Now, it's his bday and to ask him to wait until next Xmas would be torture. It will be a learning experience for him too. This is his first time saving up for something big. When he does run into an issue of his laptop not being able to play something he is wanting to play, we will discuss why. Then he learns more about money, more about saving, more about delaying gratification....

Sorry, getting all "dad" up in here. But, I appreciate you trying to bring this back down to earth.

I really appreciate everyone's thoughts though. I needed to hear a bit of this.

I wish I could go that high on price, but I can't. Again, my price range really needs to stay under $700. I understand it won't be a "gaming" laptop according to gamers' standards, but it looks like the options I put up can still be functional for a kid his age with the types of games and expectations that he has at this point in his life.

I'm definitely not limiting myself to those two options....but they are at the price point and have a dedicated GPU....so I thought they would be possibilities. Maybe I'm wrong and it is really just foolish to look at a sub 1k laptop for what he wants to be able to do....but when I posted around Christmas time, several people led me in the direction of laptops that are similar to what I posted. Was I misinformed???

My son has saved up some money and I would like to surprise him by going ahead and getting him a laptop for his 11th birthday. He will mainly use it for games, watching media, and skyping with his best friend who recently moved out of state.

These are some options that I was considering, but wondering what thoughts are and if you have any other suggestions. I need to keep the price below $700 if possible. He mainly plays Minecraft right now, but he has recently started expanding his gaming tastes (plays Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare on Xbox)....so I'd like something that is capable of playing some modern games with respectable settings if feasible.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834314807

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152586R

Anyone have any codes that they aren't needing for Club Nintendo? I just need a few more points to get to Platinum/Elite status and was frustrated to find out that my New 3DS purchase doesn't count. Boo...

Anyway, if you have any, please message me! Thanks in advance :-)

So, I have a laptop that we can use as our general-use device....but my desktop is dying.

I have an old quad core 6600 with an HD 5770. Now, I'm just debating on what to do next. Do I start the rebuilding process or just go for a Steambox? I'm aging quickly ;-) 38 years old and don't spend a ton of time with PC gaming....but do enough that I still need a feasible option. Budget is tight...so I would likely be saving up for something or just starting an upgrade process slowly but surely. Suggestions?

Good luck with that. I don't agree with that tactic, but to each his own. I just get too big of a kick experiencing the "now" games and hate trying to avoid spoilers on podcasts, etc. when I am behind.

Regardless, with the way you are approaching this, I really don't think any way is necessarily the right or wrong way. I think you answered your own question earlier...you want to play a game series from the earliest to the latest. You could stay within a console generation so you don't fatigue on a particular game style....or you can play a series back to back to see the progression. Either way will work for you. You obviously have plenty of time if you don't plan on buying any new games for several years.

It was all just announced today. They have an article on the main page of the website that will give you all the details. Enjoy!

Personally, I think it's too high of a price. I understand there are a ton of games to play, but there are only a few games that I'd really like access to. I wish they would have adopted a pricing model that was more in line with what EA Access charges. Yeah, PS Now has a lot more games, but they are all previous gen games. I think EA's pricing hit a sweet spot. I may try it for a month during a gaming lull...but if they want long-term subscriptions, they need to drop the price to around $50/year.