The video on my Xbox 360 recently crapped out on me. I guess I can't be surprised as in just about every 360 discussion I have been a part of, people mention how they are on their second or third Xbox.

What I want to know is if the same thing happens with the PS3. Are all of you on your second or third PS3? I don't think its fair to spend hundreds of dollars on something you already purchased, and if the PS3 has such a problem I don't think I will risk buying it.

This is in no way meant to lead to a discussion about Xbox 360. Such a thing is against forum rules and I don't think it should be mentioned in any replies. I only mentioned it to explain the problem with the console so that I can get some info on if the same problem exists with the PS3.

I am having a video problem with my Xbox 360. While playing a game (Mortal Kombat vs DC, don't know if it matters) the video went dark and started to flicker a little. I know it wasn't the game as the problem was there on the dashboard as well.

When I turn the Xbox off for a bit I can play for a little while before the problem crops up again, so I thought it might be an overheating problem. I do have a fan on the back and the problem occurs whether it is connected or not.

Any ideas? I hope the video card isnt giving out. I have had the Xbox for a couple of years and it has been hooked to this tv for 8 months. So I know there is a problem with the Xbox, TV, or their interaction with each other.

I am an avid comic book reader and I was thinking of reading some of the old stuff. Like the comics from the 60s and 70s, where some of the big names of today got their start. The thing I was wondering is how the story lines back then matched up to the ones today. Today's comics have major story arcs that span multiple issues, and a continuity of major events. Do those old comics have the same depth of storytelling?

I think the reason I ask this question is because I see old comics in a different light then modern ones. When I think of modern comics I see men between the ages of 18-30 sitting around for hours talking about things like continuity, and when I think of old comics I see little kids running to the local drug store and shouting "Gee golly, the new iron man is here", not even remembering or caring what happened in the last issue they read.

Maybe I am adopting a bad stereotype of old comics and the people who read them. So can anyone who has read the comics from 40 years past tell me how they stack up to modern storylines? If they didn't have the complexity that today's comics have then could you explain when the transition to deeper and more complex story arcs began to take place?

I have been playing Saints Row 2 and it seems kind of pointless to have a game that forces you to do everything a specific way. You have no choice in anything, so it's more like watching a movie than playing a game.

In games like Oblivion, you could get quests to kill a guy or steal something, and there were always multiple ways to go about it. Stealth, combat, and sometimes diplomacy are options in those types of games. But with games like Saint Row its "Go through that door, kill those guys, go up those stairs, kill that boss the specific way we want you to, now get to this safe house." If I had a friend in the room giving me those instructions I would toss him the controller and say, why don't you just play the game. It feels like someone has written a book, and all I am doing is turning the pages.

So, anyone know of any recent, good games with alternate quest solutions? Anything coming out soon that looks promising in this area? I really want to play a game where I have options on how to complete a mission. A game like Oblivion that can actually allow me to create my own options would be awesome. I have played Far Cry 2 and Fallout 3, both were decent about giving muliple ways to do things.

well, I didnt really mean to say that a lot of intelligence went into playing final fantasy. I just wanted to say it was more about what you did rather than how fast you did it.

You see, knowing how to do somthing and being able to do it are two very different things. That old guy on the sidelines, writing up plays, probaly knows the game of football better than any player on the field. But he cant get on the field with them because he doesnt have the body to make the plays that he thinks up.

Turn based games like Final Fantasy are about knowing what to do, and modern games are about having the physical skills to pull it off. Its the difference between being the football coach and being the football player. I personally would like to be the coach, but games like that are dying off. Being smart enough to know what plays to run doesnt mean anything anymore. You just have to have the physical skills to bust throught the defensive line and charge the end zone like a mad gorilla. I would prefer a more cerebral challenge.