Ps3 @ MindSay

So I worked today.  I work at GameStop for those of you who don't know.

And while I was working, a seemingly non confrontational older man walked into our store.  I immediately asked if he was picking up Halo 3 but he said he was picking up Skate.

Admittedly, I am not as on top of new releases as some of the other employees.  I mean... I'm really only ever going to have a full knowledge of the games I personally care about.  So I didn't realize that Skate for PS3 hadn't been released with the 360 version... but was actually being released today, the same day as Halo 3.  In fact, I believe that both versions were scheduled for launch today, September 25th.  I could be wrong, but I believe that was the case until EA decided to pull Skate up a couple of weeks.  I'm pretty sure that was what happened.  But see, they only pulled up the 360 version.  They left the PS3 version to fend against the blood-red tide that is the Halo 3 launch.  I don't care about the PS3, so you can understand my confusion.

Anyways, back to the point.

This seemingly non confrontational older gentleman whose last name, for reasons of privacy, shall rhyme with Schmenderson walked into our store.  I asked if he was picking up Halo 3, he said Skate.  Since I believed the PS3 version to have already been released with the 360 version, I had noticed the utter lack of pickups for the PS3 version (of course, due to the fact that it hadn't been released).  Automatically, I assumed he was picking up the Xbox 360 version of the game.

At this point in time, as I hand the incorrect version of the videogame to the customer, whom, we shall assume, knows what he or she is picking up, most customers would become wide-eyed and quickly correct my mistake.  "Hey, wrong version, buddy."  No harm, no foul.  It costs the same, it's a simple swap.  Numbers can be corrected later.

Interestingly enough, this old man did not know that I had handed him the incorrect game.

So let's enlighten ourselves with the little back-story of this guy:
This old dude had driven "a long ways" to come and pick up "that Skate game for my kids."  MOST smart parents would badger their kids into telling them the correct version of the game before they waste a trip and a pocket of gas money.

Keeping things fair, I also should have paid a little more attention to what SKU I was pulling up when I was bringing up his reserve list.  THEN AGAIN, next to the 6-digit SKU is written "Skate OLC."  That's the title listed for BOTH versions.  It's very easy to make this mistake, I can assure you.

So the guy picks up the game and walks out.  No money was exchanged for it was paid off.



1 hour later



We get a call on Line 1.  I pick up.  "Thanks for calling GameStop where we buy and sell used games.  This is Alex how can I help you?"
OLD GUY: "Hey... yea.  I am Schmobert Schmenderson, I came in and picked up Skate today about an hour ago."
ME:  "Yes sir."
OLD GUY:  "Well, you gave me the wrong version of the game.  You gave me the Xbox 360 when I came to get the PS3 version."
ME:  "My apologies sir, I made a mistake and if you come back by tonight we can quickly swap the game out with the correct version with no further hassle."
OLD GUY:  "NO FURTHER HASSLE????!!!?!  I just drove a LONG WAYS to come and pick up THAT SKATE GAME FOR MY KIDS!!!!  I'm very mad!!  No, I'm PISSED!"
ME:  -more profuse apologies... my tone doesn't imply so ;) -
OLD GUY:  "LOOK BUDDY!  You gave me the wrong game!"
ME:  "I understand, and we can quickly swap it out.  I made a mistake in giving you the wrong game.  I mistook your reserve for a copy of the 360 version."
OLD GUY:  "You DO realize that the 360 version came out a while ago???  Like... a week, two weeks ago??"
ME:  "I understa--"
OLD GUY:  "Am I correct???!!!??"
ME:  ...."Yes sir, you are correct."
OLD GUY:  "The PS3 version came out TODAY."
ME:  "Yes s-"
OLD GUY:  "AM I CORRECT???"
ME: "Yes sir."
OLD GUY:  "So I'm gonna have to drive ALL the way back out there tomorrow and come and pick up the right copy of the game???  I mean... I drove all the way up there, got the game, drove back, and then the kids get pissed at ME.  I do a LOT of business with you guys.  This is just poor work.  You guys should really pay more attention to this.  This is a HUGE MISTAKE!"
ME:  "I understand sir (profuse apologies)"
OLD GUY:  "I'll be back there tomorrow.  I hope you know that I'm not just a LITTLE pissed.  I'm VERY pissed."
ME:  "I understand sir.  I apologize profusely."
-CLICK-



Ok.  So I made the mistake.  My bad.  I've done it a few times before and people have been very courteous.  They understand I'm not perfect, neither are they.  We kindly right our wrong.

But this guy... this guy belongs among the ranks of the truly mentally handicapped.

If you can actually quote me the release dates of BOTH versions of the game you are buying, then I can expect you to know WHAT THE FUCK YOU ARE BUYING.

Mr. Schmenderson, if you insult me at all tomorrow (if you come in while I'm working, that is) I'm not going to take it sitting down.

Fuck you and your old man brains.  You're the bastard child of a molested crack whore who attempted an abortion but failed miserably at the task, therefore causing irreversible brain damage to your unborn brain.

Nah, just kiddin.

You can kiss my ass though.

Some guys are way too attached to their gaming consoles, like this yahoo who boned his PS3:


And to make it all just so much more sublime he even tried to sell his violated PS3 on eBay.


That's hella-sick.

Did you get a PS3 this year? If you did, you're one of the few, the proud, and the stupid. Due to what I've come to call the "Cabbage Patch Effect," (aptly named after the first toy craze I can remember) demand for the video game systems far outweighed supply, and people have been injured amongst the masses attempting to get their hands on the sparse units available. The frenzy starts several days before, when people start setting up camp on the cold hard sidewalks outside stores, awaiting the exact minute when the consoles become available. Media outlets show up, driving the hype to a new level and encouraging more people to participate in the insanity. When the sale is finally given the green light, usually at midnight on the date of release, the tired, frustrated, and often malodorous wanna-be gamers push, pull, elbow, shove, trample, punch, and even shoot at each other in order to be one of the first to own new gaming system.

So what do those few people get for all their troubles? A bug-ridden, overpriced, first-issue gaming system that doesn't have many games developed for it yet. This year we've seen a new kind of "bug" with the Nintendo Wii systems. The motion detection game controller allows people to step even further into the games than ever before. Playing baseball? Swing the remote like a bat to make the game respond. Fishing? Cast your line with the controller and the game mimics your movements. Drawbacks? If you become too engrossed into the game and a bit overzealous with your movements, the wrist strap can break, sending the remote sailing across the room. Several people have been left with broken household items, injuries, and even shattered their television sets. Although Nintendo has taken steps to correct the issue, it makes one wonder if it was really worth all that trouble. (See Wii Have a Problem for stories and photos of the damage.)

Those who didn't manage to get their new toys at the store, there's always eBay. But hot items generally sell for a ridiculously inflated price, which is a further testament to the idiocy prevalent in society today. And beware of sellers who like to take advantage of the hype or you may end up paying $500 for an empty box. (Side note: I have a low tolerance for stupidity. If you don't take your time and fully read the description of the item on the auction block, then you are a moron and you deserve an empty box. Whoever started that trend is brilliant, and I wish I'd thought of it.)

In this day of instant gratification, people don't want to wait for anything. A little bit of common sense will tell you that after the Christmas rush is over, the systems will be more widely available. A few months after that, the major bugs will have come to light and later releases won't have the issues seen in earlier versions. By the time summer rolls around and students on break have more time to spend playing games, the choice in available games will be greater. And by next Christmas, when people have focused on the next "must-have" toy or item, the price on these consoles will drop a considerable amount. Especially in these cases, there's a lot to be said for restraint and patience. Save your money, your trouble, your television, and possibly your life, and just buy a new game for last year's model instead. What have you got to lose by waiting?

Don't forget what happened to dear Veruca Salt and her "I want it NOW" mantra. It rarely pays off in the end.

            Peter, who actually touched and talked with Jesus when He walked on the earth, a man who Christian tradition says was crucified upside down, wrote a couple of letters to the church before his martyrdom.  I was reading one this morning.  Near the beginning of his first letter, he said, "…set your hope fully on the grace that will be given to you when Jesus Christ is revealed." 

 

            Set your hope fully—on an intangible that will be given to you—at some indefinite time in the future.  Clearly, Peter was encouraging those who follow Jesus to have a “not of this world” perspective in life.

 

            Gee, I don’t know.  I was kinda setting my hope on getting a PS3, a Blackberry and a 52-inch HD display.

 

Now that all of the systems are out, and I've played all but one (but with enough information on the one I haven't already played) I figured I'd give a rough analysis.

Alright, if you were to ask me "Hey, I'm looking to buy a system this Christmas.  Which would you suggest I buy?"

All problems with availability and pricing aside, I'd tell you this.

The XBox 360 came out last November and had a great opening.  Couldn't find one for months, etc etc.  Just like the PS3 (though I think the PS3 came out a little stronger in terms of the whole anticipation build up and release come opening day).

Since last November, hundreds of games had been developed and released for the 360, while Sony and Nintendo were developing their own systems.

Then November 2006 strolls along, all the preorders for the PS3 sell out, and there's lots of anticipation for both systems.  The PS3 has a strong processor and the graphics will be incredible, etc etc.  The Wii is groundbreaking in its controller system, etc etc.

And now we have all 3.

So first, I'll focus on the Wii.  The only one I haven't played (because Target won't let you play a Wii demo... too many factors with the controller to take into account).

I would put the Wii's graphic capabilities up there with the first XBox.  Pretty good.  I mean, hey, it LOOKS GOOD.  It's not like it looks terrible.
I had a few questions just before it was released about the controller.  Would there be a need to compensate for your placement on a room while playing it?  Would there be a need to calibrate the controller a lot?  I still don't really know the answers to these questions, but my guess is "sort of, not really."

Basically, I haven't heard of any problems with the controller, so I'm assuming there are no big problems.

The games.  Look, it's Nintendo.  Nintendo does not base its games around violent action games for the most part.  Instead, Nintendo develops games that are fun to play.  Nintendo has always been that way.  That's why we have Super Mario Bros., and that's why people like me still seriously play it.

So, fun games coupled with an extraordinary controller sounds great to me.  That's why I've requested a Wii for Christmas :-D

But "you" were the one who asked me what to get.

Now let's get to the 360.  At first I was like "big deal, PS3's gonna blow it out of the water."

But let's look at what the 360 has going for it.
-XBox Live
-A collection of hundreds of games already
-Fantastic looking games
-With some great games at that (Gears of War, Call of Duty 2 and 3, Tony Hawk's Project 8, Halo 3 will be releasing soon enough...the list goes on)
-Wireless controllers (given at this point.. did I really even have to say this?)

There's more I could list, but the 360 has stood its ground as a fantastic system.

Then we come to the Playstation 3.  I've played this a handful of times via Targets, Wal-Marts, and at a friend's house, playing Motor Storm.

Ok.  Let's clear the hype.  The Playstation 3, at this point in time, has nothing great going for it.

The graphics are great looking.  But they aren't revolutionarily good.  Gears of War (360) looks better than anything out for the PS3 right now.  I honestly can't tell too much of a difference between the 360 and the PS3 in terms of graphics and gameplay.  Different controllers same graphics.

So here is my suggestion to anybody looking to get a system this Christmas.

Get an XBox 360 or a Nintendo Wii.  There's no question for me.  Looking at the results, at this point in time, it's either XBox or Nintendo.  Basically, it depends on what types of games you want to play, and what price you want to pay.  Do you want to pay 400-500 dollars on a great looking system with hundreds of games already out?  Or do you want to pay 250 dollars for a great playing system with a handful of games out, with which the games will only get progessively better.

Not to mention, you probably will not be able to buy a Playstation 3 for regular price at a retail store until at least April.  I know at the GameStop I work at, we won't expect any shipments until March.

But don't lose all hopes for the PS3.  It's still November, it's only been just over 10 days since it was released.  Ask me this same question in January or February and I may tell you differently.

The great looking games Sony is telling us about probably won't be out until next year.  So if you don't want a Nintendo or an XBox, I suggest holding out until early next year and camping out at your lucky friend's house and playing his system before buying a PS3.

Oh.  And just cause I think it's funny...

I'm staring at an unopened Playstation 3 60GB model right now.  Gonna sell it on eBay once it gets closer to Christmas.

Any bids?