1 vs. Microsoft Points
Featuring my latest endevour into the world of Microsoft products and why I'll never buy Microsoft points.
Discovered today that the Xbox Version of this can be played online split-screen so me and a mate, being the old fashioned gamers that we are, decided to give it a go.
It was great fun. We played a full Versus game of No Mercy, me as the infected and a friend as the survivors. It was brilliant fun. However, on the last section I was pulled off a ledge by a smoker. No biggy, happens all the time. So Zoey comes to pull me up…. and walks off the edge. So now she needs saving. So Francis comes over to help. And does the same thing. Then Bill get’s pounced by the hunter.
Mum’s were mentioned guys. Mums.
I came home this evening and decided, like I do every Thursday, to check the Playstation store for goodies for me to purchase. As I booted it up, it informed that an update had become available. “The rumored glory of Version 2.7?” I hear you roar? The very same.
So I sat and waited for it download (40 minutes spent reading “Making History” by Stephan Fry is certainly not time wasted), and by the time it had finished I was literally frothing with excitement. Were the rumors true? Has Sony finally upgraded their online community to a level that could directly challenge Xbox Live? Has Sony’s day finally come, and together me and my Sony brethren will traverse the plains of this generation, and take the crown from Microsoft's head!?!
No. Basically, the rumors were bull turd. All it added was this really quite poor instant messaging service. Also, Peggle still isn’t on the Playstation store.
Then I went on the Xbox and that needed to update too. Then I lost all my Dead Rising saves.
Basically, I’m pretty fucking fed up if I’m honest xD
I’ve had abdominal pain since Monday, and therefore haven't been to college since then this week. After visiting the Doctor this morning (in which a large portion of my Urine was stolen and my stomach was molested) It turns out I did something that pulled it, and therefore have to rest it. It was funny though, because she said I must have been over-exercising, to which I replied that I must have just excersised, because I haven't done any form of physical activity since I was born. Well, if you don’t include the Wii.
So basically, I’ve been bored. Very bored. Yesterday I managed to entertain myself by reading the whole back catalogue of Penny Arcade and by playing Far Cry 2, but today I was at a loss. So I looked under my bed. You know as you do. Under there, I found my Gamecube and my Playstation 1. I was overjoyed! The last time I played a Playstation game was Spyro, and that was before I got my PS3 in August last year. So I dug it out, plugged it in, played it for about 10 minutes then wandered off for food.
As I was making myself a sandwich, I couldn’t help thinking that in give or take 5 years time, it could my PS3 rotting under there. Maybe even an Xbox, or a PSP as well (hey, who knows what the future holds). It was odd, because I physically couldn’t imagine ideally looking under my Bed, or in a cupboard, and seeing a PS3 covered in dust, and feeling only mild nostalgia or quaint enthusiasm towards it. If I saw my PS3 in a cupboard today, I’d freak out. I payed too much for it. Hell I’m afraid to touch it half the time.
So there you go, a little something to think about. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m downloading Counter Strike and I still don’t know why.
Ok before I start this I want you to know two things. Yes I am a PS3 owner, and I don’t have an Xbox. However, I am VERY fond of the Xbox and am seriously contemplating getting one for myself (For the second time, my first one Red Ringed on me and I raged). I believe Xbox Live to be the best console online gaming experience to date and lets face it, 90% of my friends have one.
So yesterday, the New Xbox Experience came out (or as it’s now known, the NXE, not be confused with the Playstations XMB). Basically the NXE is the much anticipated Dashboard update, which every single Xbox owner has been wetting their pants over. Of course, I always like to look at everything from a critics perspective (I’m a moody, arrogant person. What do you expect?) so here’s my personal opinion on Microsoft's latest attempt at securing the market.
Ok so my first impressions. It’s pretty, very pretty. It’s what the dashboard should have always been. It’s slick, sexy and HD. It’s awesome. The new interface is simple, and very well spaced out (although I dread to think how it looks to people without a HD TV over 19”), I love the whole sliding from behind thing that’s going on and the new achievement list is brilliant.
Avatars, although as pointless as they were on the Wii (at the present time that Is, no doubt Microsoft will pull something out of their sleeves on a later date) are pretty and a lot more complex than the god-awful Mii’s and serve a very good point. I love the fact that your friends are represented by their avatar in your friends list, and that their online status is judged by whether their asleep or awake. Nice little touch.
Xbox Live marketplace is the same as before, the new feature of being able to install games to reduce loading times is better than the current system on the Ps3 although Sony have nothing to worry about as disc space still hasn’t been increased. What I really want to know is, how is the Xbox HANDLING this? Yea It can do HD gaming but how the hell has it managed an interface this complex? The Dashboard was always rather jumpy I found and never really worked, yet now the Xbox button brings up the old dashboard as the bloody minor interface for when your in game! Insane!
So well done Microsoft, I consider this to be one of your strongest achievements since launch. Although, you COULD have done this at first you know, you weren't really being stopped…
It doesn't change my opinion on the Xbox as a whole, I still personally like the PS3 better but it’s certainly easier on the eye and now the software finally reflects the hardware.
But of course, it’s still the Xbox, and my good friend Bucko could not have made my day any other way when he said this:
“My new Xbox experience involves a ring of red.”
Brilliant.
I'm pretty sure all owners of a next generation console will be able to relate to this post.
