How does something like this even happen? My theory is that someone else ordered it, swapped discs, and returned it to Amazon who promptly re-wrapped it and shipped it to my buddy. Thankfully, Amazon is letting him exchange it.

Also, I've heard horror stories about people purchasing game consoles at Wal-Mart only to unbox a brick. Not a bricked console--a literal ceramic brick.

Anyone else experienced stuff like this?

See that photograph? Those are 6 games that I haven't even touched yet. They sit on my bookshelf and gather dust, because I simply can't give these games the time they deserve.

To me, video games can be a huge commitment. I enjoy losing myself in another world for a few hours at a time. I hate to begin a game, and then stop playing it for an extended period of time. It takes away from the experience, somewhat.

With my time being eaten up by school, class, and some semblance of a social life, there are some games that I just haven't been able to pick up, for fear that I won't have time for them later. So right now, my gaming is limited to quick pick-up-and-play titles like Smash Bros, Mario Party, etc.

Of the six titles pictured, the ones that I really think deserve an extended commitment are Okami and RE4. But until things lighten up, it looks like they'll be sitting on my shelf for some time to come.

What do you guys think? Do you find yourself putting off playing a game that you feel deserves quality time? Or do you just play any game whenever it's convenient?

So last week I purchased my first game console that was not made by Nintendo. I've wanted a PS3 for a while, and I was finally able to find one for a decent price on eBay. I was fortunate enough to find a CECHE01 model, which supports PS2 games as well as PS1.

Anyway, here's why I chose a PS3 as my first non-Nintendo console:

More Reliable Hardware

Nearly everyone I know who owns a 360 has experienced the dreaded Red Ring of Death. That's not something I want to deal with. I don't care how good Microsoft's customer service is. I don't want to settle back for a nice evening of gaming, only to have my experience ruined by the 360's shoddy hardware. Besides, I'm the kind of gamer who likes to hang on to his old consoles. What's going to happen 10 years from now when Microsoft has dropped support of the 360? I don't want to be left with a dead console.


More Games That I Want to Play

I can't think of a single 360 exclusive that highly interests me. That's a fact. Pretty much everything on the 360 that interests me is also on the PS3. The PS3 also has exclusives such as MGS4 and LBP. It turns out that even the "ZOMG 360 EXCLUSIVE" MGS Rising is going to be multi platform, which is awesome.


Also. I specifically chose a CECHE01 model because I want to play PS2 games on my PS3. I still do not understand why the hell all PS3s are not fully backwards compatible from the get-go. Seriously, what the hell? It would add value to the PS3, and I would likely have bought one sooner. I think the Wii is the only current-gen console that got backwards compatibility right.

Anyway, I'm pretty happy with my purchase. Right now I'm playing MGS4, LBP, and Bioshock. I'm really enjoying those. What other games do you think I should try out?