Yeah, that is it. That is my new Xbox 360. Well I guess it's not technically "new" or "mine". My dad bought it off his coworker yesterday for $100 after he went out and purchased the new Special Edition Modern Warfare 2 package. Considering that Fallout 3 alone costs $70 up here in Canada, I'd say that that's not too bad of a deal at all. I'm still not sure if he expects me to pay him for it or not. Actually I wouldn't be surprised if he gives me the 360 just so that he can finish Uncharted. He's out of his mind if he thinks I'll give up my PlayStation 3 that easily though haha.



I still don't really know how I feel about it yet. I mean I am excited to have completed the "trifecta" and I now have access to all games released this generation. But at the same time I was perfectly content with just my PS3. I guess it may have more to do with the fact that I am falling way behind in the release schedule for just PS3 games alone and now I have to worry about another console as well. And now that I think about it, there are a few Wii games I still need to get too. Plus games cost money, something I'm kind of lacking right now. I guess since this phone picture is all I've seen of it so far, I haven't been able to establish a connection with the console yet. Yeah school can suck sometimes. It looks like I'll have another week of "productivity" to enjoy before I go home, become acquainted with it and lose myself even more to my gaming habits. Of course the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 beta starts next week as well on the PS3 so I'll likely be playing a lot of that instead. Speaking of which, the game is looking freakin' awesome. I embedded the video for all to see down below. Check out that hot drilling action *drools*. Oh and if you still haven't got a beta key yet, PM me and I'll send you one. I have 3 extras that I managed to obtain but they may only work with North American accounts. That's what IGN is saying at least. Check my last blog for more details and where you can find more.



Anyways to keep this blog relevant and from being a complete waste of your time, I will tell you the 5 games I am getting for the Xbox 360:

1) Jet Set Radio Future



Yes I know it's not a 360 title but this was the game I wanted most on the original Xbox. Since I only had a GameCube last generation, I could never experience this gem. All I know is that Jet Grind Radio remains one of my all-time favourite games and I can't say that I've lived until I've played the sequel. I should probably pick up the GBA game too eventually.


2) Left 4 Dead 2



A problem I knew I was going to have before I got my PS3 was that none of my friends had one. They all had 360s. Now that I can join them on Microsoft's console I'm already being informed that I must purchase L4D2 when it comes out. Oh I'm not complaining at all, it is the game I've most wanted to come to the PS3. I just have a feeling that I'm not going to get much other gaming done on the 360.


3) Halo 3 & Halo 3: ODST



Can I really own an Xbox without Halo?? Yes but I wouldn't want to. Despite what everyone says, I've always had fun with the series and really enjoy the games. My head is already hurting though just thinking of all the "chatter" I'll be hearing from the other players. Well I guess that will be with all 360 games, right??


4) Crackdown



This is one of the games that I originally wanted a 360 for. The game just looks fun, like something I can get lost in for hours doing nothing. Plus I think I'll need to pump myself up for Crackdown 2 anyways. It helps that this game is really cheap.


5) Viva Piņata



I don't know why I want this game. Maybe because it's bright and quirky. Maybe because I'm half-Mexican. All I know is that I've seen it for cheap as well and I will probably get it eventually.


As it stands, most of my future purchases will still be on the PS3. For one, just about all the games I want are exclusive for the system. Multiplatform titles will probably depend on the game though. I know BF:BC2 is definitely going to the PS3 but games like NHL 11 will probably go to the 360. I'm sure my cousin will make me for that game especially. Having 70+ people on my Friends List as well as pumping quite a bit of money into DLC for the console also help contribute to this decision. We'll see though. I still haven't learned the proper voodoo dance to fend of the RRoD yet either so that is something I'll need to inquire about over the next week.

My GamerTag is CelicaCrazed, just like for everything, in case someone wants to add me though I won't be able to accept it till next weekend. I made it way back when the console released just so that no one could steal my name when I did eventually get a 360. Thinking ahead FTW!!

Alright Dtoiders, see you on the battlefields ^_^

As you may have heard, there is a beta about to take place for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 exclusively on the PlayStation 3. IGN and GameSpot seem to be the only ones with keys at the moment. While I haven't been able to find where GameSpot is hiding their keys, you can get some on IGN RIGHT HERE!

[Update] And they're gone. I recommend bookmarking in case they get more in the upcoming days. They'll probably be giving them out right up till the 19th.

Apparently this is only open for North Americans at the moment. There's a limited number of public keys but I'm pretty sure if you keep going there over the next few days they'll have more. I know yesterday when I checked they were out but they magically had more today. I'm sure more sites will get some too. I know I have had great luck with USA Today's Game Hunters in the past, so keep your eyes open over there as well. The beta doesn't go live till November 19th.

Of course, you could always just play Modern Warfare 2 instead.

This post is very image heavy. You mobile users have been warned!!

Why hello there!! This is CelicaCrazed and I'm (PlayStation) Home for the weekend. School's been tough as of late, so I came home to relax and see the family. Also, laundry! Another benefit of coming home is that I am once again reunited with my PlayStation 3. It's tough being away from it during the weeks I'm at school but it makes me appreciate the time I spend with it more.

Since Friday Night Fights consisted of games I didn't own (Uncharted 2, Borderlands) or games I suck at (Marvel vs Capcom 2), I decided to spend some time in PlayStation Home. This will be a visual journal of my adventures in Home and the changes taking place throughout. THIS is what I resort to when Killzone 2 is taken out of the rotation!!

First of all, that guy up there is me. Well not really me since it doesn't look too much like me. I have a darker, less stylized hair, softer eyes and maybe a year or two younger. Yeah, the ladies dig me. Or that's what I like to think. Anyways, I got tired of editing myself and this will be me from now on. Deal with it. Hey Sony, maybe the PS Eye could help out here with some face mapping technology?? Huh, Microsoft hasn't done it yet?? Really?? Okay fine then....


My Pad



THIS IS MY HOUSE!! Alright it's actually an apartment but let's not get too specific here. As you can tell, I care too much about something that no one well likely ever see. But at least I'm comfortable in my surroundings, right?



My living room. Well it's not much of a "room", more like a living space. I only use it when I have guests over. Uh yeah, so never.



This is a planter I "found" while I vacationing on the planet Helghan. There was a lot of yelling and dying going on so I just helped myself to whatever was lying around. Man was my back hurting afterwards from dragging that thing to and fro. Just don't tell my doctor that's what caused the pain! Oh and did you know that there is no porn on that godforsaken-planet? No wonder they are so pissed off. But the food! Oh God the food!! So excellent!! Never tasted a rat so good before!!



In NHL 09, I took my Toronto Maple Leafs to the Stanley Cup finals and won! This here is the glorious Cup in all its glory!! I must say it looks a lot bigger on TV when I used to dream about dancing on the big stage. I'm trying to repeat my championship run in NHL 10, but the lack of time is making this difficult. And don't even think about pointing out that I could be playing that instead of spending time in here!! I know!! Ok!? Oh and behind the Cup is a photo of Warhawk <3



Do you like my throne?? It may be pink but it helps make my manliness stand out. You see the contrast, right?? I cut out a hole in the middle to use it as a temporary toilet. It seems as if the designers forgot to install one in here. The bucket underneath catches everything. Well mostly everything >_>. When it is filled to the brim I throw it over the edge of the balcony. Hilarity ensues.



This little guy in the picture is my sackboy!! Cute lil' fella he is!! He's gone on some amazing LittleBigAdventures that one can only dream about. He's created an adventure too but it's stuck in limbo as the finishing touches have drained him of his energy. Someday soon he hopes to finish it though!! The other lil' guy on the counter here is my mini Mr. Destructoid! Sony is clearly a fan of this fine website. It is awesome. I think it looks like I'm praying to it in the photo. Would it appease my robot-overlord if I was!? Alright I will then!! *bows*



This monstrosity is my Noby Noby Boy. It rapes my mind and forces me to make it bigger. The freak of nature gives me nightmares. I deleted it off my PS3, mostly because it makes me cry at night but mostly because I needed the space. Mostly. Damn 40GB hard-drive!! Not sure if you know this but Noby Noby Girl finally made it to Mars. That is one fine ass I would not hesitate to tap, let me tell you that!! Wait, wut?? Oh and can someone explain to me what the point of the game is?? Still ain't got a clue....



Alright, I'm getting a little thirsty. You guys want anything?? I'm going with the green drank. Funny story how I got this. I was out over by the....oh wait, nevermind. It's actually a terrible story so I won't bore you with it.



My Criss Angel furniture set. I had to do a horrible thing to get this. Ugh! I had to go to the theatre and watch an episode of Mindfreaks! Actually, I just had to pop my head in the room that was playing the episode but just showing my face there was a big enough embarrassment!! Then again, I'm writing an entire blog about PlayStation Home so how much self-respect do I really have?? Ahahaha!!



This is me sitting at my table of six. You know, for when I throw dinner parties. Since I don't throw parties, especially those of the dinner variety, I usually just...wait a fucking second!! Sony, where is my kitchen?? So I don't have a bathroom or a kitchen!? This is bullshit!! Die in a fire some more!!



This is the view from my balcony. I am living the life! See that boat way out there? The big one? Yeah, someone rich owns that. Mine?? Oh no, I don't own a boat. I think I may have water-wings somewhere in the closet though.....why did I tell people I have water-wings?? T_T



Can you tell that I'm relaxed?? Oh man, am I relaxed!!

And yes, the ladies fall for it every time ^_^



This is me working my buttgroov....dammit SantanaClaus!! You interrupted my photo! Probably on purpose too I bet O_O haha!! As I was saying, I'm sitting in General Vasari's throne. That's right!! THE General Vasari!! Another thing I "found" while on Helghan. As the Trailer Park Boys show us, stealing office furniture is one of the easiest things to do:



Now that I've shown you guys around my place, I'm going to slip into something a little more "comfortable"....



WHAT!? DESTRUCTOID REPRESENT BITCHES!!

While it may be rough and basic, the robot helmet lets people know that I am part of the Dtoid Army. That means I'm serious business. So what do I do when the vast majority of the Destructoid community refuses to waste their time in Home with me?? Well I...



create my own Dtoid Army of Doom!!



"We're from Destructoid and we're here to fuck shit up!"



Ok last one haha! Obligatory "robot dance amongst the robots" photo :P

Alright so that's enough of my crib. How about we go explore the world of Home for a bit?? Hey come back here! It'll be quick and painless, I swear.


The Mall



This is the mall. It is the place you go to customize your online persona and get items for your spaces. While the good items all cost money, there is always a ton of free stuff to collect if you don't mind hunting around for them. The selection that they have is pretty large now and there is a look that will suit the tastes of everyone. You can also purchase new spaces, furniture and items.

Let's go see what they have in Threads.



CHARITY MOTHERFUCKERS!! I ended up buying the EA Sports jersey in support of the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The entire $2 purchase goes to the Brees Dream Foundation so this is money well spent. Along with Folding@Home, the PlayStation 3 really is fighting cancer!!



A photo of me just getting another view of the mall. As per usual, the chess area is crowded with people. Don't know what they actually do when they're not playing chess though. They're just like those high school kids at your local mall. The big black screen on the wall behind them is playing a video, Pulse with Christina Lee. I must say that Sony is getting smarter with which video they play inside of Home. I'll talk about that more in the theatre section though. Also, it looks as if a pimp just bought a new pad!!



I decided to pose in front of the waterfall and show off my new jersey. I think this picture looks pretty epic.

Ok so how about I jump to another space?? If you want to see more of the mall, you'll have to log in and see it for yourself. You can spend hours, alright more like an hour, just looking through all the shops. Some free items are only there for a limited time so you have to search every few weeks if you want new stuff.


Central Plaza



Since I skipped over the Central Plaza on the way to the mall, let's take a stroll and see what's going on. As you can see, it's a lot more vibrant than right after it released. Like in the mall, all those black boxes are videos and advertisements. Not sure if that's due to the photo capturing method or just licensing issues. Everything involves licensing issues these days so I wouldn't be surprised if that was the reason. While people may not like ads constantly being projected at them, in these situations advertisements feel right and actually makes the place feel more alive and real. Wow, I'm really starting to sound like a PR person. Where's my cheque, Sony??



This kiosk allows you to get free promotional items. Or at least they are free for now. There was a demo for Capcom's Lost Planet 2 (also available on the PSN Store), a replica PSPgo for your space as well as a PSPgo that you can carry around in your hands. The picture shows me using my new handheld machine. This may be the closest I actually get to owning the thing which makes me sad. They don't actually do anything other than be eye-candy. But if you think this PSPgo looks sweet then get a load of this!!



That's right!! They have a freakin' giant-sized PSPgo that just floats in the air!! Not only does it open and close but it is also playing trailers and Pulse for PSP games on the screen. This cross-promotion is really making me hate my lack of money.



I then took my new PSPgo over to the dance area to get my groove on. After realizing that there was not a single female there, I quickly ran away. It's usually pretty crowded though. You're able to request songs on that screen but it is always artists I've never heard of. Not really my type of music either. Also I find the area to be way too loud for my tender ears. I don't have titanium eardrums like the kids today with their iPods and their Zunes and their....and their MP3-compatible cellphones! Back in muh day, cellphones were fer talkin' and the occasional text message if the crops were doin' good that month! And everywhere was a dead zone!!



You may be wondering why I included this photo of me staring at a black screen but there is very important information being displayed here!! This is a schedule of the themed game-launches from inside of Home. It is the equivalent to Destructoid's Friday Night Fights, just every night. Games include Warhawk <3, Resistance 2 co-op, Far Cry 2, Street Fighter 4 and that's all I can remember. I've never actually participated in one of these but if you guys are bored you should check it out. Go represent Dtoid and clean up! This board is located right beside the dance area.



I don't know what this mecha thing is but it is awesome!! It may be from Lost Planet 2 because it has the same kind of design and feel that I got from the demo. That co-op demo I must say is really fun. Definitely caught me off guard. It looks like the perfect purchase for that summertime lull. And yes, I did try to get into it but I couldn't. Sad panda indeed. It's not like I would have rampaged through Home if I was able to take control of it. Alright, maybe I wouldn't have done it for too long but I swear I would have refueled and rearmed it once I was done!! You know my word is legit, meng!!



Look! It's everyone's favourite Home minigame, Saucer Pop!! Little known fact, I am awesome at this game. I haven't tried this updated version with the leaderboards yet but there is not a doubt in my mind that I wouldn't be sitting at the top after I played. Enjoy your moment in the spotlight, Mr. I-don't-have-a-life!!



Confirmed: Dtoiders get all the women!! It's actually amazing how many people are impressed with the helmet and come up to me asking about it. Except for this one person who said it was to hide my ugly face and then ran away. But in all fairness, I did call her a giant tomato and laughed at her. True story. This is by far my favourite photo taken, hence why it is now my blog header. I couldn't stop laughing with how well timed it was. It's almost as if God wanted this photo to be captured. And people say it's always the guys hounding the girls. HA! It's actually guys pretending to be girls trying to trap other guys haha! But seriously, there are actually a lot of women on Home. A lot of traps too though >_>



Inside this building is where the bowling alley and arcade is. I can't remember the name of the space but it is terrible. That is why I'm giving it the double, yes the double, thumbs down. Everything is always full and I can never play anything. Ok to be fair I haven't been in there in a while. It's likely been updated but I'll save that discovery for another day.



This is the front of the mall. Nothing too fancy, just some advertisements and nothing really else. Just throwing it in here so you guys have more stuff to look at.



Hey I live somewhere in there!! I don't know exactly where but that's not important. Entering that building will take you back to your home space.



As you can tell, this is the movie theatre. All those black spaces mean that this building is plastered with advertisements and videos. It's actually quite impressive and a sight to behold. The ticker displays some useful information too. I can't remember what exactly was being displayed, my gut instinct tells me videos being played inside the theater, but it could be anything for all I know.

Alright, I've had enough fun in the sun and could use a bit of air-conditioned goodness. Let's go see what's being played inside the theater.


Movie Theatre



I find the movie theatre to be one of the most interesting and useful spaces in Home. Set up like an actual theatre, different rooms play different movies. They include PS3 game trailers, PSP game trailers, PSN game trailers, movie trailers, videos from the PlayStation Blog (very cool!), Home-specific informational videos and various promotional videos. Right now they still have an awesome music video for Shakira. Why is it awesome? Well you have to log in and see for yourself! Uh yeah, this is more directed to the guys reading this.

For some reason, the theatre was infested with zombies. They were trying to show off their new-found parts that they collected throughout Home but instead kept asking me about my helmet and where they could get one. Further proof that everyone wants to be a part of Dtoid. What? Hey it's my logic, my conclusions! If you guys want one, it's 25 cents (I don't remember how much for the whole robot costume) and you can find it in the mall. It's in Threads II, just go up the stairs and it should be on the left. Nope, on the right! I just rechecked in the photos.



A fancy design on the floor of the concourse area. The screen in the upper left was playing trailers for some PSN games. It could have been either Pixeljunk Shooter or ModNation Racers. Either or, it was awesome.



"Yo guys, wut u sayin'. I'm ballin' tonight." Don't I look like one of those kids at the cinemas these days?? I thought so. I laughed, I cried, I hated myself a little more.



This is one end of the theatre with all the different rooms. Every once in awhile they have promotions were you get free items for watching videos. I already mentioned the Criss Angel furniture set that I got for watching Mindfreaks but you can also get clothing sometimes. I got some funky looking glasses for watching something I can remember. You could get a free shirt for watching the reality tv show "America's Top Soldier". I'm not really sure what the name of the show was actually called but I didn't end up sitting through it. It was a few months ago though.



This is the other end of the theatre. I guess it's a little pointless showing all of this since you can't see what is being displayed on the signs but I assure you it is all different. There are kiosks at both ends where you can download promotional clothing from movies. They have stuff from Zombieland and Angels & Demons for example. Some of it is free while others are not. I tend to download anything and everything that is free. I'll show you inside of one of the rooms, one of which was playing the preview for a South Park Halloween episode.



Look!! Another black screen! I really wish that video images would be captured when taking a photo. Or at least replace the blank screen with a Home logo. Just anything to give my eyes something to look at. And for some reason sitting down will deactivate the camera. Weird stuff indeed. As you can see, this room is empty. The only another person his is some awesome guy who also donated to charity. Normally these rooms have a fair number of people in them. The room playing videos from the PlayStation Blog are usually packed. Of course most of them are dancing around their bubble machines. Home users are so weird.



A nice feature is the ability to enlarge the video so it fits the entire screen. You can do this with most screens and posters. What you are looking at is the trailer for Land of the Lost, specifically Will Ferrell's giant mug. You're just going to have to take my word for it. Or since you're using your imagination to imagine what is on screen anyways, just think that they are showing porn. A porno starring Will Ferrell.


Final Words



Alright so I think that is enough for now. What originally started off as me just wasting time in Home has turned into something I can blog about. Yes there will be more of these posts. I have 5 more spaces captured but felt that they deserve more space than I can give them here. Just think, you can see how Home is evolving without ever having to log on. It's a win-win situation! Of course the point of this blog is to do the opposite and see if anything in Home will interest you. Re-installing stuff is a hassle.

Home has been a bit of an enigma for Sony. What they intended to release turned out to be something that was uninteresting and not something their fans wanted. It took itself too seriously. Slowly though it is turning into a respectable product. Universal game launching is a good start but it still needs that much coveted "party system" to take full advantage of it. The styles seen in Home have changed from trying to be super-realistic to off-the-walls-crazy. Alright, it may not be the traditional "Japanese-crazy" yet but it is heading down that road. It is something that needed to happen. Video games are meant to be an escape from the real world, not a poor imitation of it. The biggest and best change may be the direction Home is taking. It was primarily intended to be a networking system, a virtual Facebook or Myspace. Focusing more on gaming has made Home more appealing to the average gamer. As you will see in my next post, game spaces are now doing a better job of bringing in like minded gamers and selling them on their product. It is becoming an extension of the game itself. There are still tons of things that need to change before Home becomes a destination for most everyday gamers but the groundwork is laid and it is heading in the right direction.

After another weekend gone, it's back to the grind of the real world.

I love Destructoid.

A lot.

Wanna know why??

Alright get up and go to the bathroom.

You back?? Yeah you needed to hear the next part first.

As I said before, get up, go to the bathroom and look in the mirror.

You see that person staring back at you in the mirror??

Yes, it's you!!*

You are the reason why I love Destructoid!!

Every single one of you!!

<3



*if not you, quickly run out of your house and phone the nearest demon specialist.

That old saying "Be careful what you wish for" is true. Sometimes what you want most can lead to your downfall. What am I talking about exactly?? Well if the title didn't give you the answer let me begin with a little story.

It was a mid-June evening and I was heading to the mall. You see, I hadn't really been shopping in a long while trying to save the little money that I earn for school in the fall, but I felt that it was about time that I buy another game. The last game I had bought was Killzone 2 back in February. Along with more Resistance 2, Warhawk, LittleBigPlanet and Burnout, I was holding over pretty well but I really wanted Valkyria Chronicles. Actually, I needed the game. Unfortunately I had not seen VC since the holiday rush and was now going to make it my mission to get my hands on it. My first trip, which also just happened to be my last, was to EB Ga...wait no...GameStop??? What's a GameStop doing in my Canada!? Clearly I had not been to the mall in a looong time. I have to say, even though I had become comfortable with the EB Games which had been in the same location for about as long as I can remember, the changes inside were...nice. I could actually walk around for once!! I guess comfortability does lead to complacency. Anyways back to the point of the story, my search for VC. Once inside the store I looked around and couldn't find the game. So I browse around looking to see if I can get any good deals on other games and nothing really pops out at me. I then decided to ask if they had the game I was looking for.



Me: Hey. Do you happen to have Valkryia Chronicles for PS3 by any chance??

GS Clerk: Uh, I'll check the computer to see if we have one in stock.
*checks computer*
No it doesn't look like we have it in.

Me: ........Do you have any idea when a copy will come in??

GS Clerk: *checks computer again*
Actually it says here the game has been discontinued.

Me: *stares incomprehensibly*
............what?
*finally clicks in*
WHAT!? Are you fucking kidding me!? Are you sure!? VALKRYIA CHRONICLES!?

GS Clerk: We may get a preowned copy in eventually.

And then I snapped.

You see, it wasn't until I got home that night and did some internet-sherlocking that I discovered that this in fact was common knowledge. Why it took me so long to realize is beyond me but to say I was a little angry would be an understatement.

Just as I was getting ready to start hurling Rock Band bundles around the store something caught my eye. Hanging on the wall behind the counter, what I saw a put a spell on me and enchanted a calmness that only an illegal sedative could achieve. The black beauty stared back at me with its shimmering finish, petite rectangular shape with finely curved edges. A depiction of a legendary metal bird that rules the skies in time of war gazed back at me. And no, it wasn't a Pokemon.

Me: *staring wide-eyed with mouth agape, pointing at my new prize*
How long have you had those in for now!?

GS Clerk: Those? About a week I'd say.

Me:*throws down a twenty dollar bill without breaking my stare*
I'll take one, thank you very much!!



Finally!! After months and months of complaining and begging for Sony to release PSN Cards in Canada, they had finally done so giving me access to critically-acclaimed downloadable games and DLC. It honestly felt as if I had just unlocked half of my $400 console that had always been out of reach from me. Always taunting and flaunting but never within my grasp. While at my age I should definitely have a credit card, I still prefer to use prepaid cards as I would have more restraint over my spending.

Or so I thought.

Racing home and scratching away the code, I got down to business. First on the "to-download" list were the Killzone 2 map packs. After being left out in the rain during several Friday Night Fight matches, I wasn't going to be excluded anymore. Of course I wasn't just buying them for FnF but the Destructoid community does have that type of peer pressure power over me at times. Rounding out the $20 put in my virtual wallet were the Killzone Pack and Chimera Costume for LittleBigPlanet.

Just an aside about LBP's DLC costumes, I understand many people do not see the value in having to drop money on these in-game skins. But if you have the money and play LBP often, they are actually really well crafted and are worth it. They definitely look a step above what is provided within the game. They're priced perfectly to go along with your $10 or $15 game purchase. But to each their own I guess.



After giving the maps a quick spin, and loving them, I powered down my PlayStation 3 and was heading to bed. As I was cleaning up my room a bit, the PSN Card caught my eye again. Suddenly I had random visions of jet packs and dropships, of vehicular get-aways and pixelated junk. Old classics filled my mind as they were greeting soon-to-be-greats. Snapping out of my daydream I realized I had a bit of a cold sweat. I flipped the card face-down and fell a sleep, reassuring myself that what I had experienced had meant nothing.

Several days later I was back shopping, at a different mall though, and I eventually made my way to GameSt...oh no wait, this one is still EB Games. This time I was looking for a Wii game instead but everything I wanted seemed to be priced too high. This has been common as of late. So I decided to settle for a used DS game, Lock's Quest, which was priced perfectly at $15. I heard great things about it so I felt it was too good to pass up. As I was checking out, I saw them again. More PSN Cards!! It seemed as if these cards were popping up everywhere now. Thankfully of course! Since the game I was buying was pretty cheap, I decided that there was no harm in buying another $20 card. My entire purchase was still cheaper than most used PS3 games...or used Wii games ugh...so the spending-conscience in me had no problem throwing down a bit extra cash.

This $20 had gone to the Warhawk Booster Packs and rounded out with more LBP junk. While as much as I love the game, this was a hard decision to come to. I pretty much only play Warhawk for the fun of it now, what video games are supposed to be about, right? But this summer I was planning on getting a few Platinums, particularly in Resistance 2 and LittleBigPlanet. You know, make it feel like I accomplished something while lazing away. The Warhawk Platinum is virtually unattainable so every minute spent in Warhawk is a minute that could be used finishing my LBP level, which I'm pretty close to completing. But at the end of the day when I had to make a decision between Platinums and Jet Packs, it's pretty obvious which one I'd choose, what anyone would choose.



Fast-forward a few days later and I'm back at the mall, again, buying cleats this time. I was tired of getting burned in Ultimate Frisbee while playing in wet weather so I decided to finally drop the cash and buy a pair. Plus I'll eventually take up soccer. Or that's at least what I tell everyone. Anyways this was the time I realized I had a problem with my spending control. I had one of those moments that junkies have, where they're out with friends and next thing they know they're waking up the next afternoon with a needle still stuck in their arm. One second I was deciding between Nikes and Umbros (turned out they didn't have Nikes in my size and the manager took a bit extra off the Umbros), the next I was walking out of EBs with another $20 PSN Card. I hadn't even tried out the Warhawk packs yet!! While I was angry with myself, I realized that this would give me the chance to try out Metal Gear Solid for the first time ever. After actually playing the game, I don't understand why I took so long to get into the series. But that is a discussion for another day.

By this point, I'm admitting to myself that I have an addiction to these prepaid cards. I do what any addict does to try and get over their addiction by making themselves sick of it. An overdose. I eventually went out and bought the motherlode, a $50 PSN card. I figured that if I bought a larger card, I wouldn't spend it as quick. And surprisingly, it worked!! Well maybe it helped that I was peer-pressured into buying Battlefield 1943. Getting at least 5 invites while playing the demo will do that to a person. Thanks Dtoid!! :P The game has been addictive to say the least so I've been very happy with the purchase. But after getting Big Surf Island and a few discounted games as well, that $50 dried up fast. Now with Fat Princess and Marvel vs Capcom 2 on the door step, and sadly wanting to buy some stuff for my Home persona, it looks like the "addiction" has yet to be kicked.



After going through all this, it took me some time and thinking to understand why these cards have such an effect on me while I can go months and months without purchasing a retail game. I had bought Wii Points Cards in the past without having this need to drop more cash either, even though there are many games that I have still yet to download. And then it hit me. Not only is it because the content on the PSN Store is generally priced a lot lower than retail games, a lot lower, you also don't pay tax when you buy PSN Cards!!

Ok I can hear you laughing but there is good reasoning behind this. You go to the store looking for a game but nothing jumps out at you. You have a twenty in your pocket and you feel like spending it. You could either buy a used game at $15 which provides you with one gaming experience. Or you can buy a prepaid card at exactly $20 and download a game or two, get DLC to expand your current gaming experiences or a combo of several situations. That sense of value is what helps drive download sales. Unlike PSN Cards, Wii Point Cards do get taxed at retail which brings the cost to a twenty plus change. It works out to roughly the same in the end but the slight differences contribute to this "addiction" I have.

Of course, this whole way of thinking may only work on people with a certain mentalities such as myself but Sony would be smart to expand the number of retailers that carry their prepaid cards and get into the faces of as many people as possible. It's a lot easier to justify spending $20 every other week than to drop $70 plus tax for a game or two each for every month. And that is what is really contributing to the decline of retail video game sales. In this economy, developers and publishers can cry out to the moon about the rise in cost of making games. They can tell everyone how expensive and competitive the market is and try and explain why the price hike was justified. But at the end of the day, the customers are dealing with the exact same worries with job security and the doubts of tomorrow. If anything the increased prices have just pushed customers further away from retail and right into the digital distribution scene. Will publishers really be able to justify charging us $70 or $80 for the next shooter when Battlefield 1943 stormed the PSN Store and Xbox Live Marketplace at $15?? Sure BF1943 is a pretty buggy and basic shooter but pound-for-pound in the fun department, a lot of gamers may be feeling ripped off this winter. Either developers will need to step up their game or they will seriously need to reconsider what they think they can get away with charging.



One of my biggest fears for the PSPgo was that without PSN Cards in Canada, it'd be difficult for me to actually use the handheld as a gaming device. But with the cards now here, my fear is that I may actually spend too much on it....I mean after the initial purchase of the hardware of course. So Sony definitely needs to get these cards out in every one of their markets as soon as possible. The latest rumours have them dropping in European nations at the same time as the PSPgo releases, which is absolutely necessary for the success of the sleek handheld.

There are problems with PSN Cards though. One is that since you are not converting your money into "Sony Points", it is still your country's currency and retailers make exactly zero profit from selling them. They really have no incentive to sell them, a problem that the soon to be released PSPgo will have on the software side as well. Unless they have a deal where you buy a PSN Card and get say $5 off a preowned game, there is nothing that encourages you to give your money to these retailers. Or maybe Sony has to pay retailers to sell their cards, like 10 cents a card or something. The one possibility I see is that as downloadable titles become more prevalent and more blockbuster titles are released on the digital services, retailer will start to drop their prices to encourage you to buy the physical medium instead for dual-releases. They may make less of a profit this way but they'll be glad that they are making any profit at all. Preorder gifts might become more wide spread as well. Another slight problem with PSN Cards is that since your money is never being converted to points, you may never find discounts on the cards like you will occasionally do with the Xbox Live Points. But then again, I've seen Wii Points Cards for more than $20 so maybe PS3 owners are getting lucky here. And finally there is all the fears and concerns gamers have with digital distribution itself. The lack of "physically" owning the game, the download sizes, DRMs, inability to take the game to your friend's house, microtransactions, can't buy used or discounted, no boxart or manual for the game collectors.....and I think I covered most of them. What I'm saying is that there will be people who will refuse to buy digital, or at least their big purchases won't be digital, so developers need to make sure that they don't abandon parts of their fanbase.

If anything at all, this is a great time for both gamers and developers. Gamers get more diversified experiences at a cheaper cost while developers have to spend less to get their visions out there. There is no way games such as Noby Noby Boy or Pixeljunk Eden would have survived at retail. While analysts are panicking that the industry is "collapsing" as retail sales are down, everyone involved with digital distribution seems content to keep quiet while they lounge beside the pool of liquid gold. It's shaped like a money-sack if you really wanted to know.



This "addiction" you may have realized is not for the PSN Cards themselves but for cheaply-priced games that won't float at retail, for game-changing additions that expand on the original experience, for old classics and future gems. I'm addicted to the unique, the convenience, the affordability, the workmanship. Most of all I'm tired of walking into stores and seeing games I want for $70, $60 used. It's not a self-imposed boycott or anything, though if it was I've been doing it since before boycotts became popular with L4D2. It's just me being finicky with my money. When the big games start dropping I know I won't be able to resist. Uncharted 2 is looking sexy and I am required by law as a Canadian to own NHL 10. I have spent $110 on PSN Cards in the month and a half that I have seen them hanging up behind counters. This may be a little contradictory as I have said that I really don't have the money to be spending a lot on games, which is true and I really do have to watch my spending a bit more carefully. But that $110 got me two PSOne classics (Metal Gear Solid and Warhawk), three PSN games (Battlefield 1943, Crash Commando and Pixeljunk Eden), five map packs (2 for Killzone 2, 3 for Warhawk), five LBP packs (Killzone pack, artist sticker pack, MGS level kit, Patapon and Chimera costume) and Big Surf Island. I'd be lucky to get 3 new games at retail with $110.

So if you just scrolled to the bottom of this long blog and wanted to know what exactly I was talking about, the short version is I approve of digital distribution, the industry is insane if they think I'll buy games at a premium and Sony did the opposite of screwing up for once!! They did something that actually improved the PlayStation brand in a relatively small market. Now all Sony needs to do is get movies and TV shows up in the Canadian PSN stores and I will be one happy customer!!

Also Sega, what the fuck!?

Alright, this is a quicky but a good one.



A lot of the places handing out beta-codes are already out. USA Today may still have some considering that I kind of doubt the majority knew they would have any. It wouldn't hurt to try it out yourself, right??

If I find any other places giving out codes, I'll let y'all know. Or you can share with us where you found yours ;)