* Doesn't this guy look like Yoj1mbo? As an old Usagi Yojimbo fan, I've always sort of thought so, but seeing this statue really brought the likeness to the forefront of my mind.



* So, I'm wondering who's buying the PS3 Slim? The answer to that question actually means a lot to me.

I admit, I was initially quite pleased that the PS3 "flopped". More than any in any previous console war, the current competition between the Wii, the 360 and the PS3 is a battle of differing philosophies. The way I see it, Wii is runs on the philosophy accessibility and inclusion, the 360 on online interactivity, and the PS3 on hardware superiority. That's why I hoped that that the $600 PS3, with its almost exclusively "gritty and serious" launch library and focus on Blu Ray wouldn't become the market leader. That's not the direction that I wanted gaming to go in.

Now that Sony seems to have learned it's lesson, I'm happy to the that the PS3 is doing better. Still, I question who is really buying the PS3, and if the PS3 Slim is selling for what I deem the "right" reasons. Are PS3 Slim fans buyers people who have wanted a PS3 for a long time but were just waiting for the price to come down, are they people that just want a cheap(er) Blu Ray player that can also play some good games, or are they just PS3 Phat owners who just want the sleekest, prettiest piece of trophy hardware that money can buy?

Obviously the answer is "a mix of all three" but I hope that last group isn't the dominant force. I'm sure Sony feels the same way, as selling the PS3 Slim to people that already own a PS3 does nothing to expand the console's install base.

My motives are different. The main thing that still bugs me about the PS3 in particular, and videogame culture in general, is this idea of a console as a status symbol. Part of what I love about gaming is that it's not tied to expensive shoes and designer clothes like sports and music are. It pains me to think of people buying a PS3 Slim for the same reasons they may buy a $300 pair of sneakers, or gold rims for their hubcaps .

So, is the P3S still the poster child for gaming consoles as the "sexy, status symbol center piece", or does the launch of the PS3 Slim actually show that Sony has come down to Earth a bit? Why did you buy (or not buy) a PS3 Slim?



* Speaking of videogame philosophies, I recently tortured a disinterested woman by driving home with her from upstate New York and ranting about the Dreamcast and how it represented my favorite philosophy towards game development. I tend to laud Nintendo (of Japan) as being the most diverse and geniune major game developer out today, but they don't have anything on classic Sega. I can't think of any other company that has put out games with that kind of range. From family fare like the Sonic series, to arcade darlings House of the Dead and Virtual Fighter, to weird-ass, cel shaded experiments like Jet Grind Radio, to traditional fantasy games like Panzer Dragoon, to accessible motion controlled games like Samba de Amigo, to real life-inspired dramas like Shenmue, Dreamcast-era Sega really did it all.

It still pains me to think that a company with that level of dedication to risk taking and progressive game development was pushed out of the console market. Here's hoping they make some sort of triumphant return to console development in the future. The gaming world would be a better place with Sega calling more of the shots.