So yeah. After years of bitching, crying over Paypal and Google checkout to accept my debit card and suffering the "I'm sorry but your location is too lame for our content" messages, Microsoft FINALLY brought Xbox Live services to Greece. Hurray!

Starting from last Wednesday, we officially have our own Xbox Live server, complete with a marketplace (whose content is entirely and fully available to the gamers of the country) and all the online gaming going on with minimal lag and awesome.

Of course, we don't have ANY other service such as Netflix, due to legal complications. Facebook and Twitter will be added at a later date once they get properly translated. It's nice to see the Gold subcriptions being sold to stores (even though the price is high at 49.99euros). The points are available too but only in 2400 and 800 point cards. I guess it's better to buy it directly from the Dashboard.

So, since I am a Journalist (almost), I went to the Press Release Party of Microsoft Hellas. I wasn't nearly as impressive as the ones you've got there, but I went anyway. For Journalism.

Here are some random photos.






Also, for thanking the greek gamers, they made a folklore outfit for the male avatars (called Tsolias) and a scarf with Greece's national colors for the female avatars. Which is kinda cool and hilarious. You're going to recognize a greek player just from the ridiculous outfit of the avatar in avatar-based games.



So, happy Marioland is happy. Now it's time to renew that gold subscription and download some stuff.

On a side note, we have had so much progress in Greece, we got our very own Southpark-like cartoon.

It's called "DON'T take from the ones who don't have" and it's focused around Menippos, an ancient cynicist philosopher, Haros, the god of death who also took the souls from purgatorium to Hades with his boat - with a fare and Hermes who's job was to lead the souls to Haros.



So, Menippos died, Hermes did his job, Haros did his job too. Before going to Hades, Haros asked his payment for taking Menippos to the other side. Menippos, having nothing but his clothes said "don't take from the ones who don't have" and continued to lurk on with the living for 3000+ years, due to a little stupid bureaucratic complication.

Nowadays, that the old gods got retired, Haros and Hermes had problem with retirement. The tax office won't allow them to retire due to Menippos missing fare. So, they get on the impossible task to find him a legit way for him to get money and pay them. It's funny because Greece isn't a sane place. People as well as gods tend to be a little bit crazy. The cartoon is perfect! I've been having so much fun watching it!

So, yeah. Too much progress on a country to the brisk of economic destruction. I guess those things are available now, but who is going to buy since the money are limited. I am still practically jobless at my 24 with some serious education on my back. Well, at least I have games...