I never thought I would be the one to fall prey to the insidious claws of The Hype. Well, I might have picked up a few games on launch day (or even before) but I'm not the kind of person who attends midnight launches. Even if they serve free pizza.
But, this time, its different. The enormous, rolling, spiky hypemachine of GTAIV turned my brain to shit. I spent most of today plotting who exactly I'd have to kill or maim in order to be able to play the damn game when launch day finally arrives.

You cant really fault Rockstar for its campaign. Most of the development was shrouded in the typical GTA mystery. Only within a few months of release date do scant details begin leaking out. As the weeks begin to unravel, more and more information trickles through the intertubes. It was no means the kind of brutal, spray and pray approach that big budget movies and games normally take. There was none of that that offensive viral marketing. But Rockstars subtle fact dropping method seems to have worked. Now, just a mere two weeks, it feels like the hype for me has reached critical mass. I cant take it any longer. I MUST HAVE THIS GAME!

The only problem is that I dont really have anything on which to play it. I mean, at all. If I want to play this game, I'll most importantly need a copy of the game. But then, I will also need a ps3 on which to play it. But then, Ill also need a 1080p TV, because there is no way I'm playing it on my 1/2" black and white piece of shit portable. But then, I'll need to buy cables and controllers and more games and before I know it, I've got a mortgage. And two less kidneys. And a bleeding anus.

Is it worth it? I just dont know. All I can think about is how badly I want this game. My usual cool logic and thrift (or stinginess) usually prevents me from such rash decisions. Sometimes. But The Hype has got me and I can't escape.

As I slowly descend into slavering madness, I at least have the comfort of my friends. "You can come and play it at my house," they state, disingenuously. Or "What about MarioKart?". Its not the same. Its just not the same.

Should I hold out for MGS4 and sweet DualShockness, like the original plan? Or should I give in and call the bank, put my organs on Ebay and call my pimp, Arnaldo, in the pursuit of gaming bliss? I just dont know.