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The Xbox odyssey

I remember when Adrian and i scoured the entire San Fernando Valley for the first Xbox a few years ago. It was kind of an ordeal because it was such a Hot item that they were literally flying off the shelves. Everyone wanted one, now! And although we could have made easy for ourselves by calling around, we decided part of the thrill of owning the much anticipated Game Console was driving around searching for it. A kind of spurious labor of love if you will.

Not surprisingly, Best buy, Circuit City, and Fry's (including Game Dude) had no Xbox's in stock. We marched into at least three Best Buys (they couldn't even tell us when exactly new shipments would come in...). There was a feeling of great disappointment between us on that drive home. We've embarked on an Xbox journey and came up empty handed ( We had planned that day a month ahead of time...). Not only were we dedicating that entire day to the search, but for Halo the rest of the day. It was going to be our fun day... So conceding to defeat, we drove home with our heads down uncertain of the future...

But by happenstance, we drove by a Toys R' US on the way to the freeway. "Hmm, they wouldn't have Xbox's in there, would they?" i contemplated. If Game Dude, Best Buy, and Fry's were out, why would Toys R' US have any in stock? Although unsure we strolled in there just so we covered all the bases. Skipping the store was too great a risk you see... But when we reached the "game section", it was like that moment when Vincent Vega opened that suitcase they sought after in Pulp Fiction, shine reflecting on his face. It seemed like we froze for a couple of seconds as we absorbed what was to be-- We happy?... Vincent, we happy?

Of course no less than two weeks later, i would quit playing Halo and stuck with racing games citing motion sickness. And soon after the racing games would go wither away too. I enjoyed it a lot don't get me wrong, it's just that video games in general get old to me after some time no matter how kewl they are. Eventually the Xbox made its way into the hands of my cousins in the Philippines who were more than elated to have received one. And i promised when i returned i would have an Xbox 360 to give away. Which brings us to the present time...

I have to say, getting the new Xbox has been in the back of my mind for quite some time anyway. It was inevitable, though primarily as a present to my cousins when i get back home (maybe in a couple of years). But that's not to say i couldn't have fun with it, right? After all, i have a pretty good TV/Audio set up at home and i hear most of the new games are 1080P and dolby digital. NICE! So far i only have Halo (which i have yet to play) and my all time favorite Xbox game, Project Gotham Racing (which i am playing far too much). Playing online is kind of nuts, lots and lots of fun. And did anyone tell ya you could cuss people out? Ya that's half the fun....

Posted by: Marc Gabay
Thursday, October 11, 2007