So neither Rudeboy nor myself had any big plans to get a 360, so we had to rely on a mutual friend to pick up this slick Halo 3 edition.  Our buddy is kind of funny, and I had to go ahead and break the seal for him so he wouldn’t be able to freak out and return the thing.  So, it’s opened, and there’s no going back now.  Right away I have to say the color scheme is very nice in person, much cooler than either a black or a white one.  The green controller looks very nice as well.  All the internal packaging was either green or orange; a nice touch.  The power brick could be hollowed out and used for lodging in your average favela, so that’s a recycling option in a couple of years.  My take on the Halo 3 version: probably right up there in cool with the black “sports” Dreamcast, but not quite as cool as a top-loading NES (with dog bone d-pad).  Apologies for not quite matching the sexiness of the famous PSP licking shot.  Look, I can’t help that I’m an ugly man.

When I first played the original PGR on a buddies XBox, I was blown away at how good it looked. The race replay was almost photo-realistic at times and I wondered then how it could get any better. Well, the picture above answers that question… add realistic weather (view the rest of the gallery here). Between PGR4, Bioshock, Lost Planet and a few others, it’s clear to see that weather is the wave of the future. And that’s ok by me. Now I just need to hijack my brother-in-laws 360 so I can play this game as soon as it comes out.

Our non-attendance aside, and with the 3 major keynotes still hanging in the smoggy air of LA, we thought we’d share our thoughts on the whole ‘Who will win?’ question.

First off… Sony:
What the SNAP? (sorry… been watching too much Chicken Little this week). We all knew the ‘boomerang’ wasn’t gonna make it to the final version, but isn’t it a little late to come to the game with a ‘revolutionary’ new controller? Not that it isn’t a good idea, but c’mon. Trying to steal Nintendo’s thunder aint gonna win too many fans. And that price point isn’t gonna help either. $600 is just a tad steep for my wallet (I’m poorer than most, but still). I understand it will be a cheap Blu-Ray player, but I can’t see dropping that kinda scratch for a game console.

Next up… Microsoft:
Exclusive GTA4 launch title? Worth a lot
Halo 3? Worth a lot more
Possibility of being able to connect XBox 360 Halo 3 players and PC Halo 3 players through a universal Live system that allows WASD players to kick the crap out of all those game pad home boys and prove their dominance once and for all? FREAKIN PRICELESS!!! (just my opinion of course)
Microsoft had some cool stuff to announce, but nothing that was mind blowing. The Live connection between XBox and Vista could be cool, but we won’t really know until we can see how well it works. Overall, not bad.

Last, but not least… Nintendo:
Although the graphics and system specs are nothing to get too excited about, the gameplay may in fact be ‘Revolution’-ary. From directing symphonies to a friendly game of tennis, the little Wii-mote may be everything Nintendo has said it will be. As a long-time Nintendo owner, I’ve always liked the way the Big N is able to produce games that are just plain fun to play and re-play. For example, I have two daughters (ages 4 and 2) who can’t get enough of Duck Hunt. They’re not really old enough to play much on the PC which is currently my main gaming unit. Not to mention the fact that they could do some serious damage to my beloved PC by just randomly hitting buttons. They’ve tried to play the N64, but still don’t quite get the whole ‘analog stick’ thing. But darned if they can’t blow those ducks away like there’s no tomorrow. This is my main attraction to the Wii. Being an avid gamer for the large majority of my time here on earth, I love to share my love of games with those around me. My wife currently wants nothing to do with them, but that doesn’t mean I can’t try to convert my daughters. And what better way to get them interested and having fun than by introducing them to a system they can actually play. Who knows… it may even allow me to get my wife playing. I have many fond memories from my youth that involve my whole family being huddled around the kitchen table playing Uno and our own home-brewed card game called ‘Muggins’ (don’t ask me, I didn’t name it). Those times were a lot of fun for me and the idea of the Wii makes me think those types of ‘family-fun’ situations are quite possible with this unit. That makes this system by far the most appealing to me personally.

Now, I don’t claim to be a fanboy, but I am quite excited about what Nintendo has to offer. Of the 3 ‘next-gen’ units, I could easily see myself buying a Wii to enjoy with my daughters (and wife, maybe). Although its still early in the game, some of those that have had their hands on the Wii (snicker… sorry, everyone else is doing it… Bleet!) have had lots of positive things to say. I’ll end with this link to a New York Times article about their hands-on experience with the Wii at E3. A very interesting read for all those who are still skeptical of the Wii-mote and what it can do.

Leave a comment! Let us know who you’re rooting for on this one.

Well, look no further. Your game system is available at last:

Behold the Atari Flashback 2.0

No more hopelessly calling every store in a 100 mile radius. No more driving around in a mad frenzy at midnight hoping to snag fresh stock. You can pick up one of these bad boys at your local Target (if you’re not currently boycotting them) for a mere $30. And there should be plenty of availability. Sure it doesn’t quite boast the same capabilities of your beloved 360, but hey… at least you’ll have something to open on Christmas morning.

I stopped by my local small business stifling big box retailer last night to snag some A1 for my steak (yeah, I’m guilty too) and I just about fell over some guy chillin’ in the isle on his lawn chair. As I continued down the isle weaving in and out of the lawn chair parade, I finally came to the source of the urban robot army… a gigantic ‘XBOX 360 Line Starts Here’ sign.

Now, I personally have a hard time understanding why movie fans would sleep in front of a theater, but I have an ever harder time trying to grasp why people would camp out in Wally’s Palacial Pile of Crap to buy an XBox. Props to MS for making them think that its vital to their existance, but c’mon people. And if that weren’t bad enough… check out this eBay auction:

YOU BID HOW MUCH?

I guess I’m just not a console guy at heart. That’s the only thing I can think of that might explain my total disinterest in the XBox launch.

(post has been mirrored in the forums HERE if you’d like to comment on the insanity)