It was the blog that blew a gasket. Last July, I quipped that my son, a die-hard Microsoft Xbox 360 fan, threw it all away and traded his game console for a Sony PS3.I called it "The Ultimate Proof Sony is Winning."
This elicited the sort of response usually reserved for Georgians who rise up against Russia. But this week I received the following email from Jerry A.:
"I was wondering if you could update me...I'd like to know if he was ultimately satisfied with (the PS3), or dissatisfied and wished he had never packed up his Xbox. Also, what did you think of the 'scratch-proof' (treatment) which is really just scratch-resistant? One thing I've learned is that no matter what people tell you, GameStop employees know virtually nothing about the PS3, no matter how well-informed they sound. Seriously. It is rare that a hardcore 360 gamer trade in his setup for a PS3. I myself am a PS fan, I've never owned an Xbox and am generally satisfied with the PS3. I'm more a casual gamer, and love the games I have on PS3. I still have no interest in an Xbox 360. I enjoyed reading your article, as a PS3 fan, but as an objective person, I know the story can't end there; whether it ultimately ends with a PS3 victory or an Xbox victory, I'd like to read a follow-up."
So I thought I'd follow up, even at the risk of unleashing a second fusillade of verbal missiles.
My son still owns his PS3. I asked him if he likes it. Yes. I asked him if he regrets trading in his Xbox 360. Yes to that, too. Why? He says that while he enjoys the quality of game play on the PS3, especially the graphics (and no discs have been scratched yet), he misses all his friends on Xbox Live. I've noticed that he's not playing the PS3 very much, and, in fact, he's reactivated his old "World of Warcraft" account, from Activision's Blizzard Entertainment.
Regarding the PS3, he says he's waiting for new games--many angry emailers warned of this! So... does he want to trade back and get an Xbox? No. He's hoping to save up enough money and "possibly" buy a 360 so he can have both consoles. Maybe Microsoft's new price cuts will encourage him to do that. Then, perhaps, we can unite as one nation, one household, behind both consoles. That will only leave out the Wii, which, I'm afraid, he wouldn't be caught dead owning.
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